Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, agreed to speed up legal procedures before the International Court of Justice in The Hague for the delimitation of their respective maritime zones.
Rama and Mitsotakis discussed the issue on Monday, before the start of the NATO Summit in Brussels.
According to Greek media reports, the two also talked about Greek-Albanian relations more broadly and the European path of the Western Balkans. Prime Minister Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s steadfast support for Albania.
In October 2020, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that the disagreement between Albania and Greece on maritime issues will be reviewed by the International Court of Justice under international maritime law.
Both leaders have agreed to submit the question to international law, after Greece wanted maritime delimitations with Albania as soon as possible. Greece’s aim is to delimitate the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zones with all neighbors according to international law.
Minister Olta Xhaçka has previously stated that the Albanian side is working on preparing the case file, but so far no document has been approved regarding this issue. She has warned that this matter may not be resolved within the third term of the Socialist Party which expires in 2025.
