US ambassador to Albania says police must be independent from politics

30/07/2008

TIRANA, Albania – Politics should not affect the work of police, US Ambassador to Albania John Withers said on Tuesday (July 29th) at a conference on police training in Tirana. “The police’s independence from any political manipulation is essential to win the trust of the people,” he stressed, adding that the key to the rule of law is having reliable police personnel. OSCE representative in Albania Robert Bosch also attended the conference and urged police to undergo continual training to be effective in fighting crime and corruption.

In other news Tuesday, the IMF issued its latest report on Albania. It concludes that incomplete reforms in the energy sector and the need for bank supervision are major problems. Local media quoted from the report further, saying Albania must also improve its governance and judicial system and tackle the property issue. In general, however, the IMF says the country’s economic performance remains positive. (Gazeta shqiptare, Shqip, Shekulli - 30/07/08; Top Channel, BalkanWeb, Alsat - 29/07/08)

Setimes