TIRANA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) member states have approved the opening of the EU accession talks with Albania in June 2019, which triggered mixed reactions in Albania.
The Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted on Twitter after the EU decided to open the accession negotiations in June 2019, saying "After 72 hours of long debates among the EU, Albania received the date for entering the EU port."
"The results of our reforms made it possible that even the most skeptical countries recognized the merit of Albania and Macedonia. A very difficult battle was won," underlined the prime minister.
The Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati thanked every member state and said that Albania must sit with the EU delegations as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha blamed the government on Wednesday for the delay with a year.
"Crime and corruption are keeping our country back. Without fighting crime and corruption, the decision in 2019 will be a refusal, the same as today," wrote Basha on Facebook.
The Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) party, another opposition, also holds the Albanian government responsible for not opening the talks this year.
"EU conditions are clear. They cannot have as a partner a government that has chosen to partner with the crime and become part of it," stated Luan Rama, the vice head of SMI.
Albanian President Ilir Meta in his reaction on the EU member states decision called for responsibility and cooperation from the EU.
"Our next June examination will be very difficult and demanding as the European Union itself will have its electoral exam at the same time. Therefore, I invite them all for concentration, responsibility and cooperation," stated Meta.
The EU foreign ministers have agreed to open conditioned accession talks with Albania next June, if the reforms continue.
France, the Netherlands and Denmark expressed reserves about Albanian and Macedonia during a meeting in Luxembourg.
The Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn valued the decision of the foreign ministers as key signal to the region that progress is rewarded, and crucial for the EU's own credibility.
The European diplomats confirmed that Albania has still much to do with the key reforms before opening the accession negotiations.
