Albania’s Foreign Policy Enters an Era of Uncertainty, Anchored in the EU Path

At the Foreign Policy Forum 2026 organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha sets out a doctrine of flexibility in an unpredictable world, reaffirming EU accession, regional cooperation, and Kosovo’s international consolidation as core priorities.

Speaking at the Foreign Policy Forum 2026, organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) on April 28, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha delivered a comprehensive address outlining the strategic direction of Albania’s foreign policy. The remarks come at a moment of heightened global uncertainty and renewed momentum in Albania’s EU accession process. Below is the full transcript of his speech, published without omissions.

Dear Mr. Rakipi, dear Albert,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the invitation and for this opportunity to share with you some thoughts on the direction and priorities of Albania’s foreign policy.

Anyone who knows Albania, even a little, knows that the backbone of Albanian foreign policy in the post-communist period has been the clear orientation toward the Euro-Atlantic world, as a guarantee for the democracy, security, and development of the country, an expression of our aspiration for freedom, development, and Western belonging.

This policy has been characterized by consistency and broad national consensus, focusing on membership in NATO, advancement toward the European Union, and a very constructive role in regional cooperation. This approach has aimed to position Albania as a source of stability, a reliable partner, and an actor that contributes to peace, cooperation, and regional integration.

I say with satisfaction and pride that in all these elements, part of a single strategic vision, Albania has succeeded, and they continue to remain at the center of our projection outward.

While our foreign policy is characterized by predictability, stability, and coherence, for the first time in these decades, this approach is faced with a new international reality in which unpredictability prevails.

In today’s developments, the only certain thing is uncertainty. The global order that we have known has faded and is in contraction, while the one that is coming does not have clear contours. Some, more daring, say that the world is spinning aimlessly. In such conditions, foreign policy cannot remain static. It must be flexible, dynamic.

For Albania, at the center of this vision naturally stands the process of accession to the European Union. It is meaningful that, even after decades of waiting, after many promises, skepticism, delays, and numerous challenges, Albanians never lost faith in this path. On the contrary, support for the EU has remained stable and strong.

This is because, in essence, the process of accession to the EU was the only path, but also because it was not seen simply as a political objective, but as a profound transformation. Not only as a destination, but as a concrete path of modernization and progress, not as another organization with certain rules, but as a way of thinking and of living.

Where are we today? If I were to use an expression from my childhood, in relations with the European Union, we have crossed the rainbow. At that time, this expression symbolized the impossible. Today, the achievable, because we are no longer in the phase of hope, but of action; we are no longer in waiting, but in cooperation and concrete co-investment; we are no longer seeking formulas to keep enthusiasm alive, but negotiating directly the future in the EU.

We have moved from aspiration to a tangible process, from vision to measurable reality. This historical moment requires continuous institutional commitment, but also collective responsibility to realize it with seriousness, credibility, and concrete results, since great opportunities bring greater responsibilities.

This is my duty, this is my commitment.

This brings me to another field, where Albania has invested and built continuously: regional cooperation.

We have sought and found common interests at the bilateral level with each country, but we have also worked with the conviction that, without relations of good neighborliness and without constructive cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral level around us, it would have been more difficult to successfully build our narrative and our European perspective. If we do not choose our neighbors, we can choose the quality of the relations that we build with them.

And precisely for this reason we have seen regional cooperation as an accelerator of integration. Albania has pushed forward concrete initiatives by thinking and acting in a creative way. We do not regret any effort and we will not stop, because only true cooperation makes the Balkans truly Western and our countries worthy of the European Union.

The building and preservation of good and constructive relations with neighbors is not simply a diplomatic principle, but a pragmatic approach that aims at the reduction of tensions and the increase of trust. This is what we have done with all countries without exception, promoting cooperation and the increase of regional interdependence.

Our relations with Kosovo constitute an entirely special, stable, and unchangeable dimension of our foreign policy. Our objective is the further strengthening of our close relations and of strategic cooperation in all fields, as well as active support for the consolidation of its statehood and the increase of its international subjectivity.

Albania will continue to be fully engaged and I would like it to be understood by everyone, everywhere, those who know and those who do not know, including in the region, that it is in the direct interest of the entire population, including all minorities in Kosovo, that their country become a member of the Council of Europe, since there the rights of minorities are treated in a detailed, structured, and continuous manner.

In the same spirit, the membership of Kosovo in UNESCO would serve for the better protection of the cultural and spiritual heritage in all its territory, whether Albanian, Serbian, or of other communities.

The same thing I would say also for agencies, funds, and programs of the UN. To those who still do not recognize Kosovo, even though it is regrettable, I ask at least that they do not obstruct the membership of Kosovo in international organizations. Because it is in the interest of citizens, including minorities there.

There are still five member states of the EU that do not recognize its independence, even though all, in one form or another, have shown flexibility to find practical solutions in specific aspects: they have supported freedom of movement, they support the advancement of the Euro-Atlantic project of Kosovo and the process of normalization of relations with Serbia, but they are still not convinced to go further toward formal recognition.

After 18 years of independence, reality has shown convincingly that our region, Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo, live better and with more perspective in this new reality than in the previous period of conflict and its administration under Serbian domination. This fact should serve as a basis for a more pragmatic and more future-oriented approach, where stability, coexistence, and European integration are placed above the political divisions of the past.

Our support for Albanians in the region remains an important pillar of our engagement. This approach is oriented toward strengthening stability, coexistence, and the European integration of the entire region, in accordance with the principles of good neighborliness and European values. This applies to Albanians in North Macedonia and the essential role that they have in the entire architecture of the country, but also to those in Montenegro and in the Presheva Valley. Soon we will open a Consulate General in Bujanoc, precisely to be closer and to do more in strengthening the Albanian community there.

