TIRANA, May 16 /ATA- I. Vata / – The Council of Ministers (CM) approved Wednesday in principle the draft status agreement for operational cooperation between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and Albania.
Pursuant to Article 100 of the Constitution and Article 10 of Law No.43 / 2016 “On International Agreements in the Republic of Albania”, upon the proposal of the Minister of the Interior, the Council of Ministers decided: “The approval in principle of the Status Agreement between the Republic of Albania and the European Union, on the actions undertaken by the Coast Guard Agency and the European Border in the Republic of Albania”.
Once in force, the agreement will allow the Agency to provide assistance in the field of external border management and will enable European Border and Coast Guard Agency teams to be swiftly deployed on Albanian territory in case of a sudden shift in migratory flows.
Announced by President Juncker in his 2017 State of the Union address and adopted by the Commission last week, the strategy for ‘A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans’ highlighted the significant progress made by Albania on its European path and the European future of the region. Today’s draft agreement is the first negotiation to be concluded between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the EU’s partners in the Western Balkans.
Strengthened operational cooperation between priority third countries and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will contribute to better management of irregular migration, further enhance security at the EU’s external borders and strengthen the Agency’s ability to act in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood.
The status agreement with Albania is yet another step towards the full operationalisation of the Agency.
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