site.btaThe President of the National Assembly met with the Bulgarian community in Albania

The President of the National Assembly met with representatives of the Bulgarian community in Albania.

A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation led by National Assembly President Nataliya Kiselova is visiting Albania to participate in the 12th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process.

Nataliya Kiselova addressed the Bulgarian community, saying that preserving Bulgarian identity outside the country's borders requires daily efforts from both state institutions and Bulgarian communities abroad. She congratulated all Bulgarians for their personal contribution to the recognition of the Bulgarian minority in Albania and for preserving the Bulgarian language, culture, and traditions.

Nataliya Kiselova expressed her confidence that Bulgarian organizations living in Albania will remain committed to preserving and passing on Bulgarian values, language, lifestyle, and culture. She wished our compatriots not to forget Bulgaria and to pass on their love for their homeland to the younger generation.

Earlier, National Assembly President Nataliya Kiselova gave an interview to Albanian National Radio and Television. The best thing for the Balkan region is for all countries to be part of the EU, she said, stressing that there is no better guarantee for peace and stability in the region than membership in the EU and NATO. We are making every effort to enable these countries to become part of these two organizations, the President of the National Assembly added.

Our desire is for all countries to become part of the EU as soon as possible, but the time frame is a matter that depends both on the EU and on the candidate country, the President of the National Assembly noted. We will assist you in any way we can, but you must set a realistic timeframe and maintain the political will to move in this direction, added Nataliya Kiselova. She recalled that the accession of all Balkan countries had been a priority for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Since then, we have raised the issue at all our meetings, but each country must meet the Copenhagen criteria and be assessed according to its own efforts, the President of Parliament added. Our understanding is that once a country has met the conditions, it is welcome, Nataliya Kiselova pointed out.

We strongly support Albania's integration and will do our utmost to assist you in this process with all possible parliamentary means, the President of Parliament said. Nataliya Kiselova noted that friendship groups have already been set up in parliament and that the Friendship Group with Albania is one of the largest, with 30 Members of Parliament.

Our efforts are focused on ensuring that the agreement concluded between the EU and the Republic of North Macedonia is implemented so that they can start negotiations, the President of the National Assembly said. We have no claims, we have extended a hand and we expect their politicians to fulfill their commitments, Nataliya Kiselova said. According to her, agreements are concluded between countries, not between governments; governments change on both sides of the border, but the common goals remain. It has been three years since the common European consensus was reached, but since then, unfortunately, our neighbors have not continued on the path to move forward, she added.

This is not a matter between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, Kiselova emphasized, but between the Republic of North Macedonia and the EU in terms of fulfilling the commitments they made in 2022, Nataliya Kiselova said, expressing hope that reason will prevail.

Albania is stable both domestically and as a factor in the region, and this is seen not only by Bulgaria but also by all other countries in Europe and NATO, the President of Parliament noted.

Relations between Bulgaria and Albania are excellent and there are no issues between us that cannot be resolved and discussed, Nataliya Kiselova said. According to her, cooperation in the fields of culture, infrastructure, energy, tourism, education, and between parliaments could be expanded in the future.