WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha Tuesday it is important for his government to continue political and economic reforms and to meet the requirements needed for NATO membership. 

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the two also talked about Albania's efforts to urge Kosovar Albanians to show "patience and restraint" as the U.N. Security Council weighs a plan to grant the Serb province supervised independence. 

Basha, appointed as foreign minister last week, told a gathering here Tuesday his country - along with ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Macedonia - have a "shared vision" of one day joining NATO and the European Union.
 
May 08, 2007 11:12 ET (15:12 GMT)