The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, paid a visit to Albania today.
He met with his Albanian counterpart, Prime Minister Edi Rama. In the end, after the signing of several agreements between the two countries, there was a press conference.
Orban thanked Rama for the invitation. He said that he has been to Albania several times while he evaluated the relations between the two countries.
" As for the Albanians and the Hungarians, there are not only diplomatic relations, but there is a deeper connection, and this has its roots in the suffering that we have had in both countries, because we too have had a communist system for 40 years. This cannot be forgotten. I come with great desire, whenever I have the opportunity to Albania ", said Orban.
Orban criticized the abysmal EU enlargement process, which he considered "shameful" and "suicidal". Therefore, he emphasized that Hungary will always support Albania's membership and the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union.
" But it is unacceptable and shameful how slowly this EU enlargement process is proceeding. I looked at the agenda and I see that Albania has endured, I might say, 13 years to reach the beginning of membership negotiations. After 10 years, if the perspectives are correct, I think that only Germany will remain in the 10 most developed countries in the world, because if the expansion of the EU will proceed at such a slow pace, I can say that it is a suicidal pace. I don't know how Europe will do in the future.
"Hungary always supports and will support Albania's membership in the future, the integration of the Western Balkans not only for reasons of friendship, but also for the reasons I mentioned of political and economic strategy," said Orban .
According to Orban, Albania has growth capacity. According to him, the Western Balkans can bring development to Europe. This is because Orban thinks that "the growth reserves are exclusively in the Balkans".
"How can we consider the Western Balkans today and especially their membership in Europe? Is it a problem or an opportunity? What I wanted to say to my colleagues is try to imagine today's Europe, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, are not members of the EU? What would be the appearance of the development of today's Europe? We would not have economic growth. I think that we have economic growth in the EU, not just 0 points, a few percent, because in the countries of the EU, the countries of central and eastern Europe, we have brought development to Europe. It is what we hope Albania will bring. It is what we think the Western Balkans will bring in this direction. Albania has the capacity for growth and development and Europe will not be left behind in this global movement, in this global development, the answer is simple, growth reserves are exclusively in the Balkans. There are no other European countries that have growing reserves and economic and political development. For this reason, we request that Albania join the EU", said Orbán.
Orban did not leave behind the praises for Rama either.
" I am pleased to meet someone who is original and authentic and who brings a new perspective to our politics. I would like to tell you that every time I have the opportunity to come here, I also have a mental freshness regarding our political ideas and the exchanges we can have together", he said.