Brussels, 20/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - On 19 February, European Council President Donald Tusk called on Albania to develop a culture of political dialogue based on compromise.
Underlining the need for increased and improved internal dialogue, Tusk stated that “the policy of confrontation, boycotts and winner-takes-all attitude were not going to help Albanian citizens”. “To become an ordinary modern European country, Albania needs to build a culture of political dialogue based on compromise. This creates the optimum framework for delivering difficult - but very necessary - political reforms”, he said at a press conference with Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama. Tusk added that this was of particular importance in the light of the next local elections, which will take place in June.
Tusk said that Albania had underlined that the EU hoped and expected that Tirana would step up its reform efforts. Albania received its EU candidate status on 27 June (see EUROPE 11107) and Tusk reiterated that emphasis should be placed on the priorities identified by the EU in December 2014 - in other words, reform of the public administration and judicial system, continued efforts in fighting corruption and organised crime, and strengthening human rights protection and intellectual property rights (see EUROPE 11131). “This will allow a solid result to be established and the next step on the path to accession” - in other words, the opening of negotiations, Tusk stated. “Many things have already been achieved - especially on the fight against drugs-related crime. However, what is sought, and what is needed, is implementation generally”, he said.
Tusk also hailed Albania's alignment with the EU in terms of foreign policy. Rama stated that the agenda of EU accession was both a political and a geostrategic policy, “at the centre of [his country's] foreign and domestic policies”.
In addition, Tusk welcomed Albania's positive role in the Balkans and its commitment to the “zero-problem policy” with its neighbours, describing Albania's role on this as “constructive and exemplary”. Rama said that the Balkan countries were making considerable efforts to address the threat of terrorism.
Rama also stated that he had talked to Tusk about how the EU could further help the Balkans to become a real region in economic terms. He spoke about the Berlin conference on the Western Balkans last August, underlining that the Berlin process was an opportunity to boost the accession process and a tool for transforming the region into a “prosperous and democratic place”. He hoped that the Vienna conference in August 2015 might be “the cornerstone” for defining the regional projects discussed at the Berlin conference.
During his visit to Brussels, Rama also met European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)