Palmer: The U.S Expects High Standards for 4/25 Elections
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The Special Representative for the Western Balkans and Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S Department of State Matthew Palmer gave an interview to the Voice of America on the 30th anniversary of the re-establish of the diplomatic relations between the U.S and Albania, where he talked about the ongoing support the U.S has given to Albania throughout the last decades and discussed also the future challenges of Albania, especially the upcoming elections and the need for a high standard process. “There have been many positive steps in the democratic space in Albania and there is still a lot of work to be done. We were very pleased to see the Albanian parliament adopt the legislation, in line with the ODIHR recommendations for electoral reform. We want to see the new legislation implemented and the April elections conducted to the highest international standards,” declared Palmer.
Focusing on the justice reform, Palmer noted the progress that has been made, mentioning as an example the quorum achieved for the Constitutional Court or the fact that the Supreme Court is reviewing cases. “The United States is committed to working with our Albanian partners to ensure that judicial reform does not lose its strength and that the progress made continues, that the current trend continues,” said Palmer. Part of the interview was dedicated also to the EU integration process of Albania. On that issue, the Deputy Assistant Secretary expressed his hope that Albania would hold the first IGC conference. “We would very much like to see the holding of the first intergovernmental conference (IGC) for Albania. We think this is something that Tirana has deserved, as has Skopje. We would like the European Union to keep its promise and organize the first conference for both countries,” said Palmer.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary discussed also the COVAX initiative and underlined that the U.S is giving up to 4 billion $ to support it. According to Palmer, in the coming weeks and months, “the supply of vaccines will increase exponentially and there will be enough vaccines for everyone.”
