EU integration, the main working issue

TIRANA, July 21 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha has made clear that his new cabinet would try hard to get the country closer to EU membership.
Berisha has insisted that the joining of his coalition by the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta is another push to focus on pro-EU reforms, and expanding human rights and citizen freedoms.
“Albania needs reforms, and we will start with an independent judiciary, new infrastructure, and sustainable rural development,” he told Deutsche Welle last week.
Speaking at a new conference last weekend the premier said he would wait for the final results to come out before declaring victory.
In practice he is already celebrating that with visits around the country.
In all his words during the press conference the premier often mentioned European ideals, European trends, dreams, or a European Albania.
He said that the young generation, “Ʋemain the predecessors of the future, and are indeed, the key inspirers of the project of European Albania.”
The premier also thanked the electoral administration and police for their behavior during the elections.
“They fulfilled their job in a brilliant way. I would like to congratulate them, to thank and assure them of my positive assessment of their rather important contribution made for the consolidation of democracy in the country.”
Berisha also praised holding of the parliamentary election as the best ever in post-communist Albania, mentioning the turnout of 1.55 million voters, and the peaceful voting day.
“Alliance for Change coalition emerged the winner of these elections, but these elections also defined a rather worthy coalition for Albania and the Albanian society, a coalition which has all the great political, professional, technical potential so that the Albania European project and the coalition of integration become a reality.
“Albanians voted in these elections for their future, the European Albania project, a project through which they will guarantee and enjoy the standards, criteria and EU ‘aqui communitaire’,” said Berisha.
Berisha said that Albanian citizens on June 28 did not vote to punish anybody; but to affirm and turn into a reality their European dream, an alternative that is growing more and more every day and that, “ƭy government has and will have all the potentials that all the ambitious projects of the European Albania get transformed into a reality within the shortest possible time.”