Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has drafted a new action plan for relations with Tirana, a plan that he will present to his new Albanian counterpart Elisa Spiropali on December 16 during her first visit to Athens.
Albania's EU accession process, connectivity between the two neighboring states, and the division of the maritime border are on Gerapetritis' agenda for the mid-December meeting on Greek soil.
The new Athens-Tirana roadmap was drafted, according to Greek media, after Edi Rama's triumphant re-election for a fourth term in office, with the popular promise of the eagle-eyed country's membership in the EU by 2030.
The pending issue of maritime economic zones in the Greek-Albanian Ionian Sea is said in Athens to be now gaining new momentum in light of wider mobility in the region and various energy projects.
Greece and Albania had agreed to submit the dispute over the delimitation of the EEZ to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2020, but this bilateral issue has still remained pending.
Albania will need to rely on its southern neighbor also due to the fact that its plan to complete EU accession talks by 2027 coincides with the time when Greece will hold the presidency of the European Council.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has presented to his European counterparts his country's intention to undertake, within the framework of the Greek presidency, an initiative that would accelerate the path of the Balkan states towards the European family.
This, according to him, would be important for this region due to growing tensions and nationalism.