However, Open Data that has researched World Bank statistics stresses also the other side of remittances that concern the money transferred from Albania to other countries. This data refers to immigrants who work in Albania and send their income back to their families abroad or deposit their money to branches of their country’s banks in Albania. According to echedoros-a.gr, “In 2011, around 50 million euros were sent from Albania to the countries of origin of the foreign workers in Albania.”

About 87 percent or 43.8 million euros were sent to Greece from Greek citizens who work in Albania as immigrants. Their presence there has to do with the construction of some parts of the road network in the south of the country, as well as with the big number of Greek companies operating in Albania.

Regarding the money transfers towards Albania, the largest foreign exchange inflows in the country come from Greece and Italy. The Albanian immigrants in Greece have sent back to Albania 310,243,000 euros, 47 percent of the total number of remittances, making Greece first sender of remittances in the country. Italy follows with 248,710,000 euros, according to an article published at the Albanian newspaper Gazeta Shqip.

The police claim that two young Albanians who have been working lately in the village are the perpetrators.

The incident has spread fear among the Greek North-Epirotes. The number of robberies has increased lately, especially against rich Greek minorities. The reason is that most of the village’s residents are elderly people and also that a lot of houses are closed because their residents have migrated to Greece.

The police in Gjirokastra believe that this increase in robberies is attributed to many Albanians’ returning from Greece. The local police seem to have difficulty in dealing with the wave of robberies because of their ever increasing number, and lack of essential data on new robbers that return from Greece.

During a special ceremony-press conference held in the Albanian capital, Minister Bumci noted that Mother Teresa is a world-known figure who dedicated her entire life to provide help where it was needed, and stressed that this move is further evidence of the excellent relations between the two countries and their peoples.

Rokanas said that Mother Teresa was not only a major figure in Albania, but a personality with universal and global radiation, and that her way of life and especially her work set an example and an ideal standard of living.

During the presentation of the portrait, Tsevis stressed that Mother Teresa was and remains a personality transcending geographical, religious and ideological constraints and speaks to the hearts of the people. The visual artist also explained that the portrait of Mother Teresa is one of his finest works, based on two components: children symbolizing hope and colors being part of the light and energy that humans see and experience.

Mother Teresa was born in Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, on Aug.26, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. From the age of 12 she felt strongly the call of God and decided to become a missionary to spread the love of Christ.

At the time of her death, she had opened 517 missions welcoming the poor and sick in more than 100 countries. She died on September 5, 1997 after serving in India.

Interviewed in the Albanian mass media, Rokanas pointed out that the Greek Embassy will organize a Greek Cultural Week in Tirana under the title Greek Spring of Culture in Albania. According to the Greek ambassador, the festive manifestations’ organization from Greece aims at the two neighboring peoples’ unification and collaboration.

The Greek government will donate to the Albanian Ministry of Culture, a work of art in electronic form, to be place in a square in Tirana. The Delivery and Receipt Ceremony of this work of art will take place on March 26, at the Ministry of Culture under Ministers Aldo Bumçi and  Rokanas.

According to statistics acquired from the Central Bank of Albania, between  2008 and 2009 there was a decrease (10% and 3.3% respectively) in Greek Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), always related to the previous year. However, in 2010, an increase of 7.9% was observed in comparison to 2009.

Despite the increase in 2010, the share of the Greek FDI in relation to the total FDI in Albania, has been significantly reduced during the few last years. In 2007 it reached 42.48% while in 2010 it dropped to 27.42%. This decrease is mainly due to the increase of the total FDI in Albania.

Countries such as Italy, Austria and Canada systematically increase their share of FDI stock. The most dramatic increase is reported in the case of Canada, given that its share increased from 0.06% in 2007 to 10.61% in 2010.

The sectors in which Greeks mainly invest are: the bank sector, telecommunications, health care services, fuel, construction, information technology, production and marketing of building materials, legal, accounting and advisory services, food industry, textile and shoe-making.

The mayor and prefect of Gjirokastra stressed the need to strengthen cross-border cooperation in the framework of bilateral relations and in European Union programs’ level. They also highlighted the essential role that the Greek minority plays in the region’s overall stability and development.

Prefect Mimoza Como made a special mention of the efforts made by the Albanian side in order to meet the rights of the Greek minority, mainly in an educational level. Rokanas referred to the need for an educational agreement between the two countries and the activation of a Joint Committee to examine the contents of school texts.

Regarding to the Greek minority in Albania, Rokanas  said he was aware of their problems and promised he would work with the Greek Consulate to help improve their lives. He also visited the University of Ioannina in order to see if there is any potential for developing cooperation activities with Albanian universities to develop partnerships.

Omonoia said it believes that the results have been falsified to the detriment of ethnic Greeks and other Orthodox minorities, Macedonians and Montenegrins. The Church announced that it would release an official statement that would be signed by Bishop of Tirana and Albania Anastiasie. Omonoia said that it will do a parallel census in order to prove that the released results are not realistic.

According to the official census results, Albania has a population of 2.8 million, of which only 24,360, or 0.54 percent, are Greek and that Greek is the language of only 0.15 percent of Albania’s residents. Media and certain officials claim that there are 300,000 Greeks living in Albania. The information that there are 8,000 of Roma and Cincars in Albania is also being questioned. Some 98.7 percent of the population speaks Albanian as their mother tongue, according to the survey taken in 2011.

(Source: Tanjut)

Greek minority representatives called Greeks living in Albania said there were flaws in the calculations. Vaggelis Ntoule, head of KEAD stated that only the 0.5% of the Greek minority in the country participated. Some 14.07% did not answer to the question regarding their nationality.

According to statistics presented by Polo, 99% of people who were asked said that their mother tongue is Albanian, while 57% said they are Muslims, 10.3% Catholic, 6.75% Orthodox and 2.90% Bektashi Muslims

Hoxha is deeply fond of ancient Greek culture while not being afraid of showing his friendly attitude. He said that ancient Greece is the cradle of world civilization and that it should continue to be acknowledged.

There are 15 Greek mythology female figures, including Medea, Penelope, Artemis and Antigone, illustrated in his work, which which was inaugurated in a hall of the Hellenic Cultural Foundation Center.