TIRANA, January 16 – The Minister of Justice, Besfort Lamallari, held a meeting with the Inter-Institutional Working Group for European Integration. During the session, they discussed the progress of technical-level negotiations in 2025.

Lamallari noted that serious inter-institutional cooperation has produced significant results. He explained that Albania has addressed 51 of 64 critical gaps in the fundamental chapters. At the same time, he said the remaining gaps are in an advanced stage of resolution.

The minister also emphasized the need to further consolidate the Justice Reform. In addition, he highlighted important steps taken to strengthen judicial independence. He added that the government has improved the protection of fundamental rights, media freedom, and alignment of criminal legislation with European Union standards.

Looking ahead, Lamallari said that 2026 will remain a challenging year for the negotiation process. He stressed that Albania is on an irreversible path to fulfilling its European Union aspirations.

/a.p./