Berisha intends to speed up Albania’s EU entry

By Françoise Tihon

Date: 15/12/05

The Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha is determined that his country should join the European Union in 2012, despite widespread scepticism in Brussels.

"Albania will definitely be a member of the European Union. I will do all my best so that it happens in 2012. In Brussels, they say 2016 but I will do my best to change their mind," he said in an interview.

Berisha met the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn on 29 November in Brussels for talks on an agreement with the EU. Albania has been negotiating a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU since January 2003. Rehn estimates the negotiations will be concluded in July 2006.

Berisha, the first president of a democratic Albania (1992-97) and prime minister since September, said he had presented to the Commission the "roadmap to the EU and NATO".

A former heart surgeon, Berisha tried to convince the Commission that his first months in power were very effective: "I showed what I did in 80 days to fight corruption as well as organised crime and what we are doing in terms of economic reforms and I believe that my interlocutors were deeply convinced by our achievements."

Yet, the government faces huge challenges trying to reform a poor country ravaged by corruption. In order to bring down the unemployment rate, which exceeded 40%, the prime minister cut taxes on small businesses by half. He increased the salaries of public sector employees by 20% but admitted that corruption "has become a system in Albania".

"I told Albanians that I would start fighting corruption from my own office. I started by putting some Western ethical standards in my services. I decreased abusive expenses by 350% and that is how I succeeded in increasing salaries by 20%. That shows how deeply abuses were rooted in the Albanian administration," he said. Mafia bosses, as well as many members of human and drugs trafficking rings, are in prison. The government introduced a three-year moratorium to ban all speedboats in Albanian waters in order to fight human and drug trafficking. But according to a report published by the Commission on 9 November, trafficking and illegal emigration remain a significant problem. And the report contends that Albania continues to be a major transit country for drug trafficking. Drugs from Turkey and Afghanistan enter Italy through Albania.

Berisha admitted that Albania was still very poor but stressed that his country had enormous potential. "Investors will make profits in the energy area, in mines, oil, agriculture and in many other sectors," he said.

Tourism is also a potentially lucrative sector. Berisha described proudly Albania's unspoilt landscape, with 400 kilometres of seacoast: "When you fly over Albania the first thing that comes to your mind is Switzerland with the sea. In some aspects, I believe no country could offer more than mine."

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha is determined that his country should join the EU in 2012, despite widespread scepticism in Brussels.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR): Albania http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/detailed-country-information/albania/index_en.htm

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