Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki that Albania hoped to join the European Union by 2030.
He also promised that numerous Albanian expatriates would be able to send their ballots by post for the first time at the next general election in the spring of 2025.
Rama downplayed recent disputes with neighbouring Greece, including the imprisonment for corruption in the election of mayoral candidate Fredis Beleris, a member of Albania’s Greek-speaking minority.
Beleris was elected to the European Parliament last June and was nominated by Greece’s ruling conservatives. He has since been released from prison and allowed to take his seat.
However, the prime minister said relations with Greece had been excellent. Earlier in October, he stated:
It is our aim to complete that process within this decade and be ready to knock at the door of the European Council as a member state.This, of course, is very ambitious, it takes a very, very large volume of work.
