ATHENS – [ANA-MPA] [Photo: GANP/ Dimitrios Panagos]
“The key to Albania’s integration into the European family lies solely in its full compliance with the fundamental chapters concerning the rule of law and the substantive protection of the property rights of the Greek minority. These are issues over which our country maintains significant reservations; we are closely monitoring them and remain fully vigilant”, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Wednesday.
He was replying to an urgent question from independent MP Michalis Chourdakis, who stressed that “Albania’s EU accession cannot be turned into a blank cheque but requires binding compliance with clear terms and conditions,” following recent events involving a violent attack on a member of the Greek diaspora in Zvërnec and disputes over both the property rights of members of the Greek national minority and maritime zones.
“First: regarding property rights, our position is clear and we are working on this so as to increase the performance of electronic registrations in the Cadastre, as well as to ensure the full issuance of titles.
“Second: regarding maritime delimitation, there was a significant setback because the Constitutional Court of Albania did not allow ratification of the Agreement. There is an ongoing discussion. It is clear and already recorded among the conditions that compliance with international law and especially the Law of the Sea constitutes a full prerequisite for the progress of Albania’s accession process,” the foreign minister said.
He noted that “this is not merely a matter of regulatory compliance. Regulatory compliance is necessary but not sufficient. There must also be compliance in practice,” and added: “There is indeed significant reservation regarding the substantive protection of both the property rights of the national minority and, more broadly, minority rights, especially after the events we unfortunately witnessed in recent weeks and for which there was an immediate response from the foreign ministry. In practice, therefore, there is full monitoring of substantive compliance. We are in full vigilance.”
Gerapetritis also stressed that “under the new enlargement methodology, the initial fundamental Chapters 23 and 24 – namely democracy, the rule of law, and respect for minority rights – constitute the first ones to be opened and the last to be closed.”
“This is particularly important, as it is indeed the key reference point for substantive progress. In Greece’s view, fundamental issues such as the rule of law and the protection of future rights are decisive, and there can be no accession unless full compliance is ensured,” the foreign minister underlined.
At the same time, he clarified that “Greece is clear regarding the discussion on decision-making procedures related to the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.”
“Greece is firmly and unequivocally in favour of maintaining the existing decision-making system requiring unanimity of all member states. Therefore, to be absolutely clear, full compliance with international law and the Law of the Sea, and furthermore full compliance with the rights of the national minority, with emphasis on the protection of their property rights,” he said, concluding:
“It is clear that Greece has every reason – historical, national, and under current conditions geopolitical – to be the country that holds the key and is at the forefront of the Western Balkans’ accession process to the European family. However, this does not mean that there will be any reversal of substantive national interests, which will be set out and have already been explicitly recorded as conditions not only for Albania’s accession but also for all Western Balkan states.”
