TIRANA, July 11 /ATA/ –By I. Vata/ – Albania is advancing well on its European Union integration path, Knut Fleckenstein, the former European Parliament Rapporteur on Albania, currently advisor to the Assembly Speaker Gramoz Ruçi, said in a televised interview on Saturday.
The former MEP also noted that Albania has made important progress towards implementation of a comprehensive and unprecedented justice reform package.
“The justice system reform being implemented in Albania is not to be found anywhere else in Western Balkans. Of course, it is understandable why it has been slowed down, because an opinion from the Venice Commission is expected. If the institutions will cooperate, Albania should be proud of this reform, because Albania is one of the few countries to implement such a radical reform and, especially once the Venice Commission renders its opinion, I hope the country’s institutions will find a way to cooperate and move forward,” Fleckenstein said.
Commenting on the recent developments in Albania, Fleckenstein he said that encouraging discussions are taking place, although the extra-parliamentary opposition is not part of the institutions.
“On one hand, I see encouraging things. Discussions are underway, even though the extra-parliamentary opposition is not in the parliament. However, there are other ways to talk about these issues. Parliament faces a tough task dealing with two oppositions. I hope a compromise will be reached. I have talked with the U.S. Ambassador on how to take further steps,” he said.
Speaking about the conditions on Albania, Fleckenstein said: “German Bundestag has imposed several conditions and the European Council has discussed this issue, while the European Commission is drafting the framework for the accession negotiations to start. We shouldn’t think that these so-called 15 conditions should be absolutely fulfilled before the intergovernmental conference, but it is true that people in Brussels put emphasis on the justice reform so that the institutions find a way to cooperate and solve the problems with the Supreme Court or the Constitutional Court and the electoral reform, which represents another step forward,” he said.
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