Dendias after meeting with Albanian Foreign Minister: Do not allow review forces to destabilize our wider region

The message “to work not to allow” to review forces to try to destabilize the wider region, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in a statement after meeting with his Albanian counterpart Olta Hakka. held in Tirana. He also said that “we agreed on how to speed up the completion of the technical part, so that we can submit the joint statement to the International Court of Justice in The Hague”, which he visited last week.

In fact, Nikos Dendias said that the completion of this process (for the referral of the issue of the delimitation of the EEZ and the continental shelf in The Hague) is of great importance for Greece and pointed out that “the two countries want to resolve our differences on the basis of International Law, and in particular the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS “.

At the same time, the Foreign Minister stressed that in addition to the importance it has for Greece and Albania, it sends a very important message to all countries: That this is the right, the only, the appropriate way to resolve differences. ”

Tirana is the first stop on the foreign minister’s tour of the Western Balkans ahead of the two-week Summit of the Cooperation Process in Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki.

In this context, he expressed the belief that the European perspective of the Western Balkans is a one-way street for the region, especially in the current situation, where the attention to Ukraine allows revisionist forces to try to destabilize the wider region. He also stressed the need “to work to prevent this” and “to be able to build a European future of peace, stability, prosperity and cooperation in our region”.

He also made it clear again that Greece fully supports the immediate start of accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia. In fact, he stressed that Greece is fully prepared to continue to provide technical assistance, and to make every effort to remove the deadlock that exists in the negotiations, which do not concern, as is well known, Albania.

During their meeting, the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Albania discussed our bilateral relations, international developments and Albania’s European perspective. “Our contacts are very frequent. Yesterday the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni arrived here in Tirana to participate in the Greek Cultural Week. I have a year and a half to come to Tirana. I had the pleasure to be here and to announce, together with the Prime Minister Rama “Our agreement to refer the issue of the demarcation of the EEZ and the continental shelf to The Hague,” said Nikos Dendias, thanking the Foreign Minister for referring to it.

Focusing on bilateral relations, Nikos Dendias stressed that it is important that they discussed with the Albanian Foreign Minister the bilateral trade, investments, how they can promote the economy, as well as how they can further deepen bilateral relations. They also discussed energy issues, including the Ukraine war, which Albania is expected to address with the Security Council presidency next month. Nikos Dendias congratulated Albania, because as a NATO ally and as a candidate country for EU membership, it adopts all EU decisions.

In fact, the Foreign Minister stressed that Albania can be an example for other countries that do not follow the Albanian tactics, ie full harmonization with the common positions of our European family. He further agreed that bilateral relations have developed to such an extent that the maintenance of the “law of war” is an anachronism and should be deleted, and added: its abolition to be completed as soon as possible “. Of course, he pointed out, “this means a discussion on real issues, ie issues that the Greek side accepts as existing and not on issues that the Greek side considers not to exist” and added: “And of course, any attempt to create and discuss non-existent issues I’m afraid that it will have consequences on multiple levels, for example the need for Greece to raise issues concerning your own accession process. “In Greece, it is a bridge between our two countries. And that is why we should discuss and have discussed issues that concern both groups, the Greek national minority, but also the Albanian community living in Greece.”

Regarding the issue of pensions, he said that he understands it very well and noted that it is very important, and there is a discussion so that we can put in a solution trajectory something that concerns people who have worked and have contributed to the economy.

Referring to the meeting he had today with members of the Greek national minority, he said that they made him share their own problems, which are also worth discussing.

Regarding the meeting with the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania Anastasios, he said that he had a long discussion.

Finally, he thanked Albania for supporting Greece’s candidacy for the UN Security Council for the period 2025-26 and added that he hopes to receive him as “minister for the first time in Athens”.

After the meeting, the Foreign Minister met with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, to whom he conveyed the warm greetings of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Source: AMPE

Source: Capital

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