Greece expressed its “deep concern” on Tuesday over the recent decision by the Albanian government to “arbitrarily” expropriate property belonging to the Greek minority for the purposes of tourism development.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens says the decision by the Albanian Cabinet to appropriate land belonging to Albania’s Greek minority is not only “contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, but also to Albanian court decisions.”
Ownership of the properties in question would be transferred from the ethnic Greeks living in Albania, directly to the Albanian Department of Tourism.
According to the Ministry’s statement, the decision constitutes “a flagrant violation of human rights, including the property rights of the Greek native minority in Albania. Such actions are inconsistent with Albania’s declared European aspirations and are contrary to its obligations.”
Athens calls on the Albanian government to revoke the decision, to review the laws and ensure that property titles are issued to the legitimate owners of the land.
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