TIRANA – The Parliamentary Integration Committee convened today to discuss on opening of accession negotiations with the European Union.
Attending the meeting, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati said that next year Albania will get an answer to the question of opening the accession negotiations with the EU.
“The fear expressed on local media about dissolving the Ministry of Integration is irrational. 2018 will be a decisive year. For the first time, the EU did not reach any conclusion on enlargement process. It is realistic approach to think that next year Albania gets an answer to opening of membership negotiations. 2019 will be an election year to the European institutions”, said Bushati.
Meanwhile, the DP lawmaker Genc Pollo raised questions on opening of EU membership negotiations next year given that Prime Minister Edi Rama had promised opening of negotiations before June 25 general elections, but the EU added three other requirements to Albania, fight against corruption, organized crime and drugs.
However, Bushati reacted by denying that the EU has presented any additional requirement for integration.