Ilir Aliaj

 

DOI: 10.35666/28310438.2014.3.256

UDC: 911:371.3(496.5)

 

Abstract: In this paper, I am trying to explain the competitive advantage of a country towards EU integration more specifically the case of Albania. My first part of the paper is focused on the geographic position of Albania, its borders and geographic distance from EU countries such Italy and Greece, which means access to big markets. Second part of the paper is on relations between Albania and EU, relations which started only after the fall of communism and are a major push for political and socio-economic reforms in the country. Furthermore, the paper try to explain what is competitiveness of a country and provide an overview of different school of thoughts regarding the topic.  In this part of the paper, I am explaining the three groups of competitiveness of a country, which are regional, national and international competitiveness. Also, on this part are explained the role of socio-economic factors on the competitiveness of a country and the system is a hierarchical, which has two parts first wealth, democracy, education, social justice and second are ability to export, to attract and to adjust.

Keywords: competitive advantage, Albania, geographic position, relations, EU, reforms, competitiveness, socio-economic factors.

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