Albania-EU relationship and the course towards the European integration

• Author: Jeta Mitat Goxha
• Pages: 421-428

International Relations in the Contemporary World. Geopolitics and Diplomacy

421

International Relations in the Contemporary World.

Geopolitics and Diplomacy

Albania-EU Relationship and the

Course towards the European Integration

Jeta Goxha1

Abstract: The collapse of the communist regime in Albania made possible the country’s opening to the west,

a country that had chosen the way of total isolation. Albania was the first country in the Balkans region who

signed a commercial agreement in 1992 with the European Union. This article aims to study Albania's path

towards European integration. The position and role p layed by the European Union during that critical period

for our country, as the crisis of 1997. The objective of this paper is to create a clear panorama of relationships

between the EU and Albania and to highlight the problems that have come across over the years. The author

of this paper will also provide an overview of th e political developments in Albania after the signi ng of the

Stabilization and Association Agreement. The method of operation is qualitative. This paper was

accomplished through a bibliographic research, drawing on the European Union legislation, the agreements

signed between the two countries and also the strategies of the Albanian government during these years.

Keywords: The European integration; SAA; diplomatic relations; development

1. Introduction

Albania reappeared on the international scene, immediately after the fall of dictatorships and the

collapse of communist regime in Tirana. It has succeeded against a dictatorship that was known for its

hardness and leaving the country in total darkness, but this instantaneous variation, caused

considerable civil disturbances. The communist regime in Albania was one of the longest regimes in

the Western Balkans and also one of the most regressive countries of Eastern Europe, not only in the

economic viewpoint but also in the social areas.

But we cannot agree that this has been the biggest challenge of the Albanian society. The biggest

problem was of a political nature, where the efforts and authoritarian ways of the Albanian political

class resulted in an extremely poor dialogue between the main political parties. One of the

characteristics of contemporary political life in the country is the way that Albanian politicians tend to

inhibit the normal development of the post-election policy, rejecting the election results, when they are

on the losing side.

The first diplomatic relationships between Albania and the European Community began in 1991,

immediately after the fall of the communist regime. Until that time, the forced division of Europe was

1 Senior Lecturer, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences SHPAL Pavaresia Vlore, Albania, Address:

Bulevardi Vlorë-Skele PO. Box 4358 Posta Vlorë AL-9401 Vlorë. Albania, Corresponding author:

jeta.goxha@unipavaresia.edu.al.