Albania's prime minister sees CEFTA progress for Western Balkans

By Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Sunday that an enhanced Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) for the Western Balkan region was within reach as his country seeks to make itself fit for membership of the European Union by 2030.

"Tomorrow it will be important to...fix the CEFTA mechanism," he said in an interview ahead of a Western Balkans summit hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday.

Scholz will talk to Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia in the tenth of so-called Berlin Process negotiations that were launched in 2014 with view to integrating the region into more EU-compatible policies.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock brought counterparts from the six countries together last week and made progress towards bridging rifts between Serbia and Kosovo, she said on X.

As well as easier movement of people, goods and services she stressed the prospect of enhancing travel arrangements for young people and better recognition of professional qualifications.

The EU's aim is to give greater stability to a region that is still racked by tensions after the break-up of former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The bloc also wants to deny Moscow a gateway for causing trouble on its southeastern flank.

On migration matters, Rama, who said he intends to run for a fourth term in 2025, said Albania had an agreement with Italy to take in refugees arriving there into reception centres, to help curb irregular migration into the EU.

Asked whether such a deal was also possible with Germany, he said at present there was not enough capacity.

"Germany has to find another partner," he said.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Vera Eckert, editing by Ros Russell)