Albanian PM says he is ready to meet opposition Socialist Party leader

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said on Thursday that he is ready to meet opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, adding that he hopes that the meeting would be fruitful in terms of overcoming the political impasse.

PM Berisha on Wednesday met with representatives of European institutions in Tirana. The opposition Socialists leader Rama, on the other hand, met with US Ambassador John Withers.

Media in Albania say the international factor piled pressure both on government and opposition in an effort to put an end to political crisis. The Socialists have boycotted the parliament since the last year’s elections, demanding a probe into allegations of rigging. They called for a recount in several areas. The move follows a narrow election victory of Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s conservatives in the June 28 elections.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) passed a resolution, urging the opposition to end the boycott of parliament, and urging the government to set up a parliamentary committee to probe the June elections.