
Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said that Greece has toughened its stance towards Albania and is determined to raise obstacles to its EU accession prospects and block access to European funding tools, foreign media reports .
" We cannot accept any discount for democratic functioning and the rule of law ," said the minister.
Varvitsiotis underlined that the region of Himara is excluded from the geographical areas in which Albania recognizes the existence of a Greek minority and that is why Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chose to visit it in December 2022.
Albanians headed to the polling stations on Sunday to vote in 61 municipalities for mayors and local councilors. But in Himare, the trouble started on Friday. Fredi Beleri was arrested on Friday on suspicion of vote buying.
Police said he would be charged with active election corruption, something Beleri denies. While the Socialist Party won in most municipalities, with counting still ongoing as of Tuesday, Beleri emerged victorious in the southern municipality of Himara. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who threatened to block Albania's path to the EU over the arrest, reacted by hailing Beler's release.