TIRANA, Apr 28, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- by Xinhua Writer Yang Ke

An Albanian official said on Tuesday, after the country applied for the candidate status of the EU, riding on the back of it being invited into NATO at the start of this month, that Albania deserves an EU membership since his country have been endeavoring for years to meet the requirements of the entry into the organization.

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha submitted the application in Prague earlier on Tuesday to his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the EU presidency.

"We deserve a membership in the EU," Remzi Lani, director of Albanian Media Institute told Xinhua in an interview. "Albania has for years undertaken fruitful reforms, and tremendous positive changes have been achieved."

A recently released study, carried out by the World Bank and the UN Development Program, has shown that tens of thousands of Albanian people have been lifted out of poverty thanks to strong economic growth in recent years.

Lani pointed out that Albania was heartened by the fact its smaller neighbor Montenegro had already submitted its EU membership application.

Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU as a first step toward membership in June 2006, when Montenegro declared independence from Serbia after a referendum.

"And it can't be ruled out that the Albanian government might take this opportunity of membership application to impress the Albanian people ahead of the general elections," Lani said.

Albania is set to hold parliamentary elections on June 28, and the European Union had urged Albania to wait until after the elections before submitting its application.

"No matter what, you must come to knock the door on your own initiative. No one will invite you to do it. Such was the case with Austria," Lani said.

Lani expected Albania to get responses from the European Union to Albania's application after the elections which the EU hoped will be held in a free and fair manner.

"I think Albania will be awarded the candidate status of EU's membership within one year, very possibly during Spain's EU presidency in the first half of next year," Lani said.

Enlargement fatigue, the global economic crisis and rising unemployment ensued have hardened attitudes of the old EU members against the entry of poorer new member states, such as countries in the western Balkans.

"I am full of confidence of Albania being admitted into the EU. And we might achieve that within 10 years, if there are no setbacks and backpedaling inside Albania," Lani said.