Berisha gets Europe’s support on further integration

TIRANA, Dec. 13 – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha received full support from major European leaders for Albania’s EU integration and visa regime liberalization.
Berisha attended the second plenary session of the European People’s Party held in Bonn, Germany, which focused on voting for statute modifications, as well as publication of congress final resolution.
In his speech delivered on this occasion, Berisha made a presentation of the democratic and economic developments in Albania, 19 years after the communist dictatorship was toppled.
The Prime Minister said the year 2009 was a vintage year for Albanians. “Albania joined NATO. By June of the current year we held the Parliamentary elections and all the international observers and watchdog groups evaluated them as the best in the history of the country. There were no manipulation of the result or irregular counting; they were elections every vote of which was counted, monitored and it was even on screens installed in the town as well as at the ballot counting commissions.”
Berisha spoke about Albania economic situation which managed to face the global economic crisis and even record a 5 percent GDP growth, a 59 percent increase of the FDI, 36 percent increase of tourism etc.
While considering the EPP support as very important for the integration process of the country, the Prime Minister emphasized that for Albania and the other countries of the region, European integration remains an ultimate goal to be accomplished. “Through the EPP support good results will be achieved in this process which is the most major for my country, but even for the other countries of the region.”
Berisha met with many European leaders, such as newly elected EU President Herman Van Rompuy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, president of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, etc.
Berisha discussed with European leaders on Albania’s further steps towards Europe, receiving full support for its integration steps and visa regime liberalization.
“It revived leadership of the European People’s Party, the biggest party on the continent, a party that with its personality leads today the European Union. Second, it considered with a high scale of competences and responsibility the major actual problems, such as financial economic crisis, climate changes and inauguration of new EU institutions, headed by right center,” he said.
In his speech Berisha presented the positive situation and developments in Albania during 2009.
Berisha said that Van Rompuy would visit Albania next year.