Europe sets next polls as decisive to Albania

TIRANA, Dec 8 – The European Union has once again made it clear to Tirana, its political parties and the government that next year’s general elections are fundamental to the country’s continuing integration efforts.
Integration minister Majlinda Bregu said that during her talks with EU officials last week in Brussels it was made known that elections were a main priority for the Albanian government in 2009.
EU foreign ministers also repeated that following their meeting last weekend.
Free and fair elections remain a main condition for Albania’s integration into the European Union, they said.
The ministers told Albania that the rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime, and also strengthening the capacities of the administration remain the country’s main challenges.
That was similar to what the progress report on Albania had mentioned in early November.
The European minister also urged Tirana to continue its moderate foreign policy in the region.
They said that Albania’s request for its candidacy status demanded that the tiny Balkan country continue to make progress in political and economic reforms and that would be evaluated on a merit-basis.