Mediu meets with NATO’s Scheffer

TIRANA, March 23 – Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu met Friday with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Schaeffer in further efforts toward the country’s hopes of joining the alliance as a full member next year. Schaeffer said that 2007 was very important for the Balkans, mentioning that Kosova was at the final stage toward its status while Albania, Croatia and Macedonia are intensively working toward NATO’s full membership, accordign to a statement from the minsitry. “It is very importnat that Albania continues reforms in all the sectors,” said Schaeffer. “Albania is an exporter of security and that is to be continously appreciated. I have always been of the opinion that the Balkan region shoudl be fully integrated into the NATO and European Union structures,” he said.
On his side Mediu assured NATO that Albania would mnake everything possible, or do the utmost to take the invitation for NATo membership. “Fight against organzied crime and corruption is a problem for both sides of the Albanian politics,” said Mediu. He also added that Albania has been active in icnreasing the regional stability and ties with Macedonia are a good example to illustrate such a fact,” he said.
Schaeffer hailed the fact that the Albanian government would increase the expenditure for the army to two percet of the country’s GDP. He also hailed the fact t hat eight percent of the country’s infantry takes part at international peacekeeping missions (in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq).