The European Union has opened the last remaining negotiation chapters with Albania, bringing the Western Balkan country closer to joining the EU by 2030. "There is no escape from Albania," said PM Edi Rama.

The Western Balkan country is expected to conclude accession talks by the end of 2027, putting it on track to become a member of the EU by 2030. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has injected momentum into negotiations, calling it a geopolitical imperative.

But some hurdles remain, Commissioner Kos argued.

“Now is the moment to accelerate, especially in critical areas such as justice reform, judicial independence, and the fight against corruption,” the Commissioner said after the seventh EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels on Monday.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama praised the EU’s fresh push for enlargement, arguing that the progress made this year reflects a decade of efforts.

“What Albania and the Albanians win in this process is something beyond the formal accession itself, Rama stated. “We win a country that functions based on institutions, on the rule of law, on all the standards and the principles that make the EU countries so admirable”.

Speaking at the Euronews EU Enlargement Summit earlier this month, the Albanian PM said that he is hopeful momentum will accelerate over the next two years, a crucial period as all candidates must gather approval from the 27 member states.