Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has responded to his exclusion from a dinner hosted by Greece for top officials from Balkan nations and the European Union, expressing the importance of unity in Europe, especially during turbulent times.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hosted an informal dinner for nine Balkan leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council head Charles Michel. The event aimed to discuss the region’s European future. However, Rama was not invited, as it was considered a protest against Albania’s imprisonment of ethnic Greek minority leader Fredi Beleri on charges of vote-buying ahead of a mayoral election in May.
Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis explained that inviting Rama to such an important initiative was not feasible, considering the circumstances surrounding Beleri’s arrest. The dinner took place on the 20th anniversary of an EU-Western Balkan summit in Thessaloniki, highlighting Balkan states’ aspirations to join the European Union.
Rama refrained from reacting on the day of the dinner to avoid disturbing the gathering. He praised Greece’s efforts in discussing the European future of the Balkans, especially in the context of Russian aggression. Rama emphasized the need for Greece’s increased involvement in the region’s shared path.
In May, Greece’s Foreign Ministry had demanded Beleri’s immediate release, expressing concerns that the case could adversely affect Albania’s EU membership application. However, Rama pointed out that his government couldn’t intervene while the judiciary handled Beleri’s case. On Monday, a court denied Beleri’s release.
Beleri, a member of the Human Rights Union Party of the ethnic Greek minority, won the mayoral election. Nevertheless, he cannot be sworn in as mayor due to his arrest. Albania is planning to host a summit on the Berlin Process, an initiative by Germany and France aimed at encouraging Western Balkans countries’ integration into the European Union.
In a conciliatory gesture, Rama mentioned that Mitsotakis had been invited to participate in Albania’s summit. He stressed the importance of unity in turbulent times and the need to focus on larger goals that transcend domestic politics. Rama concluded that the global stakes are too high for the region to be held hostage by internal divisions.