I would like to single out the serious engagement that we have established with Greece to resolve the issues that are still pending in a near period, in the spirit of trust and goodwill. Both sides agree to make maximum use of the most positive atmosphere in bilateral relations that we have ever known.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have grown up, both personally and professionally, in a world where the West was perceived as a whole. For us, the young Albanians of that time, and later in my formation as a diplomat, the United States, France, Germany, and Italy were countries that geography separated, but everything united that we aspired to become and to achieve: democracy, freedom, the rule of law, security, and the model of an open and developed society.

They represented not only a geopolitical orientation, but a system of values and a standard of development that guided our strategic choices and inspired the journey of Albania toward the Euro-Atlantic family.

So strong has this feeling and this connection been, supported also by particular elements of bilateral relations and the continuous investment in regional security by all Western actors, that we still find it difficult to understand that among strategic partners there may be different approaches to fundamental issues, uncertainties, or even such differences that may lead to fractures.

Such a reality requires that we be more attentive, that we preserve and strengthen everything that we have achieved, as well as to act with pragmatism, always oriented by our national interest.

For Albania, membership in the European Union and the preservation and strengthening of the Euro-Atlantic partnership are two sides of the same medal, that which defines the Western world as a space of values and security.

Because, in this space, democracy stands against dictatorship; peace and development against conflict and poverty, while the free society triumphs over deprivation and oppression.

Dear participants,

Multilateral relations constitute an essential pillar of contemporary diplomacy, since they create the necessary space for addressing challenges that no state can face alone. “Global problems require global solutions,” said Kofi Annan, rightly, and for this global platforms are needed. Because, as is said and known, no country is sufficiently large to succeed alone and none sufficiently small not to make a difference.

For small countries such as Albania, multilateralism remains an important instrument to be heard and to influence in the international arena, but also for visibility and protection. If I were to take only one example, it is our presence in the Security Council.

In this framework, the international order based on rules is a fundamental principle that guarantees predictability, stability, and equality among states. For Albania, support for this order is not only a political choice, but a direct strategic interest.

In a world characterized by deep technological transformations and geo-economic reconfiguration, foreign policy cannot remain only an instrument of representation, but must transform into a motor of economic development.

Albania, in this context, has articulated a new vision for economic diplomacy, placing it at the center of foreign policy and as a pillar of its development model.

Economic diplomacy aims to link in a systematic way foreign policy with national development, through the promotion of investments and exports, the promotion of culture, image, and tourism. My aim is that from a sympathetic and resonant slogan, economic diplomacy becomes a plan of action, by using our diplomatic network also as a platform of service for business, making it possible that foreign policy also be a real catalyst of the economic transformation of the country and an instrument of European integration.

In this vision we aim to include in an increasingly structured and active way the Albanian diaspora. What we call “Albania outside” we want to turn into a partner of national development and this is an important dimension of my mission.

The National Strategy for the Diaspora 2026–2030, still in the phase of a consolidated draft, aims to place the diaspora at the center of this vision, as a genuine development actor that contributes directly to the economy, diplomacy, innovation, and to the strengthening of Albania’s international profile.

From remittances to investments, from the transfer of knowledge and experience to the building of global professional networks, the potential of the diaspora represents an irreplaceable national capital, which we aim to structure and to turn into a sustainable force of development for the country. As we also aim to have it as a strong and increasingly networked voice for Albania 2030.

Finally, but not less importantly, I would like to briefly address the Foreign Service and public service.

Often our diplomatic missions come to the attention of the public only in moments of crisis or tensions, when rapid action is required and under conditions of urgency. In reality, they are in daily work, in most cases in a silent way, as the very nature of this profession dictates.

We are advancing further in simplifying and modernizing services, mainly through the full digitalization of procedures, as well as the expansion of free movement for our citizens. The Albanian passport, as an important indicator of the credibility and international image of the country, has been strengthened year after year. Today, Albanian citizens can travel without visas to 123 countries of the world, while negotiations continue with around 20 others to further expand this space.

We have expanded our diplomatic presence, which is also reflected in the increase of the presence of other countries in Albania. The opening of new embassies in Azerbaijan, Indonesia, India, and Kenya, a consulate in Bujanoc, etc., is fully in function of this goal.

If our fundamental interests intersect and converge naturally in Europe and in the Euro-Atlantic space, our vision and engagement go beyond them. In our work plans, we will continue to cultivate and strengthen important partnerships with other countries, friendly or simply interested, regardless of geography, as we are building and cultivating close relations with the Gulf countries, Azerbaijan, and Israel, as well as with many other countries with which we share common interests for cooperation and mutual benefit.

Dear all,

Today’s Albania is more ambitious, more demanding, and in many ways does not resemble that of a decade ago.

Just as it served for the first time as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and just as it hosted in an exemplary way the fifth Summit of the European Political Community in Tirana, Albania is preparing to welcome next year the NATO Summit, a major event that will further strengthen the profile and weight of our country in the Alliance, as well as demonstrate our capacities as a reliable partner and contributor to Euro-Atlantic security.

Likewise, on June 12, we will host the Meeting of the Ministers of Southeast Europe for Ukraine, another proof of our sustained engagement in key issues of security and stability on the continent.

I mentioned these examples to illustrate the level of ambition that we have set for our foreign policy and the way in which we aim to interact with the world.

In one word, we are building a foreign policy for future generations.

I will stop here.

Thank you for your attention and your patience after this long presentation.