Greece threatens Albania with blocking EU accession talks if bilateral issues are not solved before

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has toughened its stance on Albania by reminding the neighboring country of Greece’s superiority in all areas, including its economic, defense and military capabilities, threatening the neighboring country with blocking its accession talks with the EU if bilateral issues are not solved beforehand, while refusing to recognize the so called ‘Cham Issue’.

In an interview with Greek daily ‘Ethnos’, Mr. Kotzias reminded his Albanian counterparts that the true power of each country should be seen through reality’s lens.

“Greece is superior in all areas. It boasts a much higher GDP, multiple systems of defense and security, heavy Albanian dependence on remittances from emigrants working in Greece, not forgetting an asymmetric presence in regional and international platforms. They better get real and contribute towards useful relations, solving any remaining problems before they begin their accession talks with the European Union. I hope they will understand this is in their interest” – said Mr. Kotzias.

Kotzias did not forget to criticize EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn on his recent statement regarding the so called “Cham Issue”, accusing the top EU official of adding a ‘non-existent’ issue to Greek-Albanian relations and adding that ‘since the 2008 financial crisis, certain individuals have underestimated Greece and think they can play games against our country’.

The reaction comes after Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, in defiance of Albanian Speaker of Parliament Ilir Meta’s recent return from a ‘positive’ visit in Athens, said that ‘the Cham Issue is not simply a property rights issue, but a matter of human rights, important for all Albanians wherever they live’, adding that the 1996 Friendship Treaty is not enough to solve past problems.

Bushati defied Greece by reminding his counterpart that the Cham Issue ‘is in the interest of Greece to solve it as it deals with rights of Greek citizens’, guaranteeing people in a speech in Parliament last Thursday that Greece cannot veto Albania’s accession talks with the EU because of the Cham Issue.

The hot rhetorical exchanges between Greek and Albanian Foreign Ministers came only days after Speaker of Albanian Parliament Ilir Meta visited Athens and dealt with all inherited issues as “wounds which need to be healed” constructively and in good faith between the two countries.

In an interview after his return to Tirana, Meta Albanian Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta told Greek daily Kathimerini that “there is nothing the two countries can’t discuss” and called for a comprehensive solution to bilateral differences, including the Cham issue, which Greece doesn’t recognize.