EU praises Albania’s role in the region

TIRANA, March 31 – Foreign Ministers of the European Union have again called Albania a key player in the western Balkan region, according to Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha.
EU ministers, along with those of the western Balkans, gathered in Brdo, Slovenia last weekend in their first-ever joint meeting.
Group members said they were convinced that speeding up efforts of integrating the western Balkan countries, based upon their political and economic reforms, must be a main issue of their agenda.
They also urged regional cooperation in transport, energy, education, public order and justice.
The group also discussed the possibility of easing visa requirements for cross-border travel.
Albania’s stated vision of integrating into the European family, the progress achieved in the reforms, the fight against corruption and organized crime, the liberalized economy, and its role as a factor and promoter of regional stability received high praise from the EU countries, the European Commission and the Presidency, according to a statement.
The ministry said that the EU foreign ministers stressed that Albania’s progress may serve as an inspiration for the countries in the region.
They said, at the same time, that Albania should speed up the application of the interim agreement, strengthen the abilities of the public administration and reform the judiciary.
During the meeting, Basha had several meetings with senior EU officials as well as Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
Basha also signed a memorandum of understanding on technical assistance for European issues with his Slovenian counterpart, Dmitri Rupel. Slovenia will assume the EU presidency for the first half of this year.