File photo.
A much-anticipated meeting between Fredi Beleri, an MEP from Greece’s New Democracy party, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana will not take place, Kathimerini understands.
The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, was part of a delegation visit from the European Parliament to assess Albania’s progress towards European Union membership. However, Rama canceled his participation, meaning this expected first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders – following the conviction of the ethnic Greek minority mayor-elect and the resulting diplomatic tensions between Tirana and Athens – will not occur.
Beleri is a member of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), which aims to foster collaboration between the European assembly and the Albanian Parliament. The committee’s mission includes conducting visits to Tirana to ensure cooperation and jointly issue recommendations regarding any deviations from Albania’s path toward EU integration.