Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is set to begin a tour of the Western Balkans on June 12, with Serbia as his first stop, followed by visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro on June 19. Trips to Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo are expected to be announced in the coming days.
The tour is part of a broader Greek initiative to support the Western Balkans’ path toward European Union membership, a region where several countries are at various stages of the EU accession process.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a weekend incident in Shvernitsa, Albania, in which a Greek national was injured. The Greek Foreign Ministry initially expressed concern through a public statement and engaged Albanian authorities through diplomatic channels. Athens said Tuesday that Albanian authorities had responded to its call for a full investigation into the incident.
Ministry spokeswoman Lana Zochiou nonetheless underscored the need to fully respect for the rule of law, including the protection of the rights of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, as well as effective protection of designated environmental areas in line with the European Union’s acquis communautaire, the body of EU law with which candidate countries must align before accession. Compliance with the acquis, she said, is a necessary condition for Albania’s accession process.
Gerapetritis is also expected to travel to Tirana as part of the broader Western Balkans initiative, though no date has been announced.
