Udenrigsudvalget 2018-19 (1. samling)
URU Alm.del Bilag 127
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REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
MINISTRY FOR EUROPE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Tirana, February 2019
Alongside with commitment and hard work in the implementation of the reform processes in the
country, as well as fully addressing 5 Key Priorities to open accession negotiations with the
European Union, Albania continues to render its positive contribution for the security, stability,
protection of human rights and democratic governance in our region and beyond.
Iimplementation of this agenda serves
to further enhance the credibility of Albania’s foreign
policy, as well as the proficiency and the reliability of the Albanian diplomacy.
For the first time, in 2020 Albania will take over the OSCE Chairmanship.
In December
2018
Albania got the unanimous support of OSCE member states for its candidacy to chair this
important Organization in 2020. This is an essential
achievement of our foreign policy and the
result of the constructive policies pursued by Albania over the years.
Starting from January 1
st
,
2019 we are part of the Troika along with Slovakia and Italy.
Albania’s candidacy as a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council for the
period 2022
–
2023
is another important goal of our foreign policy that will serve to maximize
Albania's relations not only with UN, but also with EU and other regional organizations for the
advancement of a just, peaceful, secure and more human international order.
Since January 2019 Albania is chairing the one year rotating Chairmanship of the Adriatic
Charter
(A-5). During 2019 Albania will maintain the rotating one year Chairmanship of the
Adriatic Chart (A-5), a regional initiative dating from 2003 its principal goal being support for
the Euro Atlantic integration (in particular the achievement of NATO membership) of Albania,
Croatia and the Republic of North Macedonia.
Taking stock of contemporary emerging security threats and challenges, the focus of the
Albanian Chairmanship will be the further strengthening, of the coordination and of the mutual
support of the five A-5 countries of the efforts aimed at actively and effectively countering
terrorism and violent radical extremism.
Though not yet a member of the European Union Albania has full alignment with the
EU
foreign and security policy.
During the period June 2018-February 2019 Albania has maintained the same level of
engagement in NATO operations and missions such as the RSM Mission in Afghanistan,
KFOR in Kosovo, NATO-s mission in the Aegean, and the Alliance Enhanced Forward
 URU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 127: Henvendelse af 21. februar 2019 fra Albaniens ambassade om Albaniens prioriteter i forbindelse med tiltrædelsesforhandlinger med EU
Presence in the Baltic Countries. Moreover, in support of the reinvigorated CSDP, our
country is actually contributing two EU military missions,
in Mali and Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
As the
host country of RYCO and WBF,
Albania is fully committed to their future success.
These initiatives are already operational. They aim to promote development of closer
cooperation between the Western Balkans, the mobility, regional youth exchanges and the
gender equality among countries of the Region, thus helping to overall acceleration of the
Enlargement process as well.
In October 2018,
Albania signed a co-operation agreement with the EU on justice and
border management,
becoming the first country in the region, not a member of the EU, to sign
an agreement with the European Agency for the Protection of the Border and Coastal Zone
(Frontex)
and the third country in Western Balkans to sign an agreement with
Eurojust
(European Union's Judicial Cooperation). The main goal is to contribute to joint efforts in
addressing migration challenge, fight against organized crime, corruption and terrorism.
Economic performance of Albania
In the latest
European Commission report
on the economic performance of candidate and
potentially EU candidate countries, Albania is reported to have the highest economic growth in
the Western Balkans, including Turkey, in 2019-2020 and the lowest unemployment rate in the
region.
According to the
Economic Freedom Index 2019
Albania’s economic freedom score is 66.5,
making its economy the 52nd freest in the 2019 Index. Its overall score has increased by 2.0
points, led by dramatic improvement for the second consecutive year in fiscal health and higher
scores for judicial effectiveness, labor freedom, and government spending.
According to
Doing Business 2019
report, Albania ranked 63rd out of 190 global economies for
the ease of doing business, - According to the Doing Business report 2019, as far as the
investment climate is concerned, Albania ranks 63th in the world ranking, climbing with 45
positions since 2013.
According to the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), robust
economic growth has continued into 2018. GDP growth accelerated in the first half of 2018 to
4.4 per cent year-on-year, driven primarily by private consumption.