Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos cancelled a formal visit to Tirana at the last minute on Wednesday, expressing the Greek government’s dismay at the Albanian Prime Minister’s statements marking the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence.
Sali Berisha: [Citizens of Avlona] “proclaimed on November 28, 1912 the independence of Albania, the independence of ethnic Albania, of the Albania of all Albanian territories from Preveza to Presevo, from Skopje to Podgorica.”
The provocative statement by Berisha, obviously triggered a nerve in Avramopoulos (and for good reason) since it asserts a part of Greek territory (namely Preveza) and the Foreign Ministry immediately released a statement saying that the Greek FM was cancelling his trip.
The latest statements from Berisha were just the "icing on the cake" in a long stream of provocations and statements and in a period when the relations between the two countries were already treading some difficult thresholds.
The Greek Foreign Ministry noted that "statements such as these do not contribute to creating a climate of friendship, trust and good-neighborly relations between the two countries, and to develop joint initiatives in areas of common interest, such as the political, economic and energy sector.”
Sources in Greek - defencenet, protothema
Posts
