Prime minister says Albania is fully committed to meet the priorities set up by Brussels, including fighting organized crime and corruption.
TIRANA, Nov. 12 – Albania has given guarantees it will do all it can to act quickly on EU priorities, the country’s top leaders said following meetings with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule.
In his third visit to Tirana this year, Fule said he held high-level dialogue on political initiatives to support Albania in meeting the priorities for the opening of accession negotiations with the European Union. Albania applied to be a member in 2009, but the full accession process is expected to take another decade.
Last month, the European Commission recommended granting candidate status to Albania, setting five priorities the country must meet to open accession negotiations – the fight against organized crime and corruption, the reform of the judiciary, administration management and the protection and respect of human rights .
Fule held high-level talks with Albanian officials, aimed at speeding up the fulfillment of these five priorities.
“Apart from its positive recommendation regarding the candidate status, the European Commission has also highlighted five key priorities still to be met for the opening of accession negotiations. Albania will need to continue to show its resolve to tackle challenges in these five areas, notably in the fight against corruption and organised crime: continue reforms, implement them, turn intentions into results,” Fule said in a press conference. “I am glad to be here, for the third time this year and for the first time after the new government took office. We have touched upon a number of issues – including, of course, the candidate status, which the Commission recommended last month. Our talks now, but also my other meetings here today and tomorrow, are an opportunity to discuss what is expected from Albania in the context of its integration process.”
Fule also highlighted the need for internal political dialogue in Albania.
“Among several other things, I have emphasized the need for a constructive political dialogue between the government and the opposition,” he said, adding that is is “essential to revitalize the reform process.”
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said he agrees with five priorities set by the EU Commission.
“We are 100% committed to bringing further an uncompromising fight against organized crime or street crime and corruption, a fight we have just begun and we are 100% likely to build a process where we show our commitment, not to deny the opposition any of what was denied us when we were in opposition.”
But the political situation is not as calm as the prime minister would like to be. As Commissioner Fule begun meetings in Tirana, the opposition held a protest rally in front of government offices, accusing him of vote buying in a recent local election and arrogant behavior. The opposition warned that the rally in Tirana was only the beginning of the protests in the streets across the country .
Monday’s marked the first the third visit of commissioner’s Fule in Tirana, and the first since the formation of the new government.
A few days earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Ditmir Bushati told the Foreign Commission of the Albanian Parliament the opposition will play an active role in high-level dialogue between Albania and the European Union.
“We have proposed, in accordance with the service of the European Commission, that the opposition will be present and active, not only to communicate its thoughts but also in taking responsibilities,” he said.
