Edi Rama's government

The Court of Appeal of Tirana on Tuesday upheld the two-year jail sentence issued by the court of first instance against Fredi Beleri, the elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare in southern Albania, and now MEP for ruling New Democracy.

The ruling means Beleri won't be able to attend the first plenary session of the European Parliament from July 16 to 19 in Strasbourg.

In a decision aiming to undermine the candidacy with New Democracy in the European elections of the jailed ethnic Greek mayor of Himare, the Albanian judiciary has transferred the first hearing of Fredi Beleri's appeal to the Court of Appeal to June 7. 

The message from Athens to Tirana in Greek Ambassador Konstantina Kamitsi's statements to the Albanian press by was clear: The ongoing detainment of the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himare in Albania will be a thorn in the side of Greek-Albanian relations for some time to come.

Albanian police organisations called on Edi Rama's government to vet the state police next year in a fair way, and not let it serve as a showcase for his new Interior Minister.

Interior Minister Fatmir Xhafaj has issued a directive announcing the start of the vetting process in 2018, once the relevant legislation is adopted this year.