Official Berlin has called Greece's claim to obstruct Albania's integration path for the Beleri case unacceptable.
"Albania is the country that has made the most steps towards EU membership and this path should not be interrupted because of a bilateralization on the Beleri issue," the German Foreign Ministry officially told the Greek newspaper Ta Nea.
"In the case of the candidate for mayor in Himarë, Fredi Beleri, investigations are currently being carried out by the Albanian authorities. We have to wait for the current process in Albania", says the reaction of the German ministry to the Greek media.
"Determinant for the process of Albania's membership in the EU is exclusively the fulfillment of the membership criteria, including the "acquis" of the EU", says the response of the official Berlin, which concludes: "It is important that this be also a reference point for all member states in their decisions on individual steps in the accession process. "Bilateralization" of the membership process is not acceptable.
A case of "bilateralization" is the current conflict between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, so the German government would not want the Beleri case to result in a "bilateralization" of Albania's accession process as well, if Athens decides to take specific bilateral measures against Tirana.
This Monday, the Minister of State Savros Papastavrou said that the imprisonment of Fredi Beleri is not only a bilateral issue, but a European issue.
"The issue of Beler is fundamentally European, not bilateral. It revolves around respecting the rule of law,' Papastavrou said in an interview with Skai radio.