The Chairperson of the Foreign Policy Committee, Mimi Kodheli, together with members of this committee, Tritan Shehu, Etjen Xhafaj, Petro Koçi, and Bardhyl Kollçaku, met with Thomas Hacker and Stephan Brandner, members of the Southeast Europe Parliamentary Group of the Bundestag, who are touring some of the countries in the region.

Kodheli thanked them for all the support on Albania’s path towards European integration, appreciating Germany’s leadership in this regard as highly essential.

She highlighted her counterpart in the Bundestag, Michael Roth, for his leadership shown on this issue as well as his activism for the integration of the Balkans region.

Chairperson Kodheli took the opportunity to confirm Albania’s support for Germany’s candidacy for the UN Security Council for the 2027-2028 period.

During his intervention, Tritan Shehu emphasized the need to improve the level of democracy in the country and called for more space for opposition activity.

Petro Koçi talked about the effects of the justice reform. Other topics discussed included regional cooperation, the security situation in the region, and beyond.

The German parliamentarians thanked the committee members for the broad overview and open and frank discussion.

Hacker confirmed Germany’s dedication to stability in the Balkans and said that they are constantly informed by the government about the extraordinary work Albania is doing to open chapters.

He said that after the attack on Ukraine, the world is no longer the same, and for this reason, a review of the union’s rules is necessary, as bilateral issues can no longer serve as a justification for blocking important processes for each country.