22038 - Northern Epirus, and strategy
N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Athena Kehagias
There’s not merely Greeks that reside in Northern Epirus, as some Helladites assume, because they have never been there, but nevertheless have an opinion. There is also the Greek spirit, with the strategy which doesn’t expect everything from the central authority, because it never has helped in actual fact.
So in depth of time, Northern Epirus awaits firstly for its accession to the European Union, since as we know, there are only two Mediterranean countries which have not joined as yet, and which are, Montenegro and Albania.
Northern Epirus is playing dynamically in this context, due to its access to the sea, which means that there is an Exclusive Economic Zone, and Northern Epirus alone obtains 3800 square kilometers of it, in an area that has mineral wealth, as we well know through research and drillings.
It must utilize that fact, because it is the sea which will provide the solution to the onshore problems.
Northern Epirus is withstanding because of its mountains, but it will be liberated due to the sea.
For that reason, our own should be very cautious, not only in regards to the matter of the property issue, in a general action field, but more specifically, to all properties that give access to the sea and play a role as a shore, in regards to the EEZ.
Albania is only since June 2014 officially a candidate country for accession to the European Union, and none of the 35 chapters regarding the accession process has been addressed as yet.
While Montenegro, even though it is a candidate since 2010, it has already closed two, and opened another twenty chapters re: the matter.
Consequently, the role of Northern Epirus will be important, because it can use the Montenegro example.