Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the arrest of a representative of the Greek national minority in Albania would affect Albania’s application to join the European Union.

« What happened to Fredi Beleri is unacceptable, it is unthinkable to have a mayoral candidate, a representative of the Greek national minority, imprisoned in such a sensitive area as Himara two days before the elections, » said he.

Greek national Fredi Beleri, a candidate for mayor of Himara, was taken into custody by Albanian police earlier on Friday night, two days before the election, on suspicion of purchasing votes. Albania was « not on the European path, » according to Greece, which dismissed the accusations as unfounded and urged that Tirana refrain from interfering with domestic matters and the legal system.

Beleri claimed to be the first Greek prime minister to travel to Chimara, where he made a commitment to always support the Greek minority.

source: euractiv.com