The talks focused on promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation and deepening the strategic partnership between Albania and France.

The president of the Senate reaffirmed France’s support for cooperation with Albania and for its EU accession process.

He praised the rapid pace of Albania’s progress towards membership.

President Larcher stressed the need for cooperation to strengthen the trust of public opinion and European citizens in the enlargement process.

He also praised Albania’s stabilizing role in the region and expressed readiness to further expand bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest.

Peleshi underlined Albania’s commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in all areas included in the agreements between the two governments and beyond, including defense, agriculture, water management, civil emergencies, energy and education.

Peleshi also highlighted Albania’s role as a factor of stability and security in the region, reaffirming support for the dialogue and normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as Albania’s clear stance in support of the Euro-Atlantic orientation and against non-Euro-Atlantic influences in the region.

Speaker of the Assembly is accompanied on this official visit to France by the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Agron Gjekmarkaj, Chairman of the Committee for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani, MPs Hatixhe Konomi and Enno Bozdo, members of the Albania-France Friendship Group, as well as Ambassador of Albania to France Dritan Tola. /gj.m/a.f/p.s./

Berisha also emphasized that the ruling majority has accepted the two conditions of the opposition: the participation of the OSCE/ODIHR in the Electoral Reform Commission and the inclusion of experts from the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities of Europe in the Territorial Reform Commission, so that to ensure the best expertise in building local government.

“In regard to the municipalities, no, we are not in favor of reducing them. The Territorial Reform Commission should include experts from the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities of Europe, at the Council of Europe. They have the best and most excellent expertise in building local government,” Berisha said.

During the press conference, Berisha was also asked about reducing the number of MPs.

Berisha proposed the creation of a Senate, as the second chamber of the Parliament, with a “restraining, but not blocking” function, emphasizing that, if this is realized, the number of MPs should be reduced in order not to burden the public budget.

“Now, there is another opinion that is long-standing. Yes, the country should have two chambers, the upper chamber, the Senate and the Parliament.

“I agree with this option, because if you build the Senate not as a blocking institution, but as a restraining institution in some way, then you do the country a favor. The Senate is useful; many countries have it. Although, there are others that do not.

If Albania decides to have a Senate, then without doubt it should reduce the number of MPs”, said Berisha.

We recall that the Assembly voted yesterday to establish two special commissions, one for Electoral Reform and one for Administrative-Territorial Reform. /m.q/r.e/a.f/p.s./

Attending the plenary session proceedings was Minister of State for Relations with the Parliament Taulant Balla.

Albania and Italy reached on February 6, 2024 the agreement on recognition of social insurance contributions.

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Antonio Tajani signed the relevant agreement in Rome.

This agreement getting finalized offers many people security and a positive perspective for the future, while the parties had been negotiating for about 15 years to reach this signature, which guarantees the rights of Albanian workers in Italy or Italian workers in Albania for pensions.

There are about 550 thousand Albanian citizens and about 4 thousand Italian citizens who benefit from the agreement. The implementation of the agreement will ensure unification of contribution periods, making it possible for no working year to be lost.

This agreement carries benefits from the Albanian mandatory social insurance scheme, which include benefits for old-age pension, disability pension and family pension, insurance for sickness, maternity benefits and unemployment insurance. /r.e//a.f/p.s./

The career diplomat David J. Kostelancik was appointed to be Ambassador of the USA to Albania in January last year. A month later, the Committee backed his candidacy, but his nomination has now been adjourned after no vote took place in the Senate.

The White House has resent to the Senate the nomination of David J. Kostelancik to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Albania in January after the Senate’s failure to include vote on its agenda during the session that ended in December 2023.

Kostelancik presented his priorities during hearing at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations last March, saying strengthening Albania’s new justice bodies will be his top priority.

In the period 1992-1994, he served as the first representative for political and economic issues in the newly opened American embassy in Tirana.

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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee,  Robert Menendez, focusing on the issue of the  Association of Municipalities with a Serb majority in Kosovo, asked about the guarantees that the Association doesn’t turn into a Republika Srpska within Kosovo.

The Special Envoy Escobar that the Association will be established based on a European model that doesn’t violate Kosovo’s sovereignty and constitutionality.

“We want to use the Association to put an end to what Serbia does in Kosovo north and make sure that it is under control based on Kosovo laws. I don’t see it as a concession to Serbia, but as a way for Kosovo to accommodate the citizens residing in that part of Kosovo and who are Kosovo citizens,” Escobar said.

Counsellor of the United States Department Derek Chollet stated that Kosovo is an independent, sovereign and democratic state, as well as one of the closest allies of the United States of America.

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Basha said that he talked about two main issues with senior representatives from Washington.

“First of all, Albanian democracy finds itself at crossroads, especially after the April 25 election massacre. The DP and the Albanian opposition in the Parliament and in cooperation with all the living forces of the Albanian society and with the help of the USA is making efforts to return Albania to the rails of democracy, legitimacy and rule of law”, said Basha.

Basha said that, “The other issue concerned the region, in particular, regarding the situation provoked by the resurgence of Serbian hegemonic plans through processes like that of Novi Sad and the need to strengthen the political and comprehensive American presence to stop and oppose any offensive by non-Western powers against the 30-year achievements of the US and the Euro-Atlantic axis for stability, peace and democracy in the Balkans. He put special emphasis on preserving and guaranteeing the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo and the successful completion of mutual recognition as the last cornerstone of stability in the Western Balkans region “./ j.p / r.e /p.s./