Albania’s goal is to launch the first intergovernmental conference with the EU in June this year because this country claims to have met all the conditions. This was the gist of what the Chief Negotiator of Albania with the EU, Zef Mazi said in the report he presented on Monday to the National Council of European Integration on the progress of negotiations and fulfillment of conditions. He expressed the full conviction that Albania has met all the conditions, but however he seemed worried over consensus among all parties involved in the integration process.
“Another assessment by the European Commission is expected soon. In December, the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varheli said that Albania had met all the conditions. The goal is for the first Albania-EU Intergovernmental Conference to be held in June,” said Mazi, quoted by local media.
But he hastened to stress that already the ball remains in the field of Albania, and not of the EU calling on political parties to unite for this purpose. “We are aware that the negotiations will take place with the new methodology that will be more rigorous. According to him, if there is no progress, there will be regression. There will also be a suspension mechanism if there is no progress. Therefore, it will be necessary to implement all the requirements of the European Council,” he said.
Further on Mazi noted that the objective is to be as productive as possible and this means consensus among all parties involved. “Political parties are not integrated in the EU, but Albania. We must therefore speak in one voice on EU integration. The ball is in our court. It is a fact that now the ball is not in the EU court. I hope that in the next meeting of this Council I will give good news,” Mazi said. /argumentum.al
