EC ambassador says elections are fundamental to Albania’s democratic future

TIRANA, Feb. 5 – European Commission Ambassador to Albania Helmuth Lohan said in an interview to public station TVSH Monday that the difficulty by the Albanian political class to come to an agreement had a negative impact on the political and public perception of Albania. “Now it is the time to start and change perceptions towards the positive,” said Lohan referring to the forthcoming local government elections that should be free and fair and conducted in line with international standards. Lohan praised the Jan. 12 agreement as a positive development, particularly as it was reached within the institutional context and through the mediation of the President. “There can be no doubt that Albanians are capable to negotiate: the agreement of 12 January clearly illustrates this,” he said. However, some Albanian politicians and part of the public opinion still expected an active involvement of internationals in finding solutions to the domestic political disputes. Lohan underlined that political developments in Albania are closely observed by the European Union. After the signature of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, expectations in the Union on Albania were high, and Albanian politicians should be ambitious with regard to their responsibilities for Albania. “The EU prospective extends over a number of years ahead”, said Lohan. “Albania does have the opportunity to demonstrate that it can meet the conditions of European integration now and in the future”.