Foreign policy chief presses EU integration in Albania

The European Union’s foreign policy chief on Friday told Albania’s opposition that its boycott of Parliament was hampering the country’s ability to integrate with the bloc and therefore join the EU.

Federica Mogherini met with senior Albanian officials and political leaders to remind them that reforming the justice system and holding free elections were two steps needed to convince EU members to launch full membership negotiations with the country.

For two weeks, hundreds from Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party have blocked the main boulevard in the capital, Tirana, saying they don’t trust the left-wing government to hold the June 18 parliamentary election in a fair manner. They want a caretaker cabinet instead.

Democratic lawmakers also have boycotted Parliament, thus blocking the creation of vetting bodies to assess how the country evaluates the personal and professional backgrounds of some 800 judges and prosecutors.

 

Read More: Foreign policy chief presses EU integration in Albania – ABC News