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European leaders came to Albania for a summit focused on the war in Ukraine, but the small Balkan countries hope that the enlargement of the European Union will also be at the center of discussions at the European Political Community Summit.
The meeting is being held in the capital, attended by the leaders of France, Germany and Britain, as Ukraine and Russia are expected to hold their first peace talks since the early days of the conflict. Other topics of discussion include security, democracy and migration. But it is also a crucial moment for Albania, one of Europe's poorest countries with 2.4 million people, which is still struggling to shake off the effects of decades of oppressive communist rule and join the European Union.
Tirana's small airport, which is undergoing a reconstruction due to a growing tourism boom, has warned that flights could be affected due to increased air traffic, according to an Instagram post.
Road restrictions in the capital are expected to further increase traffic. Even walking in the bustling center of Tirana, where the summit will take place in a large, newly erected conference tent, will be limited.
"When you see how far Albania has come and that it is organizing such a meeting with the leaders of the EU and Britain, it is a pleasure to see this. Albania is moving in the right direction, despite all the problems it has gone through ," said 46-year-old Dritan Hoti, who lived through the last years of communism.
Before joining the EU, Albania must shed its reputation as a money-laundering hub for arms and drug traffickers, where few people live in luxury and many others in poverty.
Political transparency is also important after the contested elections, which Prime Minister Edi Rama officially won by a wide margin, but which are being investigated by local prosecutors and have been described as manipulated by the opposition.
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha has called for a peaceful protest during Friday's summit.
According to experts, Rama's agreement to accept immigrants from Italy, increase renewable energy production, and open the country to foreign investment - including that of former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner - has increased Albania's chances of joining the EU.
“The EU is looking for a success story,” said Andi Hoxhaj, a Balkans expert at King’s College London. “Albania and Montenegro could have a window of opportunity, as both countries are very small and would not create any major influence or pressure on the EU,” he added.
It all depends on how eager the Balkan countries are to join. Hoxhaj said the EU has somewhat lost credibility in the region, partly due to the difficulty of the membership process.
Kosovo and Serbia also have aspirations to join the EU, however an early disagreement between these countries has slowed progress.
Kosovo is under EU sanctions over Prime Minister Albin Kurti's role in stoking ethnic tensions in the northern region bordering Serbia. Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended World War II victory ceremonies in Moscow this week, despite objections from Brussels./ Reuters
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