Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama arrives today in Athens, where he is expected to participate in the Delphi Economic Forum. Rama's arrival in Athens has also set diplomacy in motion, as, according to Top Channel, Rama is likely the only leader to be received in a meeting by his counterpart Mitsotakis at the Prime Minister's residence in the Maximos Mansion.
Sources from the Greek government told TCH that the two prime ministers will have a face-to-face meeting on Wednesday morning, indicating that both leaders are determined to leave behind the disagreements and "grudges" that followed the arrest of Fredi Beleris in the spring of 2023.
The Greek side is solely concerned with the issue of maritime demarcation between the two countries, a matter on which the parties have agreed to address at the International Court of Justice but was postponed due to the cooling of bilateral relations.
Greek sources said that Athens is ready to resume discussions on this issue as soon as possible, as this is considered the final moment in which both sides can reach an agreement that satisfies both parties. This is because political developments in the country may force Mitsotakis to call early elections even sooner than 2027, putting him under pressure from the far-right within the party he leads, which does not accept an agreement that would make concessions to official Tirana.
On the other hand, official Tirana is solely concerned with Greek support for the swift completion of membership negotiations, as joining the EU would automatically resolve all substantive issues between the two countries, such as historical matters like the war law still in effect between the two nations, as well as technical issues like the pension agreement between the two countries, which would be automatically resolved with Albania's entry into the European Union.