Sunday, January 20, 2008



FYROM, the Anti-Speed-Boat Law

By Plator Nesturi*

Weekly magazine “Klan” said in its issue (No: 545) that the smuggling of lambs or other far “more expensive” products is not a sufficient reason for the Skopia authorities to take such an extreme measure

The visa procedures for the Albanian citizens who want to travel to Macedonia will be the same with those of the EU countries. In other words, the chances of a common Albanian to go to Skopia will be the same with those of going to Italy while the queues in front of the embassies will complete one another.

All of a sudden, Albania, so much engrossed in being part of the EU integration, gets panicky of the free movement of its citizens.
What made Skopia towards which Albania has shown care, if not love, to take such an extreme measure which penalizes the free movement of Albanians? Albania is known as the first countries which recognized the new FYROM state. Moreover, in the time of Greek embargo to FYROM, the former Albanian President, Sali Berisha declared that he would put the Durres Port at the disposal of FYROM. Even later one, the cases when the official Tirana has helped in keeping the fragile state equilibriums of the Balkans have not lacked.

That’s why when Skopje has decided to show the door of embassy to the Albanians, it seems a wonder how the Albanian authorities were so much powerless to change this decision. What is ridicule is that instead of raising their voices, the Albanian authorities aim at raising the awareness about this issue through the protests of the Albanians in FYROM or through declarations of Albanian politicians there.

It has been often talked of the smuggling between the smuggling between the two countries. But neither the smuggling of lambs or other “more expensive” products is not a sufficient reason for the FYROM authorities to take extreme measures that impede the free movement of citizens between the two countries.
Note: Plator Nesturi is analyst for diplomatic and security relations in the albanian press.

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