Albania officially opened on October 15 the first chapter of its negotiations for European Union membership, marking a historic milestone for the country in its journey towards integration.

Albania applied for EU membership in 2009 and achieved candidate status in 2014. With this step, Albania has joined Montenegro and Serbia as the third Western Balkan country to open negotiation chapters in accession talks with the EU.

The event in Luxembourg, effectively marking the second intergovernmental conference with Albania, represents a significant achievement for the country, as it also becomes the first to start accession talks under the EU's revised enlargement methodology.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi hailed the occasion as a "landmark decision", emphasising its importance not just for Albania but for the EU as a whole.

"It means that now the road is open for the substantive negotiations, meaning that now we will negotiate the conditions on which Albania is going to be a member of the European Union," Varhelyi said.

The first chapter of the talks on fundamentals covers areas such as the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, economic criteria, and the judiciary and fundamental rights.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expects the country to become an EU member by 2030.

"Our goal is to complete this process within this decade and be ready to approach the European Council as a member state," Rama told reporters in Luxembourg.

The journey towards EU membership has been a long one for Albania, which began its path alongside North Macedonia.

However, the two countries, which held the first intergovernmental conferences in July 2022, have now diverged, with North Macedonia's accession talks delayed due to objections by Bulgaria, which accuses Skopje of incomplete constitutional reforms, particularly concerning the inclusion of ethnic Bulgarians as a recognised minority. This setback left Albania to move forward alone in its negotiations.

Albania also encountered setbacks in its EU accession process due to issues with Greece; however, these were alleviated following the release on probation in September of Fredis Beleris, a former ethnic Greek mayor of an Albanian town, whose imprisonment on vote-buying charges had strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.

In Luxembourg, Varhelyi praised Albania's progress since 2019, recalling the country's perseverance through multiple challenges, including a devastating earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. The commissioner acknowledged the progress of Rama’s government in addressing key issues, such as corruption, organised crime, and judicial reform, which were previously major concerns for EU member states.

The negotiations will focus on aligning Albania's legal and institutional frameworks with EU standards, while also embedding economic and societal integration within the Western Balkans.

Albania's progress will be monitored under the revised EU methodology, which aims to ensure a more structured and accelerated enlargement process. The commissioner expressed optimism that, if Albania continues to meet its commitments, it could join the EU by the end of the next European Commission mandate.

The negotiations are underpinned by the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, which aims to boost the region's development through targeted investments. Varhelyi reported that 60% of the plan's initiatives have already been implemented, with over €7bn in additional investment needs flagged.

These funds are expected to generate €20bn in further investments across critical sectors, including infrastructure, energy, and environmental sustainability.

Varhelyi also emphasised the broader significance of enlargement for the EU, noting that it remains among the top three priorities for the bloc.

“Advancing EU enlargement is a key priority for the Hungarian presidency, as the European Union needs renewed momentum, fresh energy, and new perspectives—elements that the Western Balkans can contribute,” Péter Szijjártó, foreign minister, on behalf of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU, also stated.