Omonoia

The Omonoia organization representing the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania, and the parties of the Albanian opposition chose as their joint candidate in the repeat municipal elections of August 4 in Himare Petro Gjikuria, an ethnic Greek Albanian who lives and works in the United States.

The continued incarceration by the Albanian authorities of an ethnic Greek who was elected mayor of Himare in May is "profoundly anti-European" and risks becoming a barrier to the "Albanian people's European aspirations," European Commission Vice President for Protecting the European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas has said.

The ethnic Greek organization Omonoia is holding a rally in the southern Albanian city of Himare on Monday evening to demand the immediate release of Fredi Beleri, the city's mayor-elect, so that he can be sworn in and assume his duties.