While Albanian emigrants are facing obstacles in renewing their
documents due to the Greek birthplaces of their children written in the
Albanian language on their passport, the Ombudsman recommended the
Foreign Ministry to intervene through an agreement and consider these
passports valid, until their deadline expires or have the Albanian state
pay the cost of new passports, if they are needed.
“We have proposed the Albanian state to find a common language with the Greek republic, so that the passports can be valid until their deadline is over, otherwise the cost of the new passports should be paid by the Albanian state”, Totozani declared.
According to the Ombudsman, the Albanian passports also have other mistakes, because not every section is in English, and the “ë” and “ç” letters of the Albanian alphabet are missing.
As for the claims from the Greek government, Totozani explains that on June 2011 a verbal note has been sent to the Albanian Foreign Ministry by the Greek side, a proposition for the geographical denomination, but there has been no answer.
“There a structure in the UN that is called ‘the Group of International Experts for Toponyms”, where every state sends their national toponyms in the international language. This is a right that is foreseen by the international acts. They have sent a verbal note on June 2011, in which they have written all their propositions for the Greek geographical names of places, and the Foreign Ministry should have given their stance about this. I have been informed that those place names were in English”, Totozani declared.
The Albanian Foreign Ministry is discussing with the Greek side about finding a solution that will not punish the Albanian immigrants who live and work in Greece.
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