US ambassador meets with Topalli, parliamentary group leaders

TIRANA, Nov 19 – Before the vote on the new electoral code US Ambassador to Tirana John L. Withers continued his ‘mediation’ efforts in Albanian politics meeting Tuesday with Speaker Jozefina Topalli and also group leader of the Democratic Party and the opposition Socialist Party, Astrit Patozi and Valentina Leskaj respectively.
Though not said openly from any of them it was obvious the move was an act of mediation how Albanian politics had to resolve the crisis it had entered following the hunger strike of ten lawmakers of the small political parties.
The move, this time made not so openly as if telling Albanian politics has become more mature, was also telling that the upcoming general elections next year are a key development in the country’s progress toward integration soon into NATO and EU in the future.