SETimes.comEC's Barrot expresses support for Albanian visa liberalisation
02/12/2009
TIRANA, Albania -- In a phone conversation Tuesday (December 1st), European Commission (EC) Vice-President Jacques Barrot told Prime Minister Sali Berisha that he supports Albania's visa liberalisation process. Berisha was briefing Barrot on efforts being made to meet the EC's criteria for lifting the visa regime, official sources close to the government said.
On Monday, at a ceremony in Brussels to celebrate visa liberalisation for Macedonian, Serbian and Montenegrin citizens, Albanian Interior Minister Lulzim Basha said his country will soon become part of the visa-free regime because it has met many of the requirements. He noted that in just six months, Albania has issued 300,000 biometric passports, and installed control systems at border crossings in compliance with European security standards. (Shekulli, Ora News, Top News - 02/12/09; Lajme, NOA, Telegrafi, MIA - 01/12/09)