NATO membership is top priority

TIRANA, Nov. 16 – Albania’s top government officials met Thursday with the ambassadors of the NATO member countries in Tirana. Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Defense and Foreign ministers assured the ambassadors that Albania’s membership into NATO was a top priority in the work of the government and that they expected to become a full NATO member at the next enlargement summit in Washington, U.S. In 2008. Berisha made a brief account of the government’s efforts in about a year and a half telling them all the actions against organized crime and corruption and the army reforms. Berisha said that besides participation with small units in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq Albania was considering increasing the number in Afghanistan. Berisha also said that Albania was considering sending an army unit in Lebanon.
“Albania’s membership into NATO is an expression of the highest interest of our nation to return and rejoin the family of your countries with which we share joint values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, security,” said Berisha. Berisha said that Albania’s membership would serve stability and security in the region and also the consolidation of democracy in the country “making our citizens safer and freer than ever before.” “The Albanian government is strongly working to deepen political, economic, institutional, legal and overall reforms and also those reforms for restructuring and modernizing the armed forces,” he said. “I assure you that the government will take any decision and will make any efforts to deserve the invitation hoping that the Riga summit will give to us a positive signal in that direction”