The spokesman of the Greek government, Pavlos Marinakis, has commented on the statements of the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, that Albania should join the EU, even bypassing the Greek veto. 

Marinakis responded to these statements by saying that "the observance of the rules of the rule of law is not overlooked", referring to the case of the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri. 

"I think that respect for the rules of the rule of law is not overlooked. The Fredi Beleri issue is not a bipartisan issue. It is a matter of the rule of law. This is how we treat it and this is how we will continue to treat it", said the representative of the government, Pavlos Marinakis, regarding the issue of Albania's membership in the European Union. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also stated the same at yesterday's EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels, as respect for the rule of law is the crowning glory of the membership process. Newsit.gr writes that Greece does not back down on the issue of Fredi Beleri's imprisonment and insists on his right to a fair trial, since he was not able to take the oath even as the mayor of Himara, after his election. Greece's stance is "putting the brakes" on Albania's membership negotiations in the European Union. 

However, Olaf Scholz said Wednesday, among other things, that Albania's membership in the EU will be a reward for the reform efforts of recent years in the country. "When a country has gone through extensive reforms, such as In the case of Albania, this must be recognized, otherwise there is a risk of far-reaching consequences in the overall process of enlargement, which we cannot allow," said Olaf Solz.