President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, attended on Monday the activity organized in the Assembly hall entitled “25 years of the Constitution.”

In his address, Begaj said that the principle of the rule of law is one of the fundamental elements enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania.

According to him, this principle constitutes a necessary condition for the functioning of a free society, peace, well-being, culture, social solidarity and respect for the values ​​of democracy.

“Just as important is the principle of checks and balances, which lies at the core of the rule of law. Our constitution managed to precede and anticipate the Euro-Atlantic integration process of Albania, which is closely related to the principle of law and state sovereignty. Through this Constitution, important provisions were laid down to establish the basic principles for the preparation and legitimacy of Albania’s integration into international alliances, paving the way for NATO membership and the EU accession process,” he stated.

He emphasized that Albania has taken positive steps forward thanks to the reforms it has undertaken, singling out the justice reform.

“The constitutional amendments of 2016 brought changes in the justice system as well as in the formation of existing bodies and the creation of new structures in order to strengthen the independence and increase the accountability of justice bodies. Referring to this year’s progress report, Albania has taken positive steps forward with the reforms it has undertaken, especially with the justice reform, which is yielding tangible results by contributing to the fight against organized crime and corruption. Despite the achievements today, the justice system is facing a big challenge due to the backlog,” the Head of State said.

Begaj further emphasized that all of us have the responsibility and duty to be guardians of the Constitution and the basic norms that it reflects.

“Today is also the day to recognize the contribution of the Constitutional Court. “Constitutional justice and the role of this court have helped in three regards, which has to do with the principle of check and balance, the principle of legal security, the protection and regard for fundamental human rights,” the President underlined.

Also, Begaj pointed out that “we have a lot of work to do, especially in the direction of EU integration, which remains our main goal.”

“Progress is ongoing, yet there are new challenges which require maximum commitment from the institutions such as the full alignment of our internal legislation with that of the European Union and the promotion of the necessary reforms in all areas to finalize as soon as possible our membership in the European Union,” the President said.