Friday, February 20, 2009

Croatian fury as Slovenian referendum petition launched

20 February 2009 12:25 Source: B92
LJUBLJANA -- A petition has begun to circulate in Slovenia calling for a referendum on Croatian and Albania accession to NATO, that has Croatian politicians up in arms.

There is a deadline of 35 days to collect the 40,000 signatures needed for calling a referendum on Croatian NATO membership. Slovenian Parliamentary Speaker Pavel Gantar was forced to set the deadline after talks between Prime Minister Borut Pahor and the referendum initiators failed to fully resolve the matter.

Though the June 25 Institute has pulled out of the initiative, Pahor was unable to persuade the non-parliamentary Slovenian People’s Party (SSN) to do likewise.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The greek weekly "TO PARON"

The bulldozers expelled the Greeks in Nivitsa

What the Greek government must know more about Jala and Nivitsa in Himara Region? ...

Do they know for the "son in law" of Sali Berisha called Jamarber Maltesi and is representative of the World Bank in Albania!
Do the greek parliament members know about the bulldozers-there, to build a tourist resort to cleansing of the Greek ethnic people?.

Greek PM meets with Senator Durbin, Giannoulias

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis receives US Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), second from left, on Wed. 18 February 2009 at the Maximos Mansion.

Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the US Senate, was accompanied on his trip by Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (third from left), a Greek-American, rumored to be running for US Senator in 2010

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

World Bank and The Albanian Goverment destroit a Greek village in Himara, northern Epirus

STATE DEPARTAMENT

Gordon Duguid

Acting Deputy Department SpokesmanDaily Press Briefing
February 18, 2009
.......
Yes, Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: On Albania, the World Bank acknowledged yesterday serious errors by the Albanian Government against a Greek village in northern Epirus and presented an action plan for addressing this issue to a panel. I am wondering what is the U.S. position, since the European Union is involved, too.

MR. DUGUID: I would refer you to the World Bank for their action, and I believe that the – this matter is before the courts in Albania, so that would be – those would be the proper places to go for an opinion on this. It’s a court matter. The World Bank, I understand from press reports, has launched its own investigation. They would have many more details than I would be able to give you.

QUESTION: One more question. Any response by Mark Toner to my pending question of last week on the Sali Berisha supreme court in Albania regarding the sentence of five Greeks in Himara of northern Epirus for political reasons 25 years in prison who simply raised a Greek flag?

MR. DUGUID: I believe that the matter is a court matter for the Albanians, and they do have an independent judiciary that has worked through this.

QUESTION: Thank you.
Berisha attacks panel inspection of World Bank

There are links with "mafia" to robber the Albanian Coast Line. The albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, speaking for the project of World Bank for destruction of Jali has sharply attacked the inspection panel of the World Bank stating that it is linked to the mafia.

Berisha said that the World Bank will require investigation for this panel. Berisha stressed that the project is implemented with complete transparency from our government, and everything else is a problem of the World Bank.

Anyway, speaking to the Voice of America, Albanian section, the World Bank Project Coordinator Jamarber Maltezi (Son in law of PM Sali Berisha) he replaces the accuses against hem, saying that: the government and police authorities have been decided in accordance with the laws, to operate against abusive buildings and constructions without permission while speculation has named as his charges falls by the other interest group including the politic opposite.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

World Bank Board of Executive Directors Reviews Independent Inspection Panel Report on Coastal Zone Management Project in Albania

"The Chair of the Inspection Panel, Werner Kiene, stated, “While the Bank’s non-compliance with its policies in the present case is extremely troubling, the Panel applauds the leadership of the President and Senior Management in acknowledging errors and in initiating corrective measures once the Panel issued its Report.”

WASHINGTON, February 17, 2009—The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today considered a Management Report and Action Plan that responds to an independent Inspection Panel investigation of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Clean-Up Project in Albania, which was requested by families harmed by the April 2007 demolition of buildings in the Albanian coastal village of Jale. The Management Report acknowledges serious errors in project preparation and supervision, along with errors in communication with the Board of the World Bank, and presents an Action Plan for addressing those issues identified by the Panel.

Under the Action Plan, a series of measures will be undertaken with support by the Bank, including: a case-by-case legal review of the April 2007 demolitions in the project area, the appointment of an Independent Observer to monitor the legal review and report back to the Bank, and the payment of legal aid for the review of each of the Requesters’ claims. Bank Management will also supervise completion of a social and vulnerability assessment, and the retroactive application of the resulting assistance packages for the poor and/or vulnerable affected by the demolitions. Management will report back to the Board in three months on progress.
MORE SEE: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/ALBANIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22072678~menuPK:301417~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:301412,00.html

Albania, Croatia's NATO Accession Ratified by Greece



Greece became the last NATO member state to ratify Albania and Croatia's accession protocols with the Alliance. The Greek parliament where waiting under strong debate to complete the ratification procedures for the two Balkan nations to join NATO in April.

