BELGIUM: Albania's Prime Minister Sali Berisha seeks to reassure the EU it is committed to resolving the political deadlock at home

Record ID: 561080

  • Title: BELGIUM: Albania's Prime Minister Sali Berisha seeks to reassure the EU it is committed to resolving the political deadlock at home
  • Date: 30th July 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER YVES LETERME SAYING: "With regards to Albania's future accession we have talked a lot about the internal political situation where there is still this problem with the opposition inside Tirana's parliament, the opposition which until now does not take a full part in the work of the parliament and, until now, does not fill the normal role of a parliamentary opposition within Albania's political institutions." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER SALI BERISHA SAYING: "The stand of Albanian government was full respect for the opposition, as well as, full respect of the rule of law, and the constitution of the country. The European Parliament has voted a resolution. I am very happy that I have an occasion to affirm to the Prime Minister, but also to my friends in the European Parliament on both sides, in centre left and centre right groups, that I am ready to implement it letter by letter. And it's a very serious document. By saying all that, I have to stress that never a prime minister could lead the opposition." JOURNALIST LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER SALI BERISHA SAYING: "My government is fully committed to keep and consolidate Copenhagen criteria. My government is fully committed, in the framework of the EU parliamentary resolution, to implement it." BERISHA AND LETERME AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER YVES LETERME SAYING: "With the visa liberalisation issue, which also relates to the relations between Albania and the European Union, in which we believe that there it is maybe possible to maybe take a positive decision in the months to come. Of course on the condition that all the elements relating to that are positive." NOTEPAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER SALI BERISHA SAYING: "We are managing a very intensive PR campaign to our citizens to explain them what this means. Second, we set up an entire strategy for those who will be repatriated, returned, because they might think that they could stay longer. EU asked, EU Commission asked several conditions and we met, we are meeting, all of them." BERISHA AND LETERME AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER SALI BERISHA ON KOSOVO SAYING: "As regards to Albania we are decided to work for friendly and good cooperation with Belgrade. I expect, in future times, President Tadic to came to Tirana, as well as I will visit Belgrade. We will also encourage Pristina to talk, and start negotiations, for so many problems, but of course, not the status. I believe the decision of International court was a great contribution to peace and stability in the region." BERISHA WALKING AWAY AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: International Relations,European Union
  • Reuters ID: LVAHMCTHWQTRMTT3999YV24CO5H
  • Story Text: Albania's Prime Minister seeks to reassure the EU it is committed to resolving the political deadlock at home as part of Tirana's aspirations to join the EU.
    Albania said it was fully committed to complying with a resolution from the EU's legislative body early this month calling on Tirana to break the political deadlock with the parliamentary opposition over disputed June 2009 elections.
    The main opposition socialist party has boycotted the government. It agreed with the prime minister on July 14 to establish a parliamentary commission to investigate the elections.
    The European parliament on July 8 also urged Prime Minister Sali Berisha to accept external mediation if the investigation did not yield positive results.
    The ending of the political crisis in Albania, a fully functioning and democratic parliament and transparency are amongst some of the fundamental conditions of Albania's integration into the European Union.
    Not least because, without a parliament, the raft of reforms necessary to begin Albania's accession talks with the EU cannot succeed.
    Berisha was in Belgium to sign a protocol with Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme to repatriate 93 Albanian prisoners.
    "With regards to Albania's future accession we have talked a lot about the internal political situation where there is still this problem with the opposition inside Tirana's parliament, the opposition which until now does not take a full part in the work of the parliament and, until now, does not fill the normal role of a parliamentary opposition within Albania's political institutions," said Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme.
    Berisha and his political opponent Edi Rama had met with parliamentary leaders of the Socialists and conservative EPP in Strasbourg earlier in the month in an effort to bridge their differences and stop the country falling into political chaos.
    He reaffirmed his pledge to them to unlock the political deadlock
    "The stand of Albanian government was full respect for the opposition, as well as, full respect of the rule of law, and the constitution of the country. The European Parliament has voted a resolution. I am very happy that I have an occasion to affirm to the Prime Minister, but also to my friends in the European Parliament on both sides, in centre left and centre right groups, that I am ready to implement it letter by letter. And it's a very serious document. By saying all that, I have to stress that never a prime minister could lead the opposition," Berisha said.
    "My government is fully committed to keep and consolidate Copenhagen criteria. My government is fully committed, in the framework of the EU parliamentary resolution to implement it," he added.
    The European Commission recommended lifting visa requirements for Albanians last May on the condition Tirana prove it had strong institutions able to deal with issues such as illegal immigration and trafficking. The Balkans are part of key drug routes to western Europe.
    Last year, the EU lifted visa requirements for short-term travel for the citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.
    This led to Albanians from Macedonia to flood Belgium and Germany seeking asylum and employment. Berisha said there was a strong government information campaign to ensure this would not be repeated.
    Leterme said visa liberalisation could take place within a few months - although still conditional on the strict application of EU rules.
    "With the visa liberalisation issue, which also relates to the relation between Albania and the European Union, in which we believe that there it is maybe possible to maybe take a positive decision in the months to come. Of course under condition that all the elements relating to that are positive," Leterme said.
    "We are managing a very intensive PR campaign to our citizens to explain them what this means. Second, we set up an entire strategy for those who will be repatriated, returned, because they might think that they could stay longer. EU asked, EU Commission asked several conditions and we met, we are meeting, all of them," Berisha said.
    On the International Court of Justice - ICJ - advisory last week that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not illegal Berisha said he was willing to help Serbia start negotiations with Pristina, as long as Belgrade did not try and re-open negotiations on Kosovo's status.
    "As regards to Albania we are decided to work for friendly and good cooperation with Belgrade. I expect, in future times, President Tadic to came to Tirana, as well as I will visit Belgrade. We will also encourage Pristina to talk, and start negotiations, for so many problems, but of course, not the status. I believe the decision of International court was a great contribution to peace and stability in the region," Berisha said.
    Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 when NATO bombed it to halt the killing of ethnic Albanians in a two-year counter-insurgency war. Internationally-mediated talks on Kosovo's status between Belgrade and Pristina from 2005-2007 ended in deadlock.
    The ethnic-Albanian majority territory declared independence in 2008, a status Serbia pledged never to accept. Serbian officials boycott most events with official Kosovo representatives.
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