Hahn visits the region, not Tirana: “My absence in Albania means there are no current problems”

Different from his predecessor, Hahn says that visits mean an urgency.

“I have no specific date about when I will visit Albania. But I will be there very soon. This should not be seen as a justification. There is a positive explanation. Traveling to somewhere usually means that there is an urgency. Not traveling to somewhere means that there are no visible problems for the moment. So far I have been able to meet the Foreign Minister. I had a phone conversation with him during the past week, due to the floods. There is communication, but I really need to go there. I have promised, although it will take place only in October, that I will be there for the football match between Serbia and Albania”, the commissioner declared.

Besides diplomacy, the Commissioner mentioned the rule of law as positive indicator, especially the drug traffic and the recent explosions.

“Certainly, events like this concern us. On the other hand, the example of the seized cocaine lab is a good sign showing improvement. I think that this is possible now. I also hope for a positive conclusion on the investigations for the bombs and troubles. Despite the security concerns, since I belong to the optimistic half, the half full glass, I see this as an indicator that things are getting better. For the moment there could be a difficult situation, but the indicator in principle is positive”, Hahn declared.

Before departing for Macedonia and Kosovo, the Commissioner had a 40-minute discussion with the Balkan correspondents. He reiterated that the economic development, and not the visa liberalization, is the right answer to the recent emigrations from Kosovo.

Their number has dropped during the past days after Prishtina reacted quickly and cooperated with the other countries, according to Hahn, who is waiting for the signing of the Stabilization Association Agreement by early 2016. For Macedonia, the Commissioner advised politicians to not get involved in the affairs of the judiciary. He confessed that he asked the European Parliament for the same successful intervention as in Albania, after the Macedonian opposition started a boycott.

“I asked the representatives of the main political groups in the European Parliament to make similar efforts, as it was successfully realizedn with Albania, when Mr.Kukan and Mr.Fleckenstein, representatives of the European Parliament, managed to reach an agreement that brought the opposition back to Parliament. I think that this is the best example. Since it is about the Parliament, it is logical that it is the European Parliament and not the Commission who deals with this. They were ready to make it and I hope they will succeed”, Hahn declared.

Hahn advises that everyone should be ambitious and committed for the enlargement process, but also patient and determined. While no candidate is ready for accession, many countries of the region have made progress, according to the Commissioner,

The rule of law, the fight against corruption, the economic development, the right environment for local and foreign investors, the media freedom, the adaptability to the European practice and its implementation on terrain, remain important challenges for the countries of our region. The commissioner reminded the initiatives of Berlin, Vienna and Paris for the interconnection of Balkan and for financing joint projects in transportation, technology, education and energy, with water remaining the best source of renewable energy, according to him. Together with the pre-accession funds, the Commission is looking into the possibility for funding through a European mechanism that is used for helping the connections between the member countries.

Prepared by: ARTA TOZAJ / Top Channel

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