First Through the New Gate: Albania’s Foreign Minister on IBAR, Reforms, and the Road to Brussels

In an assessment of Albania’s current European integration process, Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha, who previously served as Albania’s ambassador to the EU in Brussels, says the country has entered the most advanced phase of chapter closings in its history, but stresses that member states will have the final word.

“Reforms are our watchword for entering the European family,” says Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha, who, in written responses to Top Channel journalist Muhamed Veliu, dismisses allegations of a blockage in the closing of chapters opened between Albania and the European Commission.

The full interview:

Muhamed Veliu: Is Albania’s negotiation process blocked, as part of the IBAR review in Brussels, as claimed in recent political statements?

Ferit Hoxha: Thank you, Mr. Veliu, for this opportunity. I would like to draw a clear distinction between political statements, which follow a familiar pattern and form part of the dynamics of political debate in Albania, and the positions of the media, which is free and contributes to broader public discussion, on one side, and the concrete reality of the process and its mechanics on the other.

I say this with conviction and responsibility, including on the basis of direct information: no, there is absolutely no sense in which one can speak of any blockage of the process. The EU membership negotiation process is, by its nature, complex, simultaneously technical and political, and it unfolds according to its own dynamics. It requires the necessary time, consistency, and above all, confirmed and measurable results.

Albania today stands at the most advanced phase of this process it has ever reached, and is widely regarded, and this is not our own assessment, as a frontrunner, with clear progress recognized by our European partners.

The very fact that we have advanced at a rapid and exceptional pace in opening chapters and fulfilling our obligations reflects a new level of seriousness and institutional capacity. The discussions underway in Brussels, including those on the IBAR report, form an integral part of this journey and should not be interpreted as obstacles, but as mechanisms that guarantee the quality, sustainability of reforms, and credibility of the enlargement process.

You mentioned political statements. I have no intention of engaging in a debate with anyone, but I do want to underline several essential facts that are often absent from this discussion. Albania is the first country, and so far the only one, going through the IBAR process under the new methodology, which has established a clear standard: without passing the IBAR “examination,” the chapter closing phase cannot begin. Being first, we are inevitably also a reference point for the very functioning of this methodology.

I also want to recall that over the course of a single year, Albania has undertaken an extraordinary effort, equally without precedent, to address 92 gaps identified under chapters 23 and 24 of the “Fundamentals” cluster, which form the core of the IBAR report. This is not merely a technical figure. It is concrete evidence of deep reform work touching the judiciary, public administration, the fight against lawlessness, and the rule of law as a whole, as well as human rights and fundamental freedoms. Meeting these requirements makes clear that Albania is no longer in the phase of declaratory commitments, but in the phase of measurable results.

Furthermore, the very fact that the report is on the Council’s table indicates that it is considered substantive and credible. Detailed review by member states is standard practice and part of a rigorous process designed to guarantee the quality of enlargement. What is happening, therefore, is a normal process, expected and consistent with the advanced stage Albania has now reached.

In this context, it is important to note that Albania has already built a consolidated profile as a serious, reliable, and predictable partner, and this is clearly reflected in the support it enjoys both within European institutions and among member states.

Muhamed Veliu: How does the Ministry assess the continuity of Albania’s integration process over the course of this year?

Ferit Hoxha: The European integration process is not a temporary project. It is a strategic choice, an irreversible orientation, and above all a vital interest for Albania and for Albanian citizens, beyond any political division.

Albania has long since left behind the phase of lengthy and often unjustified waiting. Today, more than ever, our country is clearly positioned on a concrete trajectory toward membership. There is no realistic scenario in which Albania “abandons” this process or finds its door closed due to the difficulties of an exceptionally demanding process, visibly more demanding than in previous rounds of enlargement, or due to media misreadings.

On the contrary, the reality is that the process is moving forward and is more consolidated than ever before. Albania is working on a structured basis, with concrete plans and clear timelines, harmonizing legislation, strengthening institutions, and raising standards across every field. This is an irreversible process, because it is not simply a political objective but a profound transformation of state and society.

I have said it before and I repeat it: meetings take place in Brussels, but reforms happen in Albania; assessments are made there, but the results and benefits are here, for Albanian citizens, for all of us. European integration is a long-term investment in functional democracy, a competitive economy, and stable institutions. That is the essence of membership.

It is also important to understand that the current geopolitical context has made enlargement a strategic priority for the European Union itself. In this framework, countries that demonstrate real progress and credibility, as Albania does, no longer have merely a perspective: they have a genuine window of opportunity to advance further, one that must be used to the maximum, as we are doing every hour of every day.

Therefore, rather than casting doubt on the continuity of the process, the focus must be on accelerating reforms and consolidating results. Nothing can or should stop this path. On the contrary, every challenge must serve as a spur to move faster and with greater determination.

Muhamed Veliu: Can you tell us when IBAR is expected to be approved?

Ferit Hoxha: Neither I nor anyone else in Albania can give a precise date, because this is a decision that belongs to the member states of the European Union. It is based on their assessments, analyses, and internal processes.

We are not yet at the table where these decisions are made, and that table is precisely where we are working to be. We are committed to a process grounded in merit, and the road to that table runs through deep reforms and concrete results. Reforms are our watchword for entering the European family.

What I can say with confidence is that Albania is on the right path. We have full trust in the quality of the work done, in our cooperation with partners, and in the seriousness of the process. Every step we have taken to date has served the purpose of building a sustainable and credible process.

Albania will continue to do everything that falls to it to earn its place in the European Union: through real reforms, through tangible results, and through an unwavering institutional and political commitment.

This is a path that demands patience, but above all it demands resolve. And today, Albania has both.