The EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn in an interview for the prestigious German newspaper Die Welt stated among other things that Albania is one of the countries that is heading "towards the European Union".
Hahn said that for a long time Serbia and Montenegro have been progressing towards the EU, but now there can be two other countries, Albania and Macedonia.
"Member states emphasize that EU accession to the Western Balkans countries makes sense only if the 6 countries can be included. There is a kind of positive competition in the Balkans for who makes the fastest progress. For a long time, Serbia and Montenegro were "runners" in the EU accession process, but now Albania and Macedonia can be.
Hahn said also that before the Balkan countries join the EU, some issues need to be resolved, with Serbia and Kosovo finding a solution to their dispute.