[Dimitris Papamitsos/Prime Minister’s Press Office]
The decision by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to invite the president of Albania, Bajram Begaj, tο an informal dinner of Western Balkan leaders in Athens on Monday rather than the neighboring country’s premier, Edi Rama, is seen as a reflection of Greece’s dismay with Tirana over the ongoing detention of ethnic-Greek Fredi Beleri, who has not been permitted to take office as mayor of Himare.
Beleri was detained on May 12 on allegations of bribing voters, a charge that he denies, and elected mayor on May 14 of Himare, a town in southern Albania populated predominantly by ethnic Greeks.
His repeated appeals lodged with the Tirana courts have been rejected. Greece has repeatedly protested his continuing detention.
Diplomatic sources told Kathimerini that the Greek prime minister’s decision is a diplomatic way to show not only to Rama, but also to the other leaders of the Western Balkans, that Greece does not negotiate on matters of principle, such as respect for human rights, which in the case of Beleri it considers are being violated by Albania.
What made matters worse was the stance of Rama four days ago, on the occasion of a protest rally in Himare in support of the imprisoned mayor, that did not go down well in Athens.
Among other things, Rama accused Greece of interfering with the judicial process and described Athens’ attempt as “surreal,” while he also lashed out against Europe Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas for his recent intervention in favor of Beleri’s release.
The Greeks in Athens and Brussels, said Rama, are trying “to present this issue, which was taken up by the judiciary, as an issue of the Greek minority.” He also claimed that Athens has escalated the issue in an unprecedented manner.
The Greek side has a completely opposite view, insisting that it is the Rama government which is intervening in the work of the judiciary because the result in Himare with Beleri’s win was not what it expected.
The informal dinner on Monday with the leaders of the Western Balkans and EU member-states of the region for a discussion on enlargement and the European future of the region seeks to highlight Greece’s leading role as a pillar of stability, peace and energy security in the Balkans and Southeast Europe.
