TIRANA, March 20 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ – “2017 was a very important year, but 2018 is key for accelerating Albania’s EU accession process,” the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani said in his remarks at the EP’s Friends of Albania event in the presence of the Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tuesday.
Albania – he went on to say – is an integral part of the European family and we can’t conceive Europe without the participation of Albania.
In his speech, the EP President Tajani praised the government’s commitment to pressing ahead with the justice system reform, underlining that building the rule of law should be a top priority.
“I would like to highlight the government’s commitment to the justice system reform. It is a principle we continuously insist upon even within the EU in order to ensure stronger and more democratic coexistence,” Tajani said.
“We share the same challenges,” EP President said, adding “the Europe’s security is also related to Albania’s security.”
“It should be pointed out that PM Rama has launched a crucial action plan against crime. I would specifically commend cooperation with the Italy’s Guardia di Finanza,” he said.
Tajani also praised the fact that Albania is model of religious coexistence, where issues of religious belonging and affiliation are inexistent and where Christians and Muslims visit each other and a mosque stands close to a church.
The Balkans must be a region of peace – he said – underlining: “We want to put an end to the fact that the Balkans can’t freely choose to be part of the EU in the future.”
“To us, Albania has a very important role to play,” Tajani noted.
“We should speak with one voice and we should ensure success of all meetings being held over these days. I rely on you, on all members of parliament, on politicians and different parties in Albania so that this process – which is a process of stability, prosperity, struggle against unemployment, as well as an internal and external security project – can achieve its goals,” he said.
“We all believe the Balkans can live a new era of freedom and peace,” Tajani stated, affirming EP full support for Albania.
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