Day Two of Albanian Parliament Speaker Spiropali's Official Visit to Bulgaria

Dimitrina Solakova

Albanian Parliament Speaker Elisa Spiropali (left) and Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova exiting the National Assembly building, Sofia, July 10, 2025 (BTA Photo/Nikola Uzunov)

Sofia,

10.07.2025 21:05

(BTA)

Albanian Parliament Speaker Elisa Spiropali paid an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation her Bulgarian counterpart Nataliya Kiselova on Wednesday and Thursday. On the second day of her visit, she conferred with the Bulgarian National Assembly Chair and with President Rumen Radev.

On Thursday morning, Spiropali laid a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier.

After that, the parliamentary heads of Bulgaria and Albania held a meeting in the building of the National Assembly.

At a joint news briefing after the meeting, Kiselova said that Bulgaria will be committed to supporting Albania in every aspect of Albania's European integration. She added that the understanding of the Bulgarian State is that all countries in the Western Balkans should be part of the European Union on their own grounds and upon achieving the Copenhagen criteria. She noted the excellent bilateral relations that Bulgaria and Albania have. Kiselova praised Albania as a "champion in European integration", as it has opened 24 out of 31 negotiating chapters and is willing to open all of them by the end of the year. Kiselova said that Spiropali's visit is taking place only a day after the European Parliament adopted the annual report on North Macedonia’s progress towards EU accession, which she described as a "sign for everyone in Bulgaria how we will continue to work with all countries in the Western Balkans".

Spiropali said that Albania is deeply committed to regional security issues. "In this context, we have entered into a trilateral cooperation with Kosovo and Croatia, which we hope Bulgaria will join in the future. Our aim is to respond effectively to security challenges, to strengthen defense capabilities, and to ensure peace in a situation that is delicate and influenced by many difficult international developments," Spiropali noted. She added that Albania has proven to be a guarantor and is working toward the establishment of lasting peace. Spiropali emphasized that the two countries have historically enjoyed very good relations and hoped that to continue in the future. She expressed the view that the excellent high-level political contacts should also be translated into economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the field of tourism.

"We understand Bulgaria's correct and very reasonable position that each country should move toward European integration based on its own achievements and the fulfillment of set criteria. We deeply appreciate this approach and understand that it is also influenced by geopolitical circumstances, which in some cases allow a country to meet these criteria more quickly or more slowly. We have already opened 24 of the 31 chapters of the pre-accession framework. We hope to close them successfully by the end of the year and to complete the remaining ones by around 2027," the Albanian Parliament Speaker added.

Afterwards, the heads of Parliament of Bulgaria and Albania took part in a forum organized by PanEuropa-Bulgaria at the Central Military Club.

In her address, Spiropali said that European integration is not a bureaucratic process from Brussels, but a profound internal transformation. “When we talk about European integration, it is important not to focus only on the milestones and tasks, which sometimes sound foreign to our citizens, but to turn this process into a national conversation - what it means to be part of the EU, what responsibilities this entails, but also what benefits it brings to people,” she said. In Albania, 95% of the population supports European integration – this is a huge responsibility, Spiropali added. She emphasized that the European Union is Albania's “natural family”.

Kiselova told the forum that the fast development of Corridor 8 is a shared priority between Bulgaria and Albania. “This is not just an infrastructure project, but a real instrument for economic, cultural, and social integration among the countries of the Western Balkans. The implementation of this project will significantly enhance opportunities for promoting and developing investments not only between our two countries but also across the region,” Kiselova said. She noted that excellent bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Albania contribute to a united and strong Europe and the official recognition of the Bulgarian national minority in Albania in 2017 is solidifying those relations. The Bulgarian community strengthened its internal bonds, enhanced cooperation with local and central authorities, and implemented a number of initiatives. As a result, attempts by third countries to deny the existence of Bulgarians in Albania were put to an end, Kiselova argued.

At their meeting, President Rumen Radev and the Albanian Parliament Speaker highlighted the importance of active and productive dialogue at the highest level to strengthen trust and further deepen bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest - the economy and investments, improving transport connectivity, and strengthening ties in tourism, healthcare, education, culture, and technology. Radev said Sofia’s partnership with Tirana within NATO is important for regional security. For her part, Spiropali noted that Albania will remain a factor for security and stability in the Balkans. They shared the view that the accelerated construction of Corridor 8 is of key strategic importance not only for boosting economic development, improving the investment climate and enhancing infrastructure connectivity for the countries along its route, but also for the overall security and stability of the entire region.

/DS/