By Yannis Anifantis

The inextricable connection of Albania’s EU accession perspective. with the Freddy Beleris case, repeated the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopoulou, speaking to the standing committee of European Affairs, National Defense and Foreign Affairs.

Informing the members of the committee about the perspectives of EU enlargement, he emphasized that “the Beleri issue was not swept under the carpet. It is not a bilateral issue between Greece and Albania. It is the heart of Albania’s accession perspective. It is about respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights. This is what we say to Albania, that it must respect human rights and it will be checked whether it complies or not. If the capital is closed, you cannot control it and pressure it».

Regarding the report concerning Turkey’s accession process, Mrs. Papadopoulou said “some things got into the exhibition because someone tried to pass them. Greece takes some actions in public and some behind the scenes. And it is good not to display some positions as unilateral but as community positions».

When asked by committee members about the country’s position regarding the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the International Criminal Court, he emphasized that Greece respects the decisions of the ICC, as it is one of its founding members. “There is no question of contestation (of the ICC). on the other hand, putting a democratically elected prime minister in the same fate as a Hamas terrorist is not something that is easily accepted, peace in the region comes first“, she added.