The message that the mayor of Heimarra, Fredis Beleris, should be released, and that he does not understand the continuation of his detention, was sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, to Tirana, speaking to STAR. “We have to have good accounts. This way we will be good friends” the foreign minister said and expressed the hope that there will be absolute transparency and that the Albanian side will handle the issue with a sense of the seriousness of the crisis that this issue can create in Greek-Albanian relations. “We are neither pushing nor shouting, we want friendship, but not at any price” he additionally underlined.

Also, Nikos Dendias announced that on Monday he will go to Brussels in order to participate in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the EU, where he will raise the issue of the detention of the mayor of Heimarra. In addition, he will also participate in a lunch with the foreign ministers of the Western Balkans.
“Because the matter is extremely serious, I will be in Brussels on Monday morning. There we have a lunch with the foreign ministers of the Western Balkans {…} The matter must be raised in the Council of Ministers. It is not possible not to put. Detaining a mayoral candidate 48 hours before the election and keeping him detained while he is elected is not common {…}Why is he being detained? What is this element of his dangerousness that warrants prolonged detention? These are big questions,” he pointed out.

During the lunch with the foreign ministers of the Western Balkans, the foreign minister is expected to meet with his Albanian counterpart. “We have to explain to the Albanians – it is very likely that I will also meet the Albanian foreign minister in person. It will be a very good opportunity to have a few words” noted Nikos Dendias.

At the same time, he emphasized that he strongly believes in Greek-Albanian friendship and that these two countries are very close.

Furthermore, he referred to the importance of the mission of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Albania. “I sent the general secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Albania because the matter is extremely serious. And I wanted first of all, as a political gesture, to be understood by the other side. Secondly, there should be a coordination in a series of issues that have to do with the detention of the mayor of Heimarra, with the health problems of the second prisoner, but also with demolition operations. We want to have a clear picture of legality-illegality,” he said.

Asked if this matter will affect the agreement in The Hague that the two countries are going to sign on the EEZ, the foreign minister expressed the hope that the action of the judicial authorities of Albania does not constitute a change of political attitude. “That is, not to be a directed action” as he explained, hoping at the same time “to be an action of some judicial actors, who lead things to a crisis, but have nothing to do with the political will of the Albanian government.” But, “that’s my hope,” he added.

Afterwards, he referred to Greek-Turkish relations, stressing that “the right thing is the window of opportunity that the good climate provides to try to turn it into a door, to go through it and see if there is a hope to resolve the difference”. It is an opportunity, we must try, he pointed out.

He estimated that Tayyip Erdogan will probably be re-elected president of Turkey. He foresaw that if re-elected he would try to pursue a foreign policy of normalization with the West. “Turkey’s economic situation forces it to have good relations with the West,” he noted.