As holidays are approaching at the end of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, it is high time to take note of the work done and see what the next year might bring for us and Albania.

We all knew that 2024 was going to be a difficult year with wars, tensions, important elections and all the uncertainty that these create and could block progress, diminish objectives, blur our vision, losing the focus, or as we say in Hungary, one can’t see the forest because of the trees.

The Hungarian Presidency, although recognized the hardship of the time, did not limit itself to a minimum program. Despite interregnum at the helm of the leadership change in the main institutions in Brussels, Hungary knew that certain topics cannot wait any longer.

The Thessaloniki promise, the European perspective to the region, is older than the EU membership of Hungary. It was made at the time when Hungary signed the accession treaty in Athens in 2003. It was the end of our accession process, but the beginning for that of the Western Balkans. Hungary has always taken that vision seriously: in 2011 it was Budapest that successfully concluded the accession negotiations with Croatia after managing full consensus within the EU in supporting these last steps. Enlargement of the Western Balkans, the merit-based process was and is one of the main priorities. Hungary was firmly committed to making significant progress with regards to the accession process of the Western Balkan countries.

Before launching the Presidency on 1st July 2024, there have been in long discussions with the Albanian Government on the deliverables. Checking the lists, the objectives we put together seemed to be very ambitious in May. Now, as the EU held the second and third EU-Albania intergovernmental conferences within two months and opened the fundamental and the external relations clusters with Albania, our ambition is proven to be correct, our cooperation with the Albanian Government and with the EU member states, as honest broker, could deliver these achievements. 

Albania made crucial steps forward in recent months. The preparation for these took years, but as the Roman said, Amat Victoria Curam, victory loves preparation, and Albania was ready when the momentum came. Besides the two intergovernmental conferences, the process under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans has moved forward, the reform agenda of Albania was approved, as well as the application to become member of the Single Euro Payments Area; Tirana signed the Security and Defense Partnership, and also became observer to the European Public Administration Network.

Hungary connects. Our country has been serving as a bridge between East and West, North and South for centuries. Our foreign policy is built on connectivity. In Albania, but also in the Western Balkans Hungarian companies are playing major role in creating connectivity for the people and businesses in the digital sector and in telecommunications, in the tourism and in the financial sector. Discussions on legal connectivity and customs cooperation have also started in Budapest in November under the umbrella of the first EU Western Balkans Customs Director Generals’ meeting. An initiative that Tirana will take over in 2025.

Hungary connects - on 7 November 2024, before the informal European Council meeting, the European Political Community (EPC) summit was held in Budapest where the leaders of 48 delegations discussed joint security policy challenges, such as migration, and economic security, including connectivity. Tirana took the relay in Budapest at the fifth European Political Community summit as Prime Minister Edi Rama announced during the press conference that Albania will host the sixth summit in 2025.

The last four months were marked by high-level political visits. On the ground, the Hungarian Embassy has organised and supported six different events in Tirana on topics such as competitiveness, youth employment and training, connectivity, trying to bring these activities to Albania, involving the civil society, public administration, academics and businesses into the debates.

Leaving the enlargement priority, I would also draw your attention to the adoption of the Budapest Declaration by the informal meeting of the European Council on 8 November 2024 which set out the main guidelines for strengthening European competitiveness during the next EU institutional cycle.

Hungary was also able to fulfill another decade old promise by the historical enlargement of the Schengen Area as land border controls will be lifted as of 1 January 2025 regarding Romania and Bulgaria, one of the priorities even of the first Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2011.

The EU–Western Balkans Summit on 18 December 2024, in Brussels could have also taken notes of the intergovernmental conference with Montenegro and the closing of three chapters. Serbia has also received an invitation to start negotiation of cluster 3.

As 2024 is passing I hope this momentum will stay with us and all the objectives will be fulfilled in 2025. Hungary as a member state will remain one of the strongest supporters of the EU integration of the region, especially Albania. We believe that the Western Balkan countries are indispensable for stability, security and economic prosperity in Europe, and we support all initiatives that promote these objectives. The people here belong to Europe, more specifically to the EU. We will continue our wide-ranging commitment in Albania as well as carry on boosting the economic, political and cultural ties between Hungary and Albania. 

*Ms. Martina Kasnyik is the Ambassador of Hungary to Albania