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Lindita Nikolla, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, paid her first visit to Germany. In an exclusive interview with DW, she talks about Germany’s role in the region and the institutional crisis in Albania.
Deutsche Welle: Mrs. Nikolla, You met with the Speaker of the German Parliament, Mrs. Bärbel Bas. What can Germany do to help Albania move towards EU integration?
Lindita NIkolla: Yes it is true, I had an impressive meeting with the President of the Bundestag, which reaffirmed once again what is the official position of friendly Germany and an important partner of Albania, the support that Germany has for Albania, but not only, but also for Macedonia. North, for the opening of negotiations and for the holding of the First Intergovernmental Conference. He mentioned to me several times the fact that both Chancellor Scholz and the President of the Bundestag are determined to support and start once again the opening of Europe to countries like Albania and Northern Macedonia, with interest not only for these two countries, but also with a strategic interest in Europe itself. We talked about Ukraine, about the support that Germany has given, about the support that Albania has given to Ukraine and will continue in the coming days, about the high position that Albania is performing in the Security Council at the United Nations, and how a potential energy and food crisis will be dealt with. It was a warm meeting, which will be followed by other visits of the Speaker of the Bundestag to Albania and a visit of mine to the land of Mrs. Bas in the land of North Rhine-Westphalia, where a large community of Albanians lives.
What would Albania, specifically the Albanian Parliament, benefit from the opening of negotiations?
Of course, the Albanian Parliament has been working for European standards for a long time, giving the European approach to all the laws it has. Cooperation with the European parliaments will be a basic data of the Albanian Parliament, of course, to continue in all those reforms that have begun. The opening of negotiations is not the end of the process, but only the beginning. It is important that we advance on this path and that Albania does not slow down at any moment the pace of reforms that are first reforms for Albania and Albanian citizens.
One of Germany’s projects in the region is the Berlin Process. A Common Regional Market has been agreed upon, which has not functioned properly. You have meanwhile created the Open Balkans initiative, which is opposed by Kosovo. Did you talk about this issue with Ms. Bas? What is Germany’s message?
Yes. We talked about regional cooperation, as well as the Open Balkans initiative and the message was that we should advance in regional cooperation, because through regional cooperation there are benefits that welcome all countries that enter into this cooperation. But, of course, they must be seen on a large umbrella such as the Berlin Process. Open Balkans also enables the creation of a common market, the creation of opportunities and the implementation of the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union and other initiatives, such as the green initiative, digital initiatives, etc., which are also in focus of the European Union.
Serbia is one of the countries in the region that pursues an ambivalent policy towards Russia. How worrying is such a policy for Albania as Serbia’s partner in the region?
We are regional collaborators and we are for regional cooperation, based on the principles of good neighborliness, but definitely with a view to Europe, to the European Union. Albania is determined and has no other plan, except one plan, which is plan A: integration into the big European family.
Albania is experiencing a crisis between the Parliament and the President. How much does it hinder the proper functioning of the Albanian Parliament, in your opinion?
Legal initiatives are not limited. On the contrary, Parliament has all the responsibility and opportunities to advance with the legislative procedures, to have better laws, where as much as possible to see gender sensitivity and of course compliance with European Union standards.
I am the Speaker of the Assembly and I represent only the Speaker of Parliament, I have high responsibilities to rise above the parties and to definitely respect those groups and those representatives who defend the clearest values which are the Euro-Atlantic values. For this I am determined and will definitely welcome anyone who is clearly positioned in defense of Euro-Atlantic values.
It means that otherwise you would exclude it…
Only those who are in defense of Euro-Atlantic values. It’s so simple.
You were recently verbally attacked by Mr. Berisha himself. How challenging is it for you to manage the rude language that is often used in the Assembly?
It is true that Mr. Berisha personally has stood out for years for his rude language. But the important thing is not to respond with the same currency, to maintain ethics, and above all to rely strongly on the rules that parliament has and that are embodied in the rules of parliament. This respect is very important and definitely ethics and citizenship at every step./DW
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