EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged Albania on Wednesday to deepen a reform drive so that it can persuade member states it deserves to join the bloc after 2025, Reuters reports.
The European Commission recommended on Tuesday that the Balkan country should start accession talks following a series of steps including to combat corruption and improve law enforcement.
It also again recommended membership negotiations with neighboring Macedonia, but that step has been held up for years over a dispute with Greece over the country’s name.
Mogherini called on Albania to maintain the momentum before European Union member states consider the recommendation at the end of June.
“The Commission’s assessment ... says clearly ... that Albania is ready to open negotiations, maintaining and deepening the reforms you have undertaken,” she told reporters on a visit to Tirana. “Do not stand still, keep going!”