The President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine An. Tassoulas received the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania Elisa Spiropali, who is on a working visit to Greece.
Mr. Tassoulas stated that the intensification of bilateral contacts reflects the close relations between Greece and Albania, as well as the shared political will to further improve and strengthen them, guided by the rules of international law and the principles of mutual respect and good neighborliness.
He also stressed that the Greek National Minority in Albania and the Albanian community living and working in Greece are bridges of friendship and cooperation between the two peoples.
In this context, he reiterated that the effective protection and safeguarding in practice of all the rights of the Greek National Minority remains a constant priority for our country and an important aspect in the context of monitoring Albania’s accession process. He particularly emphasized the importance of protecting the property and educational rights of members of the Greek National Minority, highlighting Greece’s long-standing demands.
Furthermore, he referred to the need to implement the Agreement on the search for and reburial of Greek soldiers who fell during the Greco-Italian War, including achieving progress on the issue of expanding the military cemetery in Kleisoura.
He went on to praise the progress Albania has made over the past year in its accession negotiations and expressed his certainty that Greece will continue to support Albania’s accession process, as well as that of all the countries of the Western Balkans, provided that the necessary reforms continue, particularly in the areas of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
For her part, Ms. Spiropali expressed the Albanian side’s gratitude for Greece’s support of her country’s accession process, which is backed by the overwhelming majority of Albanian citizens. She also stressed that the accession negotiations entail a series of reforms, including the protection of the rights of the Greek minority.
