Kosova, NATO top Basha’s meeting with Rice

WASHIGNTON, Jan. 29 – U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Tuesday with Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha for talks on the Balkan country’s desire to join NATO and resolving the dispute over the fate of Kosova’s drive toward independence. “The secretary certainly encouraged Albania to continue the progress that it’s made along the specific criteria that NATO has outlined as part of the membership action plan,” State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.
Basha asks for Washington help for NATO membership.
The minister said that his country will meet NATO’s requirements by the time the alliance considers expansion at its April summit in Bucharest.
Basha also warned that delays in resolving the status of Kosovo could disrupt efforts by moderates in Balkan countries to enact such reforms and cooperate more closely with other European countries and the United States.
Basha briefed Rice on political and military reforms it has enacted to strengthen its case for membership. The United States has been supportive of expanding NATO to include Albania, Macedonia and Croatia, but it is unclear whether all the alliance’s member countries will vote to invite the countries.
Albania has been receiving positive signals from member countries.
Before the meeting it was reported that Basha said that his government has made significant progress in reducing the corruption and organized crime problems that have plagued the country, adding that new legislation enacting judicial reform will be enacted before the Bucharest summit beginning April 2.
In Washington Basha also met with Assistant Secretary of Defense Gordon England, U.S. senators and congressmen and other senior personalities and officials.
The minister was confident that Albania was now able to demonstrate to Euro-Atlantic partners its progress, particularly in the areas of electoral and justice systems, given the recent collaboration and the maturity of its political class and convince them of its readiness to join NATO.