KATHIMERINI

The "bottom" agreement with Albania

The Constitutional Court annulled the neighboring country to the delimitation of maritime zones

In Tirana, the nationalists celebrate because the noise roused 'rescued territorial waters, while socialist Mr Edi Rama, who for reasons of opposition took the weight of the campaign and appealed to the court, claim by Prime Minister Sali Berisha apologized for the "national treason"!

Stavros Tzimas

Discomfort caused to Athens the decision of the Constitutional Court of Albania to cancel the most important intergovernmental agreement signed in recent years and the delimitation of maritime zones between the two countries.

In an initial government response, the Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas a radio interview he spoke of "negative trend is not pleased, adding that the Greek side awaits formal notification from Tirana on how it plans to further handle this serious subject.

Reference was made to and during last night's meeting between Mr. Droutsa with his Albanian counterpart on the sidelines of an international conference on Afghanistan in London carried out.

The Albanian government, through Foreign Minister Ilir Meta, said he will respect the decision of the Constitutional Court, but expressed certainty that this will not affect the Greek-Albanian relations.

In Tirana, the nationalists celebrate because the noise roused 'rescued territorial waters, while socialist Mr Edi Rama, who for reasons of opposition took the weight of the campaign and appealed to the court, claim by Prime Minister Sali Berisha apologized for the "national treason"!

Diplomatic sources claim that evolution is a step behind the best in recent years, Greek-Albanian relations and indicated that await with interest the operations of the Albanian Government to the problem, but the reaction of the Greek side.

The same sources pointed to the risk of creating a negative climate and precedent, and have the same fate as other signed agreements awaiting ratification by the Albanian parliament as the two military cemeteries in Vouliarates and Klisoura, which also react strongly nationalist groups in the neighbor.

In such a case, pointed to Kathimerini Greek diplomat with long experience in the Albanian-Greek, "the clock is turned back and was in no way should not happen."

Responses

The Convention, which governs maritime zones of the close up of Corfu and the Adriatic, signed a festive atmosphere on April 27, 2009 in Tirana by the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Albania, Mrs Dora Bakoyannis and Lulzim Basha, in the presence of Prime Ministers Costas Karamanlis and Sali Berisha.

There were then no reaction from the Albanian side of the political spectrum, which occurred later, after the victory of Mr. Berisha's parliamentary elections in summer, with leaders of Italian newspapers and television interests and nationalists.

Claimed that the agreement with Greece use thereof 354 (three hundred fifty-four) square kilometers from the Albanian territorial waters and the baton took the Socialist Party, which has included the issue in acute rivalry with the ruling party, showing the Albanian Prime Minister as National lowest bidder!

The combatants agreement claimed that the border line of marine areas agreed not draw properly and effectively assigned part of Albanian territory.

more see in Greek:

http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_1_28/01/2010_388567