Europe to check Albania’s reforms

TIRANA, March 10 – A team from the European Commission (EC) will visit Albania in mid-March before deciding to liberalize its visa regime with the EU. Naturally that is part of the new relations between the tiny Balkan country and the European Union, especially now after all EU member countries have already ratified the Stabilization and Association Agreement Tirana signed with Brussels in 2006.
the EC team will monitor and report back home on Albania’s progress in fighting organized crime, issuing electronic ID cards and biometric passports and managing its border. Its visits will continue throughout March and April before it makes a decision in May.
Albania is expecting a significant step ahead in liberalizing of the visas, which the government has considered as the second most important issue after NATO membership.