Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in Albania on an official visit. He was received with a state ceremony by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Orbán was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjártó, and the Minister of Economic Development Márton Nagy.
Both parties have signed several agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary for the development of increased cooperation in the field of European Integration, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in water management between the Water Resources Management Agency of Albania and the Ministry of Interior of Hungary.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán then held a joint press conference.
Orbán criticized the EU regarding the delay in the integration process. According to him, the EU has not yet understood the importance of the Western Balkans.
“The competitor of Europe is declining, and the question is how we consider the integration of the Balkans into the EU, is it a problem or an opportunity? If Europe does not lag behind in global development, the economic growth reserves are in the Balkans and not in any other region of Europe. That’s why we demand Albania’s accession. As for the EU, it is shameful and unacceptable how slowly its enlargement is progressing,” said Orbán, emphasizing that it took Albania 13 years to obtain candidate country status.
“I’m not entirely convinced that the enlargement policy is a good thing; new perspectives need to be considered. However, we are committed to Albania’s accession to the EU, and this process must be accelerated. I have supported Prime Minister Edi Rama’s initiatives,” expressed Orbán.
He also stressed that the financial support of the EU for the Balkans is very low compared to the funds provided to other countries.
“Formalizing accession should not be expected to facilitate a country’s entry into this area. The EU is not in good shape today; it will pay a high price if it does not accept the Western Balkans,” emphasized Orbán during his official visit to Tirana.
He also spoke about the possibility of increasing Hungarian investments. Hungarian companies will always abide by the law, said Orbán, guaranteeing an increase in investments and deeper cooperation between the two countries.
“Tourism constitutes 15% of GDP, even though we don’t have a sea, so we are ready to share our expertise in this sector. We also want to expand into the banking sector, energy, and water management,” he added.
Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that thanks to his Hungarian counterpart, the relations between the two countries have entered a new phase.
“We want more Hungarian companies; we have discussed bringing more expertise and investments in the energy and tourism sectors. The number of tourists from Hungary has increased every year,” emphasized Rama during the joint press conference.
Just two weeks ago, Hungary’s President Katalin Novak visited Albania.
In her meeting with her Albanian counterpart Bajram Begaj, the recent developments in northern Kosovo and the injuries of KFOR soldiers, including some Hungarians, were in focus.
They also discussed the integration process of Albania and the Western Balkans, as well as deepening economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to data from INSTAT and the Bank of Albania, the number of Hungarian companies in Albania has doubled since 2015.
