Security Issues and their Implication on Albania’s Road to European Integration

Abstract

Among considerable international organizations providing security in Europe, such as NATO, EU, UN, WEU, OSCE, etc., this paper covers evolution of security issues in Albania on the context of NATO and EU dynamics with regard to their crucial roles in providing security, peace and stability. Why are NATO and EU so important to Albania? Albania was the first former communist country which immediately following its first multiparty elections in 1992, requested NATO membership as the most important and biggest military operation in Europe since the Second World War providing security, which took 17 years to finalize. On the other hand, Albania’s EU integration as an important political, economic, social and legal process is far more complex and more difficult. Moreover, all successive Albanian governments have always given priority in their foreign policy to NATO membership and EU Integration. For this reason, study of Albania’s path to NATO membership and its long road to EU integration, deserves special attention to get insight on the way they have evolved in Albania. Also, of specific importance is the correlation between NATO and EU developments on security-related issues as well as their impact on Albanian international and integrational processes. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p362