“Albania, if it wishes to become a member of the European family, must respect the rights of the Ethnic Greek Minority. The treatment meted out by the Rama government to the elected Mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleris, was unacceptable in every way and is not consistent with a country that exists under the rule of law. The struggle of Fredi Beleris and his brave attitude throughout his unjust imprisonment has highlighted in Albania, in Greece and in the whole of Europe the adverse conditions experienced by the Greeks of the Ethnic Greek Minority, due to the policies of the Rama government. The effort to highlight the issue continues today, from the center of EU decisions, as the worthy son of Northern Epirus is now an elected MEP, proving the correctness of the choice of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to include him in the New Democracy’s electoral list,” said the Larissa MP of the New Democracy, Maximos Charakopoulos, after the meeting he had with the MEP of the New Democracy, Fredi Beleris, at the European Parliament’s headquarters in Brussels.

The Thessalian politician, who traveled to Brussels to participate in the 15th meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Control Group of Europol, conveyed to Mr. Beleris his full support to the struggle of the indigenous Ethnic Greek Minority of Northern Epirus, at the south of Albania, to ensure that all their rights there are guaranteed. In fact, during the meeting they had a telephone conversation with the President of the Human Rights Union Party, MP of the Albanian Parliament, Vangelis Doules.

Among the issues discussed were the situation of Orthodoxy in Albania, its flourishing after the collapse of the atheist regime of Enber Hoxha, under the enlightened figure of Archbishop Anastasios, and the attempt to downgrade the significant Orthodox presence in the neighboring country – especially in the south – with the publication of the results of the latest population census, which are widely disputed.

Finally, the ND MEP informed Mr.Charakopoulos that at the end of the month he will be in Larissa, at an event of Northern Epirots.