EC: EU membership, Albania even farther
21/06/2011 18:40
Opposition demonstrators clash with the police in the protest in front of Tirana municipality, foreign embassies condemn acts of violence 19/04 16:00
Albania was in fifth position in the ranking that EU announced for its
enlargement with Balkan countries. After the Association-Stabilization
Council EU-Monte Negro, Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule listed
the countries of the Balkan region, from the most advanced in
integration to the ones that have started to fade hopes even to EU.
“The rules of the game are clear. We have Croatia in top of the list for becoming a member country. The end of the negotiations with Croatia coincide with the end of the Hungarian Presidency, which makes the membership tractate to be signed later this year”, said Stefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement.
“Second in the list is FYR of Macedonia, for which the Commission recommended to start the membership negotiations, but the issue of the name remains to be solved. After the elections, I hope that this country will be focused to solve this issue, in order to allow member countries to answer for this recommendation of the Commission”.
“Next is Monte Negro, for which, in our last opinion we suggested to be given the candidate status, and the member countries answered. If and when Monte Negro will show the results for those 7 priorities, the next logical step of the Commission would be to recommend member countries to open membership negotiations”.
“Next is Serbia. By sending Ratko Mladic in the Court of Hague, Serbia has a new momentum. I know that Serbian authorities are working hard to insure that the recommendation will not be only for giving the candidate status, which is only one part of this step. I know that they are working hard, so that we will recommend starting the talks for membership, what means that the candidate status will be automatically given”.
“Next is Albania, for which, our opinion assigned 12 key priorities, including local elections. In the past months we have not seen an end to this political stalemate, but I hope that the political parties will focus for solving the open issues in legal ways. I hope that they will mobilize to focus on our enlargement agenda, and reach progresses in the remaining time until the progress report”.
After Albania there is Bosnia, with the chaos of three governments within a state, and Kosovo, the newest Balkan country.
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