Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani’s remarks at the high-level working meeting in the framework of the General Affairs Council of the EU

Thank you, Minister Lahbib for organizing this timely meeting, (the first in the margins of the GAC) and thank you for the beautiful event last night. Let me also congratulate you for a very successful EU presidency so far.

Enlargement has always, and beyond any doubts, proved to be one of the most successful policies of the EU.

Every expansion of the EU has widened the area of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and prosperity. Every citizen that has joined the Union has seen its life improve. Therefore, any future enlargement will be no exception.

We are happy that enlargement is now deemed of strategic importance for the EU, and it is indeed, for all of us. We have been highlighting it continuously in the course of the last two decades.

This meeting is about the rule of law and I am really happy to be able to share with you, as much as I can say in few minutes, what we have done and are doing in what we consider being one of the most transformative justice reforms in the Western Balkans and beyond.

We learned it the hard way during our bumpy transition that a robust rule of law framework is essential for the development, the functioning of our society, and an imperative for building trust among citizens and at the same time, fundamental to our European aspirations.

We understood we needed a sweeping justice reform leading to a systemic change. Only radical reforms can bring radical change and, in our case, it has been a transformation and has marked a crucial turning point for the country.

In the Reform Agenda in the framework of the Growth Plan, we have placed specific emphasis on anticorruption reforms, increased transparency, integrity mechanisms in public administration.

All this is at the same time an investment in our European path, and as I am sure, everyone around the table is aware, Albania is ready for the second Intergovernmental Conference and start negotiating the first cluster, the fundamental, with the rule of law at its core. We are just waiting for the green light from the Council.

Let me conclude by saying what for us is simply obvious:

First, the EU is our closest and trusted partner in our path to the future. It goes through the enlargement process as a transformative journey towards national and regional stability, prosperity, and integration.

Second, closer and enhanced regional cooperation remains a driving force for advancing the rule of law agenda in the Western Balkans.

Third, in order to ensure the success of our efforts and the reform agenda and the adherence of our citizens to this path, we need to transform words and promised in concrete and real deeds.

For us this means timely implementation of the Growth Plan, accelerated integration wherever it is possible, and opening of negotiations on as many as possible chapters.

It is in this way we will be able to build societies and an entire region where people what to live, instead of countries they want to leave.

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