Meta urges opposition to end boycott

TIRANA, Dec. 21 – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta told journalists at the end-of-the-year meeting that 2009 would be remembered in Albania’s history as the NATO Year, “Šas the coronation of one of the country’s major goals during these two decades of transition and democracy – membership to the largest alliance of freedom and security.
“I express my conviction that the year 2010 will be the year of free movement and visa liberalization for Albanian citizens, since all the standards and benchmarks of the Roadmap of the European Commission for the visa liberalization are met with by the Government and Albanian institutions,” he added.
Meta’s leftist Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) has joined the governing center-right Democratic Party coalition of Prime Minister Sali Berisha sparking a loud cry from their leftist ally, the main opposition Socialist Party of Edi Rama.
Meta and other LSI leaders are insisting that the Socialists should end their parliament boycott and sit down to talk about the country’s integration future.
Albania expects to take the visa-free regime from Brussels next July, together with Bosnia.
It was not in the group of FYROM, Montenegro and Serbia that, starting last weekend, may freely go to EU Schengen countries.
Albania has already received the Questionnaire by the EU Commission which will serve as the basis for further progress into the integration process toward the bloc.
Tirana has pledged to, “Šreply to this Questionnaire in the proper time and quality, so that work would go on with the conclusive stage of the EU integration process.”
Meta urged the opposition, “Šnot to shed crocodile tears for this alleged failure but to join the efforts of all Albanians, so that this process could move ahead and even quicker space,” he said.
The EU visa requirement remains in place for Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania, but it will be reviewed next year.
Serbs, Montenegrins and FYROM – citizens of former Yugoslavia – had enjoyed free travel to other European nations in the past, but visa requirements and fees were introduced as the federation was breaking up and going to war in 1991. The policy had forced residents to wait in long lines at EU nations’ embassies.
The visa-free travel now marks a significant milestone for Serbs, Montenegrins and FYROM, who have long felt shunned by the rest of Europe.