{"id":21965,"date":"2021-10-06T19:46:53","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T17:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/?p=21965"},"modified":"2021-10-06T21:13:39","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T19:13:39","slug":"rama-criticizes-the-brdo-summit-eu-is-losing-face-in-the-eyes-of-the-balkans-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/rama-criticizes-the-brdo-summit-eu-is-losing-face-in-the-eyes-of-the-balkans-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"Rama critical of Brdo Summit: EU is losing face in the eyes of the Balkans nations"},"content":{"rendered":"

PM Edi Rama made a follow-up statement expressing his reservations about the EU-Western Balkans Summit that took place today in Brdo, Slovenia. The head of the Albanian state said that 18 years after the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki, the integration of the 6 countries of the region into the block is still a distant vision.<\/p>\n

Rama argued that the efforts made by Albania and North Macedonia to finally hold their first IGC and start EU accession talks, were quashed after Bulgaria\u2019s veto, which he doesn\u2019t think will be lifted any time soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can say with great regret that I have lost all hope that Bulgaria will be able to free up our way any time soon, because our Bulgarian friends seem to have been held up in the ring of fire, which they themselves ignited, in order to warm up the hearts of voters with the flames of a glorious past. It might also be the case, that those voters don\u2019t even care about the fact that they\u2019re holding two countries hostage, which based on all accounts are innocent and have done all of their homework. But, having said that, the one that should actually care is the EU, because it\u2019s losing face in the eyes of the nations of all six countries in the Western Balkans,\u201d \u2013 argued the Albanian PM.<\/p>\n

Calling it a \u201csenseless blockade\u201d, Rama raised a question, asking how long will Albania still have to wait in the circumstances, where it\u2019s unable to continue this process without North Macedonia.<\/p>\n

PM Rama also added that at a time when the EU cannot keep its promises on the enlargement process, then it should at least help countries of the Western Balkans through a plan of investments, while also supporting the Open Balkan initiative.<\/p>\n

Amongst other things, Rama also expressed his reservations about the role played by the EU during the pandemic, accusing them of leaving the region like a \u2018fish without water\u2019, making no efforts to include countries of the Balkans in their emergency vaccination plans.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Rama criticized the EU\u2019s inability to come through with their promise of lifting the visa regime for Kosovo, even though it\u2019s been years that they have fulfilled all the prerequisite criteria.<\/p>\n

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