TIRANA, Nov. 20 – NATO Assistant Secretary General Martin Erdman made it clear to Albanian top officials he met during his recent visit to the tiny Balkan country that the last mile until the spring summit was the hardest and they had to work very much to achieve the required standards.
Erdman said that NATO membership would require an “overall assessment of the reforms in the country” specifically mentioning the reform in the judiciary and the electoral code.
Erdman met with President Bamir Topi, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha and also Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu to talk on the country’s efforts of reform to join the alliance next year.
Topi introduced the continuous reforms in the army, judiciary, electoral process and other areas where Albania is trying to reach the required standards.
Albania hopes to join NATO in spring next year at the Bucharest summit.
Together with Croatia and Macedonia they have formed the Adriatic 3 Charter, supported by Washington as well, in an effort to coordinate efforts toward membership.
The alliance has made no pledges saying that membership will be based on performance.
Albania has also sent small army units in international peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Topi also mentioned the moderate role Albania is playing in the Balkan region.
Topi also mentioned that Kosova’s final status should be independence that would generate peace and stability in the region and wider.
Berisha said that membership into NATO and the EU were Albania’s two major projects and goals, pledging his executive’s efforts to reach the standards.
The 2008 budget has increased the spending on defense issues to more than 2 percent as required to all NATO member countries.
Mediu, on his part, insisted that Albania’s reforms did not end in April when the summit would be held, but would further continue.
