TIRANA, April 16 – Harmonising rules across South-East Europe remains essential for economic development and European Union integration, according to Albanian MP Sara Mila.

Mila, who heads Albania’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process, spoke to RTSH 24 about meetings held in Bulgaria. She described the session as productive and focused on regional cooperation in innovation and economic policy.

Countries in South-East Europe share strong cultural and historical ties, she said. She also noted that several states, including Albania, are currently on the path toward European Union membership. According to her, this context creates space for deeper parliamentary cooperation.

Discussions in Bulgaria focused on startups and technology policy. Participants agreed on the need to harmonise legislative frameworks across member parliaments. Mila said such alignment would support domestic economic growth and improve readiness for European Union accession.

The South-East European Cooperation Process remains one of the region’s key political platforms, she added, with annual decisions that shape cooperation priorities. She said the organisation continues to evolve, although several initiatives still require full implementation.

Mila also highlighted Albania’s engagement during its presidency of the process. She pointed to progress in innovation and digital governance, including the use of artificial intelligence in official administrative platforms.

She stressed that closer regional cooperation is now necessary. Stronger ties, she said, would improve coordination and support long-term development across participating countries.

The South-East European Cooperation Process brings together 13 countries, including Albania, Kosova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. The process was launched in 1996 in Sofia, while the first summit took place in 1997 in Crete.

Albania held the presidency from July 2024 to June 2025 under the motto “Shaping our European Future”, while Bulgaria currently holds the chairmanship.

/a.p./