Sure of candidate status later this year, Albania has set a goal to open negotiations in the spring
TIRANA, Sept. 24 – Albania’s new government is keeping its focus in its goal for membership in the European Union, which it says remains its top priority in the agenda.
Government officials say they are sure the country will get candidate status later this year, and they have now started looking one move past the status, hoping to open official membership negotiations in the spring.
After Prime Minister Edi Rama made his first trip abroad upon taking the post going to Brussels, where he met with all top EU officials, in Tirana, other cabinet ministers have continued to meet with EU ambassador Ettore Sequi in Tirana or have gone in trips abroad.
Deputy Prime Minister Niko Peleshi met with Sequi to discuss on the reforms needed to give a push to the European integration process in the country.
Peleshi assured Sequi of a new impetus to be given to the relation with Brussels and of completing the required reforms.
He said that the EU targets and required reforms were considered as goals and challenges because the “success of the Albanian government, of the Albanian society will be guaranteed only when our developing agenda gets approximated with the European integration process.”
Albania has applied for the candidate status since 2009 but it has been twice rejected. Brussels has repeated that a compromised political atmosphere, a better fight against corruption and organized crime and tangible results in the reforms of the law enforcement institutions are the key demands.
Albania is expecting to get the status later this year, likely in December and also to launch negotiation talks in spring next year.
In another step, Integration Minister Klajda Gjosha made a trip to nearby Italy to meet with local Italian authorities there.
Italy is post-communist Albania’s main trading partner.
Gjosha also discussed on the tripartite plan of territorial cooperation program Albania has with Italy and Montenegro. They are compiling it for the next six years, 2014-2020.
Gjosha said that would be a good opportunity to better absorb other EU investment, which Albania would need for its infrastructure, environment, cultural heritage, education, innovation, scientific research and other areas.
Gjosha met with the Italian Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Carlo Trigilia to discuss concrete issues on the territorial management cooperation between the two countries and also its inclusion with EU projects.
Most of Albanians, 87 percent according to recent polls, are in favor the country’s membership into the European Union.
