After the plenary sessions and roundtable discussions, held in the framework of the 6th Summit of the European Political Community, as well as a series of meetings among the leaders of the participating countries, Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen — the host of the upcoming Summit — held a joint press conference.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama:

Thank you very much. We are here to share some conclusions of this special day, and I have the honour to be together with the Prime Minister of Denmark and a very dear friend, Mette Frederiksen, who is taking the torch from Tirana and bringing it to Copenhagen, where it will be organised the next European Political Summit.

We have come together, 54 leaders, EU and non-EU alike, to have a very important, very intense, and I would say very open discussion about a new Europe in a new world, as it was also the main title of this summit. It is really with great satisfaction that I acknowledge from the outset that today in Tirana we have all renewed commitment to our continent and our citizens for keeping very strongly together the values and the principles that lead our societies, for doing everything in our power to protect our values and the principles that are embedded in our societies by protecting our countries, by protecting our people, and by protecting the future of Europe and in the meantime, we also discussed about going further and investing more in innovation and investing more in the areas of Europe that belong to this political community but do not belong yet to the European Union or may never belong to the European Union.

So I think that the day was very fruitful. We had several roundtables with several topics. At the end, there were very interesting conclusions that will be carried further on the way by the Danish, and in the meantime, we decided that a coordinating team of the EPC will be in place under the auspices of the European Council President’s Office.

So this is more or less a very general synthesis of what we did today by facing the very fact that all together we represent a market of 600 million. It’s huge, with a huge potential, and it’s up to us to do what we should to turn this potential into a good outcome for our people, for our countries, for our community of like-minded nations. So I am passing the floor to Meta, and again, I can’t feel better by knowing that the torch is in the right hands, and we are looking forward to gathering in Copenhagen and to taking it from here.

Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen:

Thank you very much, Edi, and thank you for all the hospitality we have experienced here in Albania today. I think this new format is quite important because Europe is facing so many different challenges and therefore we need this format where both not yet members of the European countries and members of the European countries can sit together.

You have already put a lot of important things on the table. We are ready to take over. I would just like to underline that, of course, Europe’s security will be our number one priority. We live in a very insecure world today.

Russia is a big threat, not only when it comes to Ukraine, but to all of us, because of cyber attacks, misinformation, and they try to destroy our democracies. For a rearming Europe, it has to be the number one priority. And if we are not willing to protect and to defend ourselves, how can we ask someone else to help us? So, number one is security, and it also goes for Ukraine. They have committed themselves to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. We see no positive signals from Russia yet.

Therefore, we need to push Russia more, adding more sanctions, so we can end this war. So security is number one. Then, as you said, we are a big market, and competitiveness for our companies is very important. I would like to link it to the green transition. I think in Europe we have to get rid of Russian oil and gas to move on with renewables to ensure that our companies can compete, but also to ensure that all customers in all European countries will have cheap and clean energy.

Then, finally, migration is top of mind for the majority of Europeans, including myself. The situation is very different in different countries in Europe, but in our part of Europe, migration has been almost uncontrolled, and the consequences are simply too many now. So I would like to underline these three issues, and I think you have been doing a good job. We have had a very good meeting today, and we are ready to take over.

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My question to both prime ministers. Ms. Frederiksen, you stressed very, very strongly that the number one priority is security and rearming Europe. Mr. Rama, you stressed, not here, but in your statement at the beginning, that weapons and arming are not all. Do I see there a certain difference in opinion, a difference in perspective?

Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen:

I don’t know if there are. We are a lot of different European countries, and we don’t think and act exactly the same. We are both members of NATO. We are heading for the Hague Summit. And my hope is, and what I’m working for, is that we will commit ourselves even more in NATO to spend more, so we are able to re-arm the whole alliance in a very short period of time.

I think we have to be able to defend ourselves, not because I’m not transatlantic, but because I am transatlantic. But with the uncertainty that the U.S. is bringing to the table, I think it’s needed for all in Europe that we can protect ourselves. And you cannot win a war without weapons. It’s simply impossible. So what we have experienced in the last years is that if we are not willing to defend ourselves, and if we are not able, then we are too fragile. So re-arming Europe is, for me, the most important task. My guess is, and my hope, is that this will be the outcome of the Hague Summit a month from now, that we all have to spend more to deter and to defend ourselves.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: No, it’s not a contradiction. It’s simply about the emphasis. I have nothing against. On the contrary, I fully support the idea that Europe has to do more when it comes to its defence, and has to do more when it comes to investing in its capabilities of defending itself. This goes without saying. But on the other hand, I believe that this is one side of the story. The other side of the story is related to the name of Europe itself.

So Europe has always been about certain things that the others have always envied. And among them is the capability to envisage perpetual peace, the capability to push forward in the quest for an impossible peace.

The European Union itself is the product of a kid’s dream that maybe nobody would have even believed, but it happened. Mortal enemies became strategic allies, and so on. So I believe that, yes, we have to do all that we are talking about on defence, but we also have to not forget that we have a soul to protect, not just the territory, and we have a future to build. This implies that we have to work in both directions. And there is a question that one has to raise. Why do we have to wait for Donald Trump to come and consider a ceasefire and peace? So maybe because we were too focused and too passionate in a very right and just cause. But on the other hand, we lost a bit of ground when it comes to diplomacy. So this is my speech. It’s about the ideal Europe that we should not lose our sight, because if we lose it, then we lose something that makes our territories less worth protecting. But there is no contradiction in that. As Mette said, we are two socialists. So maybe we’re not the best socialists as far as we win elections too much, but this is my view.

