EU enlargement not conditional on Lisbon treaty - Czech president

The admittance of new countries to the European Union is possible on the basis of the functioning EU agreements, too, Klaus said in Tirana after talks with his Albanian counterpart Bamir Topi.

He was reacting to a journalist's question of whether he realised that the approval of the Lisbon treaty was important for Albania's chance to joint the EU.

"The mystification that the Lisbon treaty opens the door to other countries to enter the European Union is really one of the untruths which are being spread and which are unfortunately being spread by someone from the Brussels headquarters and politicians or civil servants," Klaus said.

"This is simply not true and the existing agreements allow for either the admittance or non-admittance of new members. In this respect nothing stands and falls with the Lisbon treaty," Klaus told Czech journalists.

He said at the press conference that it was a "tragic misunderstanding" to believe that the treaty is a condition for EU enlargement.

The key European countries - France and Germany - have made it clear that they are not inclined to support entry of new countries to the European Union without the ratification of the Lisbon treaty on EU reform.

According to them, the Lisbon treaty is aimed at more effective functioning of the EU after the previous waves of enlargement in which countries from central and eastern Europe joined the EU.

The entire Europe at present focuses on Klaus as he could be the last politician whose signature on the document would lack for the completion of the treaty ratification.

A local journalist today asked Klaus whether he realised the importance of the Lisbon treaty for Albania and what he was going to do.

Klaus criticised the journalist for his question which he said sounded as a statement made by a pro-Lisbon activists. He stressed again that he would have to wait for the position of the Czech Constitutional Court.

"I cannot sign the treaty even if I wanted it very much," he said.

Klaus pointed out that he did not come to Albania to discuss the Lisbon treaty or its ratification.

The Czech parliament has passed the treaty, but Klaus, considered one of the biggest Eurosceptics within the EU, has not signed it.

He said previously he will be the last in Europe to make a decision on the treaty. After the Irish approved the treaty in a repeat referendum on Saturday, Polish President Lech Kaczynski is expected to sign the treaty this week.

The Czech Republic will thus be the last country that has not completed the process of ratification.

Klaus cannot sign the treaty now that a group of Civic Democrat (ODS) senators filed a complaint against it with the Constitutional Court last week.

They want the court to say whether the treaty is compatible with the Czech constitution.

Albania submitted its application for entry to the EU in April during the Czech EU presidency. Then Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek said that the Czech Republic would support Albania for the entire period of its accession talks with the EU.

Klaus also said in Tirana today that the Czech Republic would support "Albanian future in the EU."

In his interview with Czech journalists Klaus pointed out that the Czech Republic wanted for over eight years for entry to the EU after it submitted its application.

Klaus is on a two-day visit to Tirana. He had dinner with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and a meeting with Albanian parliament chairwoman Jozefina Topalli today.

On Tuesday, Klaus will take part in a business forum in Tirana and will visit the port town of Durres.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz