Ervin Hoxha, the Minister of the Interior, participated in the meeting of Interior Ministers of the Berlin Process, alongside his counterparts from Western Balkan countries and EU member countries engaged with this intergovernmental forum. The meeting, held in Berlin—where the process was initiated a decade ago by Chancellor Merkel—focused on the topics of illegal migration and organized crime.
Minister Hoxha expressed gratitude to Germany for its commitment and dedication to this significant initiative and reaffirmed Albania’s stance on further intensifying regional cooperation within the framework of this process.
The Minister of the Interior indicated that a series of initiatives have been undertaken with the objective of enhancing not only the coordination with countries in the region and the EU, but also the translation of commitments into national objectives based on the current security challenges. Hoxha emphasized the continued significance of reinforcing the national reintegration apparatus in Albania.
He put forth the suggestion of establishing a unified framework for the real-time exchange of data and analysis pertaining to migratory flows traversing the Balkan route towards the EU.
In his remarks on operational cooperation against organized crime, Hoxha highlighted that 77 operations have been conducted in collaboration with international partners, with half of these focused on drug trafficking and human trafficking.
During the course of this forum, Minister Hoxha engaged in bilateral discussions with the Deputy Director-General of DG Home, Oliver Onidi, and the UK’s Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum, Angela Eagle.
Commissioner Onidi commended Albania’s advancements, noting the country’s commitment to the implementation of the EU-Albania Action Plan on irregular migration and counterterrorism efforts in the Western Balkans. He underscored Albania’s pivotal role as a key partner in combating illicit activities and the significant measures it has undertaken to fortify its borders, thereby enhancing the security of EU member states. With regard to the integration process, he observed that the screening phase has been concluded and that the next step is to commence negotiations.
In the meeting with the British minister, Minister Hoxha expressed gratitude for the support and highlighted the results achieved through cooperation between the two countries. The Joint Task Force has been effective in drastically reducing the number of migrants heading to the UK, as evidenced by the aforementioned results.
Furthermore, the two ministers discussed the potential for a joint dialogue on the subject of organized crime, which they identified as a promising avenue for strengthening bilateral cooperation.