TIRANA, Nov. 9 – The Head of European Union Delegation to Tirana, Romana Vlahutin, handed Wednesday the European Commission’s Albania Report 2016 to Prime Minister Edi Rama, President of the Republic Bujar Nishani, Speaker of the Parliament Ilir Meta, and to the chairman of opposition Democratic Party Lulzim Basha.
In a press conference with Prime Minister Rama, the European Union representative said that the decision of the European Commission to recommend opening accession talks with Albania is a “recognition of the country’s progress”
“This means that the Commission has concluded that Albania has shown sustainable progress to deserve this recommendation,” Vlahutin said.
Ambassador Vlahutin confirmed that membership negotiations will not be opened without tangible progress in the justice reform, especially in the Vetting Law for judges and prosecutors, part of the larger justice reform.
“There are two things that we must not forget, first the continuous implementation of the justice reform and the Vetting Law and secondly the five priorities. The pace and quality of the implementation of the justice reform will determine the negotiations,” she said.
Ambassador Vlahutin added the Vetting Law as a whole does not violate Albania’s constitution, but parties oppose some of its articles.
