Albania can rely on Croatia’s firm support as it advances on its path toward European Union membership, President Zoran Milanović told Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Elisa Spiropali during talks in Zagreb on Monday. Milanović reiterated that, in his view, Albania should already be part of the bloc and argued that its accession should happen as soon as possible.
According to the President’s Office, the meeting focused on Albania’s EU negotiations, the state of bilateral relations and broader regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013, has consistently positioned itself as a strong advocate of enlargement to Southeast Europe and often presents its own accession experience as a model and reference point for candidate countries.
After talks at the presidency, Spiropali met Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman for discussions centred on economic ties and Albania’s progress in the accession process. Speaking at a joint press conference, Spiropali underlined that EU membership remains Albania’s core strategic goal, not just for the government but for society as a whole. She highlighted the latest Eurobarometer results, which show that 92 percent of Albanians support EU integration, the highest rate of public backing anywhere in the region.
Grlić Radman responded with warm words about Albania’s trajectory and its relationship with Croatia. He noted that the two countries have never had an open bilateral dispute and described Albania as a “leader on the European path”. In his remarks, he stressed that Albania deserves both respect and strong support from Croatia as it moves closer to the Union.
The diplomatic exchanges come at a moment when Albania’s accession process has entered a new phase. Tirana recently opened its final negotiating cluster, a procedural milestone that signals that the bulk of the technical screening of its laws and institutions is underway. Albanian authorities have set themselves an ambitious target of joining the EU by 2030, aligning with a broader political discussion inside the Union about making enlargement a concrete objective within this decade.
For Croatia, backing Albania’s bid is part of a wider strategy of promoting stability, reform and European alignment across the Western Balkans. Zagreb has repeatedly warned that leaving the region in a prolonged waiting room would create space for rival actors and fuel frustration among pro-European societies. By offering clear political backing to Tirana’s ambitions, Croatian leaders are signalling that they see Albania not as a source of regional problems but as a partner whose success would strengthen the EU as a whole.
For Albania, the message from Zagreb adds weight to its argument that it has become a reliable European partner, aligned with EU foreign policy and engaged in reform of its judiciary, public administration and economic governance. With enlargement once again climbing up the EU agenda, strong advocates within the bloc – especially from countries that have relatively recently navigated the accession process themselves – could play a crucial role in turning political declarations about a “credible perspective” into an actual date on the European calendar.
