Starting next year, Albanian citizens will be able to use their phones when traveling to European Union countries at the same costs as they do at home. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced that all roaming charges between Albania and the European Union will be abolished next year.
"When we talked about the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) project, it seemed like an ambitious project. Today, Albania's inclusion in this project is a concrete achievement. Next year, all roaming fees between Albania and the EU will be abolished. This is a very good thing for business, for tourism and, especially, for bringing people and nations closer together," said Von der Leyen before the start of the proceedings of the EU-Western Balkans Investment Forum.
Von der Leyen stressed that the final set of negotiation chapters with Albania and the EU is expected to open this fall.
"To get closer to the EU is to do business safely. In fact, two years ago we launched the growth plan for the Western Balkans, today your economy has gained access to the EU's common market and investments. In return, you implement key reforms. The aim is to double the economy of the Western Balkans during this decade. We see that this is starting to yield results," said the Commission President.
She illustrated this progress with 3 examples.
"The first example is that you have made progress on key reforms. I am very pleased to announce the allocation of 100 million euros. Albania is on track to access the entire fund based on the growth plan. While in total there are 1 billion euros available," said Von der Leyen.
Prime Minister Edi Rama praised Albania's progress so far in membership negotiations.
"Today we held a joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, where we discussed the progress of Albania's negotiation process with the European Union, a process that is progressing successfully and at a high pace. We also focused on the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which will be financed by the European Union in order to deepen reforms. In this regard, we received a very positive assessment and reaffirmed our commitment to meticulously fulfill all the obligations we have undertaken," concluded Rama.
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