Albanian resolution on Cham  'genocide '

As in the case of Turkey, so in case of Tirana, the Greek government continues to support the European orientation of Albania, while the situation of the Greek minority has deteriorated and while nationalism and expansionism affect crucial not only Greek-Albanian relations, but also climate in the Balkans.




The party of Chams (PDIU) took advantage of the climate of nationalism and anti-Greek prevailing in powerful political circles in Tirana and the media, and managed to impose it on the political agenda of Albania.

By Sotiris Sideris

EPIKERIA Magazine

Alarming proportions has begun to take the effort of political parties in Albania to impose a resolution of Parliament with which to pay the "genocide of the Cham", which they claim ... did the Greeks after the end of World War II, which, if finally happens, it will cause huge political, historical and psychological changes in Greek-Albanian relations, which will be difficult to repair for many years.

The nationalist delirium that has erupted in Albania since last November, when we celebrated the centenary of the founding of the state and formalized the commitment to 'Greater Albania', may be partly abated after tough interventions dozen governments, including the USA, but many aspects remain active and merely rhetoric is somewhat depressed, but the request remains. One particular aspect, that of the Chams, which concerns our country is almost daily in the agenda and receive much in the Albanian press, but things be serious enough to submission of the resolution to the Foreign and Defence Parliament genocide of the Cham Greece.

The Party of the Chams, the PDIU, took advantage of the climate of nationalism and anti-Greek prevailing in powerful political circles in Tirana and the media, and managed to impose it on the political agenda of Albania as a whole political forces have already been incorporated in political reasons, the "tsamiko issue" and diagkonizontai about who has the most dynamic representations to Athens. This shows that the political deterioration of a risk is criminal and also shows that minorities sometimes evolve into powerful lobbies and sometimes decisively affect the dominant forces. In Greece for years the risk is downgraded, never analyzed properly, perhaps not analyzed-even, thus even now the Greek government can not address the problem.

Episodic meeting
Last Friday was a very eventful meeting of the Foreign and Defence in Tirana with contributors Members of the Socialist and the Democratic Party to request more time. The Party of Chams is the great protagonist, and has a consolidated its position in the political system as the expression 'the persecuted and murdered Chams ". During the meeting broke onslaught against Vangelis Dule, president of KEAD and member of the Committee, for expressing the vertical disagreement with the resolution. Eventually after hours of tension, the debate continued yesterday and while the "Topical" en route for the printshop.

If finally the resolution filed onto the House and approved, it is obvious that it will change the flow of relations between Greece - Albania and affect the political climate of the entire area. In this case, nothing will no longer be the same and Greece will be faced with a category or imagined anyone ever politician or diplomat. Why such a category will not stay on the bilateral level, will become an international issue, and Greece will run to face the consequences of denigration that will build on the falsification of history once again.

According to the Albanian press, members of the Commission have studied both the resolution and the accompanying interpretive material and discuss the content of the resolution in the new session of the Commission. The same reports estimated that the final course of action the Committee members are expected to be positive as to the filing of the resolution in the House of Assembly. Until a few days most parties, especially the Socialist leader Edi Rama-that caused the problem with the Constitutional Court's maritime zones-had spoken positively, while question is what will be the final stop of the Berisha government, as the Democratic Party led initially expressed support for the resolution, while the last few days show signs of folding, without knowing what trend will eventually prevail. The fact that Albania is going through the final weeks of large campaign for June elections is, however, a negative element.

What seeks Tirana?

Even though the Committee on Foreign and Defence Policy do not decide to deposit the resolution in the plenary of the Albanian Parliament, the problem exists and shall vest according to developments and political aspirations of Tirana. In simple words, this issue is already a tool pressure on Greece, which must now react to central political level.

By developments that the activation of the Greek embassy in Tirana is not by itself enough to influence developments and push for full and permanent withdrawal of the resolution. Because what is required is the total mobilization of government and design dynamic intervention to understand that in the event of an adoption anyway ahistorical resolution which is born of Albanian irredentism, will lead to crushing blow to bilateral relations and will open a new capital in the region. Information indicates that the direction of voting for the proposal for "genocide" backed with passion from the Turkish embassy in Tirana.

Albania has managed to repel fully Greek influence and aggregating constantly demands has embarrass the Greek diplomacy remains inactive or unable to design a policy of defense of national interests. Albania has refused to be ratified by the Parliament of the Agreement on maritime zones under the pretext of a Constitutional Court decision, pushing for the lifting of the belligerents threatens the resolution on genocide, makes maps for the "Greater Albania", violate the rights the Greek minority, while Greece has withdrawn from the fronts of good IMPLIED Claiming under an institutional policy for the EU's relations of good neighborliness.

As in the case of Turkey, so in case of Tirana, the Greek government continues to support the European orientation of Albania, while the situation of the Greek minority has deteriorated and while nationalism and expansionism affect crucial not only Greek-Albanian relations, but also climate in the Balkans.