TIRANA, June 27/ATA/ Hosted in the Parliament’s plenary hall, the National Council for European Integration (NCEI) and the Civic Education Service—with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung—briefed 30 students from North Macedonia’s Political Academy. The session highlighted the roles of the NCEI and Parliament in the EU negotiation process, emphasizing parliamentary oversight and transparency.
NCEI Co-Chair Taulant Balla opened the meeting by reviewing Albania’s progress in EU negotiations. He described the accession process as a profound transformation of the Albanian state and society. Underscoring the strong public backing for membership, Balla reaffirmed that European integration remains Albania’s singular strategic goal.
Balla emphasized that North Macedonia must fully respect its Albanian population as a state-forming nation. He declared that the rights to education and the use of the Albanian language are absolute, non-negotiable obligations, adding that protecting these rights is vital for the country’s EU accession aspirations.
Next, Elda Zenelaj, Director of the Technical Secretariat of the NCEI, informed participants about the Council’s structure and purpose. Discussions focused on its core responsibilities: monitoring the EU negotiation process, promoting legislative transparency, aligning laws with the EU acquis, and bridging the gap between institutions, political actors, and stakeholders.
The meeting featured an in-depth discussion on the challenges of the negotiation process, EU enlargement, and the region’s European perspective.
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