SOFIA – Bulgaria praises Albania’s progress in EU accession negotiations

TIRANA, September 21 /ATSH-BTA/ – Bulgaria has praised Albania’s progress on the path to European Union integration, hailing the advancement of the country and Montenegro as proof that political will and concrete reforms deliver results.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova made the statement on September 18 in Sofia during the international conference “EU Meets the Balkans,” where she spoke about the European perspective of the Balkan countries.

Petrova stressed that European integration must continue to be based on each country’s merits, while noting the progress of Albania and Montenegro in the accession process.

According to her, “political will and reforms lead to results,” while accelerating the enlargement process must not come at the expense of the membership criteria.

The Bulgarian minister also described EU membership as an important partnership for the countries of the region and underlined that the benefits of integration must be felt by citizens even before the formal completion of the process, through EU instruments such as the Growth Plans, SEPA and “Roam like at home.”

At the focus of Petrova’s statements was also strategic connectivity in the Balkans, particularly the development of Corridor VIII, which she mentioned as one of the important projects for strengthening the region’s ties with Europe.

Meanwhile, during a bilateral meeting with the Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, on June 10 in Sofia, Petrova confirmed Bulgaria’s support for the successful completion of Albania’s EU accession process.

The two ministers also discussed the strategic importance of Corridor VIII.

Bulgaria is expected to host an international conference on Corridor VIII in October 2026, as part of efforts to speed up the implementation of this corridor, which links the Adriatic region with the Balkans and the Black Sea.