TIRANA, June 16 /ATA/- By Maela Marini/ Albania successfully concludes its Presidency of the South- East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) for the period July 2024 – June 2025, under the motto “Shaping Our European Future.”
Today, Tirana once again became the hub of regional diplomacy, welcoming heads of state and senior representatives from 13 participating countries at the wrap-up Ministerial meeting.
During this period, Albania has focused on three priorities: strengthening political cooperation, accelerating economic integration, and achieving concrete results on the path toward European Union membership.
In his opening remarks, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, emphasized Albania’s active role in promoting regional cooperation and accelerating European integration.
He recalled that during this period, Albania has successfully chaired five regional and international presidencies: the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Adriatic Charter, the Central European Initiative, the Asylum, Migration and Refugee Initiative, as well as the SEECP itself.
He also underscored the significance of hosting the 6th Summit of the European Political Community in Tirana on May 16, 2025, describing it as a crucial opportunity to promote dialogue on security, democracy, and economic development throughout Europe.
Minister Hasani emphasized that regional cooperation provides the groundwork for EU membership—an essential and complementary step for the future of the region.
He stressed that “EU enlargement is not merely a political process, but a strategic investment in peace and stability across the entire European continent.”
Speaking about Albania’s path toward the EU, Minister Hasani added that “with the opening of four negotiation clusters, Albania is on the right track and fully committed to advancing the process toward European Union membership.”
“Our objective is ambitious, yet achievable: to open all negotiation clusters by the end of 2025 and to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2027. We are working with determination to ensure that Albania is fully prepared for membership before the end of this decade,” Hasani emphasized.
The SEECP includes 13 participating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Kosovo, and Turkey.
As a platform launched by the countries of the region themselves, the SEECP remains an important mechanism for strengthening cooperation, tackling common challenges, and preparing for full integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
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