TIRANA, June 12 – Albanian officials have continued intense lobbying with major Western European countries ahead of a decision on whether to grant Albania candidate status in the European Union later this month.
The primary targets of lobbying have been five wealthy northwestern European nations that vetoed Albania’s status in December.
Prime Minister Edi Rama was in Paris to meet with French President Francois Hollande, while European Integration minister Klajda Gjosha has gone to London and Holland to meet with officials there.
Last week the European Commission issued a strong confirmation for the unconditional recommendation to grant Albania candidate for membership status. But the final decision comes on June 27 when the council of European member states meets to issue final approval.
Last December, the commission also granted a positive recommendation, while the council asked for more tangible results, with five countries deciding to delay issuing the status. Since then, Tirana has been strongly lobbying with Germany, Netherlands, Denmark and now also Britain and France to bring them to approve the status.
Austria lobbying on Albania’s behalf
One of Europe’s wealthiest nations, Austria, has joined efforts to lobby in Albania’s favour at the European Union.
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has sent a letter to his EU counterparts, Baroness Catherine Ashton and Greece, as the country holding the rotating EU presidency, highlighting Albania’s progress and its fulfillment of conditions.
“Given the commitment and progress of Albania, as was highlighted in the June 2014 report’s clearly deserves that European Union member states to recognize the status of a candidate country. Albania has convincingly meet conditions set by the EU,” says the letter. “During recent months, Albania has strengthened its efforts in the area of rule of law. In the fight against corruption and organized crime Albania has shown continued political will to act decisively.”
Following the positive recommendation from the European Commission it is now up to the EU summit to be held later this month to give the final decision.
Though headed by Austria, the letter is signed by 17 EU foreign ministers.
“We therefore reiterate our support in favor of granting candidate status to Albania. This would encourage Albania to continue its reform path and keep up to the reform momentum. It would also have the potential to signal to the previous government, that the reform foundations they put in place are being recognized, facilitating in this way the establishment of a more inclusive political culture.”
The letter also writes that granting candidate status to Albania “will send a strong and important signal to the countries of the region and enforce the transforming and stabilizing power of the enlargement process – a process that benefits both the EU’s and the enlargement countries’ citizens.”
