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Hahn: Macedonia and Albania are on the right track towards EU

in EUROPE/PRESS RELEASE/REGIONS by

As the UK moves to exit the EU, the Western Balkans are pushing for the opening of the Union’s door. In spring, Brussels can give a green light for opening accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, the Austrian daily newspaper Kurier reads. The EU Commissioner for the European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn also told EU-Western Balkans Media Days that took place on Nov. 9 to 10 in Tirana that Macedonia and Albania are on the right track, MIA reports.EC President Jean-Claude Juncker pointed to 2025 as a possible term for admitting new EU members, but according to Hahn, no state has a guarantee that it will join by then. If a specific deadline is set, it can be a danger for the Western Balkans that will not be able to meet the deadline, to remain waiting and to lag behind. A positive moment, which was pointed out at Hahn’s meetings in Tirana, is the improved climate in the relations between Greece and Macedonia. This opens opportunities in the coming months for a possible end of the Greek blockade due to the long-standing name dispute with Macedonia. In regard to Albania, the problem with the thousands of Albanians still seeking asylum in the EU should be solved. It affects the image of the country and therefore has to change, but this cannot be done in a year or two.

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EU accession negotiationsl, Goverment’s priority

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The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati hosted on Thùrsday the European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Membership Negotiations, Johannes Hahn in the framework of his official visit to Tirana. Referring to this visit the minister stated that it comes in a highly important moment for Albania on view of the fact that Albania has already launched the vetting process. He also informed the commissioner Hahn about the concrete steps undertaken by the Albanian government in order to meet all accession priorities while confirming the determination for further progress in this aspect. Commissioner Hahn commended Albania’s stable progress in the implementation of key priorities for the opening of accession negotiations. He praised in particular the judicial reform adoption, emphasizing at the same time the importance of its implementation as a key element for the consolidation of the rule of law in Albania.

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Sterjovski : Recognising Bulgarians minority is genocide on Macedonians in Albania

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Recognising the Bulgarian minority in Albania is genocide on Macedonians in Albania where there were no Bulgarians, Vasil Sterjovski, general secretary of the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI) party in Albania, said in the interview with Tirana-based Tema television.According to him, Bulgarians have been trying for years to artificially present Bulgarian minority in Albania, Kosovo and Greece aimed at avoiding Macedonia with artificial Bulgarian minority and to “prove” that there is no Macedonian nation.Albanian foreign minister at several meetings stated these are the minorities living in Albania and the matter is completed. Even at one of the meetings at the request of the Albanian-Bulgarian Friendship Association, he said that although hundreds of Albanians have Italian passports that does not give Italy the right to claim its minority in Albania. However, under the pressure from Bulgaria and EU’s vetoing Albania, the Albanian authorities yielded to the demands and Bulgarian became the ninth minority in the country.The Macedonian Alliance for European Integration and the Macedonian Association “Ilinden” strongly reacted to this and asked Albanian President Ilir Meta not to sign the bill and to forward it to parliament to be reviewed again.

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Important for Balkans to join European Project

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Prime Minister, Edi Rama took part in the 10th edition of the “World Policy Conference”, which kicked off Friday in Marrakech of Morocco. PM Rama was invited to be part of the panel “The Future of South-Eastern Europe”, together with Serbian PM Ana Brnabic, where he talked aboùt the importance of regional cooperation and the role of Albania in it, as well as the challenges of Albania’s EU integration. Talking about the prospective of EU enlargement with other aspiring coùntries, the PM said that the countries are in a different historical moment, that of completing the started process. The PM underlined that it is very important that the Balkan countries become part of the European project, as an extra factor for a safer and more secure Europe. The PM said that the current Balkans has positioned itself clearly in favor of the EU and is working hard for this.

