Spain: Albania soon in EU and visa free

TIRANA, May 20—Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spanish Foreign Minister, met yesterday with his Albanian counterpart, Lulzim Basha. After the meeting, Moratinos expressed himself with highly positive notes about Albania’s membership to the EU and offered Spain’s support on the integration process.
“I would like to send a message to Albanian citizens, not just a message of hope, but of the deepest conviction, that Albania will become an EU member with full rights. Albanian citizens will become EU citizens and that is a road of no return,” said a smiling Moratinos.
According to the Spanish official, Albania should concentrate on respecting the deadlines and intensify its work on the preparation and the fulfillment of its obligations in order to gain membership into the EU.
“We are already on the way. Now, it is important to continue such a road with efficacy, in order to collect the benefits as soon as possible,” assured Moratinos. He added that Spain would support Albania’s membership into the EU, in the same way Spain supported the request for the candidate status.
Moratinos explained that for the moment there is no set schedule concerning the process of visa liberalization. However, insisted Moratinos, it will be the EU Council of Ministers to first decide for the whole Western Balkans. According to him, the decision will be in favor of the process.
“I have concluded from any European countries, that they favor the process of visa liberalization and, at a later stage, bilateral agreements will take place with each of the EU countries. The country that will progress the most will also be the first to benefit from the new visa regime. However, I hope the whole Western Balkan region can complete the process at the same time, as soon as possible,” emphasized Moratinos.
During the meeting, five new agreements were signed between the two countries in areas of commercial ties, collaboration in customs practices, organized crime, agriculture, and the environment. Also, Moratinos met with PM Berisha and head of Albanian parliament, Jozefina Topalli, and the head of the opposition, Edi Rama of the SP party, where the upcoming legislative elections were discussed.
Moratinos, whose country will take the EU presidency in the first half of 2010, congratulated Albania for its efforts against organized crime. “Many members of organized crime and many corrupted officials have been arrested. It is a plague that characterizes this side of the Balkans. We encourage our Albanian friends to continue in this road and this process, by easing the work and the reaction of the EU member states,” said Moratinos.
The foreign minister judged Albania to be a model country with its many initiatives, such as the “One UN” initiative. Both, Albania and Spain, are interested in an urgent reform of the UN and to continue collaboration as part of the Alliance of Civilizations.