Petrit Vasili

Artur Metani, Albania's High Inspector of Justice, at parliament on January 20. Photo: Malton Dibra/LSA

Metani, 46, has had a career in state administration, including stints working for the cabinet of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

He has also previously served as adviser to two presidents and is the brother of Socialist MP Eglantina Gjermeni.

Representatives of the opposition Petrit Vasili (left) and Oerd Bylykbashi announcing the agreement on Tuesday. Photo: Gent Shkullaku/LSA.

The move has been applauded by the country's US and European partners, and offers a potential boost to the country's chances to open membership negotiations with European Union.

It was expected to be an eventful political season when Albania's parliament reopened earlier this month, with an agenda of reforms needed to open the way for the start of EU membership negotiations next June.

After the Council of Europe postponed a decision on this issue last June, reforms that need cross-party agreement, such as electoral reform, have become a matter of urgency.

The fallout from the June 25 election in Albania - which Edi Rama's Socialists won - continues to reverberate, as the head of the third-placed party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, Petrit Vasil, resigned on Thursday, proposing Monika Kryemadhi as his successor.

Prime Minister Edi Rama and Lulzim Basha, leader of the opposition Democratic Party [PD], failed to find an agreement for judicial reform after three hours of negotiations on Monday evening.

The LSI, the junior party in Albania's Socialist-led government, has hired a US firm to improve its image in Washington.

Global Security and Innovative Strategies LLC, GSIS, is being taken on for a monthly retainer of $30,000.