Tirana hopeful of Sweden’s aid during EU presidency

TIRANA, Aug 4 – Albanian European Integration Minister Majlinda Bregu has sent a letter to her Swedish counterpart on European Issues expressing her belief that Albania’s application for candidate status will be considered and approved during Sweden’s term.
Bregu was confident of a positive response based on Albania’s achievements in the holding of the parliamentary election and also the obligations of the Stabilization and Association Agreement application.
She said that Albania’s track record makes the tiny country the one closest to the EU standards in the queue of the potential candidates in the country.
Albania applied for the candidate status at the end of April. EU has said they will consider the application later this autumn.
At the same time the EU offered a short-cut approach, or faster road to Iceland. Croatia is expecting to become a full member. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is to start the last stage to full membership to be followed by Montenegro and likely Serbia.
Albania and Sweden have positive bilateral relations, adding that Stockholm had a good impact in Albania’s democracy, she wrote.
“We may guarantee that the Albanian government has undertaken all the necessary steps to prepare the infrastructure for the reforms and administrative capacities to cope with the obligations coming out of the SAA and also those that will come out upon taking the candidate country status, and also the future challenge of negotiations on membership,” her letter said.