European integration process is a "vital national objective" for Albania

14/07/2008

Albania is on an exciting path towards Euro-Atlantic integration -- with a NATO invitation received earlier this year and a push for EU reforms. As the country moves forward, a clear governmental vision will open the doors for full integration and compliance with organisational standards, Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha told Southeast European Times contributor Sami Neza.

By Sami Neza for Southeast European Times in Tirana -- 14/07/08

Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha. [Getty Images]

Southeast European Times: What are the main challenges Albania faces in its efforts towards European integration?

Lulzim Basha: Albania set off on its journey towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration years ago. We made a choice. Today we witness the results. It required political courage, clear vision and strong determination. We had those at that time, and we uphold them again today.

In the last two decades, Albania has actively embarked on a path of transformation towards freedom, democracy, the rule of law and a market economy. We faced various challenges, but two objectives remain at the core of the whole process: full membership in NATO and EU integration.

The Albanian government considers the European integration process a vital national objective. We are working very hard to fulfill the Copenhagen Criteria and other instruments, ensuring the achievement of the required European standards.

Currently Albania finds itself at a crucial stage of the EU integration process. We signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) two years ago, and soon it will be ratified by all the EU member states. The SAA constitutes the basic guide to the process of reforms in Albania. All the efforts we made to accelerate EU integration are encompassed in the reforms that the Albanian government has undertaken.

The reforms aim at fighting organised crime and illicit trafficking, reducing corruption and strengthening the administrative capacities, attracting more direct foreign investment and establishing a friendly business environment, strengthening the rule of law and improving the juridical and electoral systems.

SETimes: Will Albania ask for candidate status for EU membership, and when?

Basha: Candidate status for EU membership will come as a natural stage in our path towards EU integration. We reflect on that based on the tangible progress Albania has achieved in the implementation of its integration reforms. Our approach towards the EU is not simply associated with dates and timing, although they constitute an important element of it, but primarily it relies on the quality, breadth and efficiency of the reforms.

The moment of application for membership is a crucial juncture of the whole integration process … we are of the opinion that the application will be put forward in close co-operation and consultation with the EU. We will apply the same philosophy of co-operation, consultation and partnership that we have used in the past.

The country's electoral process will require reforms as part of its integration path. [Getty Images]

SETimes: Can Albania afford quick integration, and will the country's administrative capacities allow this?

Basha: Albania has been, from the very beginning, very much in favour of EU integration. In our opinion, it stands as a unique case of wide public support and the full backing of all political parties. We are aware of the difficulties, and we bear in mind a realistic sense that EU integration is a process.

The government is committed to uphold the necessary administrative capacities needed for EU integration, and it is addressing the issue accordingly. Administrative reform is one of the reforms that the government is seriously engaged on. This reform is a crucial pillar of the reforming process, and the results are already in place.

EU integration and full compliance with EU standards require a clear governmental vision for the main administrative structures, [which are] responsible for the fulfillment of obligations set out in the chapters of the Acquis. The administrative reforms are considered in support of the implementation of national commitments and in the framework of the integration process.

SETimes: What is the Albanian stand regarding the name of Macedonia, and will Albania have any influence in solving this issue between two neighbours?

Basha: Albania is committed to a friendly good-neighbour policy.

With reference to the name, we would like to emphasise that this is not part of our bilateral relations with Macedonia. We support finding a solution as soon as possible, one that will be acceptable to both [Macedonia and Greece], through bilateral negotiations assisted by the UN.

We hope that the solution will strengthen peace, stability and prosperity in the region. It is a core principle of our foreign policy to back up all the initiatives that bring peace and stability in our region and help the Euro-Atlantic integration of all the countries of the region.

SETimes: Albania has just received an invitation for NATO membership. What are Albania's benefits from this membership? Has the fact that Albania received the invitation been felt in the country?

Albania received an invitation to join NATO in April. [Getty Images]

Basha: What happened at the 2008 Bucharest summit of April this year, when Albania was invited, together with Croatia, to start its accession negotiations, is the reward for Albania's efforts and an incentive to further the reform agenda.

The decision of the Bucharest summit is a historic moment that marks the coronation of the 15-year effort by Albania towards the Euro-Atlantic integration process and the beginning of a new era in its relations with the allies for the time being and the future.

This event is an exceptional accomplishment for Albania and, at the same time, the acknowledgment of the new and tangible Albanian reality, a reality reached thanks to the positive changes and transformations, painstaking as they often are, in all areas of economic, political, social and military life, human rights and the rights of minorities.

This will directly contribute to the enhancement of stability at home and in the region; the enlargement will also have a bearing on the free movement of people and cultures, economic development through growth in investment and capital transfer and the development of transport infrastructure; the [last of which] will have a substantial effect on tourism promotion, since Albania possesses enormous and still unexploited potential.

SETimes: How are Albania's relations with Kosovo, as well as with other Balkan countries?

Basha: Co-operation with [Kosovo] is an important part of our regional policy. The state of relations between Albania and Kosovo is currently excellent. They are based on the principles of neighbourliness, co-operation and respect for internationally recognised borders. More than 33 agreements and memoranda of understanding underpin these bilateral relations. We expect to further deepen and institutionalise this framework in the future.

The relations between Albania and the regional states are also good. They are based on the principle of co-operation, neighbourliness and mutual respect for territorial integrity. Albania doesn't have any outstanding issues with its neighbors.

The regional policy of Albania is driven by the recommendations of the EU and the stipulations of the SAA. Their fulfillment is a precondition for the European integration of Albania and the region as a whole.