European Council President Antonio Costa said Thursday that Albania could join the European Union before the decade ends.

"If Albania continues to deliver at the same rate, it's completely possible to join the European Union before 2030," Costa said at a joint news conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana. "But it all depends if you continue or not in the same path."

The country on the Adriatic has been governed since 2013 by Rama, who recently secured a fourth term with his Socialist Party (PS) in the parliamentary election.

During the election campaign, Rama promised Albanians EU accession by 2030.

Since 2014, Albania has been an official candidate for EU membership, and negotiations have been ongoing since 2022. The country has been a member of NATO since 2009.

Observers have recently noted certain progress in combating corruption.