Sequi: Albania still has a chance at candidate status in October
TIRANA, March 8 – Following a week of political battle in Albania between the ruling and opposition parties over failures to advance the country’s EU bid, Brussels’ top man in Tirana, Ambassador Ettore Sequi said Albania should speed up the implementation of electoral and parliamentary reforms as part of advancing its bid.
Speaking at a meeting of the EU-Albania Consultative Committee in Tirana, the ambassador said the reforms were part of the action plan for implementing 12 targets set by Brussels.
Ambassador Sequi said there had been progress in several areas, but more needs to be done, and the process should be sped up. “Work of parliamentary reform has proceeded slowly,” he said.
Providing some good news in an otherwise grim outlook for Albania, the ambassador said the granting of candidate status is possible this year, but it would not just happen unless Albania puts a lot of work in it.
“It certainly requires commitment, political will, and the implementation of the 12 key priorities,” said Ambassador Sequi.
The ambassador’s comments came after Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Opposition leader Edi Rama kept up accusations on each other. They each say the other is to blame for failing to advance Albania’s EU bid. The two main parties, which the men lead, also accuse each other for delays in the process of European integration.
Ambassador Sequi also spoke on the subject of the status at the opening ceremony for a laboratory funded by the European Union at the Agricultural University of Kamza.
“I do not know if Albania will receive candidate status or not. But in October, the progress report will be published, and this report will recommend whether or not to grant the country candidate status,” he said, adding October was months away, which allowed time to Albania’s authorities to work hard. “It’s important to have progress in implementing key priorities,” he added.
Ambassador Sequi also urged political parties to cooperate to meet the 12 criteria, adding the approval of a new Criminal Code was a positive step that should be followed by others.
