The maritime border with Greece returns to focus - Athens, an important partner for Albania's European integration
In a recent article, the Greek newspaper "Ta Nea" writes that the new round of consultations between Greece and Albania has opened with the pending maritime border issue at the top of the agenda, following the re-election of Prime Minister Edi Rama for a fourth term as prime minister.
"Ta Nea" underlines that, in the Gerapetritis-Hasani face-to-face meeting in Athens, on June 3, it is considered certain that the issue of the Greek-Albanian Exclusive Economic Zone will be addressed, so that both sides can reach an agreement on "further steps" to refer this specific dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as agreed in 2020.
According to the Greek newspaper, competent Albanian sources point out that for Tirana it is also an issue of "extraordinary importance". They emphasize that, if the green light is given to the International Court of Justice, both sides should follow the necessary steps and cooperate closely. For the Albanian government, moreover, the main issue now is the smooth path to Albania's accession to the EU. In this regard, Tirana admits that it is receiving "considerable support" from Athens.
Therefore, deepening bilateral relations between Greece and Albania is now considered by Tirana as a "high priority".
"The commitment to Albania's European path was perhaps the most important factor, as sources point out, that determined Rama's recent electoral triumph, with the accession process continuing smoothly, with the Fifth EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference held in Brussels," writes "Ta Nea".
However, competent sources emphasize that during the last Summit of the European Political Community, Emmanuel Macron did not rule out Albania's accession to the EU in 2027, three years earlier than the target.
While the final agenda of the upcoming meeting between George Gerapetritis and his Albanian counterpart Igli Hasani is still being formulated, sources predict that the strengthening of Greek-Albanian cooperation, both in existing and new fields, will also be discussed during the talks.
According to the Greek newspaper, another element that reflects the importance of the relationship between the states is the overwhelming percentage that the Socialist Party collected through the votes of Albanians residing in Greek cities, over 84%. If we compare it with the overall figures of the diaspora, where Rama won 61.3% of the votes, the support of the Albanians of Greece is more clearly understood.
At the end of the "Ta Nea" article, it emphasizes that this fact from Tirana is explained by the campaign conducted by the Albanian prime minister on Greek soil, but also because Albanians in Greek territories have long supported the Socialist Party.
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