Rama after meeting with Von der Leyen: We will begin closing chapters before the end of the year; I briefed her on the Zvërnec project

Prime Minister Edi Rama described the visit to Tirana by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a development coinciding with an important phase in Albania’s integration into the EU.

During the joint press conference, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to speeding up the negotiations. According to Rama, Albania is preparing to begin closing chapters before the end of this year and to continue next year with a considerable number of them.

Rama said it was a privilege to welcome Von der Leyen to Albania during her traditional tour of the region. He said he did not know the exact reason why the tour always begins in Tirana, but wanted to believe it was because of the letter “A.” The prime minister added that the visit by the president and her delegation would bring positive developments for their shared objectives.

Speaking about the Growth Plan, Rama said that several ambitious objectives had been fulfilled. He described the plan as one of the innovations of Von der Leyen’s second term, offering the region financial support and opportunities for gradual integration without having to wait for the entire process to be completed.

The prime minister announced that he had briefed the European Commission president on the progress of the Zvërnec project, which has generated considerable interest. He said that an in-depth environmental study for the project was expected soon.

Von der Leyen was also informed about the steps taken to ensure transparency and communicate with the public through new technological tools. Rama announced that, in the coming days, a dashboard would be launched where all documents and the process related to the much-discussed Zvërnec project would be published.

Regarding the fight against corruption and organized crime, which Rama called an unchanging priority for Albania and the EU, he said the situation had changed: whereas corruption was previously the system, today it is the system that is fighting corruption. In closing, the prime minister thanked Ursula von der Leyen for being in Tirana.