Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama recently engaged in an interview with Greek state media ERT, addressing a range of topics including Greek-Albanian relations and the detention of Fredi Beleri, the elected ethnic Greek mayor of the Albanian region Himare. The interview, broadcasted on Wednesday, provided insights into the current state of affairs between the two neighboring nations.
During the interview, Rama emphasized the significance of the Greek minority in Albania as a valuable aspect of the culture of coexistence. He underscored its role as a bridge that nurtures and reinforces friendship between the two peoples and governments. Rama stated, “The Greek minority in Albania is a treasure to our culture of coexistence and an irreplaceable bridge to nurture and strengthen the friendship between the two peoples, between the two states and definitely between the two governments.”
Regarding the arrest of Fredi Beleri, the elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare, Rama expressed a commitment to the principles of equality and justice under the law. He remarked, “This man is a citizen of the Republic of Albania, who must be equal before the law like every citizen of the Republic of Albania, and at the same time must answer to the law like every citizen of the Republic of Albania. There cannot be two justices, one justice for Albanian citizens of Albanian nationality and another for Albanian citizens of Greek nationality.”
Rama also addressed Greece’s stance in the matter, suggesting that a cooperative and forward-looking approach would be more aligned with European values. He stated, “Greece considers to have the ball in its court, implying that if things don’t go its way, it will take revenge on Albania by making Albania’s accession to the EU difficult. This is not a very European and rather dated attitude in my opinion.”
The Albanian Prime Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining a friendly and strategic relationship with Greece due to shared strategic interests. He affirmed his commitment to his friendship with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stating, “We have important strategic interests which require a friendly and strategic relationship with Greece.”