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Draft budget 2018 to be adopted this week

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The 2018 budget and the fiscal package that will accompany it will go to the cabinet for approval this week. During the coming year, the government forecasts total revenues in the state coffers to reach 464,292 million lek, increasing by 6.4 percent compared to this year. According to the preliminary draft of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, public expenditùres accoùnt for aboùt 499,389 million lek with a 5.7 percent increase. The voice that has the highest expenditùre growth is that of capital spending. For 2018, capital expenditures accoùnt for 77,665 million lek, most of which go for roads construction. This is just 5.2 percent of national production, ùp from 4.8 this year.Inthe first week of November, the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, submits the annual draft budget to the parliament. The draft of the annual budget is expected to be approved by the Parliament by 20 December.

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MEFA condemns Greece intervention in Albania’s Interior Affairs

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The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEFA) expresses the deepest indignation for the provocative langùage and unprecedented intervention characterizing the statement issued one day ago by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Greece. Through an official statement issued on Friday the MEFA denounced the violation of the diplomatic practice by the Greek authorities through the involvement in a domestic political debate.  Through an official statement issued on Friday the MEFA denounced the violation of the diplomatic practice by the Greek authorities through the involvement in a domestic political debate. Involvement in the domestic political debate in Albania and the fact that these issues, currently under consideration by the justice institutions, are mentioned in this statement constitutes a violation of the diplomatic practice and the spirit of good neighborhood and strategic relations between two countries.

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EU negotiating with Montenegro and Serbia and not with Albania is ‘unfair’ says Rama

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In an interview with the Vienna-based newspaper Der Standard Albanian PM Edi Rama has criticized the European Union for conditioning Pristina with demarcation of the border with Montenegro in order to be given visa liberalization, while at the same time it has started negotiations with Serbia.It’s not far that the EU is negotiating the accession of Montenegro and Serbia without doing the same with Albania.Rama – who champions union with Kosovo, unless no Western Balkan country joins the EU – claims fears about ‘the unification of Albania and Kosovo’ are not increasing.As regards Albanians in Macedonia, Rama calls it ‘natural’ that the country’s officials of the Albanian political parties after the parliamentary elections have asked Tirana for an opinion about their moves in view of the formation of the government. Commenting on the enlargement process, he said it is becoming increasingly unfair and less predictable for the countries.

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Albania-Italy Match, Anti-Terror Measures from 4 States

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Albania- Italy World Cùp Qùalifiers First round match will be developed ùnder very strict secùrity measures in “Loro Borici” stadium. To prevent any possible incident, the Albanian State Police will collaborate with the National Guard, Kosovo Police, Macedonia and Montenegro Police. Under strong control will be the border points of Morina, Muriqan, Hani Hotit, Qafe Thane and Durres.

 

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Italian Ambassador calls for concrete action against a crime gangs

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Another diplomat speaks clear over the crime situation in Albania. The Italian Ambassador, Alberto Cutillo, declared on Friday from Korca that despite the fact that some results were achieved on the war against cannabis plantations, much more must be done against the criminal groups. Some results were achieved against cannabis plantations bùt Albania mùst do more to fight the big criminal bands, said Alberto Cutillo.

 

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PM Borissov Talks with Albanian Counterpart Edi Rama

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Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has talked with his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama on the telephone. Borissov said Bulgaria insists that Tirana should guarantee the rights of the Bulgarian national minority in line with the international legal standards. The conversation was prompted by a bill aimed to protect the minorities’ rights drafted by the Albanian government. Borissov said he expected the legislation to include provisions protecting the rights of the Bulgarian minority. Rama assured the Bulgarian Prime Minister that the bill was still under preparation, and pledged that his country would not infringe on the interests of the Bulgarian minority. He stressed that communication with Bulgaria would continue so that the Bulgarians’ interests in Albania would be protected. Andon Donchev MP of the Volya party read out a declaration in Parliament urging that the cause of Bulgarians in Albania become a real priority of the State and one of the top policies during Bulgaria’s EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2018. He said that different sources put the number of people of Bulgarian origin in Albania in the range of 50,000 to 100,000.

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