Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that while the problem of property titles is a real issue, it affects the whole country from north to south and not just the Greek minority, some of which use the Greek flag as a credit card.
Amid a tense situation with neighbouring Greece, exacerbated by the arrest and imprisonment of Albanian ethnic Greek politician, Fredi Beleri, on suspicion of vote buying in the April local elections, Rama was interviewed by Greek media Kathimerini.
Greek politicians have said the Beleri issue is rooted in discrimination against the Greek community in the south of the country, while Albania insists the courts must be able to do their work. They have also raised claims over property issues Athens said affects ethnic Greeks.
“Problems with property titles in Albania from North to South are the same. The problem is that some people who remember that they are smarter than others know how to use the Greek flag as a credit card. Some use the Greek flag to poison society. They support their micro-interests using the Greek flag,” Rama said in his interview.
Some 0.9% of the population identify as ethnic Greek and several communities in the south of the country speak Greek, Albanian nationalists say they simply identify as Greek to get Greek (and de facto EU) passports and money from Athens such as pensions and other allowances.
Rama added, however, that Albanians also use flags in this negative manner, including his ruling Socialist Party and the Democratic Party, currently in opposition. However, Albanians do not claim they are minorities being “destroyed”.
“However, some among the Greek minority are very skilled at manipulating Athens, and Athens is not able to perceive that the person who can contribute to improving relations and improving the living standards of the minority is not a Greek, it is only me, not because I work for the Greeks, but because I work for all citizens of Albania,” Rama said.
He called the Greeks in Albania a “treasure” but added, “But while there are some Albanians who do not enjoy the fact that we have the same blood, there are also a few Greeks who you should not feel too proud of having the same blood.”
On the topic of the informal meeting of Western Balkan leaders with EU chiefs in Athens, organised by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to which Rama was not invited, he said he did not take it personally.
“I have learned in life that feeling personally offended is not a good thing. When it comes to politics, there are decisions that can go wrong, politics is a dangerous beast. It can drag you down, no I’m not offended,” Rana said.
He added that Mitsotakis, “Just shouldn’t have done what he did,” and that he could not imagine doing the same thing.
But over the weekend, relations took yet another nosedive as Greek Labour Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the government would block EU funding to Albania, if Beleri were not sworn in.
“If the elections are repeated, or another mayor is sworn in, for Greece it will be a bad factor in relations with Albania for an indefinite period. Albania will pay dearly if it continues to violate the rights of the Greeks. The message for Albania today is clear. If they continue to prevent the swearing-in of the new Mayor of Himarë, Fredi Beleri, they will have to forget their European course and the money from Europe”, said Georgiadis.
Beleri was arrested two days before the election but managed to still win the election by a handful of votes. He has not yet been able to take the oath and assume office, due to his incarceration. His lawyers say that if he is not able to be sworn in by mid-Septemer, he could lose the mandate.
The Greek minister called for Albania to review its position and assessed that Rama not being sent an invitation to attend the informal dinner in Athens is a clear message for the Western Balkans.
“The decision of Kyriakos Mitsotakis to invite everyone else except Rama, I think, shows that the case of Fredi Beleri is not passing without obstacles in the Greek government. Those who thought that Kyriakos Mitsotakis would be soft on this issue were wrong,” he added.
Athens has repeatedly threatened to block Albania’s EU path, not just funding, over the Beleri case, but also other disputes related to the northern region of Epirus, referred to as Chameria by Albanians.
When asked by EURACTIV for his thoughts on the informal dinner in Athens, Rama told EURACTIV, “once the Balkans, always the Balkans”, in an apparent reference to the stubborn Balkan mentality.
(Alice Taylor | EURACTIV.com)
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