Starting on July 1, Ireland will take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, a period that is expected to be important for the Union’s enlargement agenda and for the integration processes of candidate countries.
In this context, the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence of Ireland, Thomas Byrne TD, held a telephone conversation today with the Minister of State and Chief Negotiator for Albania’s accession to the European Union, Majlinda Dhuka.
During the conversation, the parties discussed the progress of Albania’s integration process and the steps expected to be taken next, particularly during the Irish EU presidency. Minister Byrne stressed the importance of Albania’s continued internal reforms as a key element for advancing on the path towards membership.
“Over the past few years, Albania has made remarkable progress in its EU accession process, opening all six negotiating groups within a year and meeting the interim Rule of Law benchmarks set for Chapter 23 on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, as well as Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom and Security,” said Byrne, adding that these developments constitute important milestones in the integration process, laying the foundation for further progress during the Irish EU presidency.
The Minister also recalled his previous engagements with the Albanian authorities, including the visit to Tirana and the meetings held in Dublin with representatives of the Albanian government, appreciating the country’s efforts to approximate legislation with that of the European Union and its commitment to the values of the Union.
“During the Irish Presidency of the EU, enlargement will be a key priority. We aim to advance all candidate countries, in line with the necessary reforms. Priority will be given to the areas of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and judicial reform, as foundations of the enlargement process,” declared Byrne.
He expressed optimism that the next six months will serve as an important period of cooperation between Ireland and Albania, with the aim of marking concrete progress in the country’s membership process in the European Union.