Mitsotakis from campaign trail: Albania’s European prospects wholly dependent on respect of ethnic Greek minority in that country

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking on the campaign trail on Monday ahead of Sunday’s general election, took time to comment on a hotly contested municipal race in neighboring Albania, and specifically the coastal town of Himare, home to a large ethnic Greek minority.

Mitsotakis, the president of incumbent center-right New Democracy (ND) party, sent a direct message to Albanian leadership in Tirana, saying the Adriatic country’s European prospects are entirely dependent on Albania respecting the rights of the Greek ethnic minority in the country.

“I am was very pleased to hear that Fredi Beleris won the municipal elections in Himare,” Mitsotakis said, referring to a candidate arrested and held in Tirana on charges of alleged voter buying.

Turning very briefly to another neighboring country, vast Turkey to the east, Mitsotakis declined to make any comment hours after the first round of a general election there.

However, he did remind assembly party supporters in an east Athens district that that his government successfully deflected Turkish aggressiveness, invested in the armed forces, and built regional alliances.