Albanian PM in Athens with maritime zones on agenda

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will hold informal meetings Friday with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias during a private visit to Athens against the backdrop of the agreement between the two countries for recourse to the International Court of Justice in the Hague for the delimitation of their maritime zones.

The issue is also connected with Albania’s European aspirations. His visit will come a day after he was warmly received in Ankara by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Before leaving for Ankara, Rama had a phone conversation with Dendias on January 5 on bilateral issues, as well as regional developments.

Rama and Dendias had met during the latter’s visit to Tirana, where it was agreed to refer the dispute over maritime zones to The Hague. However, the move requires the two sides to sign a formal statement of intent, which has not yet been done.