Eurasia Press & News
TIRANA -Albania plans to file its candidacy to the European Union in late June before it holds legislative elections, Prime Minister Sali Berisha told AFP on Sunday.
Berisha said an agreement had been reached “in principle” with the EU’s Czech presidency for the former communist bloc country to apply for EU membership before its June 28 elections.
“We agreed on submitting the request,” he said, noting that 96% of Albanians back the country’s EU bid.
But several EU member states are reluctant to accept new candidacies as the bloc is in the middle of am institutional crisis while waiting for the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the successor to the defunct EU constitution.
The European Commission says successful legislative elections are a priority before Albania can apply for EU membership.
The EU candidacy would have to be approved by the 27 member states, which then hand it over to the commission.
