Klan News – Statement from the EU-Western Balkans Summit, interview with Gledis Gjipali, 18 December 2025

During an interview on Klan News, Gledis Gjipali, Executive Director of the European Movement in Albania (EMA), commented on this year’s Brussels Summit and what was expected from it. Gjipali described the Summit as important because it focuses on the Western Balkans and reflects both the pace and preparedness of candidate countries aiming to join the European Union, as well as the EU’s readiness to admit these countries. He emphasized that the conclusions of the Summit were also significant, highlighting the positive evaluation of the work done by Albania and Montenegro, the progress achieved so far, and the conditions that must be met in the coming year.

He explained Serbia’s absence from the Summit by pointing to the country’s current internal and foreign policy issues, which are linked to the non-opening of other chapters, good relations with Russia, and the normalization of relations with Kosovo, which requires recognising Kosovo for EU accession. Gjipali added that the grouping of countries in the Summit was done purely for technical reasons or to facilitate the process. However, averaging the merits of all countries in the group will not be accepted by the EU due to the specific conditions set for each country. He welcomed the EU’s delayed lifting of measures against Kosovo, noting that it allows the unlocking of important programs and funds with direct impact, while also sending a political message in favour of Kosovo. In conclusion, Gjipali stressed that Albania needs a more capable and prepared administration to better manage and take full advantage of funds related to the Growth Plan and beyond. He also addressed the discussion of two important issues: the unlocking of funds for Ukraine using Russia’s frozen assets and a trade agreement with MERCOSUR countries, for which EU member states have not yet reached consensus.

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