Mitsotakis urges Tirana to respect ethnic Greeks in Albania

Opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday urged the government in Tirana to respect the rights of the Greek minority in Albania, reminding the Balkan country that its performance in this respect is key to determining its aspirations for European Union membership.

"The message we send today to the neighboring country - with whom we always strive to have very good neighborly relations and respect - is unequivocal: Albania's path toward the European Union and the European institutions is intrinsically linked to respect for the rights of the ethnic Greek minority," Mitsotakis said. "This is something we will not back down on."

The conservative leader made his comments during a presentation of traditional Christmas songs at the party's Athens headquarters by the Omonia Association of Albanian Greeks.

The comments in the wake of tension between Athens and Tirana...