Ambassadors warn Albania that clock is running

16/12/2009

TIRANA, Albania -- Foreign diplomats have warned political parties in Albania that time for resolving the political crisis in the country is ticking away. The head of the OSCE Presence in Tirana Ambassador Robert Bosch, and Dutch Ambassador Henk GC van den Dool said on Tuesday (December 15th) that Albania is risking its EU integration process as a result of the opposition's parliamentary boycott.

Opposition lawmakers say they won't return to work until the government investigates alleged manipulation in the June general elections. "The current situation is problematic, we consider that a non-functioning democracy is not a ticket to the EU," Bosch said, adding that the European Commission's review of Albania's request for EU candidate status could be affected.