With this title, another Ludovika Ambassador’s Forum event took place on September 18 in the St. Ladislaus Chapel. The event was organised by the Regional Cooperation Department of Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS) and the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Budapest.
First, the international vice-rector of LUPS, Pier Paolo Pigozzi Sandoval, greeted the attendees. "LUPS' mission is to promote and improve relations between countries. One of our most successful series of events, the Ludovika Ambassador’s Forum, provides an excellent opportunity for this," said the vice-rector. He added: in July, Hungary began its six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The University actively contributes to the tasks of the current Hungarian Presidency. One of these priorities is enlargement policy, one of the most successful areas of the European Union. In order to preserve this favourable trend, it is essential to keep the enlargement policy merit-based, balanced and credible, Pier Paolo Pigozzi Sandoval pointed out.
The accession of the Western Balkans is significant for the community: the integration of this region is beneficial for the EU from an economic, security and geopolitical point of view. "In order to get to know and understand the Western Balkan region, we decided to dedicate the Ambassador’s Forum this semester to one of these countries, namely Albania," he added. The shared history and relationship between Hungary and Albania goes back more than 600 years. Our defence, economic, cultural and trade relations have been strengthened, we are now allies in NATO and strong partners in Europe. In the framework of the Erasmus+ program and bilateral inter-institutional cooperation agreements, LUPS will further strengthen the range of cooperation with Albanian universities and research institutes, emphasised the international vice-rector.
Predicting the future of the Western Balkans is not an easy task. This region has caused countless surprises so far. However, the country's position remains unchanged - Ambassador Ilirian Kuka indicated at the beginning of his speech. "Therefore, we believe that its accession to the EU is the only guarantee for a peaceful, secure and prosperous Western Balkans," he added. He expressed his hope that the integration process will speed up and that the development of the regional common market will gain momentum. "We would like the EU and the United States to intervene decisively in solving regional conflicts. The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue must be promoted, and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina urgently addressed. We are working hard to promote these. Last September and October, Albania hosted the summit of the leaders of the Berlin Process. We recently organised two other summits, one on Ukraine and the Western Balkans and the other on the Growth Plan. In 2025, Albania will host the EPC (European Political Community), and in 2027, the NATO summit," the ambassador listed.
The event discussed the decline in support for EU enlargement, the importance of regional cooperation, and geopolitical topics.
Text: Lilla Kovács
Photo: Dénes Szilágyi