accession

Last summer, it launched EU accession talks in tandem with Ukraine.

But under President Sandu, the country has launched talks to join the EU and last year held a referendum in which voters chose to enshrine the goal of accession to the bloc in their constitution.

He believes Albania's rapid progress in EU accession talks and encouragement from Brussels to complete the negotiations by 2027 mean that the country has a powerful incentive to tackle graft.

This is also the anniversary of the accession to the throne of King Charles, who is spending the day in Balmoral in Scotland, where the late Queen died.

Leaders from France, Germany and Poland have travelled to Moldova to show support for the country's accession to the EU and warn of Russia's "relentless" efforts to undermine that ambition.