Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-06-Speech-3-048"
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"en.20060906.5.3-048"2
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".
Madam President, the area occupied by the Albanians is Europe’s most forgotten area. The Albanians were farmers and shepherds who had been left behind and whom nobody wanted to take into consideration. When the Ottoman empire collapsed nearly a century ago, both Serbia and Italy tried to establish permanent ownership of Albanians’ territory. It is a miracle that, in 1913, in the most inhospitable part of Albanian territory, it proved possible to establish an independent state although it has not been a success to date.
Following right-wing dictatorship, foreign occupation and left-wing dictatorship, what is immediately apparent at the moment is chaos and the intolerance between the political parties. Especially the north of that country is unsafe and disadvantaged. Whilst the millions of Albanians who live around Albania along the south edge of Montenegro, in the largest part of Kosovo and in the north-west of Macedonia, fight for language rights and self-government, they expect little in the way of positive developments if they were to join forces with Albania in its current state.
Moreover, public opinion would prefer to keep Albania outside of the European Union. The country is now mainly renowned for child trafficking, the pyramid schemes, wasting energy, prisoner abuse and international crime. Its problems appear to be beyond any solution.
During preparatory discussions, it transpired that other groups are more optimistic than my own about the course of affairs in Albania, and that they feel less inclined to invite Albania to change. Despite this difference of opinion, my group shares their view that continued isolation and exclusion from European cooperation offer no solution to Albania’s enormous problems.
The promise of a prospect of EU membership must be kept. In the intervening period, which is set to last for some time, they need support for democracy, education, the environment and the economy. I find it lamentable that the proposed decision appears to be better geared for foreign companies than for the environment, food safety and good governance.
In our opinion, the neighbourhood policy and association agreements should not unilaterally serve the interests of the current EU Member States, but should primarily help possible future EU members gain ground."@en1
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