Tirana wants increased role in the Balkans

TIRANA, Jan. 26 – Along with its efforts of integration into the European Union one notes another step which official Tirana is trying to impress western countries – its moderating role in the Balkans.
That could be said after a statement from the Foreign Ministry earlier this week that it was opening an embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
“Albania is soon to increase its diplomatic presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina, by deciding to open its new Embassy in Sarajevo,” wrote the statement from the Foreign Ministry.
It was announced recently by Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta during a meeting with Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, who made a two-day visit to the country last week.
Meta said, “Taking into account Albania’s increasing role in the Western Balkans, our Government has decided to soon open the Albanian Embassy in Sarajevo. This step is a clear sign of the attention that Albania pays to Bosnia-Herzegovina and its perspective for the whole region. I am certain that this piece of news makes Mr. Lajcak very happy, bearing in mind his special contribution towards the challenges that have faced Bosnia-Herzegovina”.
Meta added, “Albania has been playing a very constructive and crucial role in the Balkans in the past, a role that we plan to increase in the future, as a necessity for membership of the whole Western Balkans into the EU. Therefore, it is important to us and to the whole region, that we increase our bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation with Bosnia-Herzegovina. The more we work together in the Balkans, the quicker the whole region will get into the EU”.
Albania, currently covers Bosnia-Herzegovina through its Embassy in Croatia. The news comes days after Sweden also announced that it is strengthening its presence by opening 10 new Embassies, two of them in the Western Balkans.
On November 1st 2009, Albania and Bosnia implemented a visa-free agreement, which ensures the exemption from visa obligation for all the nationals of the two countries, holders of Ordinary Passports who would like to enter, transit or stay in the territory of each of the two countries.
There is also a significant Albanian community in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Since last year in April Albania became a NATO member country together with Croatia. That is a step ahead of all the other Balkan countries, but Slovenia.
FYROM could not become one due to its frictions with Greece on its name. Montenegro and Serbia are next on the list together with Bosnia, and why not, Kosovo as well.
But in the process of the EU membership Albania is far behind the others. Croatia is expecting to become a full member likely in 2012. FYROM is a candidate and Montenegro and Serbia may also be members before Albania.
Tirana is alongside Bosnia in this process, leaving behind only Kosovo.
So such a brave effort on the part of the foreign minister is a sign that the tiny Balkan country really looks forward to become a member of the bloc.
Tirana has always been praised by the international community for its moderate role in the region and that step will only add to that good image.
At the present the country is working on the answers for the EU questionnaire and also trying hard to upgrade the level of its administration and professionalism of its judiciary. Last but not least, the tiny Balkan country should also try to ‘grow up’ at the political level.