TIRANA, May 12/ATA/ The new IPA III ‘EU for Democracy’ program, presented in Parliament today, is set to strengthen the legislative body’s role in Albania’s European integration.
Attending the presentation ceremony was Speaker of the Parliament Niko Peleshi, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Albania Silvio Gonzato, Director of the Regional Program for Europe at International IDEA Sam van der Staak, Deputy Speakers of the Parliament, representatives of the ruling majority and the opposition, as well as heads of independent institutions, representatives of the diplomatic corps, civil society and international partners.
During his speech, the Speaker of the Parliament praised the project as an important step in the modernization of Parliamentary services and in strengthening of the legislative and oversight functions of the Parliament. He stressed that the program will contribute to improve Parliamentary transparency, expanding cooperation with civil society and the media, as well as accelerating Albania’s European integration process.
Peleshi stated that Albania is closer than ever to EU membership, underlining the rapid pace of accession negotiations and the broad public support for European integration. According to him, the Assembly has taken on important responsibilities in fulfilling obligations related to the rule of law chapters and has adopted 23 laws within the framework of the negotiation process.
On his part, European Union Ambassador to Albania Silvio Gonzato stated that the reforms related to the European integration process aim to strengthen transparency and efficiency in the use of public funds, guarantee quality services for citizens, access to justice, protection of rights and respect for European standards in various fields. He emphasized that a strong, transparent and inclusive Assembly is essential for advancing these reforms and preparing Albania for membership in the European Union.
The project “Strengthening the Albanian Parliament for EU Integration”, implemented by International IDEA and funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of the Assembly, increase the quality of the legislative and oversight process and improve the transparency and inclusiveness of Parliamentary activity in function of the EU membership process. /m.q/j.p/p.s./
