Mimoza Halimi, Albania’s Ambassador to the EU, emphasizes the constructive and active role Albania is playing in enhancing the Balkans region’s cooperation.

She says, “Albania has a tradition of peaceful cooperation, as is widely recognised throughout Europe. Dialogue, transparency and interaction in regional partnerships constitute some of the guiding principles of Albania’s foreign policy. Moreover, regional cooperation

Mimoza Halimi, Ambassador to the EU
Mimoza Halimi, Ambassador to the EU

is delivering tangible results and accelerating the European integration process of Albania and other countries in the western Balkans.”

A commitment to constructive regional cooperation is one of the EU’s criteria for EU membership. The EU wishes countries in the Balkans to demonstrate a willingness to cooperate with each other no matter how painful memories from the recent past might be. Mimoza Halimi notes that throughout the Balkans region, countries are making progress in addressing regional political, economic and security issues in a cooperative way. “The active participation of all countries in the region, including Kosovo, will further enhance the progress made so far and ensure that it is sustainable. The Regional Cooperation Council is playing a catalysing role in this respect and can do more not only to ensure regional cooperation, but also to promote the region in the EU.”

Through working together and with EU support, Albania and other western Balkan countries have been able to strengthen their border management and fight against organised crime, illegal migration and corruption. “In return, Albanian visas have been liberalised, which is leading to more people to people contacts, enhancing business opportunities and giving the possibility to our citizens to get to know the EU better,” the Ambassador points out.

Mimoza Halimi highlights the crucial role the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) continues to play in stimulating the regional market and integrating it with the EU market through Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) as well as with the global market through the participation of CEFTA countries in the World Trade Organisation.

Thanks to new trade regulations and other investor friendly legislation, Albania is experiencing a significant increase in exports, foreign direct investment in green-fi eld and steady economic growth. “This is enabling our economy to produce more tradable goods, become more competitive and better meet the economic criteria of European integration,” Mimoza Halimi says.

The Ambassador cites the energy sector as one of Albania’s high potential industries. She says, “Having a comparative advantage of being rich in hydropower and other renewable energy resources, Albania is increasing its green energy generation capacities, upgrading inner power distribution grid and interconnection lines, which all ensure a reliable power supply to our economy. Albania’s energy sector remains very attractive for investors.”

Tourism and transport are other emerging growth sectors in Albania. Being a Mediterranean country, its natural beauties, history and culture, and Albanians hospitality are attracting tourists from all around the world. Thanks to major recent public investment in improving Albania’s part of regional and pan European corridors, such as Corridor VIII, a new motorway from the port of Durres to Morine across the Kosovo border will provide rapid links to Prishtina, Belgrade and Budapest. “The involvement of all Western Balkans countries in transport initiatives will enable us to build and integrate our transport network with the EU one in a consistent way,” Mimoza Halimi points out.

The Ambassador notes that Albania and other countries in the region continue to face a number of challenges, including the effects of the global crisis, fiscal consolidation, the need to further improve the business climate and the need to accelerate structural reforms in such areas as education, healthcare, the labour market, property rights and pension
schemes. She concludes, “There is room for better fi scal policy coordination (rather than competition) among western Balkans countries, which will pay off in preserving our economies from the effects of the economic crisis, attracting more FDI and upgrading the competitiveness of our economies.”