Albania, to cancel the water agreement with Greece

Reactions in Athens

'New Democracy" Press Release

The Head of the Foreign Policy Responsibility New Democracy MP Dimitris Avramopoulos, referring to the annulment by the Constitutional Court of Albania, the Greek-Albanian agreement on the delimitation of maritime zones (territorial sea, continental shelf) between two countries, made the following statement:

"The international issues should not be an internal operation, either by governments or political parties or from politicians. We expect the Department to make the necessary arrangements and to inform us officially about the reasons for the Constitutional Court of Albania's decision, and the official position of the Albanian Government".

Dhora Bakoyannis

PRESS RELEASE

Bakoyannis criticises gov't following Albanian high court's annulment of deal on territorial waters

Former foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis on Thursday sharply criticised the ruling PASOK government of what she called inertia vis-?-vis a Greek-Albanian agreement on the delineation of territorial waters in the Ionian Sea and its recent annulment by Albania's constitutional court.

"This annulment was made following a reaction by (Albanian) nationalistic organisations and recourse by Albanian Socialist party president Mr. (Edi) Rama. None of the procedures followed (for the signing of the agreement) is questionable and everything was made according to international rules foreseen by the United Nations," Bakoyannis said in a statement.

The agreement, signed in Tirana in April 2009 when Bakoyannis held the foreign ministry portfolio, was annulled by the Albanian high court earlier this week.

"I do not know if (ruling) PASOK tried to inform its fellow (Albanian) socialist party on the benefits of the agreement when it received information that the latter intended to undermine this agreement," she added.

"What I know, however, is that while Mr. Rama was announcing his intention in mid-October, the Greek government showed no haste at all in tabling the agreement for endorsement by Parliament, which opened a few days later, in order to create a positive momentum for its safeguarding as well as for the safeguarding of the high level of Greek-Albanian relations, which we had achieved," Bakoyannis concluded.

PASOK won the general election in Greece on Oct. 4, 2009.