What will bring the meeting Papulias – Topi?

By Stavros Markos*

Not only diplomatic relations but also very important issues to be open such are “The Kosovo Independence and more human rigths for the greeks in albania”.

Photo; The Albanian President Bamir Topi

The Albanian President Bamir Topi will start on the end of November to visit Athens. During three day of his visit, he will meet the Greek counterpart Karolos Papulias and other high Greek represent. The visit is considering very important particularly for the role of Greece bused to the ulterior developments in Balkan Region and Kosovo Status Finale.

But the Greek Albanian relations some times are very confuse regarding historically circumstances; often as “good neighbored bused on the Greek minority of Albania” and often “unacceptable perspective seeing the “Law of War with Albania from Greece” as pretexts to deportation of about 20 thousand Chames Community from Greece named as “fascist collaborationist”, in the end of The Second World War”.

Anyway actually is staring the big process to reopen some very important historically issues on the Balkan Region, which is linked Albania and Greece for the Kosovo Issue and the future integration of Albanian State to NATO and EU.

According to Information the Albanian President Topi will present to Greek counterpart Papulias 5 points of Albanian national requests.

1. Greece must declare in favor of the Independence of Kosovo (including also Cyprus vote)
2. Greece must declare in the favor of Albania to joint NATO Alliance.
3. Greece must ratification the Stabilization association process with EU by Greek Parliament as other countries of EU, (including Cyprus)
4. Athens must help for the special status of Albanian emigrants, which are working in Greek Territory often clandestine and not known by Greek authorities.
5. Under the “Friendly Agreement between Tirana Athens of 1996” Greece and Albania must respect the Albanian proprieties (Is not clear for the cham issue) based on the human international rights both Greek proprieties in Albania (!!!)

Analyzing 5 points of Tirana to Athens, excluding 4 points, the first is new “The Kosovo Support Independence” but very important regarding exclusively agenda of Topi to Papulias. During his visit in Balkan region (Montenegro, Macedonia) and other EU states, Topi has declared the support for Independence of Kosovo from all members of European Union in accordance with Washington. Tirana has expressed to know firsttly the Kosovo Independence particularly after December 10, when the Contact Group will finish the efforts to resolve an agreement between Beograd and Pristine.

But what is waiting the Greek response would be not a surprise for Albanian counterpart. According to information, Karolos Papulias in accordance with Albanian requests will be present the Large Autonomy of Greeks in Albania. Albania and Greece have contradictory estimations about the Greek Ethnic Minority who live in Southern Albania. According to Tirana the Greeks of Albania are only 1.17% a number unacceptable for Athens when Greek Organization “Pan Epiriotic Federation of America” and Foreign Greek Ministry said over 600 thousand Greeks in Albania, even Athens continues to support a General Counting Population of Albania to resume this diplomatic problem bused on the human rights individual declaration to the ONU Charter”.

Meanwhile, every thing is open to see the consequences after the Meeting Topi - Papulias but diplomatic sources said the interference of the State Department to support the visit of Albanian President in Athens. Athens is important "advocate voice" of Albania to joint to NATO Alliance and EU integration.

Stavros Markos
(Journalist, Member of the World Security Network Foundation -Southeast Europe Office
www.rieas.gr