TIRANA, Albania (AP) _ Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha started Tuesday a two-day visit to neighboring Greece in an effort to boost political and economic ties and get the country’s southern neighbor’s support for integration efforts into the European Union and NATO. Berisha said before going there that during his visit to Greece Sept. 12-13 he would talk with host Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, other top officials and businessmen “to intensify the already very good ties in all the spheres.” Relations between the two neighbors often become tense because of perceptions of racism and xenophobia against Albanians living in Greece.
Greece will support Albania’ Euro Atlantic agenda
Host Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis pledged support Wednesday for Albania’s efforts to join the EU and NATO, following talks with his visiting Albanian counterpart. Karamanlis said Athens “attributes great significance” to its northern neighbor’s bids to join the organizations. Greece is already a member of both. “We are ready to help (Albania) with its efforts to implement the necessary reforms and commitments it has undertaken to the European Union,” Karamanlis said. The small Balkan country took its first step toward possible EU membership in June, signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement, and also hopes to be invited to become a full NATO member by 2008.
Karamanlis and Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha also discussed ways of boosting economic and political ties, as well as police and military cooperation. Berisha said discussions included the rights of the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania, and of the estimated 600,000 Albanian immigrants living in Greece. He said his government would “seriously discuss” a Greek proposal to establish a rail link between the two countries.
Earlier Wednesday, the two countries’ energy ministers signed a deal on bilateral energy cooperation.
In his second day of visit Berisha also met with Greek President Karolos Papoulias both considering their countries’ ties as ‘excellent.’ “We have been and will remain the strongest and consequent supporters of Albania’s integration into NATO and EU,” said Papoulias. Berisha thanked Papoulias for his personal contribution in the promotion of relations between the two countries. Papoulias cut short a visit to Albania last year not meeting with Albanian President Alfred Moisiu in Saranda for security issues. A group of Cams was protesting in Saranda for their rights in Greece. Papoulias went back to Greece from Gjirokastra where he stopped.
Berisha also made honorary ceremonies to the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in Athens.
On Tuesday Berisha met with Greek parliament Speaker Anna Benaki – Psarouda both highly considering the level of relations and pledging further strengthening. Benaki-Psarouda said Greece would strongly support Albania’s integration efforts. The Greek Speaker evaluated the fact that the Albanian government had as a minister a member of the Greek minority in the country. “That is one of the indicators that Albania respects the international standards on minorities,” she said. “I am a witness of the support of the greek democratic forces to the albanian democratic forces since the start of political pluralism in Albania. I am also witness of the assistance that the Greek people and parliament have given to Albanians in their efforts of development and integration into Europe,” said Berisha.
Strengthening economy cooperation
Berisha had also a visit to the Greek Chamber of Industry meeting Greek investors and businessmen. Berisha presented to them his ‘Albania, 1 euro’ idea explaining what facilities they would have if they put their money in Albania. Greece has already some 430 million euro of investment in the country. Berisha pledged to the Greek businessmen that the government would strongly fight corruption that has plagued his country. “The major goal of my government is to make Albania the freest country for foreign investment,” he said.
Topics of discussion sure were more than 600,000 Albanian immigrants living in Greece, other joint interest topics, including asking for Greece’s support in the tiny Balkan country’s integration efforts into the European Union after signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement in June, the first step toward membership. Albania is also expecting to be invited to become a full NATO member by 2008.
Greece is Albania’s second trading partner after Italy.
Political agenda
The issue of the Greek cemeteries in southern Albania was also not mentioned during the trip, though it is clear it could have been a topic in the talks. Albania was surprised some months ago to learn that allegedly a priest there had paid money to certain individuals for taking out of land bones of other Albanian dead persons and use them for Greek soldiers killed during the Second World War here when Italy attacked Greece from the Albanian land. Investigation until now has shown only many bones did not belong to Greeks but it has not accused the priest or anyone else for that. Greece wants to have three cemeteries in southern Albania for the soldiers.
During the two-day visit there was not mentioned at all in the news releases anything on the Cam issue, who claim reparation, though Greece insists that it had closed 60 years ago. Albanians have for years demanded that Greece pay compensation for property they lost. The Party for Justice and Integration, that supports the Cam issue, publicly appealed to Berisha to mention their case during the trip.
Berisha also met with the former Greek president Constantinos Stephanopoulos who visited Albania before he left the post.
