Brussels, 02/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The director in charge of relations with Western Balkan countries at the European diplomatic corps (European External Action Services, EEAS), Slovakian Miroslav Lajcak, will travel to the capital of Albania, Tirana, again on Thursday 3 February to encourage the government and opposition to re-enter talks to find democratic, peaceful solutions to the political and institutional crisis that has brought the country to a halt and is endangering its chances of joining the rest of the European fold. Lajcak travelled to Tirana last week as well (see EUROPE 10302). His latest visit comes as the mayor of Tirana and head of the opposition, Edi Rama, called for the first time for urgent outside mediation to get out of the deadlock. He said at a press conference on 1 February that he hoped international intervention and mediation would arrive as soon as possible to find a solution to the serious crisis in Albania, explaining that dialogue and compromise are part of the opposition's view of the situation. He explicitly welcomed the fact that the EU, in the person of Catherine Ashton and Stefan Füle, had said it was prepared to act as mediators. Rama said he was prepared to make a genuine, stable compromise with Prime Minister Sali Berisha and called on his supporters to hold a peaceful demonstration in Tirana and four other Albanian cities on Friday 4 February. (H.B./transl.fl)