Albania begins NATO membership negotiations

24/04/2008

TIRANA, Albania -- Three weeks after receiving an official invitation to join NATO, Albania started the first round of membership negotiations Wednesday (April 23rd) in Brussels. The talks focused on political and safety issues. The next round, scheduled for May 9th, will deal with legal and financial aspects. Croatia, also invited to join the Alliance earlier this month, began its talks on Monday. (Lajm, Koha Jone, Gazeta Shqiptare, Shqip - 24/04/08; TopChannel, VOA, Telegrafi, KTV, RTK - 23/04/08)