German Chancellor Angela Merkel assured Albania and other Balkan states yesterday there would be no artificial delays on their drive to join the EU and said it was in the bloc’s interests they make it in.

Speaking in Albania’s capital during the first leg of a tour that will also take her to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Merkel said she had heard complaints from Balkan states seeking entry to the bloc that the EU was stalling.

“May I tell you that it is in our own interests that our promise that the countries in the Western Balkans have a European perspective – that we realise this perspective, because that concerns our credibility,” Merkel said.

Balkan countries are likely to suffer spillover effects from the Greek debt crisis. Merkel’s visit sends a signal that the region’s stability is crucial to the EU.

Governments in the region fear their progress towards EU membership could stall because of enlargement fatigue inside the bloc and because Brussels is too preoccupied with saving the euro.

“I can tell you, nothing will be artificially delayed. There won’t be any difficulties constructed... I think it is widely recognised that Albania is taking big steps forward,” Merkel said at a news conference alongside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Of the Western Balkan countries, Slovenia and Croatia are already EU members. Serbia and Albania have been given candidate status but they have yet to start accession talks.