Tirana: Law for border returns
18/05/2012

Despite the fact that as a NATO member, no one can threaten the territorial integrity of Albania, the country has no law for its borders.

After the Constitutional Court repealed the marine agreement with Greece, our country had no law that determines the state borders.

The political forces and the MPs of the Security Commission voted unanimously for returning the previous law that determines the Albanian borders.

The Socialist MP, Ilir Gjoni; the Interior Minister, Bujar Nishani and the MP of the newest New Democratic Spirit party MP, Gazmend Oketa, asked the return of the previous law.

“We cannot pretend that we don’t know that our country had legally remained without borders”, Gjoni declared.

The agreement that was reached with Greece was used by the Constitutional Court, and until we will negotiate another agreement, we agree to return the law of 2011 for the marine borders”, Nishani declared.

“There are some points which say that Albania has lost the dividing line of the territorial waters, the locations of which is set by this law. If this is true, the law should enter in act immediately”, Oketa declared.

MP Gjoni raised the concern of the Saranda fishermen whose business had been stopped, but Minister Nishani declared that the claim of the Albanian fishermen does not stand. According to him, they are stopped by the Greek authorities only when they go to Corfu to get fuel.

“There are some sporadic cases that have been made public by the media, when our borders have been infringed, or our fishermen have not been allowed to conduct their activities”, Gjoni declared.

“The border authorities have immediately contacted with the persons who have claimed these things, and the Greek authority has never taken such measures, but the claims of the Albanian fishermen was made when they were sailing to Corfu for getting fuel, and there they have met the Greek authorities”, Nishani declared.