ALBANIA: EU tells Tirana to avoid further tension after last week's deadly anti-government protests

Record ID: 561641

  • Title: ALBANIA: EU tells Tirana to avoid further tension after last week's deadly anti-government protests
  • Date: 27th January 2011
  • Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (JANUARY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EU MEDIA CENTRE BUILDING LOGO READING IN ENGLISH "EU INFO CENTRE" EU ENVOY WALKING IN AND TAKING SEAT FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU ENVOY FOR ALBANIA CRISIS, MIROSLAV LAJCAK, SAYING: "I made it clear that the European future for Albania depends very much on whether the political leaders choose to do what we ask them to do, and do it now." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English with Albanian translation) EU ENVOY FOR ALBANIA CRISIS, MIROSLAV LAJCAK, SAYING: "I reminded your political leaders of their shared responsibility for preventing any further violence and bloodshed, the functioning of state institutions and respecting state institutions. No one is above the state institutions." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English with Albanian translation) EU ENVOY FOR ALBANIA CRISIS, MIROSLAV LAJCAK, SAYING: "And finally returning Albania back on European track. These are all the issues that can be achieved only if both, namely the government and the opposition, do their part." ENVOYS GETTING UP AND LEAVING ROOM AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Albania, Albania
  • Country: Albania
  • Reuters ID: LVA8UU3M6MMW1KZ2BUVWSUAOX1A7
  • Story Text: The European Union told Albania's crisis-riven government and opposition on Wednesday (January 26) to urgently "restore calm and full respect for public order and rule of law" after Friday's (January 21) deadly anti-government protests.
    After meeting key leaders, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's envoy, Miroslav Lajcak, addressed a news conference.
    "I made it clear that the European future for Albania depends very much on whether the political leaders choose to do what we ask them to do, and do it now," Lajcak said.
    "I reminded your political leaders of their shared responsibility for preventing any further violence and bloodshed, the functioning of state institutions and respecting state institutions. No one is above the state institutions."
    He said Ashton and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, who has in the past tried unsuccessfully to solve the prolonged row between the government and the opposition over the outcome of the 2009 elections, were ready to help.
    The demonstrators' deaths last week marked some of the worst social unrest since the late 1990s in Albania, a NATO member and an applicant to join the EU.
    As an applicant for EU membership, Albania must fulfil numerous criteria and Brussels has lately set it an agenda of 12 points, top of which is cooperation to foster a culture of democratic cooperation and fighting corruption.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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