In his interview with ” Manifesto,” Berisha addressed the most important aspects of the relationship between Athens and Tirana, the upcoming elections, and the political developments in the neighboring country.

Berisha stated that he would work on finding solutions for pension issues for Albanians in Greece. He emphasized that his main focus would be creating favorable conditions for Albanians to return to their homeland, along with their investments and Greek partners. He noted that in 2009-2010, many Greeks invested in Albania, but most of these investments have since left.

He also emphasized that he would seek to cooperate with the Greek government on the issue of the Albanian language, aiming to find ways to provide payments for teachers or anything necessary to help his fellow countrymen preserve their language and culture in certain aspects.

When asked about his contacts in Greece, Sali Berisha explained that in recent years, they had been mostly symbolic, as he was nearly out of politics. “We maintain contacts with the New Democratic Party, our long-standing ally. Konstantinos Mitsotakis was the first foreign prime minister I ever met. He visited Albania three weeks after the founding of the Democratic Party and met with me as the leader of the opposition. Since then, we have maintained a very strong relationship, and it will only grow stronger,” he stressed.

Regarding how he plans to make the most of his party’s participation in the European People’s Party (EPP) – the largest political organization in Europe – to change the image of his country, Berisha was very clear:

Berisha emphasized that Albania must dismantle its drug-related dictatorship and stop exporting crime to its neighbors and Europe. He stressed zero tolerance for organized crime and prioritizing the rule of law. Once Albania frees itself from the drug dictatorship, its reputation will improve, and it will become a respected country.

/sm/