Membership: EU ambassador to Albania — good achievements and concrete progress, regional cooperation important

The new EU Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, is taking part today in the Interparliamentary Conference being held in Tirana, with the country’s integration into the great European family as the topic of discussion.

Chief diplomat de Sousa stressed the progress Albania has made in several key areas within the membership process, starting from justice reform, the economy and up to the protection of human rights.

“For Albania, this project has entered a new phase, opening clusters and provisionally closing 3. Many good achievements showing concrete progress. It shows that Albania’s European future is becoming tangible. The EU has recognized progress in various fields; justice reform has transformed the judiciary landscape. The vetting process, the creation and strengthening of independent judicial institutions, gender equality, protection against violence, children’s rights, data protection. And economic reforms are moving forward. It is a process that helps citizens themselves feel the transformative effect that EU membership brings. The closer you get to membership, the more demanding the process becomes,” she said.

Among other things, Sofia Moreira de Sousa said that a country’s functional democracy is measured not only by the way elections are organized, but also by the role of the Assembly and respect for freedom of speech and fundamental rights.

“Democracy is not measured only by the way elections are organized; freedom of speech is essential. It is also measured by the way the Assembly plays its role. Regional cooperation is important. Keep the focus on the key things. May this transformation continue so that the benefits of reforms are felt by citizens,” she said.

Sofia Moreira de Sousa took up her new post at the beginning of this month. Before her appointment in Tirana, Sofia Moreira de Sousa headed the European Commission Representation in Portugal, a post she held from September 2021.