The complications he has on Greek-Albanian relations arrest and imprisonment for ten days of the elected mayor of Heimarra Freddie Belleri The Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed yesterday in Brussels with his Albanian counterpart Olta Tsatska Nikos Dendiaswho also informed the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the European Union about the intentions of Athens to prevent the oppression of the rights of the Greek national minority in a neighboring country.

However, despite the meeting of the two ministers and the announcement, the Albanian judiciary yesterday decided to extend the detention of Heimarra Mayor Freddy Beleris, who is in pre-trial detention in Tirana, as well as his associate Pantelis Kokavesis. Recall that two men have been in custody since May 13 on charges of attempting to buy votes.

Athens’ response was immediate, with the Foreign Ministry noting in a released statement that “the extension of the detention of Freddy Beleris, the now elected mayor of Heimarra, offends society’s sense of justice and the European perception of the rule of law.” Foreign Affairs of Albania, which in a Twitter post after meeting with Mr. Dendias (on the sidelines of the conference of the EU and the Western Foreign Ministers of the Balkans) noted that “the judicial issue should not affect the new page that we have started in our bilateral relations” Ms. Czatzka also stated that the Beleris case “is neither a human rights issue nor a political issue, much less a bilateral issue.” In fact, he noted that Mr. Beleris “has the same rights as any other Albanian citizen “and like any Albanian citizen, he is not above the law. Voter bribing is a serious offense in our law and is now in court for review.” In addition, he stressed that now all that can be done is “to wait patiently for the completion of the process, and not to anticipate and not guess about its development.”

Interventions (underground and official) from Washington, Berlin and Brussels, as well as a virtual shift in interest in the post-election processes in Athens, have reduced tensions in bilateral relations, which, however, remain. An official hearing of the case is expected with interest next month, as the current government is likely to be dissolved ahead of the June 25 elections. On the Albanian side, there seems to be an opinion that the US is not going to exert significant pressure on Tirana.