TIRANA: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday invited foreign investors to come to 鈥渟table鈥� Europe, including to Albania, which he sees obtaining EU entry in 2027.

Europe 鈥渋s a stable and reliable place,鈥� he told economic forum 鈥淧riority Europe,鈥� organized by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) institute of advertising executive Richard Attias.

鈥淎nd in this crazy world, don鈥檛 underestimate the strengths of such qualities,鈥� Macron said at the Tirana event aimed at connecting European leaders and innovators with sovereign wealth funds and Middle East, Asia and US business leaders.

鈥淗ere in Albania, clearly, you have the entry point in this region of Western Balkans, but much more broadly it鈥檚 a key point in the Mediterranean place and Europe.

鈥淎nd in two years to come, as now he has a clear mandate, he will join the EU,鈥� added Macron, referring to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Albania entered talks to join the European Union in 2022 and Rama said that the process could conclude with the country joining in 2027 if all goes to plan. 鈥淭hat would be incredible,鈥� said Rama in an interview with AFP.

The country of some three million is by far the most pro-EU in the Balkans. In 2024, 92 percent of those questioned in a poll said they would vote 鈥測es鈥� if a referendum were held on EU membership-compared to 40 percent in Serbia.

The challenges of meeting accession requirements remain sizeable, notably in terms of combating corruption.

Several ministers and several senior officials, former president Ilir Meta, and the mayor of Tirana 鈥� a close Rama associate 鈥� are currently in detention on suspicion of embezzlement.