Brussels – Kos: Albania on the right track toward EU membership

Albania is on the right track toward European Union membership, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in an interview with “France 24,” ranking the country among the candidates currently making the greatest progress in the accession process. “Albania is on the right track toward the EU,” Kos said, speaking about the enlargement process. She included Albania in the group of four countries that, in her view, are currently leading progress in the EU accession process.

The commissioner said 2026 is a fast-paced year for EU enlargement, as during the first nine months of this year more negotiation chapters have been opened and closed than in any other year over the past 25 years. In this context, Kos named Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine as the four countries making the greatest progress in the accession process. For Montenegro, she said technical negotiations could be concluded by the end of the year, while she praised the pace of reforms in Moldova.

As for Albania, the article reporting the interview also notes the country has made progress in accession negotiations, provisionally closing several chapters. In July, the EU held an intergovernmental conference with Albania and the other candidate countries mentioned by Kos. Kos said EU funds are tied to the implementation of reforms and that, when a country fails to meet the conditions, part of the funds may be redirected to other countries.