(ANSA) - BRUXELLES - The European Union has "great confidence" in Albania and aims to "strengthen the relationship" to allow the country to open the accession negotiations "soon", the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani said during a joint press point with the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Brussels.

The EP President announced a visit to Tirana next spring along with a delegation of European companies. "We have a privileged relationship with a country that, in my opinion, has to enter the EU", he said. The EP President underlined that the time is therefore ripe to build "a stronger cooperation between EU and Albania to boost jobs and growth". Albania is "an example for interreligious dialogue in a such difficult region, I hope that the Balkans can learn from it", Tajani pointed out.

"It is important for us to be here to talk in concrete terms and show the results of our struggle to finally open the door to negotiate with the European Union," said the Albanian prime minister. "I am glad that Albania can show that it has taken important steps forward in the last months: we will continue with the same determination to get ready to have access to the table of the negotiations with the EU next April and May", Rama underlined.(ANSA).