Schieder: EP office in Tirana will be responsible for the entire Western Balkans

The European Parliament’s rapporteur for Albania, Andreas Schieder, told Kosovo Online that it is a major success that they have “convinced the European Parliament that a liaison office is very important for the future close relations between the Western Balkans and the European Union.”

“The office is responsible for the entire Western Balkans region and all its different countries. The idea is to strengthen relations and information flow. It will also be important not only to work with parliaments and government officials but also to serve as a central point for engaging people,” Schieder said.

The selection of Tirana followed technical assessments, Schieder revealed.

“The decision regarding the specific city and location followed a technical assessment, taking into account availability, location, cost, and connectivity. But, of course, the status of the respective country as an EU candidate also had a positive impact,” Schieder stated.

The European Parliament told Kosovo Online that the opening of the office in Tirana is part of the EU’s strategic enlargement plan and that it will be a “key contact point” with the Western Balkans.

“The office in Tirana will be tasked with becoming a key contact point between the European Parliament and national parliaments, as well as establishing networks with civil society and local partners in the Western Balkans to raise awareness of the work of the European Parliament,” they explained to our portal.

Regarding the choice of Albania for the office, the European Parliament explains that the country has made significant progress in accession negotiations, but its membership in the European family will still depend on further progress.

When asked whether this decision positions Albania as the closest to EU membership, it was clarified that the country has made “significant progress in accession negotiations.”

“However, its path depends on further progress. There are other countries in the Western Balkans, such as Montenegro, that have every right to hope to conclude their accession negotiations before the end of this parliamentary term,” it was explained.

The European Parliament currently operates three offices: in New York, for relations with the United Nations; in Jakarta, for relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; and in Addis Ababa, for relations with the African Union.

The decision to open two additional offices, in Albania and Moldova, followed previous decisions to establish offices in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Panama, to manage relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.