VZCZCXRO9964
RR RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHTI #0086 0361649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051649Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6636
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TIRANA 000086 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: NATO PGOV PREL AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA'S PARLIAMENTARY RESOLUTION ON NATO MEMBERSHIP 
 
¶1.  On January 21, Parliament passed a resolution declaring it would 
do whatever is necessary to receive an invitation to join NATO.  The 
resolution was introduced by the opposition Socialist Party and 
passed unanimously.  This is the first time in the history of 
Albania's democratic Parliament that an opposition-sponsored 
resolution has received unanimous support. 
 
¶2.  Begin text, unofficial translation of final resolution provided 
by the Director General of the Parliament. 
 
RESOLUTION ON ALBANIA'S MEMBERSHIP TO NATO 
 
The Parliament of the Republic of Albania, aware of the great 
importance that this year's NATO summit holds for our country, 
expressed its full support for all necessary and indispensable 
measures that must be taken for Albania to receive the historical 
invitation to become a member of NATO, and guarantees its 
willingness and decisiveness to meet all its obligations in this 
process. 
 
The Albanian Parliament, 
 
- following the natural course of Albania to join Euro-Atlantic 
structures, as a certain expansion of freedom and democracy, where 
Albanians, who support strongly NATO membership, perceive the 
democratic future of their country; 
 
- expressing their gratitude for the great assistance that NATO and 
member states have provided to Albania in all stages and programs of 
the membership process and acknowledging the achievements of our 
country in this course; 
 
- aware that the long-awaited invitation for NATO membership 
requires the continuous commitment and cooperation of all the 
parliamentary political forces; 
 
- aware of the difficulties of such a significant challenge and 
determined to face it, when the country has still much to do on the 
road to constructing a functional democracy and a political system 
based on a market economy; 
 
- expresses the conviction on the necessity to overcome political 
conflicts, on behalf of the climate of trust among the parliamentary 
political forces, for all the reforms and legal initiatives, which 
require an overall consensus based on the Constitution of Albania; 
 
- is committed to make use of all its capacities to assist in the 
fulfillment of judicial reforms, in compliance with the standards of 
the Euro-Atlantic family; 
 
- appraises the achievements of, and expresses its full solidarity 
and support for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania, 
encouraging them to accomplish the obligations of the NATO 
integration process; 
 
- expresses its readiness to support every initiative that speeds up 
the integrating steps into NATO and encourages the Government, other 
state institutions and the civil society to do the same; 
 
- confirms its commitment to peace, security, stability, 
understanding and regional cooperation, which is further 
consolidated at the proclamation of Kosovo's independence, as the 
logical outcome of the dynamics of the regional developments and 
NATO's direct commitment. 
 
End text. 
 
WITHERS