[ALBSA-Info] Government calls on Tirana to help Greek-Albanian relations

[Dea Marko]

Athens News


Government calls on Tirana to help Greek-Albanian
relations


Papandreou says friendship can only be based onrespect
for human rights

BY GEORGE GILSON - GREECE's Balkan policy in a period
of sweeping changes
topped the agenda of an inner cabinet meeting chaired
by Premier Costas Simitis as a new page appeared to
open in relations with a democratic Yugoslavia and
older tensions with Albania were rekindled by recent
statements made by that country's former socialist
prime minister, Fatos Nano.

Domestic politics in Albania after the October 1
municipal elections and in view of a Sunday run-off
have produced ethnic tensions and recriminations. In
Himara - which has an ethnic Greek community that was
once much larger and has long demanded Greek language
schools to no avail - the socialist party accused the
Human Rights Party (HRP), which is supported by most
of the country's ethnic Greeks, of resorting to undue
pressure to influence the elections in a close race
and "Hellenise" the city with support from Athens.

Alleging that the HRP attempted to buy votes and that
party members attacked a priest for having coffee with
him, Nano called the members of the opposing party
"criminals". "You are richer than those who attempt to
buy you off. You are smarter than those who try to
fool you," Nano told a crowd in the Himara square in
advance of Sunday's scheduled run-off ballot, where
HRP is pitted against the socialists, backed by former
president Sali Berisha's Democratic Party.

Fears ran high yesterday that a 2002 world cup
qualifying match in Tirana between the Greek and
Albanian national teams could lead to violent
incidents after last week's municipal elections and in
the light of the recent report that Albanian Premier
Ilir Meta had promised each player a $10,000 bonus in
the event of a victory. The game ended
withoutincident.

Human Rights Party President Vasili Melo - who is of
ethnic Greek origin - had said that the socialists had
engaged in ballot tampering and Greek foreign ministry
spokesman Panos Beglitis charged on October 3 that
"psychological violence" was exercised against the
ethnic Greek community in southern Albania. Beglitis
said that foreign observers had noted improprieties,
including ballot tampering, against the HRP-Omonia
candidate in Himara. Omonia is the largest
organisation of ethnic Greeks in Albania.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas issued a
stern response yesterday. "This is why our foreign
minister from the first moment called Albanian Prime
Minister [Ilir] Meta, who convened the competent state
organs and said that he would preside over a
conference to eradicate such phenomena
[ballot-tampering] in next Sunday's elections. We are
following events closely in Albania and believe that
Tirana should proceed with democratisation
morerapidly," he said.

"Greek-Albanian relations are not a one-way street and
both sides must contribute. We have proven that we
desire the progress of a democratic and economically
developed Albania and continue to work toward that.
Unacceptable and unjustified statements by various
politicians create a problem. If they believe they can
harm Greek-Albanian relations in this way, they should
understand that they are mainly harming themselves and
not Greece," Reppas underlined.

Following yesterday's inner cabinet meeting, Foreign
Minister George Papandreou stressed that good
neighbourly relations with Albania must be based on
"respect for human rights and minority rights". "As a
matter of principle, Greece always guarantees the
protection of minorities, especially the Greek
minority, which we view as a bridge of friendship with
Albania. Today's soccer match between Greece and
Albania, in the athletic spirit... cannot but be a
friendly contest," he said, calling on everyone
toavoid fanaticism.

Focusing on the crucial developments in Yugoslavia,
Papandreou said that with the democratic transition "a
black hole" has been removed from the Balkans and
announced that Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou
will visit Belgrade with Greek businessmen next month
to review details regarding a Greek aid package. He
also announced that Defence Minister Akis
Tsochadzopoulos and Public Order Minister Michalis
Chrysohoidis will also go to Belgrade in November for
talks with the military leadership.

Papandreou is to discuss Yugoslav developments and the
Cyprus problem today with visiting Russian Foreign
Minister Igor Ivanov, who postponed a scheduled visit
yesterday due to the Middle East crisis.

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