Brussels, 03/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - The first round of negotiations between the EU and Albania with a view to concluding a stabilisation and association agreement will be held on 13 February, Romano Prodi announced. He was speaking at the Albanian Parliament during his visit to Tirana on Friday (see EUROPE of 31 January, p.10). Recalling the principles governing the agreements (respect of human rights and the rule of law, establishment of a market economy, fight against organised crime and illegal trafficking), and welcoming the "vital" role that Albania plays in stabilising the region, the president of the European Commission said he was convinced that the people of Albania and the institutions will raise the challenges of the EU integration process.
"You have before you a real opportunity to become part of the Union", Mr Prodi declared, giving his assurance that the EU "will react to your efforts intelligently and generously". Stating that he had received a "strong and clear signal" from the General Affairs Council last Tuesday, on the importance of the Balkans for the EU (see EUROPE of 29 January, p.5), Mr Prodi called upon the country's forces to fully cooperate with a view to implementing the reforms needed for successful integration in the Union, above all in the field of justice and home affairs. "Cooperation in the fight against organised crime, trafficking in drugs and human beings and money laundering is now a top priority of the Union", he said, stressing that, "unfortunately, in Albania these are still acute problems". Mr Prodi also insisted on the regional dimension of the EU integration process saying: "The maintenance of the regional framework is the key to preventing the new borders - and here I am thinking particularly of the countries of the former Yugoslavia - from becoming new walls or fomenting new tensions". However, "this regional framework does not mean that Europe will open its gates only when all the countries are ready to enter", explained the President of the Commission, who added that each country will be assessed according to the progress made in meeting the Copenhagen criteria and assimilating the Community body of law. The EU will make the best possible use of the instruments that exist to assist Albania and, if necessary, will fine-tune these instruments to be more responsible to Albania's needs: and "those needs we will identify together in a joint workplan based on a common agenda".