Albania To Ask EU Candidate Status Soon

TIRANA, June 11 – Albania showed Wednesday it is intending to request the candidate status at the European Union but added that would be first discussed with Brussels. The Inter-ministerial Integration Committee convened to discuss the government’s efforts toward integration into the bloc and the coordination of the work of all the institutions.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that the government was looking forward to ask for the candidate status at the EU but he also added that would have to be discussed with the country’s opposition and also the head of the EU presidency.
The opposition Socialist Party has also been the first to claim that such a move should be taken in September this year saying that is the appropriate moment.
But that also means Tirana has to talk with Paris, France which takes the EU presidency for the second half this year.
Albania has signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement two years ago and that is ratified by some 20 countries of the bloc. Tirana expects that Paris and other remaining countries ratify that this year.
It seems that everyone in Tirana is convinced that the country should have a different status at a time when the country also received the membership invitation from NATO earlier this year. Croatia and Macedonia have already the candidate status while Bosnia and Montenegro area at the same level with Albania.
The country should present to the European Commission in mid-June the Progress Report that is what the country has done until now to comply with the request of the SAA.