Albania’s bid for membership of the European Union received a major boost from Italy and Denmark, Business Week reports. Italy pledged April 12 to provide USD69 million to the former communist country, which has applied for EU candidate status following its acceptance to NATO last year. The money will be used primarily to support small and medium-sized enterprises and education and agriculture projects until 2012.
Meanwhile, Denmark donated equipment that the Albanian army needs to dispose its communist-era stock of ammunitions by 2013.
