TIRANA, March 1 – Albania’s EU integration process will continue to have the full support of Malta, and the Western Balkans’ membership is important for Mediterranean security, said the country’s ambassador to Albania during a forum about the priorities of Malta’s Presidency of the European Union organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies.
Ambassador Godwin C. Pulis said that he would be very disappointed and it would be a pity if negotiations with Albania are not opened by September. He said for the EU it is obviously important to implement the justice reform as well as have trouble-free elections in June.
He emphasized especially the rule of law. The transforming power of the enlargement policy must not be underestimated, according to the Maltese ambassador.
Asked about the opposition protest that is going on in Tirana’s main boulevard, Pulis said that he would like to see the major political parties inside a room with closed doors, not opened before they reach a solution.
“To be frank,” he said, “I am a bit concerned about Albania.”
It would be a pity, according to the Maltese ambassador, if now certain difficulties would disrupt the entire process.
He said that Malta’s Presidency, which is the first in the European Union, comes at a critical time for EU, “when Europe is rethinking itself”.
“We must face our challenges courageously and promote our values” said Pulis.
According to Malta, the European Union at these times needs strong leadership that will promote reunion. The Maltese ambassador said that the European Union must divert its focus away from the institutions towards the common citizens. The policymakers of the European Union must take time to listen, to bring practical results for the citizens. “Communication is the key,” he said.
The priorities of Malta’s EU Presidency include migration, security, maritime issues, social issues and the single market. Migration, according to Malta’s Presidency, constitutes the single most serious and evasive challenge that the European Union faces. Malta is deeply concerned about developments in the Mediterranean, especially in Malta’s southern border in relation to Libya.
The Maltese ambassador emphasized the social issues, which should be returned back into the agenda of the European Union. Social issues are related to what the single market achieves in practice.
The security of European Union is a great concern for the Maltese Presidency. Pulis said that Malta strongly supports the stabilization and integration of the Western Balkans because it would increase the European security. It would mean that one part of the Mediterranean will be secured and stabilized so that more focus can return south.
The Italian ambassador, Alberto Cutillo, said that Italy shares mostly, if not all of the priorities of the Maltese Presidency.
“We have a common area of interests with Albania as Mediterranean countries,” he said. Europe now is moving forward to innovative approaches. The best way to tackle the challenges that EU faces, according to the Italian ambassador, is the institutional way.
“There is no other way but to change,” he said.
Jan Rudolph, Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation in Tirana, said that the priorities mentioned by the Maltese ambassador are also the priorities of the European Union. But he said that the European Union doesn’t neglect its commitment to other areas.
He mentioned the PAMECA mission in Albania that will continue to assist law institutions. Also currently the European Union is supporting the collection of light guns and several programs against radicalization.
“Social cohesion, or the lack of it, is a push for radicalization,” he said.
Albert Rakipi of the Albanian Institute for International Studies said that the process of European integration is above all a process of changing the country.
“The European integration is a driving force of state building,” he said. And the Institute has worked for a long time to contribute to prepare the country for EU integration.
