10.05.2021 Prime Minister Rama commenting on the “EU waiting game.” 

REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA

MINISTRY FOR EUROPE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Our country’s relations with the European Union, based on the national objective of EU integration, are strategic and a priority of our foreign policy. Albania’s primary interest in relation to the EU is future EU membership.

• In 1991 Albania established diplomatic relations with the European Community;
• In 2000 Albania was officially recognized by the European Union as a potential candidate country;
• In 2003, the Thessaloniki Summit of EU Heads of State approved the Stabilization and Association Process, thus confirming the prospect of EU membership of the Western Balkan countries, including Albania.

In the same year, negotiations for a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and Albania began;

• On June 12, 2006, the negotiation process for a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Albania was concluded, which was signed at the General Affairs Council (GAC) in Luxembourg;
• On April 1, 2009 the SAA entered into force. In the same month, Albania formally applied for EU membership;
• In November 2009, based on the questionnaire submitted by the European Commission to Albania regarding the country’s preparation for membership, negotiations for obtaining candidate status began;
• On June 27, 2014, Albania received the status of candidate country.

The Council set out five key priorities (public administration, rule of law, fight against corruption, organized crime, fundamental rights) that Albania had to meet before membership negotiations could begin;

• On 9 November 2016, based on the achievements in these key priorities, the Commission proposed for the first time to the Council the start of membership negotiations with Albania, subject to concrete progress in the implementation of justice reform, in particular the “vetting” of judges. and prosecutors;

• On 17 April 2018, in its Annual Enlargement Package, the European Commission recommended that the Council decide that membership negotiations should be opened with Albania in the light of the marked progress, preservation and deepening of reforms by Albania;

• On 26 June 2018, the EU General Affairs Council agreed to respond positively to the progress made by Albania and to pave the way for the opening of membership negotiations in June 2019;

• On May 29, 2019, the European Commission presented the Annual Enlargement Package, recommending again the immediate opening of membership negotiations for Albania;
• On June 18, 2018, the General Affairs Council reaffirmed its conclusions of June 26, 2018, acknowledged the positive recommendation of the Commission for the opening of negotiations and decided to take a clear and substantial decision on this no later than October 2019;
• On October 18, 2019, the European Council considered the opening of membership negotiations with Albania. The council decided to return to this issue before May 2020.

• On 25 March 2020, the EU General Affairs Council decided to open accession negotiations with the Republic of Albania, taking into account the progress achieved in the reforms and the fulfillment of the conditions set unanimously by the June 2018 Council.

• On March 26, 2020, the European Council approved the decision of the EU General Affairs Council to open negotiations with Albania.

A lot more info here!