Meta at the OSCE summit

ATHENS, Greece, Dec 2 – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta took part at the annual OSCE Ministerial meeting being held in Athens, Greece.
In his speech there Meta praised the fact that, “Ƥuring the last year the OSCE has taken a central stage in the European security dialogue and has been identified as the most appropriate forum to address the security concerns of the Euro-Atlantic community.”
He also praised the OSCE role “20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall (when) we note with appreciation how successful this structure has been in drastically improving the European security environment and in providing peace and stability to Eastern and South-eastern Europe. Hence we see no need for radical changes in this area.”
As an outcome of the popular vote Albania is governed by a coalition of parties that are strongly committed and is working hard to materialize a long-standing aspiration of the Albanian people, notably the integration into the European Union, he said.
Meta also commended “the Government of Kosovo for organizing free and fair municipal elections” saying that Albania considered these elections “another example of the increased maturity of the Kosovo people and its political representatives. They further reconfirm that an independent Kosovo is perfectly able to provide a tangible contribution to the security of the Western Balkans.”
Meta also met with Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou to talk about excellent bilateral relations and pledging for further deepening and materialization of these relations.
On the agenda was European integration of Albania, the new stage of relations with the European Union after receiving the application for membership by the EU Council and about the visa liberalization process.
Meta also expressed the assessment of the Albanian Government for the vision presented by the Greek Prime Minister to include the Western Balkans into the European Union within 2014, as a continuation and a new dynamic of the Thessaloniki Summit commitments regarding the Western Balkan countries.
Papandreou guaranteed the Greek government’s commitment to advance and materialize this initiative and expressed Greece’s full support for the process of Albania’s European integration and the anticipated decision during the next year to abolish the visa regime with the European Union.
Meta also asked for the review of the decision by the Greek side for the mutual recognition of vehicles’ driving licenses, and the realization of an agreement in the field of social security, which will serve to further integration of the Albanian citizens living in Greece.