Albania says it's ready to join EU visa-free regime

Albania meets criteria for non-European Union member states to join the 27-country bloc's visa-free regime, following progress made in recent months, Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said.

“Albania today meets all the criteria set by the European Commission for visa liberalisation and we hope for a positive evaluation soon,” Meta told a news conference during a visit to Slovenia.

“What we have been doing so far grants us that Albania will get a positive evaluation soon, and hopefully Bosnia will get it too,” he added.

European foreign ministers in November agreed that Albania had made major progress and should be considered for official EU candidate status, a key step forward in the Balkan country's membership drive.