Questions have arisen as to whether Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit to Athens will finally be allowed on May 12, when he is scheduled to address a gathering of Albanian immigrants, members and friends of his party.

The rally had originally been planned to be held at the Galatsi Olympic Hall, before permission was revoked by the municipality due to other planned activities.

So it remains to be seen where the meeting will take place, if it takes place at all. Given that until Wednesday no written request had reached the Foreign Ministry and the other relevant authorities for Rama’s visit (albeit unofficial), no statement of intentions has yet been openly expressed by the Greek side.

The Albanian PM had unofficially announced his intention to visit Athens through close associate Endri Fuga, who was in Greece a few days ago.

The Greek Foreign Ministry informed Fuga that given the phase Greece is in due to the European elections, it would be preferable to postpone the visit until after June 9.

However, the ministry’s exhortation has since been ignored, making it obvious in Athens that Rama made his decision to visit immediately after the announcement of the inclusion of the imprisoned elected mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri, in the European candidate list of the New Democracy party. 

The symbolism of May 12 is also not lost on observers as the date marks exactly one year since Beleri’s arrest. The case of Beleri, an ethnic Greek, has strained relations between the two countries, with Greece stressing that his trial was politically motivated and that the rule of law was violated. 

Bearing in mind the events in Himare, the government certainly does not want Rama’s trip to fuel internal political conflict in the run-up to the elections sparked by the Beleri case, which could even provoke a reaction by ethnic Greek constituents from Albania in Athens. 

(Source: Kathimerini)