Bonino: TAP is not endangered
09/10/2013 00:00
Experts condemn the destruction of the Prespa e Vogël lake by burning of the reeds 16/11 21:14
The Italian Foreign Minister, Emma Bonino, confirms in Tirana that there
is no danger for blocking the Trans-Adriatic Project, when she was
asked by Top Channel about the debates held in the Italian Senate, and
after the voting has been postponed. The Italian Foreign Minister gave
maximal guarantee in favor of TAP.
“There’s no danger. It was just a little postponement due to changes at the company that builds the pipeline, but there is no danger. We are very interested for TAP”, Bonino declared.
Ema Bonino released this declaration after a meeting with the Albanian Parliament Speaker, Ilir Meta, whom she guaranteed that her country has the same level of interest to cooperate with Albania.
The same guarantee was expressed by her during a meeting with the Albanian Foreign Minister, Ditmir Bushati, Despite the fact that the Italian Consulate in Shkoder was closed, Bonino says that the Italian presence in Albania is still the same, and the interest is to grow commercial exchanges even more than 2 billion EUR that we have now.
Italy is interested to offer large enterprises in Albania in energy and infrastructure, besides the 400 small and middle Italian businesses that are already here, according to Bonino.
Our Foreign Minister guaranteed his homologue that Italy is one of the strategic partners of Albania, adding that our government will increase its efforts for a better synchronization with the Italian government.
“The next year will be definitive even for the fact that Italy, one of the founding countries of the European Union, will take the leadership of the European Union in the second semester of 2014, but also for our ambition of Albania to advance with the European Union candidate status, where Italy has always been a strategic and supportive partner”, Bushati declared.
Regardless of the complete support from Italy for the integration process, Bonino quoted our Foreign Minister with the expression “takes two to tango”, saying that Albania needs to fulfill its European Union obligations. “The European Union is not only an opportunity, but also discipline”, Bonino declared, answering to Top Channel’s interest and explaining the expectancies from Albania during this process.
“Initially we have to wait for the progress-report of the Commission by mid October. I believe that it will be possible, and then we will take a decision. Italy is a strong supporter of Albania and its candidate status. We are working for this, and we are hopeful that it will be a positive decision”, Bonino declared.
Top Channel
