Prime Minister Edi Rama, during the conference marking the 30th anniversary of Albania’s membership in the Council of Europe and the 35th anniversary of the Venice Commission, emphasized that this Commission will continue to serve as a point of reference for the country.

Rama noted that the Venice Commission has helped Albania understand how to improve whenever it faces dilemmas in its reform processes. Furthermore, the Prime Minister highlighted Albania’s need for the support of such a Commission, which has helped the country grow and strengthen through various processes.

Symbolically, it can be said that the Venice Commission and Albanian democracy are “birthmates” — both were born around the same time, in 1990. The Venice Commission, as a child of a Europe reunited around the values of freedom; and Albanian democracy, as a long-dreamed dream that finally saw its path open. The history of democratic development in Albania is closely tied to the history of the growth and strengthening influence of the Venice Commission on processes in countries like Albania, which have needed assistance, support, and the generous guidance of a partner in pursuit of higher standards.

“Today, among other things, the Venice Commission’s record includes its invaluable contribution to the first constitution of the democratic Albanian state in 1998. The Commission’s record also includes several crucial interventions in processes where its opinion played a decisive role in shaping the direction of those processes,” said Rama.

The Prime Minister underlined two key contributions of the Venice Commission in influencing Albania’s democratic history and development:

“The contributions to the Electoral Code have supported its improvement and strengthened the guarantees of democratic standards.

On the other hand, there is the historic contribution to the deepest and most challenging reform Albania has ever undertaken — the justice reform — where the Commission has been a prudent guide, an authority that helped us maintain our compass and stay oriented in the right direction throughout the process. Without the Venice Commission, it would not have been possible for Albania to undertake the vetting process — a key element of the justice reform,” emphasized Prime Minister Rama.