Brussels, 10/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for the CFSP Javier Solana called for free and fair elections to be held in Albania on Wednesday at a meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano in Brussels. On the same day, Mr Solana also met the Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Adnan Terzic, from whom he once against asked for cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Increased cooperation with the Hague, this time from Croatia, will be discussed at a meeting on Friday between the ICTY prosecutor Carla del Ponte, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and his Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, the prosecutor's spokesperson Florence Hartmann announced on Wednesday, AFP indicates.
There is a need for “all political parties” to show commitment to ensure “free and fair parliamentary elections” in Albania, which are due to take place a the beginning of the summer, said Mr Solana, according to a communication. If the elections to not conform to international standards, it would be “a serious set-back” in the country's rapprochement with the EU, he warned Mr Nano. While welcoming the recent amendments to the electoral code, Mr Solana emphasised the importance of “swiftly reaching a consensual agreement” on new electoral zone boundaries, in full cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with a view to the parliamentary elections. Mr Solana also appealed for the fight against organised crime and corruption, which are rife in the country, to be conducted concretely and assertively.
The start of the EU's ALTHEA mission in Bosnia was on the agenda for the meeting between Javier Solana and Adnan Terzic. “Excellent cooperation exists with the BiH authorities”, said Mr Solana in a communication. Following European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who met Mr Terzic on Tuesday (see EUROPE of 9 February, p.5), Mr Solana appealed for “significant progress in police restructuring” and above all in cooperation, particularly on the part of the Republika Srpska (one of the two entities in Bosnia) with the ICTY. “It is a fundamental requirement for BiH's progress towards the EU”, he added. In this context, Mr Solana welcomed the launch of a new initiative from Eu Special Representative Paddy Ashdown for a monitoring mechanism to monitor progress on this matter, which will comprise BiH authorities and the international community.