The Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias found himself surrounded by a group of Albanian-‘Cham’ protesters during his unprepared visit to the capital of Albania, Tirana, Monday. A group of 150 Albanians, calling themselves ‘Chams’, attempted to block the Greek Minister’s entry into the Foreign Ministry building in Tirana to meet his counterpart Ditmir Bushati. The fact that the protests were organised by the ‘Chams’ party, which is a coalition partner in the socialist-led government, gives credence to suspicions that it was most likely a staged provocation on the part of the Albanian authorities.

The protesters, led by the party’s president who is also the vice-president in the Albanian parliment, had gathered in front of the building chanting nationalist and anti-Greek slogans until the two Ministers’ meeting ended at 2.30pm. Sources say the Albanian authorities recommended the Greek Minister enter the building through a side door due to the protests, information the Greek side denied as untrue.

During the joint press conference the first question asked by Albanian reporters to Kotzias was about the ‘Cham’ issue, a further indication that the incident with the protesters was orchestrated beforehand. The official Albanian authorities have been stoking the flames of nationalism in their country by constantly making provocative statements on the issue of the ‘Chams’ and their territorial claims in Greece.