The Greek minority in Albania and its rights: Theory and practiceby Fanis Malkidis*
On 15 January ratified by the Parliament (with the votes of party New Democracy and PASOK), the Stabilization and Association Agreement Albania-EU. The issue of integration of Albania in the EU, which is directly linked to the respect and the existence of the Greek minority in Albania, which for years despite contrary comments prosecuted, launched in 2003.
The meeting of the Ministerial Troika of the EU in Albania (Tirana, 13.1.2003), confirmed the EU commitment to the European perspective of Albania calling on both to take the responsibility to fulfill all the conditions of conditionality of the Stabilization and Association Process, which includes the full respect and protection of the rights of the Greek national minority. This confirmed the «Agenda for the Western Balkans: moving towards European Integration» which was adopted during the EU Summit in Thessaloniki (19-20.6.2003).
In June 2006, Albania, with the consent of Greece had signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU agreement which includes issues of minorities, the elimination of discrimination against them. To join an EU candidate country must meet all the requirements set, namely Albania minority state with serious problems obliged to adapt its legislation and administrative or other practices of the acquis communautaire, ensuring the identity of these groups. ¨ We believe that this has not happened so far. Since 2003 the EU has urged Albania to take responsibility to fulfill all terms of the agreement between conditionality which include full respect and protection of the rights of the ethnic Greek minority, stressing that progress in the negotiations and the approach of Albania the EU will depend solely on its ability to meet its commitments.
Greece was brought to the Agreement between Albania and the EU parliament for ratification. There, from government side stated that the agreement marks the start of the accession process in Albania, thus the neighboring country is committed to radical cuts in the economy, justice, law and human rights. It also reported that «as a Greek state, standing next to minority practice, the concern is ongoing. Distributed free text books for the Greek language. The property, firmly and consistently highlight the minority side and we are in direct contact with representatives of the minority to a fair resolution of cases involving their properties ».
On the side of PASOK, by the rapporteur said that «the agreement with the Albanian put over their heads a council that will monitor the protection of minorities, we deny it;». The fact is that despite the theoretical approaches and the occasional free content, substance and effect positions in Greece and Albania, protection and enforcement of the Greek minority in Albania does not exist. The minority continues to be prosecuted, while on the other hand is quite a lot from the Albanian side, even with non-akompso and diplomatic way, the issue of Tsamis and Albanian immigrants in Greece. Major problems such as education of members of the Greek minority, religious freedom, return to the beneficiaries of private, community and church property, the non-implementation by the Albanian side of the commitments on human and minority rights, terrorism, and still worse .
In the nationalist climate in Albania is developing a series of actions by the Albanian government turned against the Greek minority to definitive removal of the Greek population. Today, apart from theory, the main objective should be the respect and full enjoyment of rights of the Greek minority. If this happens, we can proceed further cooperation and bilateral relations, otherwise should the policy of Greece towards Albania to be reviewed and epanacharachthei, with the interests of the Greek minority and not others.
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