Albania’s Agenda 2008

TIRANA, Feb. 7 – Albanian President Bamir Topi on Thursday appealed to all the country’s political spectrum to intensively and actively participate in the debate for the top challenges the tiny Balkan country faces ahead in 2008.
Topi was the honored guest of a forum, titled Albania’s domestic and foreign policy – Agenda 2008 and organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies, which convened all the diplomatic corps, lawmakers and lawyers, think tank personalities and analysts.
Albania’s strong aspirations to become part of the Euro-Atlantic world made conscious everyone in the country of the much-needed reforms held under a loyal and constructive cooperation, according to Topi.
“There is no time to lose,” said the president, adding all the government and political structures should strive hard to convince the rest of the European Union member countries to ratify the first half this year the Stabilization and Association Agreement Albania signed with the bloc two years ago, considered as the first step toward membership.
President Topi said he was totally committed to contribute in the political emancipation in the country through the collaboration of the political forces so that the reforms go ahead on time.
Justice and electoral reform remain top priorities for Albania. They are considered as the prerequisite if the country aims at getting first NATO membership and then the EU one.
“We should prove to achieve concrete results and required standards within a short period of time,” he said.
The fight against corruption, organized crime and human trafficking, property ownership remain the other main challenges of the country, according to Topi.
The government, he said, should continue to support the development of the private sector which produces 80 percent of the GDP and make it competitive with “Made in Albania” products in the region and wider.
“Albania is determined to comply with all its obligations, not only political ones, to get the NATO membership invitation and the April summit this year in Bucharest,” said Topi.
Tirana also considered that a stabilized Balkan region was the basis of further integration efforts into Europe.
“The year 2008 will very soon offer a new geo-political reality in our region. We are prepared for that. An independent Kosova Šthat will be strongly supported by Albania,” Topi referred to Kosova’s future.
The president was sure that many countries would soon recognize and independent Kosova and also appealed to the ethnic Albanian leaders there to respect and protect minorities.
“Kosova’s independence is the long-term and sustainable security key in the region and of attracting the attention of big foreign investment in the western Balkans.”
The AIIS has turned the forum into an event regularly discussing the country’s and region’s prospects through inviting international or local personalities.
Kosova’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is expected to hold a speech at the next meeting.