Accession Conference with Albania - International ministerial meetings

14 juillet 2026

Chair introduces the final press conference, presents the Irish Minister for European Affairs, the Albanian Prime Minister and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, and hands the floor to Minister Byrne.

Accession Conference with Albania - International ministerial meetings

Name: Accession Conference with Albania - International ministerial meetings
Uploaded: 2026-07-14T17:50:15+00:00
Description: Video from the International ministerial meetings of the Council of the European Union

00:33 - 00:57

Intervenant 2

Okay, welcome everyone to the final press conference of the day following the EU-Albania intergovernmental conference. We're joined today by Ireland's Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi. I'll first give the floor to Minister Byrne.

00:57 - 02:22

Intervenant 1

Thanks very much, and today is a really important day for Albania, but also an important day for the European Union. Super Tuesday has ended on a super ending. I started today at our first accession conference with North Macedonia at 8:00 a.m.

This is the fourth we've had today. It's the most accession conferences we've had in any single day since 2002. And it was a real pleasure to chair the ninth accession conference with Albania, together with Márta and Prime Minister Edi Rama. Today, Albania has notably started the closing of negotiating chapters. The Council has agreed that Albania is ready to close three negotiating chapters on science and research, on education and culture, and external relations.

Albania has demonstrated its commitment to joining the European Union. With the closure of these chapters, we see Albania entering a new accession phase. Albania opened all six negotiating clusters within one year and met interim benchmarks in May during Cyprus's presidency. We commend the pace, determination, and indeed the consistency, Prime Minister. We encourage Albania, of course, to implement the necessary reforms, in particular on the rule of law, absolutely crucial, the judiciary, anti-corruption, and they all remain the bedrock of the enlargement process of the European Union.

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