From 8-9 October 2020, Mr. Zef Mazi, Albania’s Chief Negotiator for EU membership negotiations paid an official working visit to Germany.
During his stay, Chief Negotiator Mazi held several working meetings at the Federal Chancellery and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chief Negotiator Mazi and the accompanying delegation, composed of the Deputy Minister of Justice, Mrs. Adea Pirdeni, Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr. Besfort Lamallari and the Head of SPAK, Mr. Arben Kraja, held a hearing in the Committee on European Affairs in the Bundestag. The hearing was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, MP Markus Töns (SPD) and was attended by SPD parliamentary groups (MPs Baradari / Petry), FDP (MP Hacker), Di Linke (MP Hunko), Die Grune (MP Sarrazin).
Chief Negotiator Mazi also met with the CSU Rapporteur for Albania in the Committee on European Affairs, Mrs. Katrin Staffler.
The interlocutors were given extensive and up-to-date information on the progress made by Albania in fulfilling the priorities of the Council before the first Intergovernmental Conference, notably on the reform of the judiciary and in the fight against corruption and organized crime in Albania. As the European Commission’s 2020 report on Albania confirmed, Albania is very close to meeting the priorities before the first ICC.
The German interlocutors recognized and welcomed the very positive developments in fulfilling the priorities before the first ICC from Albania and confirmed the German support, including of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, for making possible the holding of the first ICC with Albania by 2020, if Albania continues to deliver to meet the remaining priorities.
The interlocutors agreed to intensify contacts, including those at the parliamentary level, for ongoing information from Albania on the fulfillment of the Council’s requirements.