Albania has fulfilled the basic requirement of the EU to start accession negotiations

Photo: depositphotos.com

On 5 June, the Albanian Parliament adopted amendments to the electoral law, this reform was called the key factor to start negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union, the Associated Press reports.

The new law provides for the introduction of electronic voter identification, de-politicization of the electoral administration and the implementation of several other recommendations of the Bureau for democratic institutions and human rights OSCE, which conducted monitoring of elections in Albania. The Bureau has repeatedly pointed to the manipulation of the counting of votes and bribing of voters.

Fractions of the Parliament are unable to reach agreement on reforms to the deadline established by the EU, on may 31. This week at the residence of the US Ambassador in Tirana Yuri Kim were consultations with leaders of political forces with American, British and European diplomats, after which a consensus was found, says the Agency.

In a joint statement, the heads of the European foreign Minister Josep Borrell and the Commissioner for enlargement EU Oliver Verhei, which is available on the website of the European external action service that the vote in Parliament, “Albania moved one step closer to its future in the EU and further progress in the further reforms needed in this direction”.

In April 2018, the European Commission recommended the EU Council to start negotiations on EU accession with Albania and Northern Macedonia.

At the summit in October 2019, the EU leaders failed to agree on the beginning of negotiations to join the Western Balkan countries. Media wrote that the main opponents of the admission of Albania to the European Union were France, Netherlands and Denmark.

In March 2020, the EU stressed the great progress of Albania on the implementation of the beacons for the start of the negotiation process.

Now the EU includes 27 countries.