Foreign Ministry spokesman Gregory Delavekouras made the following statement regarding the developments in Albania:
“Greece has been monitoring the carrying out of the 8 May local elections in Albania very closely from the outset. Generally speaking, despite the problems observed, the elections were carried out smoothly, marking an improvement over previous elections in the country. This fact is to a great extent attributable to the significant maturity shown by the electorate, which appeared to sense the importance of smooth election processes to the country’s European future.
However, the problems observed in the counting of votes in the Municipality of Tirana are damaging the positive image this process had to date. We call on all the political forces in Albania to rise to the occasion, to show the self-restraint and maturity exhibited by the great majority of Albanians during the elections, and to do everything in their power to preserve law and order, which will strengthen the country’s EU accession perspective. In this effort, they will find Greece to be a strong ally that has repeatedly given tangible proof of its support for Albania’s integration into Euroatlantic structures.”
May 19, 2011