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TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Poland's prime minister has urged the European Union to move faster to start membership talks with Albania, saying the country is an "important element for security and stability in Europe and the region."
Beata Szydlo was in the Albanian capital, Tirana, Friday for talks on European security and integration and on economic cooperation with Albania.
At a news conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Szydlo said Albania's foreign policy is in line with that of the EU, a factor that should encourage the opening of membership talks.
She stressed that Albania, the only NATO member in the Western Balkans, "guarantees stability and security" in the region.
The two governments signed agreements on cooperation in culture, investment agencies and chambers of commerce.
Romana Vlahutin, the EU ambassador in Tirana, told Albania on Friday that it needed to start soon to implement the judicial reforms agreed in July. "Any other scenario ... would delay progress," she said.
The justice reforms aim at rooting out bribery and ensuring that judges and prosecutors are politically independent. The European Commission has made those reforms a condition for starting membership negotiations.
Its start has been delayed after the Constitutional Court suspended one key law that was challenged from the opposition, now waiting for an opinion from the Council of Europe's Venice Commission.
"We hope that the opinion of Venice Commission will give clear guidance so that vetting can start, that judicial reform can be implemented and that Albania can move on its path to the European Union," Vlahutin said.
The response from the Venice Commission is expected this weekend.
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Scilowska reported from Warsaw, Poland.
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