Joint statement by Co-Chairs Taulant BALLA (Parliament of Albania) and Marco TARQUINIO (European Parliament) - 20th Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee meeting, on 28 and 29 October 2025 (Tirana)

Following the 20th Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee Meeting in Tirana on 28 and 29 October 2025, Co-Chairs Taulant Balla (Parliament of Albania) and Marco Tarquinio (European Parliament) stated: 

"On 28 and 29 October 2025, the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), consisting of multiparty delegations of Members of the European Parliament and of the Parliament of Albania, held its 20th meeting in Tirana.  

We had a sincere and comprehensive exchange on a number of pertinent topics, including Albania's membership negotiations with the European Union, foreign policy, good-neighbourly relations, and regional cooperation; progress and challenges in Albania’s economy, energy, environment, and tourism sectors; progress and challenges in the institutions of the rule of law, and in the fight against corruption and all forms of crime; respect for human rights, minority rights, and media freedom. We focused, in particular, on reforms that are still very much necessary to bring Albania even closer to the EU, but also to consolidate the rule of law in the country, for the benefit of all of its citizens. In this respect, we agree on the need of both good legislation and its consistent and intensified implementation. 

The SAPC applauds Albania’s steadfast commitment to EU accession, which is key to the country’s progress, and reflects the strong support of its citizens and the commendable broad consensus among political forces, regardless of their otherwise vocal differences. We welcome the ambition to advance the membership negotiations, and in particular the progress in opening an impressive number of negotiating clusters over the past twelve months, with the expected opening of the last remaining cluster before the end of the year.

We further welcome Albania’s full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, particularly in its response to global challenges, and the country’s positive influence on regional stability and proactive engagement in regional cooperation initiatives, such as the Common Regional Market and the Berlin Process, which serve as vital steps toward EU integration.

The European Parliament stands ready to continue assisting the Kuvendi as Albania approaches the full EU membership. In this respect, we welcome the decision of the European Parliament to establish its Western Balkans antenna office in Tirana. We underline that this both represents a recognition of the country’s accession achievements, and gives credit to the city as one of the most attractive and vibrant capitals in this part of Europe. We further welcome initiatives aiming to support the Parliament of Albania, its Members and parliamentary services, in strengthening the parliamentary capabilities and their role in the EU integration process. In this regard, we look forward to cooperating closely in the areas of dialogue, consensus and capacity building for parliamentarians across the political spectrum, with a particular stress on young parliamentarians and women empowerment.

We look forward to the next EU-Albania SAPC, which will take place in Brussels or Strasbourg in the first half of next year.”