On Wednesday, the Dutch government convened to discuss EU enlargement matters, where the topic of granting Albania its first Intergovernmental Conference also arose.
A majority of lawmakers were in favor of holding the first IGC with Albania, as soon as the negotiating framework gets the green light. The procedure is set to conclude tomorrow after a vote on the potential motions raised by the country’s political parties and parliamentary groups.
“The Dutch government is satisfied that a clear and stable negotiating framework for Albania’s accession to the EU has been established. The government is looking forward to holding the first Intergovernmental Conference as an official launch of the negotiations, an intensive path in which reforms in the rule of law, battle against organized crime and corruption, as well as further strengthening of democratic institutions will remain key priorities”, declared the Dutch government in a statement.
Furthermore, the government agreed with the findings of the EU Commission from last March, where the latter decided to launch negotiations with Albania and hold the first IGC, after having fulfilled a set of conditions, mainly in the area of rule of law.
Discussing Albania, the Dutch government asserted that the country had made significant progress with the justice reform, however pointed out that the prosecution of high-level officials remains a topic that will still need adequate attention.
In its statement, the Netherlands stressed that decisions on the next steps that need to be undertaken in regards to EU accession will be based on the individual progress of each country.
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