Today we celebrate German Unity Day. This day reminds us of the peaceful reunification of our country 35 years ago – it is a celebration of freedom, democracy, and self-determination – even seemingly impenetrable borders can be overcome! And today, we also remember the courage of Albanians who occupied the German Embassy, also 35 years ago, to reach freedom. German unity, however, is not just an internal German success. Our allies and partners also contributed to this through decades of solidarity. From the experience of division and reunification, we have learned, that peace, freedom, and democracy are not a given, but require the common, active effort of all.

A central prerequisite for this is security: security is not everything, but it is the foundation of our freedom and prosperity. The threats posed by unidentified, but presumably Russian drones over Danish airports shortly before the EPC summit in Denmark underscore this, as do incidents in other European states.

When we broaden our perspective, the challenges are enormous: for over three years, the brutal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has raged, there is a permanent crisis in the Middle East, an increasingly fragmented world order, new rivalries between the great powers – and the list goes on, unfortunately.

In this time of profound challenges, Germany, as Europe's largest economy, bears special responsibility. We will thus work with our partners in the EU and NATO to actively pursue the following goals:

• First, we must preserve the rules-based international order. To do this, we will support the UN and other international organizations in order to jointly tackle global challenges such as climate change.
• Second, we must strengthen the European pillar of NATO: This concerns the security of Europe as a whole, to which we all must contribute, whether EU and/or NATO members. Germany will therefore provide over 500 billion euros by 2029 to strengthen the defense capabilities of Germany and the alliance.
• We also appreciate the contribution that ALB makes in NATO and through participation in CSDP missions. We are grateful for its 100 percent alignment with EU positions in foreign policy and, more importantly: with the values of the EU.
• And third, we must further develop the EU as a strong and united actor in the world. The European Union guarantees the security and freedom of over 450 million people. We must strengthen our defense capabilities, reduce our dependencies, and actively promote our values. This also means that we must work for deeper integration in areas such as security, economy, and climate protection.

The challenging security situation is often cited as a geopolitical argument for EU enlargement: but this is only valid if enlargement brings an increase in security for the Union. A prerequisite for this is internal stability and shared values of the new members: the EU is based on the core values of democracy, rule of law, and human rights. These are not mere phrases, but the necessary condition for mutual solidarity and resilience to external influence. This naturally applies to Albania's accession to the EU. We welcome the great momentum in this process, as expressed in the opening of five negotiating clusters. And we trust that the government will show the same resolve in implementing the necessary changes, which meet the expectations of Albanian and European citizens.

Germany stands by Albania in the merit-based process of EU accession. We support Albania in the necessary reforms and in strengthening its institutions, promoting civil society, and combating corruption and crime. These are also the expectations of the Albanian people, as I know from many conversations. They expect, for example, constructive cooperation in parliament, respect for the separation of powers, and independent judicial institutions.

And they expect a continuation of the fight against corruption, for which I would like to express my respect to SPAK and many other members of the judiciary, who work daily for the rule of law, resist corruption and public pressure. I cannot praise their performance enough.
However, German support is not limited to EU accession and the area of the so-called „fundamentals“. We want Albania to be a stable and prosperous country that offers its citizens a good life. The Albanian population wants the solid economic upswing of recent years to also reach them, the so-called „little people“. Germany therefore supports sustainable economic development through the implementing organizations GIZ and KfW. With 37 years, Germany is the largest and longest-standing bilateral donor in Albania.

The goal of German cooperation is always to strengthen the capacities of our partners in all of our projects. One good example is an administrative partnership between the competition authorities of our countries, which will begin in November.

Our co-operation promotes the great potential of the country, for example in the area of sustainable tourism: Albania's spectacular appearance at this year's International Tourism Fair in Berlin generated great and positive attention. Germany also supports the creation of sustainable framework conditions and the expansion of important basic infrastructure, such as in the areas of energy, water and wastewater, and by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in rural areas. We are also tackling the increasingly tangible effects of climate change with the help of a large project by GIZ.

The open exchanges with our partners during project visits, especially in rural areas, touch me deeply: they are a confirmation that we are doing the right thing. For this, I would like to thank especially the employees of the implementing organizations, but also the thousands of project partners in Albania.

During all my visits to the country, I am deeply impressed by the scenic landscape, but also the cultural diversity of Albania: they make Albania a worthwhile place to live and love. This diversity also applies to Germany, and we want to express this in the German Culture Week, which begins this Friday October 3rd at 5 pm with a large street festival on Pazari i Ri. In the next few days, we will show the entire spectrum of German culture, from classical music to German film to German techno music. And of course, we will bring a bit of Oktoberfest atmosphere to Tirana at the street festival. Details of the program can be found at our social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmbasadaGjermaneTirana
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambasadagjermanetirana/
Webseite: https://tirana.diplo.de/al-de/willkommen-in-albanien/2737354-2737354

I wish all of you a very good, and happy day of German Unity!