Kotzias rejects claims by Albanian counterpart

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has denied claims by his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati that the two countries submitted a non-paper to the European Union that included a reference to claims by the Cham community in Albania.

"The only reference in the non-paper," Kotzias told Alpha radio on Wednesday, "was that the issue is not negotiable for the Greek state."

The Cham community in Albania claim their property was confiscated by the Greek state when they were expelled from northwestern Greece during World War II. Athens has dismissed their claim, saying they were Nazi collaborators, and does not recognize it as an issue.