Junker: Close all problems with Greece, to joint in Europe soon

SManalysis

Juncker encourages Albania to continue reforms

2/25/2018 Link

Tirana, Feb 25 (EFE) .- The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, encouraged Albania today to continue with the necessary reforms so that Brussels recommends the opening of the negotiations of accession to the European Union in its report of April.

"If the reforms continue along this path, this will make it easier for Albania that the European Commission recommend the opening of accession negotiations," Juncker told a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.


The president of the Commission stressed that he has not come to Albania to make empty promises about a specific date for the start of negotiations, but to encourage the country to continue with the fight against crime, the implementation of judicial reform and the law of verification of the figure, professionalism and wealth of the judges and prosecutors.

Accession is a process based on the merits of each country, said Juncker, who will meet tomorrow with the country's president, Ilir Meta.

Juncker appreciated the willingness of the Albanian government to resolve the territorial conflicts with Greece, which he considered "a test" of Albania to become a member of the EU as soon as possible.

Albania and its neighbor Greece are in negotiations to solve some problems inherited from the past, among which is the delimitation of the maritime border.

The countries of the Western Balkans must resolve their territorial problems and conflicts with neighboring countries before their entry into the EU, Juncker stressed.

The president of the European Commission arrived in Tirana, after visiting Macedonia today, the first stop of his tour of the Western Balkans, in which he will also visit Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

On this Balkan tour, Juncker is accompanied by the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Johannes Hahn.

For us, the "Western Balkans and Albania are friendly countries, allies and partners that have a European perspective," said Jucker, reaffirming the open door policy adopted in the Commission's recent strategy towards this region of Europe.

For his part, the Albanian prime minister assured that Tirana has fulfilled the duties corresponding to this phase, with some achievements in judicial reform and public administration.

Therefore, "we deserve the full and clean recommendation of the European Commission" in the report of next April, he said.

Albania, an ex-communist country and member of NATO, has requested the opening of accession negotiations to the European club in 2014. EFE