German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday in Tirana the Judicial Reform must be approved as soon as possible by Albanian political parties.
At a joint press conference with the Albanian Foreign Minister Bushati, Steinmeir said that all reforms in Albania would be incomplete if this reform is not implemented, which he said is the focus of the public.
"The project on the table will give more independence to the justice system, but also will rise the credibility in the fight against crime and corruption. We hope that this process will not remain in the middle of the road, but his approval must continue in order to be concluded as soon as possible," said the German Minister.With the focus on justice reform was the statement of the Minister Bushati, according to him, the reform would provide the necessary support for Albania to step towards to open negotiations for EU membership. Justice reform, he stressed, is our mere chance to pass the point of no return. The project that is in the Parliament makes the final division from the transition era.
This reform, said Bushati, aims to bring the justice system up to the requirements of the Albanian citizens. It is the cornerstone of all our efforts towards the EU. Our conclusion, he noted, but also of our international friends, is that today's justice system is a mixture of incompetence and corruption.
The reform aims not only changing faces of the judges and prosecutors, but also has all premises to have a strong impact on the rule of law in the economy. We strongly believe that its adoption will contribute to the increase of German investors in Albania, the fight against crime and corruption, and not least, the fight against terrorism and radicalism, said the Albanian Foreign Minister.