“Candidate status depends on reforms”

Helmut Hoffman, the new German ambassador to Albania, in his first interview for Top Channel says that he is positively surprised to see a different Tirana from what he had imagined. He expected a gray city, not a colorful one that he found. He states that the relations between Albania and Germany now are excellent and underlined that he will contribute in pushing forward this agreement.

Mr.Hoffman declared that the German businesses have interest to invest in Albania, but for this they need to create the necessary conditions and the rule of law.

Muhamed Veliu: Excellency Ambassador, what was your impression when you were appointed to serve as  representative of the German government in Albania.

Ambassador Hoffman: Can I first of all say it is a great pleasure to serve as German ambassador to Albania. And your question about the first impression was a good one I must say, because there was quite a contrast between what I expected to see and what I eventually saw. I was here a couple of weeks ago to take a look at Tirana, and I had expected a country which had gone through forty years of communist dictatorship and a very difficult transition period with even anarchy at some point, and I thought that this is going to be a gray dread place, and I was very positively surprised how Tirana actually looks. It’s a place very lively, very urban. I had read about Mayor Rama painting old houses with colors and so on, but I was really much surprised to see how lively it is. A lot of young people, a lot of open-air restaurants and so forth. But at the same time I know that this is Tirana and not the entire country. I also saw in Tirana other sites that resulted in poverty. One can see that there are many things yet to do, but I think Albania has made really fantastic progress in the last 20 years or so”.

Muhamed Veliu: Mr.Ambassador, what are some of the priorities during your mandate in Tirana?

Ambassador Hoffman: First of all, when you serve as an ambassador you always try to work on the bilateral relationship, to improve ties between governments, between the people, and I have to say that the relations between Albania and Germany are already excellent, but I will try to further improve these relations. Secondly, I would say that we have a very strong interest in a stable situation in the Balkans altogether, and Albania plays an important part to that. The state development, the democratic development, transparency, accountability, fight against corruption, organized crime –  all these are very important issues. Of course, we want to see how things are going to develop in Albania. Thirdly, and this has a lot to do with it, we believe that integration to the European structures is very important. Also to help you in that dimension which I just tried to describe. We will support Albania’s integration to the European structures, and there will be important things to decide by the end of this year. I think we will speak about it probably later, but we are very supportive in that regard. We have seen progress on that front, but there are still things which need to be done. And fourthly, I would say, to create the right conditions for investment in your country. I think the German business community has a strong interest in the Balkans and Albania, but it is important to have the right conditions, and that is particularly the issue of the rule of law.

Muhamed Veliu: What is the view of the German government about the government of Albania, which will start working in September.

Ambassador Hoffman: We were delighted to see how the elections went. This is as far as I know, and I’m still in the early stages, but the elections went quite well and it seemed this was the first time in which we had a really smooth transition towards a new government. Of course, the government has quite a big plate before it, a lot of challenges, and I will certainly refer to some issues. What would be very important is to create a new spirit of consensus. The government has to lead, but it is also important to avoid too much polarization in politics. And that’s particularly important in regards of the European integration.

Muhamed Veliu: What are the main challenges of the new government. You already mentioned some, but according to you, where should be the main focus of the new government.

Ambassador Hoffman: That’s of course a rather complex question. I think to improve the economic and social situation at large, I think it is very important. One can see differences by just walking through Tirana. As a German diplomat I’m of course delighted to see great brands of German car manufacturers represented in this country, but in the same time I also noticed there was poverty, and it is very important for the government to work on that issue. Secondly, I think it is also important to maintain fiscal stability, and that is not easy, because all the reforms must be undertaken under the conditions of budget constraints. We are aware that the budget situation is not an easy one, but it is important to maintain a budget and fiscal discipline. I also think it would be important to maintain a policy of cooperation in the region. The Balkans have gone through difficult times, and Albania can play an constructive role. Thirdly, again, the European Union would be a very big challenge for the government, to work towards meeting the 12 criteria. Some of them have already been positively developed, such as the elections, but there are others still outstanding. It would be important to show Brussels that the government is determined to progress in that front.

Muhamed Veliu: How far of close is Albania close to get the candidate status during the Council of Ministers’ meeting in December.

Ambassador Hoffman: That is difficult for me to say in this stage. I just arrived two weeks ago, and as I said, this is up to the Albanian government, the Albanian institutions, the Parliament. In general there are a number of important issues, such as the rule of law, fight against corruption, fight against organized crime, the role in the region, etc. The European Union and its members states will take a decision on the right time and it would be premature to give an opinion now, but I would encourage the Albanian leaders to commit very seriously. We support the process and in general Germany has always been very supportive, but of course, we look at the performance.

Muhamed Veliu: What is the German position on the candidate status of Albania? Will Germany vote in favour or against the candidate status for Albania this December?

Ambassador Hoffman: That’s a very good try, but I will not comment on that now by saying “yes” or “no”. Just to emphasize again, there are certain criteria. We have seen progress and we still hope there will be more progress in other criteria. And we will consult our friends in the European Union, our partners, and we will come to a reasonable decision, but it would be premature to speak on it today.

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