Foreign Ministry announcement on the violation of the rights of the Greek National Minority in Albania

Albanian officials are not in a position to claim urbi et orbi that minority rights are respected throughout the Albanian territory, while at the same time they are violating them in practice, undermining the country’s EU accession path.

Facts speak for themselves: the demolition notices, in the context of the redevelopment plan for Himara, were addressed exclusively to people of Greek origin. This is a methodically planned effort that leads to the conclusion of the existence of a scheme to deliberately breach the rights of the Greek minority.

The relevant statements made yesterday by Albanian officials evoke outdated concepts, which are directly opposed to the applicable standards for the protection of minority rights in modern, democratic and European countries.

The Albanian leadership mistakes its own false perception of history with Albania’s commitments emanating from international law and the EU acquis, concerning the protection of the indigenous Greek National Minority whose rights are vested.