TIRANA, April 3 /ATA/ The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, emphasized on Friday that the prosecution of corruption is a prerequisite for the progress toward European Union accession.
During a press briefing, Berisha noted that the assessment report on standards and anti-corruption measures (IBAR) had been postponed three times in March.
He stated that “an increasing number of member states are firmly opposed to the adoption of the IBAR report.”
Berisha stated that the vote on this report is a prerequisite for the closure of other chapters. He clarified that this vote is an intermediate step, not a final decision, for Chapters 23 and 24, which concern the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and human rights.
Berisha asserted that “efforts to shelve the Balluku case represent a serious breach, trampling upon the personal, social, and national interests of every Albanian.”
“This deals the most serious blow to the interests of Albanians in two key areas. First, it signals the failure of the fight against corruption. A genuine fight against corruption is impossible without prosecuting Balluku and stripping her of immunity.
“Without accountability for corruption, Albania cannot take any meaningful steps toward European Union integration,” Berisha emphasized.
Berisha went on saying that the countries expressing reservations about the European Union enlargement process are categorically opposed to the Rama–Vučić initiative for EU integration.
/m.m/a.f/sm/
