ALBANIA: IONIAN COAST, GREEK POPULATION AND THE JALI'S BEACH PROJECT


Markos Stavros*
(Journalist, Member of the World Security Network Southeast Europe Office)
Copyright: www.rieas.gr

Under a secret plan, the Albanian government is preparing the land prices on Southern Albanian Coast Line (Northern Epirus) supported from abusive laws, in accordance with the Agency of Compensation of the Proprieties and the Project of “Integrated Coastal Development Study”, but in reality, it is preparing a national strategic plain to open a “free way” for the Albanian and Kosovo mafia to buy land and to change identity from the Byzantine period architecture, churches and monasteries of Northern Epirus to an Albanian paradox strategy of tourism.
What has in mind the Albanian government to do with Southern Coast Line (Northern Epirus)?
Which strategy is using under the slogan “Development of Albanian Tourism” across to Gross Roads, seeing the massacre of Action Nationalist Plain to change the Saranda Region from Byzantine Identity to Albanian anarchy including the support of thousands Albanian people to move in southern and to build abusive houses?
What is happening actually?
In Southern Albania, after communist collapse of 1991 and particularly after Civil War in 1997, the Albanian strategy has realized its goals to change from the Greek population to Albanian in terms of majority percentage, favoring thousand of people from other regions to build houses and hotels in Region of Saranda. The chaotic situation resulting from the anarchic housing development, continue until now “living together across to Buthrynto`s International Park”, (about 2000 houses are waiting to be legalized) under the “Law of Legalization” voted from Berisha Government.
The strategy from Government to build the “Mediterranean Club” in Kakomea Beach, making as a greater propaganda for Albanian Tourist strategy, the “Albanian mafia” is paying again to rise its interest to the Berisha`s Klan, although, when he was the political opposition, he had been against Nano`s Government (Left Coalition) that accused him as linked with the mafia to sell the lands to “Riviera Company”. But now the “history continues without finish” even the villagers of Kakomea Beach (Greek Community), continues to resist against any pressing to take and robbery their lands under the strategy of Tourism.
Why Berisha Government is supporting a “Kosovo Team” as businessmen to have priority and license to built “Tourist Villages” on Ionian Coast Line?
One month ago, in Jali (a Himara beautiful beach) the police structures destructed houses and proprieties of villagers of Jali (Greek Community). The Albanian press called as a strategy to build tourist village by a Kosovo American Businessman. The Municipality of Himara has protected the villagers declaring to have against any decision of Albanian authorities to destruct houses at the beginning of tourist season. While one day after, the Chairman of HRUP Evangjelos Doules and Mayor of Himara Municipality Vassilis Bollanos accused Berisha at the Albanian parliament as linked with Kosovo mafia against the interests of the Greek region population.
In fact, according to a variety of well-informed sources; Albanians and Kosovo mafia klans around the world - linked with a branch very strong inside Albanian government - who are supporting institutionally to finance groups known as “Cartel” to buy lands and proprieties of Northern Epiriotes from Diviaka coasts line to Butryntos Park in Saranda Region. The strategy is being supported from abusive laws contested from coastline population particularly Himara Region (The law 7501). According to information, there are about 500 million Euro in disposition of the mafia group to buy lands and to change the historically structure of monasteries and Byzantine churches. The plan has been in action months ago, when in a village known as Drimades (Himara Region), mafia has constructed some hotels in collaboration with persons under judicial restrain from authorities. Falsifying propriety documents and officially known from abusive Tribunal Decision, the Albanian mafia has bought about 70% of Ionian Cast Line.
On 2003, The Human Rights report of U.S. State Department had observed decisions of the Albanian Tribunal of Vlora and Saranda to monitor anonymous persons (most probably, members of the Albanian authorities service) as the owners. They soon after sold them, whilst the real owners (Greek Community), protested every day against Albanian authority and mafia.
Some days ago, the Mayor of Lukovo informed us for a raise of the interest by Kosovo anonymous prospective buyers to “invest under very good prices” lands from Ionian Coast Line. But one month ago, the Mayor had protested to Prime Minister Berisha for about 500 abusive houses are constructing during the Ionian Coast Line from other people but not from Lukovo Region, as the Albanian press reported. In Fieri Region, a strong Klan from Kosovo old origin is buying Adriatic Coast Line in order to construct ranch near Apollonia Park. But the strategic Nationalism of Tourism in Albania, as Minister Ylli Pango claimed calls for construction of tens of Tourist Villages particularly during Ionian Coast Line.
