The State Election Commissioner, Mr. Ilirjan Celibashi met with the Ministry of Interior of Greece, Mr. Makis Vordis to discuss election mechanisms that guarantee the vote of Albanian residents abroad.
During the meeting held in the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Greece with the highest election official of the neighboring country, the Commissioner was introduced to the voting model of the Greek Diaspora in the framework of efforts to determine the best model of voting of Albanians residing abroad. Minister Voridis presented a detailed outline of the benefits and disadvantages of the voting model of the Greek Diaspora, which is in effect since 2019.
They also discussed on the support the Interior Minister of Greece has provided and continues to provide for the Albanian community living in Greece and regarding potential coordination of voting process for Albanians living in Greece, who choose to vote there, for the future Albanian parliamentary elections of 2025.
Mr. Voridis stated that he had been twice an observer of election in Albania as part of OSCE/ODIHR missions and congratulated the Albanian election administration bodies on the huge progress that he noted in April 25, 2021 parliamentary elections. Celibashi guaranteed the Interior Minister of Greece that the bridges of communication will be open and he also invited him in Tirana to continue the exchange of professional experience.
During the study visit, Celibashi also visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, where he met with the Secretary General for the Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Ioannis Chrysoulakis, who presented a broad picture of the election profile of their Diaspora, their expectations and technical aspects of their engagement in voting from abroad.The respective legislations were compared , as well as profiles of different generations of voters abroad and international practices and solutions.
A meeting focused on the issues of election administration and logistics was also held with the General Director of the Ministry of Interior of Greece, Mr. Theodore Economou.
An well-known election expert, Dr.Economou explained in detail election administration stages in Greece, solutions and logistic aspects of the election process and exchanged the election experiences with Mr. Celibashi. Another topic of the meeting was also voting from abroad and the best solutions to facilitate as much as possible the experience of voting in the country and from abroad.
At the end of the two-day visit in Athens, Mr. Celibashi expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador of the Republic of Greece in Tirana, Mrs. Sophia Philippidou and the entire staff, for the excellent organisation of meetings, with high level officials and for the significant contribution given to the CEC.
Celibashi also expressed his gratitude to the Albanian Ambassador to Greece, Mrs. Luela Hajdaraga, who, in a very professional and kind manner supported him during the official institutional exchanges with the Greek election officials.
