[ALBSA-Info] INTERVIEW-Albanian PM sees no Macedonia overspill

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

INTERVIEW-Albanian PM sees no Macedonia overspill

By Richard Murphy

  
TIRANA, June 25 (Reuters) - Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta, claiming 
victory in a weekend general election, said on Monday he saw no risk of the 
conflict in neighbouring Macedonia destabilising his country. 

Meta, a 32-year-old Socialist, again condemned all violence in Macedonia and 
said there was virtually no support among his people for a "Greater Albania" 
that would unite millions of ethnic Albanians throughout the Balkans within a 
single state. 

"We condemn the violence from each side and we call on both sides to avoid 
any kind of provocation that can worsen the situation," he told Reuters in an 
interview. 

"We want a ceasefire everywhere and we want the political process to move 
forward." 

Ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia, with which Albania shares a border, have 
been battling government forces for four months. 

The rebels say they are fighting for equal rights for the Albanian minority, 
who make up around one third of Macedonia's population of two million people, 
but their actions have been strongly condemned by Western powers. 

Meta said he was convinced the crisis in Macedonia could only be resolved 
through dialogue, not by military means. 

"The most important thing is to save as many human lives as possible." 

Asked if there was a risk that Albania itself could become embroiled in a 
regional conflict, he replied: "No. We have taken all measures to guarantee 
the stability of Albania and to keep Albania clean from these problems." 

The concept of "Greater Albania" enjoyed only "very weak support" in his 
country, he said. 

"I am sure that the very powerful majority of Albanians is aware that in our 
time such a project is the opposite of a European Albania," Meta said, 
referring to his goal of integrating his country fully into the European 
mainstream. 

Asked if he felt the Macedonian government was doing enough to meet the 
aspirations of the ethnic Albanian minority, he replied: "We think that they 
could do more." 

EU MEMBERSHIP IS LONG-TERM GOAL 

Although first official results of Sunday's Albanian general election were 
not due until later on Monday, Meta said his information showed the 
Socialists had won a new four-year term in government with a substantial 
majority. 

The election, the first since Albania plunged into anarchy in 1997, passed 
off mainly peacefully. 

Meta, prime minister since 1999, said his country had now put an end to the 
political instability and periodic unrest that had plagued it since the 
collapse of communism in 1991. 

"Since the end of the Kosovo crisis, the country has entered a long-term 
period of stability, development and integration," he said. "Today Albania is 
more stable than yesterday." 

Top priority for the next four years would be to speed up reform in this 
impoverished nation of 3.5 million people. 

"In particular, we will be focused on reform of the judicial system and on 
the fight against corruption, organised crime and trafficking." 

A short-term priority would be to complete negotiations with the European 
Union on a stability and association agreement, the first step towards 
eventual membership. 

"A mid-term objective is within four years to fulfil all standards for making 
an application for full membership of the European Union," Meta said. 

"We will try in four years to meet the standards for delivering the 
application. As for real full membership, this will for sure be a long 
process."