The Council of Ministers approved today the National Plan for European Integration 2022 – 2024 (NPEI 2022 – 2024). After the Council of Ministers meeting, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, in a press statement emphasized that this document is one of the most important instruments in terms of planning and monitoring that derive from the Stabilization and Association Agreement and the EU Integration process of Albania.

“The plan has a dual objective. First, it will serve as an instrument for planning the fulfillment of the obligations coming from the Stabilization and Association Agreement which defines the obligation of Albania to approximate the national legislation with the EU legislation in accordance with the deadlines set by this Agreement. Secondly, this plan, based on obtaining the status of candidate country in June 2014, has as its final goal the full approximation of Albanian legislation with the EU acquis as one of the criteria for EU membership,” she said.

In reply to the question asked on “What will be the draft resolution of Albania regarding the conflict between Ukraine and Russia?”, Minister Xhaçka said that “There is no draft resolution yet, but we are at the stage where we have agreed on a close cooperation with USA, where we will be both co-authors and we will deepen further as a result our strategic relations”.

Among other things, Minister Xhaçka said that this year has been really important in Albania’s path towards the EU.

“We expect the EU to find a way to overcome the political gridlocks that made it impossible for Albania to start the negotiations promised during 2021. Albania on the other hand, has done and will continue to do everything that is up to us and we are focused on advancing the Europeanization of the country, hoping that the EU will do the same,” she said.