
Diplomat and publicist Shaban Murati says in an analysis published today in DITA that the EU's opening of accession talks with Albania on July 19, 2022 is a positive step in Albania's journey towards EU membership.
"But the euphoria should not prevent the Albanian public opinion from being told the truths as they are", he adds and takes the examples of countries like Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey that have been opening talks for 8 to 17 years, without advancing more.
On the other hand, Murat criticized the Negotiating Framework for Albania's accession to the EU and wrote:
"The second most poisonous truth, which is not being told by the government to the Albanian public opinion, is the strange condition set in the Negotiating Framework for Albania's accession to the EU, that Albania must give Greece the sea agreement as requested by Athens .
In the EU Negotiating Framework for Albania's admission, approved on July 19 at the first intergovernmental conference between the EU and the government of Albania, in the chapter "Leading principles of negotiations", on page 11, in point 5, in article 3, it is stated textually :
- "Albania's commitment to resolve any border dispute according to the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, including if necessary the mandatory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice".
Despite the fact that the name "Greece" is not mentioned, it is more than clear that it is about the sea agreement, which Greece is trying to impose on Albania at any cost. Albania officially has no border disputes with any country bordering it. The only claim is that of Greece, which insists on dictating the acceptance of the harmful sea agreement signed with Greece by the Albanian government in 2009.
Now we see it as a mandatory Greek condition included in the EU Negotiating Framework for Albania's acceptance of the sea agreement with Greece. This means that the condition and trap of Greece has taken the mandate and power of the EU and is set as a big beam to be overcome in the progress of the EU accession talks. Greece has set up its big ambush in the EU Negotiating Framework…”