TIRANA, Oct 28 /ATA/ – Albania is in the “final stretch” of its path toward European Union membership, the head of the European Parliament’s delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SACP), Marco Tarquinio, said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Committee’s 20th meeting in Tirana, Tarquinio said the European Parliament would continue to support Albania’s legislature as the country advances toward accession.
“The European Parliament will continue to help the Albanian Parliament, because Albania is in the last part of the path leading to EU membership,” Tarquinio said.
He expressed hope that the committee would hold its final meeting before the end of the current European Parliament’s mandate, adding that cooperation between the two sides remained essential.
Tarquinio said EU accession would be the result of “joint efforts” and announced that several European parliamentary committees plan to visit Albania in the near future.
He cited recent meetings with government officials, the Supreme Court, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK) and other local counterparts, stressing the importance of capacity building within the Albanian Parliament.
Tarquinio noted that Albania had made clear progress, with five of six negotiating clusters opened since accession talks began.
/k.s/j.p/u.sh/
