It is unfair, illogical and untenable that Albania joined NATO in 2009, and is still in the early stages of EU accession negotiations, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said in a speech to the Albanian parliament on Wednesday.

“We have emphasised on several occasions at bilateral and multilateral forums that we consider it unfair and illogical and even untenable that Albania became a member of NATO in 2009, and that in 2023 it is only in the early stages of the negotiation process with the European Union,” Milanovic said.

“I congratulate Albania on the extremely great progress made in the last three decades, it is visible at every step. I sincerely hope that these achievements will be fairly evaluated (…) in Brussels and the institutions of the European Union”, he pointed out, adding that Croatia “attaches great importance to the stability, security and progress of Southeast Europe and strongly supports the European prospects of this entire region.”

Milanovic also expressed the hope that the EU integration process “will be significantly accelerated, which is of great importance for the stability of Southeast Europe.”

The Croatian president said that Albania is one of Croatia’s closest friends and a reliable partner “with whom we have many things in common, including common values.”

“Our two friendly and allied countries share many historical, cultural, geographical and political ties. As two Mediterranean and Adriatic countries, we are part of a wider area that has been one of the centers of European history for centuries,” said Milanovic.

The friendship of the Albanian and Croatian people “goes back a long way”, and was confirmed during the 1991-1995 Homeland War when many Albanians joined the defence of Croatia, the Croatian president stressed.

In his speech, Milanović cited the community of Arbanas in Zadar, singled out the Renaissance sculptor and builder of Albanian roots Andrija Alesij and the Croatian historian Milan Sufflay, one of the founders of Albanian studies, as prominent individuals who connect Croats and Albanians.

On Wednesday, Milanovic began his two-day visit to Albania at the invitation of President Bajram Begaj, with whom he met earlier on Wednesday.

Before addressing parliament, Milanovic met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.