Kosovo PM Hails Albania’s NATO Progress

Pristina – Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has congratulated senior Albanian leaders for their progress in joining NATO after the United States signed a key protocol.

“This is a historic event for Albania,” said Kosovo’s Premier in a letter to Albanian senior leaders.

Thaci added that Albania’s accession to NATO indicates its European Union path.

“The policy of the Albanian state continues to be a factor of stability and peace in the region,” said Thaci in his letter.

He pointed out that “by cultivating the philosophical policy of good neighbourhood and accomplishing democratic standards, Albania is opening its perspective for its European path.”

On Friday, the United States President George W. Bush signed NATO agreements that put Albania and Croatia a step closer to joining the security alliance, calling it a historic step for the Balkans.

NATO members agreed at an April summit in Bucharest to invite Albania and Croatia to join the alliance. The Balkan neighbours will be eligible when all 26 NATO members ratify the accession protocols.

“Albania and Croatia’s entry into NATO is an historic step for the Balkans,” Bush said at a White House ceremony to sign the agreements.

“In the space of a single decade this region has transformed itself from a land consumed by war to a contributor to international peace and stability.”