Northern Epirus

In alert within the Hellenic National Minority in view of the upcoming elections in the municipality of Himara is caused by the candidacy of Vangelis Tavos who is supported by Edi Rama after the removal of Beleri.

The recent population census in Albania has sparked controversy, with allegations that it was designed to artificially reduce the size of the indigenous Ethnic G

Greeks in the US sent a strong message to Albania & the US Government that they stand by the elected Mayor of Himara as well as all Greeks of Northern Epirus

Kathimerini, being a prestigious newspaper, deserves praise for consistently bringing attention to the issue of Albania's treatment of its ethnic Greek minority, who primarily live in the south of the Balkan country. Here, however, I will switch roles. I will step into the position of an Albanian official in Tirana, responsible for monitoring developments in Greece.

The continued pretrial detention of ethnic Greek mayor-elect Fredi Beleri by the Albanian authorities is not consistent with the rule of law, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himare, was transferred to the Tirana prison hospital on Monday, after he felt unwell due to heart-related health problems.

It is the second time that Beleri has shown these symptoms in the last two days and he will undergo specific tests, according to press reports.

After Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka met with her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias last Monday to discuss elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare Fredi Beleri's jailing on charges of buying votes, she tweeted: "The meeting w/my colleague & good friend FM @NikosDendias in Brussels was a good opportunity to discuss in a frank manner Mr Beleri's case.

The extension of the detention of Fredi Beleri, the recently elected ethnic Greece mayor of Himare in Albania, "is contrary to the common sense of justice and the European concept of the rule of law," the Greek Foreign Ministry underlined in a statement on Monday.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias discussed on Monday the jailing of an elected ethnic Greek mayor with his Albanian counterpart Olta Xhacka, during a meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministry said. 

A temporary lull in Greek-Albanian diplomatic tensions has arisen ahead of the Greek elections after interventions from Washington, Berlin and Brussels.

Diplomatic tensions rose between Athens and Tirana after the arrest and imprisonment of the newly elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri, just two days before local elections in the neighboring country.