Tagged: Albania

According to Petsinclude, the government of Albania is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic. The current president, Ilir Meta, was elected in 2017. The country is divided into 12 counties, each with its own governor and local government. The national legislature is the unicameral Parliament of Albania, which consists of 140 members who are elected by direct universal suffrage for a four-year term. The executive branch consists of the President and Prime Minister, who are both elected by Parliament. The President is responsible for appointing the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers with approval from Parliament. The judicial branch consists of numerous courts including Supreme Court and Constitutional Court as well as local courts in each county. Judges are appointed by the President on recommendation from an independent commission. The Constitution provides for an independent election commission to oversee elections and ensure they meet international standards for free and fair elections. Albania has held several free and fair elections since 1991 including presidential elections in 1992, 2002, 2012 and 2017 as well as parliamentary elections in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013. Albania, located at the crossroads of Southeastern Europe and the Western Balkans, has traditionally had strong foreign relations with its neighbors and is an active member of several international organizations. Albania’s foreign policy is focused on promoting regional stability and cooperation, as well as strengthening ties with European Union (EU) countries. Albania is a member of the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe (COE), Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), World Trade Organization (WTO) and South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). In recent years, Albania has sought to strengthen ties with both the EU and NATO in order to further its goal of economic development and regional stability. As part of this effort, Albania has signed several trade agreements with EU countries such as Italy, Greece, Germany, France and Austria. Additionally, Albania has also signed several agreements aimed at enhancing security cooperation with neighboring countries such as Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia. In 2016, Albania joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program which serves to build trust between NATO members and non-member states. Albania also maintains close diplomatic relations with its Balkan neighbors such as Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro through membership in regional organizations such as the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). Additionally, Albania has sought to expand its bilateral relations with countries outside of Europe including Turkey & China. In an effort to strengthen economic ties with these countries Albania has signed several trade agreements & investment treaties aimed at increasing bilateral trade & investment flows. See relationshipsplus for Albania defense and foreign policy.