The arrest in Albania of a representative of the Greek national minority, a candidate for the mayor of the town of Himara, Fredi Beleris, may affect the country’s accession to the European Union (EU). Such a statement on Sunday, May 14, was made by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Beleris was arrested on the night of May 11, two days before the local elections. He was accused of bribing voters. Greece considers the allegations baseless and unacceptable. Albania, in turn, demanded not to interfere in internal affairs and in justice.
Mitsotakis said at a press conference that he was the first head of government to visit Himare, and there he promised that the country would always help the Greek national minority.
“And I made it very clear to the Prime Minister of Albania [Эди Раме]that in this matter we do not accept any deviations from the rule of law, nor from the European way, which requires respect for recognized minorities. To put it more clearly: Albania should know very well that if such a policy continues, it will affect our bilateral relations and Albania’s path to Europe. I am not going to put up with this behavior towards a minority 48 hours before the election,” he said.
The Prime Minister hopes that the situation will be resolved as soon as possible.
The issue of accession to the European Union of the countries of the Balkan region (Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo, unrecognized by Russia) has been discussed for several years.
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