Editing Economy of Albania (section)

===Application of Albania to the European Union===
{{Main|Accession of Albania to the European Union}}
Albania applied for membership in the [[European Union]] in 2009. It is expected such membership would benefit Albania's economy. The country received official candidate status in 2014, but was twice denied full membership.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17679574 |title=Albania country profile |date=December 15, 2016 |work=BBC News |access-date=February 8, 2017 |quote=The [2013] election was closely monitored by the European Union, which has twice rejected Albania's membership application and warned that the poll would be ''a crucial test'' for its further progress towards integration in the bloc. |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170103201731/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17679574 |archive-date=January 3, 2017 }}</ref> The [[European Parliament]] warned Albanian government leaders in early 2017 that the [[2017 Albanian parliamentary election]] must be "free and fair" before negotiations could begin to admit the country into the EU. The MEPs also expressed concern about the country's "selective justice, corruption, the overall length of judicial proceedings and political interference in investigations and court cases" but the EU Press Release expressed some optimism: "It is important for Albania to maintain today's reform momentum and we must be ready to support it as much as possible in this process".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/bg/news-room/20170131IPR60322/foreign-affairs-meps-assess-reform-efforts-in-albania-and-bosnia-and-Herzegovina |title=Foreign affairs MEPs assess reform efforts in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina |date=January 31, 2017 |work=European Parliament |access-date=February 8, 2017 |quote=Albania needs to implement EU-related reforms credibly, and ensure that its June parliamentary elections are free and fair, if it is to start EU accession negotiations |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170211080700/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/bg/news-room/20170131IPR60322/foreign-affairs-meps-assess-reform-efforts-in-albania-and-bosnia-and-Herzegovina |archive-date=February 11, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/761758/Albania-Bosnia-Herzegovina-European-Union-membership-democratic-values |title=Albania and Bosnia fail to impress at EU membership meeting over democratic value concerns |last=Culbertson |first=Alix |date=February 1, 2017 |work=Express Newspapers Ltd., UK |access-date=February 8, 2017 |quote=Albania and Bosnia have stumbled at the first hurdle of becoming fully-fledged European Union (EU) members after MEPs questioned the credibility of their democratic values. |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512122552/https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/761758/Albania-Bosnia-Herzegovina-European-Union-membership-democratic-values |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2019, European Commissioner [[Johannes Hahn]] recommended that the EU open membership talks with Albania.<ref name="European Western Balkans Start Talks">{{cite web |title=EC: Albania and North Macedonia to open the negotiations |url=https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2019/05/29/ec-albania-north-macedonia-open-negotiations/ |work=European Western Balkans |access-date=2 June 2019 |date=29 May 2019 |archive-date=31 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531174227/https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2019/05/29/ec-albania-north-macedonia-open-negotiations/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Albania also needs to continue to improve its infrastructure, particularly highways within its borders and connecting the country to its neighbours. Once there is evidence of significant progress on this front, the country's chances of acceptance into the EU should improve. Discussions took place during 2015 to secure funding to do so.<ref name="Rapoza"/>

By 2016, China became one of the major investors in Albania having purchased drilling rights to the oil fields of Patos-Marinzë and Kuçovë (from a Canadian company) and Tirana International Airport SHPK. China Everbright and Friedmann Pacific Asset Management will operate the airport until 2025. As of March 2016, China was the country's main trading partner, with 7.7% of the country's total international trade; that is far more than the trade with Greece and Turkey.<ref name="Mejdini">{{cite web |url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/chinese-investments-raise-eyebrows-in-albania-05-02-2016 |last=Mejdini |first=Fatjona |date=3 May 2016 |title=Chinese Investments Raise Eyebrows in Albania |work=Balkan Insight |access-date=10 February 2017 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702101439/http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/chinese-investments-raise-eyebrows-in-albania-05-02-2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2018 analysis of six key categories indicated that Albania continues to experience infrastructure problems that present challenges to businesses and further economic opportunities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bahhouth |first1=Victor |last2=Ziemnowicz |first2=Christopher |title=Meeting the Global Challenges of Doing Business in the Five Candidate Countries on the Road to Join the European Union |journal=Journal of the Knowledge Economy |date=March 2018 |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=1297–1318 |doi=10.1007/s13132-018-0531-3 |s2cid=158074120 |quote=Albania failed to show any strength on the six dimensions.}}</ref>