Marking Albania’s 30th anniversary as a member of the Council of Europe, EU Ambassador Vesna Kos joined the discussion on “Albania and the Council of Europe: A Journey Towards[...]

Marking Albania's 30 years of Council of Europe membership, EU Ambassador Vesna Kos presented introductory remarks in the event "Albania and the Council of Europe: a journey towards EU accession". The event that took place on 28 May was co-organized by the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Albania to the Council of Europe and the Directorate for Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe.

Other speakers that delivered an opening speech were the Director of Programme Co-ordination at the Council of Europe Claus Neukirch and the Ambassador of Albania to the Council of Europe Dastid Koreshi. Following the opening remarks, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe Gianluca Esposito delivered the keynote address on justice reform and the Council of Europe's long-term engagement with Albania.

The topics of the panel discussion covered: anti-discrimination and media freedom with remarks by the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Media Iris Luarasi, anti-money laundering & countering financing of terrorism with the Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency Ervin Koç, electoral assistance & voters' education with the State Elections Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi and the efficiency and quality of justice with the Deputy Minister of Justice Tedi Tobi.

For more than 30 years, the Council of Europe has been a key strategic partner for Albania, providing expertise and detailed support to advance reforms in critical field such as justice, good governance, media freedom, and the protection of fundamental rights. The values and standards of the Council of Europe have been the foundation of credible the reforms underpinning Albania's EU accession process. As Albania progresses on its European path, this partnership has proven instrumental in translating reform commitments into tangible results. The cooperation between the Council of Europe's framework and the EU on the enlargement methodology creates a mutually reinforcing roadmap for reform.

Albania's path towards EU accession is linked to its ability to consolidate the rule of law, ensure transparency and accountability, effectively combat corruption, and uphold human rights. Aligning reforms with Council of Europe standards strengthens the resilience and integrity of democratic institutions and advances compliance with EU accession criteria.

EU Ambassador Vesna Kos expressed EU readiness to assist Albania in its European integration path and reforms, recalling the Council of Europe's engagement with EU's Candidate Countries, via its instruments and reports. Ambassador Vesna Kos referred to the eighth meeting of the Accession Conference in which Albania confirmed it has, overall, met the interim benchmarks on Cluster 1: fundamentals (covering democratic institutions, public administration reform, the rule of law and economic criteria). Albania has demonstrated commitment to key EU reforms and made progress, particularly on justice reform and in the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Speakers underlined that continued reforms-especially in rule of law, governance, anti-corruption, and human rights-are essential for meeting EU membership criteria.

In conclusion, the event reaffirmed Albania's long-standing partnership with the Council of Europe, which remains central to its progress towards EU accession. It highlighted measurable advancements in Albania's EU integration journey and reflected on key lessons learned, drawing on reports from Albanian institutions that have benefited from the Council of Europe's support in accelerating this process.