TIRANA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Albania sees 2018 as a golden opportunity to achieve its objective towards its European Union membership while it expects a recommendation for opening of accession talks in April, Albanian foreign minister Ditmir Bushati said Monday.

"Albania expects the European Commission to recommend that the European Union member states open the membership talks in April, also based on the 2016 recommendation," Bushati told a press conference.

According to Bushati, it was important that the Albanian government builds clear communication and consultation channels with civil society stakeholders.

He also considered the European Commission's enlargement strategy as a positive step, also in terms of individual merit-based evaluation of each six Western Balkan countries.

Bushati also reiterated the Albanian government's stance to continue with implementation of reforms that are considered crucial to country's integration process such as the justice reform which is underway.

Albania received the candidate country status in 2014 while recently it is has stepped up efforts towards meeting the conditions set by the European Commission in order to launch the accession talks with EU.