[ad_1]
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, at the meeting on the analytical review of the legislation of Albania, North Macedonia and the EU, emphasized that a great deal of work has been done until reaching the opening of the negotiations.
In her speech, the minister stated that EU membership is one of the strategic objectives for which Albania has worked hard over the years.
“We know that a very demanding and challenging process awaits us. We are ready. Our resolve is unwavering. We are aware that much remains to be done. But the formal opening of negotiations restores credibility in the EU integration process”she said.
Chief diplomat Xhaçka emphasized that until now a long process of explanatory meetings has been developed with the Commission.
“The presentations of the explanatory meetings have been our guide: 1- First, for our transposition plan – the National Plan for European Integration; 2- Second, for our preparations for the bilateral analytical examination; 3- Thirdly, for our efforts to strengthen administrative capacities, aiming to have all the structures for the development of our accession negotiations“, Minister Xhaçka declared.
The first Albania-EU Intergovernmental Conference held in Brussels paves the way for our country to join the European Union.
The Albanian delegation led by Prime Minister Edi Rama included the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, Chief Negotiator Zef Mazi, as well as representatives from state institutions involved in this process.
The minister’s full speech:
I am very happy to be here with you today. But I must confess that I feel relieved at the same time that I am here today. In this matter, I believe I speak on behalf of the vast majority of Albanians because there have been many moments when we began to doubt whether this day would ever come. It’s been a real challenge, but all’s well that ends well.
So here we are, and I appreciate the fact that the Commission, like us, feels the urgent need to act and make up for the time lost until today. I also take this opportunity to thank the Commission for its support and commitment throughout this long and sometimes stressful process.
I would also like to congratulate our friends from North Macedonia for the success they have achieved in a very difficult process. We have embarked on this journey together and remain committed to collaborating and helping each other with best practices, professional exchanges, political and technical support.
We have worked hard to reach this historic moment of opening accession negotiations.
EU membership has been one of the most important strategic objectives of democratic Albania since the regime change 30 years ago. It remains a target that enjoys massive support from our people.
It has been the driving force of the transformation of our country, the inspiration and motivation for the dramatic and sometimes painful change that Albania has undergone in the last 3 decades. This process of transformation, modernization and Europeanization has really left no stone unturned. It has affected every aspect of life in Albania and that is the reason why we have such a large delegation present here, made up of government representatives, responsible for all negotiating groups and chapters.
Regarding the content of the review process, I will briefly touch on a few issues:
We have already developed a long process of explanatory meetings with the Commission.
The discussion of the chapters at these meetings has proved very useful for our efforts to make further progress in the revision of the chapters and to prepare for the accession negotiations. The presentations of the explanatory meetings, along with the recommendations of the Stabilization Association institutions and the reports of the Commission, have been our guide:
1- First, about our plan transposition – National Plan for European Integration;
2- Secondly, for our preparations for the bilateral analytical review – our institutions have carried out a complete legal and administrative analysis for each chapter, in order to prepare our presentations on where Albania is with transposing and the implementation of acquis;
3- Thirdly, for our efforts to strengthen administrative capacities, aiming to have all the structures for the development of our membership negotiations.
Therefore, although we know that a very demanding and challenging process awaits us, we are ready, our determination is unwavering and we have worked hard. In the context of the new methodology, for example, which places fundamental reforms at the center of the accession negotiations, we have implemented an unprecedented reform in justice that has already played a key role in the fight against corruption.
We are aware that much remains to be done. But the formal opening of negotiations restores credibility to the EU integration process and, along with it, generates tremendous motivation and determination, which we are convinced will give the process an important positive energy.
top channel
[ad_2]
Source link
