TIRANA, May 25 /ATA/ Albania and the European Union are set to hold the eighth Intergovernmental Conference on the EU accession negotiations process in Brussels tomorrow, a meeting expected to represent a significant step forward in the further advancement of reforms and chapters under Cluster 1, “The Fundamentals.”
The conference will serve to confirm Albania’s fulfilment of the interim benchmarks, as well as to set the closing benchmarks for this cluster, which remains essential for the overall progress of negotiations with the European Union.
According to the agenda published by the EU, the eighth Intergovernmental Conference will take place on the margins of the EU General Affairs Council, under the chairmanship of Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna.
The Albanian delegation will be led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, while the European Union side will be chaired by Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna, with the participation of EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
The conference is expected to begin at around 7:00 p.m. in Brussels, with a press conference scheduled upon its conclusion.
Cluster 1 includes the key chapters of the accession process, including:
Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights
Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom and Security
The functioning of democratic institutions
Public administration reform
Economic criteria for membership
Chapter 5 – Public Procurement
Chapter 18 – Statistics
Chapter 32 – Financial Control
This meeting follows a series of intergovernmental conferences that have led to the opening of all negotiating clusters, including “The Fundamentals”, “The Internal Market”, “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth”, “The Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity”, “Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion”, and “External Relations”.
The eighth Intergovernmental Conference is considered a significant milestone in the current phase of the negotiations, as it focuses on the completion of interim benchmarks that will determine the subsequent momentum of Albania’s European integration process.
The EU accession negotiations are proceeding in accordance with the new enlargement methodology, under which progress in Cluster 1, “The Fundamentals,” remains pivotal to the overall advancement of Albania’s pathway to European Union membership.
The EU accession talks are being conducted under the new enlargement methodology, with progress in Cluster 1, “The Fundamentals,” remaining key to the overall momentum of Albania’s journey towards EU membership.
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