Topi says organized crime a challenge to the future

TIRANA, Nov 16 – President Bamir Topi took part last weekend at the Crans Montana Forum on Transnational Crime.
Topi said in his speech at the forum that the “horrifying terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 made it clear that terrorism presents a common challenge and that the fight against it demands a concentrated and global action.”
The president said that terrorism is a serious threat to domestic and foreign security, to the peaceful relations among countries and to the normal functioning of democratic institutions and principals.
He also assured participants that Albania categorically condemns all terrorism actions as criminal and inexcusable regardless of their motivation, form and demonstrations and as a NATO member country and aspiring to access the European Union, it has joined all the efforts of the democratic countries’ fight by becoming part of the preventing strategies and actions against those who sponsor organize or carry out terrorist acts.
Tirana has paid special attention to pass a contemporary legal framework, but also to institutionalize the cooperation among the specialized domestic and foreign agencies.
Albania, the Balkans, Southeastern Europe hold an enviable geographic position to the transiting of international lines of illicit trafficking and organized crime, he said, adding that organized crime is carrying out an open war against the strengthening process of the democratic legal institutions and the rule of law in the regional countries.
Albania is looking forward to become a European Union candidate country and is committed to fulfill and meet the democratic standards, an important part of which is also the fight against organized crime, corruption and economic crime as well, he said.
the president said that his country is trying to align the legislation, especially the compliance of the legal framework to the penal and civil conventions of the Council of Europe against corruption; to implement the obligations of the United Nations Convention against corruption; to align the legislation with the United Nations Convention against corruption; to secure the compliance of the legal framework to the penal and civil conventions of the Council of Europe against corruption; to amend the Albanian Civil Code in order to adapt it to the standards of the Civil Convention of the Council of Europe.
The president also said Tirana has significantly increased cooperation with the Southeastern Europe countries.