Albania, Croatia sign 4 deals

TIRANA, Feb 10 – During a visit to Zagreb Prime Minister Sali Berisha signed four deals between the two countries.
Berisha met with his host Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader, President Stipe Mesic and other top officials.
The two countries considered bilateral ties as excellent.
Both countries hope to become new NATO members in April.
They hope that all NATO member countries will have ratified the membership protocols by the end of next month so that they can attain full membership status at the NATO summit, also celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Berisha said that Croatia’s possible EU membership was a big and very important event not only for Croatia but also for Albania and all countries in the region that aspire to enter the EU.
Albania, according to Berisha, is making enormous efforts to meet its obligations and standards and the Albanian government will apply for the candidate status within the Czech Presidency of the EU, that is during the first half of this year.
Both countries have agreed to work together to achieve full liberalization of visas between the two countries in 2009.
Berisha also talked with Croatian officials on important issues of economic cooperation and agreed to cooperate for the extension of the Trans Adriatic gas pipeline in the entire region, through Montenegro and Croatia.
They also talked about cooperation in education, free movement, tourism and the issue of energy.
Berisha and Sanader also discussed the possibilities of a nuclear energy project, adding they would try to involve other countries in the region; Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina and Macedonia to build a joint nuclear plant.
Berisha also thanked the Croatian nation and the government for their support to the Kosova Albanians’ aspirations for freedom and independence.
Four agreements were signed: on encouraging mutual investment protection, on a bilateral economic agreement, on the employment of family members of the diplomatic corps and consular posts, and a protocol on the repatriation of persons staying illegally.