The Greek Dep. FM Kassimis concludes Albania tour.

Photo: Berisha and Kassimis during first day of the trip in Albania.

Deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis on Sunday concluded a tour of southern Albania municipalities and villages that host ethnic Greek communities, and following his talks in Tirana with Albanian leadership.

In comments in the town of Korce, Kassimis called on representatives of ethnic Greek communities to work together and avoid divisions and splits. "I believe that with assistance and cooperation by all, and of course, building on the foundations of good-neighbourly and friendly relations between the Greek and Albanian governments, we will be able to achieve the vision of allowing people who migrated to Greece for a better future to return to their homeland, the land of their forefathers, to work and prosper," the Greek minister said in Korce.

A day earlier, he visited villages in the Sarande region -- Livadia, Mesopotamos, Vouliarati and Dervitsani -- before also attending a memorial service at the Vouliarati cemetery hosting the graves of Greek servicemen that fell in action during the Greek-Italian war (1940-1941) in the area.

Kassimis and the Greek delegation also visited a Greek-language, appropriately named "Homer", in the coastal area of Himare, where75 local children are instructed in Albanian and Greek. In Sarande, Kassimis and the Greek delegation toured a local military hospital whose construction in 2004 was financed by Greece's defence ministry, and which is today staffed by Greek military physicians and nursing personnel.

Note: The albanian press has cencured the trip of Kassimis on Albania focusing the visit of Greek V/Foreign Minister only in Himara (as insident diplomatic), Saranda and Argirokaster, when inside the trip where regiones both Korca and Narta. Also Kassimis during his trip had met the Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the President Topi and the head of Parliament Topalli.