Albania and Croatia moved a step closer towards full-fledged NATO membership on Thursday(February 17-Th) after the Greek parliament ratified the two countries' accession protocols with the Alliance.

The process where voted by tow important parties DP and PASOK, while LAOS, KKE and SIRIZA voted against.
STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR BRIEFING
WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17,
Acting Deputy Spokesman Gordon Duguid

......Question: Lambros Papantoniou

One more question. Albania is supporting the so-calledindependence of Kosovo on the basis of geography, not ethnicity. Seein gthat Kosovars are Albanians, why does your government support the creation of a second Albania in the Balkan Peninsula with different name, instead of asking a union? May we assume that Secretary Clintonis going to change this policy?

MR. DUGUID: Mr. Lambros, I disagree with the premise of thequestion, and therefore I will not answer that at this particulartime.

I don't think it's factually accurate.
Mr. Lambros Papantoniou.

Question: Yes, on Kosovo, two questions. Mr. Duguid, since you created Kosovo, why does the U.S.government oppose the same right for the Greeks in Northern Epirus, which after all has its own autonomy recognized by the League of Nations as precondition for admission of Albania into its ranks became a state. May we assume that Secretary Clinton is going to help the Greeks of Northern Epirus?

MR. DUGUID: Mr. Lambros, again, I don't agree with the premise of the question. Therefore I'm not prepared to answer it.

Question: I have another one. Today at the World Bank, there is a special meeting about the false information provided, by its managers, to the agency's board of directors, for $39 million dollars politically connected, quote, "coastalcleanup," unquote, project that led to the destruction and thedestitution of a powerless Greek village close to Himare, NorthernEpirus, in Albania, in 2007, in full cooperation with Sali Berishagovernment. I'm wondering if you aware about that from the human rights pointof view.

MR. DUGUID: I don't have any information on that. If I can findanything, I will get back to you. Thank you.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Greece, debates on national issues requested by LAOS

Conducting pre-agenda debate on the Greek national issues sent in a letter of request to the chairman of the Greek Parliament, Demetrios Sioufas by the chairman of LAOS Georgeos Karatzaferis.

"There are new developments of our national issues, creating the impression that the government passively monitor the events, just the government is trying to manage the intern problems of the country forgetting the national interests of the Greek policy" notes in his letter Mr Karatzaferis.

Among other things, the President of LAOS refers to pressures for the reintroduction of the Annan plan in Cyprus for evacuation of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants "official with responsibility of Turkey", issue for the name of Skopje, to remove property homogeneous of Greeks in Albania, etc. says Mr. Karatzaferis.
THE ALBANIAN NATIONALIST TRIAL

Gjirokaster, the protest anti-Bollanos & Kseras, two Albanian boys free

The Regional Court of Gjiroksater dismissed today the case in charge of two young men from Tepelena, who were arrested months ago because of patriotic protest against the mayor of Himara and president of Omonia Vasilis Bollanos and Spyros Kseras. Orgen Hasanbegaj and Luan Halili, are declared innocent by the court, and dismissed the case.

The protest of the young is supported by political parties and members of the Albanian Parliament. They were arrested because they staged a “peaceful protest blocking the national road” against Vasil Bollanos and Spyros Kseras, known for their “anti-Albanian sentiments”.

Members of the “Chameria” Community also backed the protest of young Albanian people, urging the Court to declare them innocent.
A 28-year-old Greek found executed on the Greek Albanian border
Unknown still now, many mysterious circumstances which has caused the deaths of Greek citizen from Thesprotia, northern Greece.

Gaxellos Vasillos body was found near the pyramid 54, in the village Janjar, near the border with the Greece, about 65 km from the city of Saranda today Albanian media reported.

The Northern Epirus not forget

Athens, 15.02.09

With a solemn celebrated yesterday the anniversary of 95 years after the proclamation of the autonomous state of Northern Epirus in 1914. The event, which is celebrated every year, the Association of Northern Epirus Forums started to the Church in St. George Karytsi and followed of the Unknown Soldier.

As is known, in February 1914 the Northern Epirus, refusing to qualify for the newly Albanian government, revolted, declared in Gjirokaster the Independent State of Northern Epirus and formed a government under President George Zografos and members Metropolitans Dryinoupoleos and Koritsas Konitsa Spiridon proclaimed the autonomy.

As the result of the efforts brings the Protocol of Corfu (17-5-1914), signed by the governments of the Great Powers, Albania and Northern Epirus and the status of autonomy provided to prefectures Koritsas, Gjirokaster and Himara.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Albania urged to return seized religious property

Europe's biggest grouping of Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant churches has called on Albania to return all sacred property seized from religious communities during 46 years of communist rule that followed the Second World War.

"Much of the property confiscated under communism, after 18 years of democracy, has still to be returned to the churches and other religious communities," the Conference of European Churches said in a statement released on 11 February during a meeting of its 10-member presidium in Tirana and Durrës, the country's second-largest city.