European Commission report sends message to Albania
The European Commission’s progress report on Greece’s neighbor Albania, which opened accession negotiations with the EU in 2022, noted a determination to implement the required European reforms and some progress, but also urged Tirana to undertake further efforts regarding “freedom of expression, minority issues and property rights, as well as in key areas of the rule of law, such as the fight against corruption and organized crime.”
In fact, the report mentions, albeit without naming it, the case of Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himare, in the section on good-neighborly relations, which referred to Albania’s relationship with Greece.
It stated that serious concerns have been raised over tensions between the two countries as a result of the pretrial imprisonment of a recently elected mayor of Greek descent. Beleri was arrested on the eve of the local elections, and his trial on charges of vote-buying began on September 14.
The report also noted that the mayor-elect’s requests to be granted special leave to enable him to take the oath of office have been rejected.
It also stressed that relations with Greece as a whole have remained good, with continued political contacts, but underlined that the rights of the ethnic Greek minority, in particular property rights, remain a matter of dispute in bilateral relations.
Regarding Turkey, the Commission report said it was a “leading partner” of the EU, but also noted shortcomings in meeting the preconditions for any progress in the accession negotiation process (respect for the rule of law, human rights, freedoms etc).
It also placed emphasis on the non-resolution of the Cyprus problem and its repeated insistence on a “two-state solution in Cyprus,” contrary to relevant UN resolutions.
