European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule asked the political parties in Albania to conclude the electoral process in a quiet and constructive way.

Referring to the third session of the inter-parliamentary committee between the EU and Albania, which was held in Brussels, Fule reminded that the serious political conflicts damage the normal functioning of democracy and the further economic progress.

According to him, the message of the letter that the head of the Council of Europe sent to Prime Minister Sali Berisha is very clear: open dialogue and the reform of the Electoral Code, for which they will ask the opinion of the Venice Commission. In this way, similar situations to those with the so-called votes placed in the wrong ballot boxes will not be repeated.

“This can be achieved only if the political parties and the politicians that represent the Albanian citizens find a way to reach dialogue and take the necessary decisions, which will serve the country’s and the citizens’ interests,” said Fule.

According to Commissioner Fule, there are clear examples from the past, which show that the Albanian politicians are able to reach progress. He mentioned the implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement and visa liberalization as examples of success, which show Albania’s ability to proceed in its European journey. Of course, for this to happen there is need for political will. The work for the 12 priorities of the EU has not yet finished, and unfortunately, according to Fule, the electoral battle deviated the necessary energy for achieving this purpose.

“I want to believe that our work has not gone bad, because we feel the need to restart work for the implementation of the reforms if we want Albania to progress in its European integration,” said European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule.

The third inter-parliamentarian meeting between Albania and the EU, which was headed by Eduard Kukan and Fatos Beja, will continue even on Wednesday in Brussels. The Albanian parliamentary delegation is made up of 7 deputies from the left-wing and 7 others from the right-wing. The focus of the debate will be the 12 priorities asked by Brussels, which should be fulfilled by the Albanian government in order to gain the status of the candidate country.