Albania defends seizure of minority properties
Albania has defended a controversial decision to confiscate property belonging to ethnic Greek families in the south of the country.
On Tuesday, the Greek Foreign Ministry urged Tirana to annul the decision, which also involves the sale of minority property with an eye on tourism development, calling it a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
In a statement Thursday, Albania’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret over Athens’s reaction, saying it was triggered by “distorted facts.”
“Albania, as a European state and a member of the European Convention of Human Rights, recognizes the jurisdiction of the Strasbourg-based court and enforces its rulings,” it said.
“Citizens who feel that their property rights are being violated have the right to resort to the competent European courts,” it said.
