The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, presented the draft budget for 2022 for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to the Commission for European Integration.

Minister Xhaçka emphasized that one of the main pillars around which the draft budget for 2022 has been drafted, is the process of integration of Albania in EU.

The Minister underlined that MEFA has led the political and technical process to start the negotiations for Albania to join EU and has fulfilled all expectations and objectives.

“The 2022 budget will allow us to address significant challenges, which will advance the European integration process and strengthen Albania’s role in the region and the world, bringing tangible benefits in improving the lives of our citizens as well as the services catered to them. A positive decision for the start of negotiations by holding the first Intergovernmental Conference, remains our short-term priority for 2021/2022, as the final step of concretizing the decision of the Council of March 2020 to start the accession negotiations with our country. To achieve this short-term objective, during 2021, political and diplomatic action and technical coordination of the integration process has continued, accordingly with the responsibilities of MEFA “, said the Minister during her speech.