Greeks in border regions with Albania protest, oppose plan to reduce army

Residents of Thesprotia, a border region neighboring Albania, protested in Athens on Friday in front of the Ministry of National Defense, opposing the reduction of the military presence in the cross-border region, Greek media reported.

The departure of the 628th Infantry Battalion from Filati, just a few kilometers from the border with Albania, as a result of the reform in the Greek armed forces has sparked strong reactions from residents and several Greek municipalities in recent days.

The protests began this week in the town of Filati, then moved to the port city of Goumenitsa and most recently to the Greek capital Athens.

According to Greek media, residents and local elected officials say that the decision to close the military unit in Filat has consequences for the security of the area and for the economic and social life of the region, which is suffering, according to them, deep abandonment by the population.

The military department has served to employ hundreds of people and contributed to the economic life of the region, local media report.

Greek media reported that three mayors of the municipalities of Filati, Goumenitsa and Suli and two of the communes of Arta, during a meeting with the Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Defense, Antonio Economou, submitted a resolution on Friday presenting the arguments in favor of a military presence in the remote areas of Thesprotia.

This cross-border area has been known in recent years for forms of illegal trafficking by Albanian and Greek criminal groups, especially the transportation of narcotics from Albania to Greece and the crossing of irregular foreigners from the Greek border to Albania.

The Greek Ministry of Defense has stated that as part of a new strategy for the Greek armed forces, it is expected to close 132 of the 837 existing military units.

Some of the military structures that are expected to be reduced by the decision of the Greek defense authorities have been deployed for years near the border with Albania./ VOA