“I don’t want to say which side is to blame, but the European way is that of negotiations and compromises. This is what we are trying to explain to our Albanian partners,” said MEP Eduard Kukan.
TIRANA, April 21 – Albania’s opposing political groupings did not manage to reach a compromise on the words used in a joint statement they were supposed to make with the European Parliament, a practice required from Strasbourg especially while the country is looking to get the candidate status later this year.
Governing Socialist lawmaker Taulant Balla said that the opposition Democrats did not vote the statement and they had offered no reason why. Balla also said they had agreed to almost any requests made from the opposition.
A statement passed at the European Parliament is a required step in the process of a country looking for closer ties with the bloc.
Balla also said that the opposition Democrats of Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha had turned down the statement only after their previous leader and premier, Sali Berisha had asked them to.
He said that the statement was drafted from the European Parliament and there was no reason not to accept it.
The draft speaks of the country’s request for the candidate status and had positive evaluation for the reforms so far.
The opposition also accused the governing Socialists of failing to reach a compromise on the statement.
But the result of such a futile fight became obvious immediately. The head of the European Parliament Delegation for Balkan, Eduard Kukan, said that failure could damage the country, since the Commission will report to the Council in June that the parties did not sign the mutual agreement.
“They tried some times in Albania and while our mandate in Parliament is coming to an end, they must know that this is the right time to consolidate this agreement. The dialogue started very intensively this week but no agreement was reached, and I feel very sorry for this. Each party will now try to blame the other. I don’t want to say which side is to blame, but the European way is that of negotiations and compromises. This is what we are trying to explain to our Albanian partners,” said Kukan.
There will be another parliament (voting for that to be held later in May) that will give the consent for Albania. And there will also be another executive in Brussels to approve or not that suggestion. Albania has failed three times to get that status.
“I think that you have lost a very good political chance to show that the situation in Albania has improved,” said Kukan.