Does the “Commercial Bank of Albania” (Turkish Bank) buy lands in Albania?
The only Bank of the country (in total 18 banks), which claims its interest to buy lands and proprieties, is the “Commercial Bank of Albania” old state bank privatized from Turkish Consortium Banks. But similar history of buying lands is developing in Northern Cyprus and Thrace Region in Greece. The question is: Albanian state, Albanian and Kosovo mafia…. and Turkish Bank are working together to buy lands and properties of Northern Epirotes to change also the structure and Byzantine identity? Is this Bank (before was Albanian state propriety) as principal financiers of Albanians come in Saranda Region to change the architecture of Byzantine and Epiriotic historically structure to cement constructions?
During last summer period the Ionian Coast Line owners have met tourist from Kosovo, Albanians mafias who even not known well southern part of Albania, often proposed with lot of money to buy lands!!! “We do not sell our lands, why you come to us to offer so much money often, in Europe there are beautiful beaches and you should buy there?” said the owners...
The Himara Community one month ago had protested for a plan of government under the strategy of “Development of Albanian Tourism across to Gross Roads” a project of government with the World Bank for Albanian Coast Line. The Albanian media informs that the son in law of Prime Minister Berisha, Jamarber Maltzi, is the director of the project, contested from Himara Community, when the daughter of prime minister is advocate of “Mediterranean Club” and has lot of influence together with Foreign Minister Lulezim Basha, strong link with Kosovo. Another person who works near prime minister is Shaban Memia, as Director of “Agency of Legalization” known as linked with Kosovo. Greek community has the rights to protect the annexation of their proprieties from the Albanian state to construct the tourist village considering as Albanian mafia. What happened with the strategy to help Northern Epirote people to rise the investments in their lands, when the Greek Banks gave about 250 million euro to construct the “Patriotic Road” Tirana Pristina, helping the Berisha`s Government?
“The Hellenic strategic aim of Hellas in Albania must be the cultural, linguistic and the full help to Northern Epirotes from banks and investments, economical re-Hellenization of its southern territories, that is of the Hellenic national place of North Epirus”, said often the Greek political representatives. But reality shows quite a different perspective. The aid of the Hellenic State to Albania has been changed, creating another priority; to raise investments not in Northern Epirus but in Tirana and Durresi, where the Albanian population is being transferred, leaving the land of Northern Epirus on the hands of the Albanian mafia, not investments, not Greek schools and most certainly not a single helping hand from the Hellenic banks.
Last June, in Ioannina the Chairman of Pan Epirotic Federation of America Mihailis Servos, calls Athens, the Greek Banks and Hellenic Investment Companies to give all the support for the Northern Epiriotes, who must stand in their lands and proprieties, but until now there has been not any progress. From a political point of view, Athens is giving all of its support to the Albanian Government to along the EU and NATO structures and in particular as the first foreign investor in Albania with about 800 million euro invested capital.
The strategic interest of Albania is to make all the efforts to conclude the final status of unification of “Greater Albania”. Now the Kosovo people could enter in Albanian boarders without passport (even the half of population have taken Albanian passports), but needed a highway that the finances have been found by the “Greek Banks benefactors”, a paradox hard to notice...

Stavros Markos*

Member of World Security Network Foundation Athens & South Eastern Europe Office. Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS), Athens, Greece.(Albanian politics, NGO & Minorities studies). Journalist, analyst on organized crime in the Balkans & NGO Director. Markos Stavros, born in 1965 in Vlore, Albania, is an award-winning investigative journalist in Tirana. He has worked with BBC Radio, Albanian Television TVS, France Television TF1, TF2, TV5, Italian Television RAI, Athens Media Sesk and more, specializing in Balkan organized crime. He is directing NGO activities around minority issues and has served in the directory of TV Stations and newspapers