During the visit in Brussels, Albanian Interior Minister Fatmir Xhafaj held a meeting with the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn.
Minister Fatmir Xhafaj presented the priorities and the political document of the work of the Ministry of Interior in this governing mandate. He focused in the anti-cannabis war, pointing to the sustainability of the results. The Minister underlined that measures for 2018 have now been taken, and Albania will no longer be on the list of drug-producing countries.
An important place in the conversation between the parties, got acquainted with the Action Plan, the “Power of Law” operation, focusing in its elements, what it represents and how it will be implemented. The minister claimed that criminal groups and their assets were scanned. He singled out the assistance of foreign experts attached to the Special Task Force. Mr. Xhafaj informed the Commissioner on the Vetting process to be conducted in the State Police.
Speaking about the measures to curb illegal asylum and irregular migration, the Albanian Interior Minister cited cooperation with France as a positive example for minimizing the phenomenon.
The Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations said that the example of cooperation of the Albanian side with France should be advanced with other European countries as well. “The following period is very decisive for Albania”, Commissioner Hahn said. He suggested deepening recognition of the Albanian side’s achievements through foreign media to reduce the negative effects of the country’s unjust stigmatization.Minister Xhafaj underlined that the tangible results achieved in the fight against organized crime, particularly in the fight against cultivation and trafficking of cannabis, are the fruit of determination to strengthen the rule of law. Cooperation with neighboring countries for the establishment of the Regional Police Coordination Center, according to him, needs support from EU countries./tvklan.al
