NATO, EU tell Albania to move ahead on reforming judiciary, politics

TIRANA, Oct. 19 – Within practically one week Albania got the same message from the two main international institutions it wants to adhere to _ NATO and the European Union warned President Bamir Topi that Albania must push through more reforms for its justice and political system to win early membership in the Western military alliance.
Last week Topi visited NATO headquarters in Brussels and this week he visited again Brussels but this time European Union top leaders.
“The invitation tickets are not punched yet; further reform is necessary,” NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said after a meeting with Topi. “A lot of work will still have to be done and no guarantees can be given.”
European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso said after talking with Topi that they had discussed Albania’s “progress of reforms and the need for continuation of these reforms in Albania and also on what Albania should do for stability in the region. We focused mainly at the legal and electoral reforms,” said Barroso.
The same message was also given from European Union enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn.
Albania, along with Macedonia and Croatia, hopes to be invited to join NATO at a meeting of allied leaders next April in Bucharest.
Last year Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU which is considered a first step toward full membership, though no date has been set for that. The deal should be first ratified by all EU member countries before Albania passes to full candidacy. Only 13 out of 27 have already ratified that.
Topi pledged that Albania would carry through the reforms and stressed the high level of support for membership among political parties and the Albanian public. “This is a very significant moment for Albania,” Topi said. “I guarantee that we will deepen the reforms of the justice and electoral system, and focus attention on the fight against organized crime and corruption.”
De Hoop Scheffer praised Albania’s participation in NATO’s military mission in Afghanistan and its “moderating voice” in the Balkans amid growing tension over the final status of Kosova.
However, he said it was too early to judge if Albania would receive its membership invitation in Bucharest.
NATO officials say Croatia is expected to receive an invitation in April, but doubts remain about the prospects for Albania and Macedonia.
Albania is one of Europe’s poorest nations. Since the collapse of communist rule in 1991, it has sought to join NATO and the European Union, but its progress has been slowed by political instability and corruption.
However, Albania has developed military cooperation with the 26-nation NATO alliance and currently has 138 soldiers serving alongside NATO troops in Afghanistan.
During the talks in the two visits Topi also discussed at alength on Kosova’s status. Topi made it clear that Albania wants a speedy solution of the problem and that though it would reswpect what the Troika is doing it insists the former Ahtisaari Package would be the right solution to be followed.
“Wed are convinced that Kosova’s status would contribute to the definitive stability of the situation in the Balkans where the consolidation of Kosova’s democratic institutions and the respect of the minorities and of the religious institutions are of improtance. Under such a situation we hope thje development will go toward a good solution, In any situation we would refer to the Ahtisaari plan,” he said at a news conference withy Barroso.