A question for each of you. Prime Minister Frederiksen, you talked about the importance of increasing pressure on Russia through sanctions. But can the European Union realistically go further in terms of impactful sanctions without the support of the United States? And do you see any signs that Donald Trump is ready to join you in increasing the pressure on the United States through sanctions?

Prime Minister Rama, you mentioned that you just won an election again and you also talked about European values, which of course include democracy. But the European Union, in its verdict on your election, was quite critical. It talked about the lack of a level playing field, talked about numerous allegations of pressure on voters, especially public employees, they said media independence continues to be an issue. So I wonder if you agree with that verdict and what you and your government plan to do to address those issues as you seek to join the European Union.

Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen:

Well, on sanctions, I think actually until now the U.S. has been quite clear that what they ask of Russia is to do the same as Ukraine is showing now at the table. To accept and to respect, and to ensure a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, and I think we have seen signals from President Trump that the U.S. is ready to put more sanctions on the table if Russia is not ready to make a deal.

Until now, Russia is not ready to make a deal. I hope it will change rapidly. If not, then I hope that all allies, also partners from the global south, of course, especially the US., with whom we are working closely when it comes to the sanctions, that we are ready to do more. I would suggest that we look in the direction of banking, of energy, especially oil, and the shadow fleet.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I must say that what you quoted is just few, it’s about few sentences of a much longer and comprehensive statement that practically has saluted the Albanian elections and has referred to allegations that are related to the preliminary report and preliminary reports are made to be checked further and to be faced with proofs.

So I would say that in that regard, Albanian elections are the expression of the Albanian people, will 100%, not 99% and for the rest, of course, whatever needs to be improved will need to be addressed by no doubt. And this is what we have done, election after election, and this is how we have improved our electoral process, which is not yet as in Denmark, but which is far better than it was. It complies with the OSCE-ODHIR standards when it comes to free and fair elections.

I wanted to ask you if President Zelensky gave you any update on the talks with Russia and if he outlined any next steps that he is prepared to take in regards of the peace talks. Thank you.

Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen:

I think Ukraine is very clear in how they are handling this situation, and the message to the rest of Europe is that they are ready to meet the 30 days, I mean, without any conditions. There have been some talks today and some hostages will not be exchanged, and prisoners will now be exchanged. That’s, of course, positive. But besides that, they’re waiting for Russia to return, to be serious at the table. These are my words I would like to underline. And then, of course, Ukraine are telling the rest of us that while we are preparing, hopefully, a ceasefire and a peace agreement, there is still a war going on.

It could be very easy for Russia to end this war. They could simply stop. But as you know, I mean, they are really pushing Ukraine. So they need more to be able to protect themselves, and therefore, the message from Ukraine we got today is quite similar to what we have received before. Please give us what is needed so we can protect ourselves against Russia. And we are willing to do that from Denmark. I hope that other countries and other partners will ensure that they have the capabilities that they need.

Can you share with us what was discussed today in the summit about the integration process of the Western Balkans, in particular about Albania? Because, as Prime Minister Rama has said, we have been waiting for a long time to get married to the European Union. Thank you.

Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen:

No, but hopefully, we are moving forward. And I think all of us recognise that this is an extremely important task. The enlargement process has to continue. As you said, some countries have really been doing a good job.

From a common European perspective, keeping us together, enlarging our family, also in our daily life, is very, very important. It has to be marriage-based. And hopefully, during our presidency, we will be able to take some further steps. It hasn’t really been on the agenda for today. But I think everybody recognises how important it is, and all the efforts that have been made.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Yes, this format is not about EU enlargement or the membership process. But you listened yesterday to the President of the European Council, who explained at length where we are, what we should do, and what the European Union is ready to do. But we have to do what we have to do, then we can ask them to do what they should do.

As Mette said, it’s marriage-based, and it’s based on the process, which is well-defined with a very clear methodology, with clusters and chapters that follow one another. What is very important for us is that we have a challenge on the table, an agenda that is very ambitious to conclude all negotiations by 2027. We think we can do it, and the European Commission is there to help us. The Member States are there to watch and to make sure that everything is based on the deliveries, and then we’ll see. But the momentum is fantastic for the enlargement, for Europe to unite, and we have to take this momentum and go further.

I’m very happy that there is a general feeling that Albania is doing very well, but with these guys, you should do very well every day. It’s not that you did very well, and you can sit and wait. So we have to do it every day, every day, every day, and we are committed to doing it.

I thank you very much, and again, I thank the Prime Minister of Denmark for being so gracious in staying and spending the time to answer the questions, and now I ask your permission to accompany such a special guest to go back home and we’ll see each other very soon.

I’m talking about the other Albanian journalists, and don’t worry, I’ll be very open to answering the questions. Tomorrow here we have a fantastic event, a great forum of investment with a large number of very, very distinguished investors coming from the Middle East, coming from Europe, coming from America, so it will be another great day for Tirana and Albania, and tomorrow I’m sure that after the British Prime Minister has left the country, the sun will be back.