Thaci: Albania 'Obliged' to Speak out on Kosovo

In an interview with BIRN, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci backs the controversial new war crimes court - and says Albanian leaders have every right to speak out on the subject of Kosovo.

Jeta Xharra
BIRN
Pristina

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci. Photo: BIRN.

Since taking up office as Kosovo's head of state in February, President Hashim Thaci seems to have moved away from the limelight.

In government as Prime Minister, Thaci supported the establishment of the Specialist Chambers in the Hague, a new court that will deal with war crimes committed in Kosovo during 1998-2000.

Thaci was one of a number of leading political figures in Kosovo accused of war crimes, including organ harvesting, in a 2011 report by the Council of Europe.

But Thaci says he still backs the court. “We should see the formation of the Special Tribunal [the Specialist Cambers] as a way of clearing, or getting rid of the allegations, of the things that have been mentioned in reports of the Council of Europe,” Thaci said on Thursday.

“I’ve led the process of establishing this court and everyone should be equal before the law,” Thaci said, when asked whether he believed he himself might be indicted.

A former foreign minister, Thaci also discussed the recent backlash in Kosovo against Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama after he publicly discussed Kosovo's affairs in Belgrade, Serbia.

Thaci said Rama had every right to speak out. “It was a responsible, correct and just declaration about Trepca [the disputed mining complex in northern Kosovo].

"The same goes for recognitions [of Kosovo's independence] and what he said about [Nehat] Thaci,” Thaci said, referring to the Kosovo police director detained in Serbia on charges of organized crime since September 29.

“Albania is obliged to deal [with Kosovo] and make statements on issues that are important,” he added.

Days after the Kosovo government passed a law on the Trepca mining complex, a decision that the Serbian government has condemned, Rama defended Kosovo’s independence and the Kosovo government’s claim to the Trepca complex at the Belgrade Security Forum.

However, Rama’s comments caused a furore in Kosovo with some people accusing him of interfering in Kosovo’s affairs.

To read the full interview, please visit Prishtina Insight.

The interview, by BIRN Kosovo director Jeta Xharra, was originally broadcast as part of TV show Jeta ne Kosove.

"Himara 1997" Commander Alex Balas, asks Mayor George Goro for resignation

Alex Balas returned from the USA after almost 16 years, and located in Himare town, , Former Commander of the group for the protection of Himara Region, during the Civil War in 1997 in Albania, has spoken in the protest of the people of Himara, for invasion of properties of Himara People by Albanian oligarchs and mafia.



Escalation of the protests of the Himara Community, is in the epicenter, suspicious Development Plans of the Albanian government, stimulated by the laws adopted by the Albanian Parliament, for the assimilation of the hellenic population of the Himara Region

But at the same time, as an American citizen, Alex Balas invited his fellow citizens Himara people to protest constantly until the Himara Mayor of the Municipality, as collaborationist of the Mafia State George Goro, to resign.

.Alex Balas, a Former officer of the Army of Albania, was commander of the armed group for protection of Himara, During the Civil War in Albania in 1997, he kept intact by any threat to the Region of Himara, as government forces of the Albania Army as well by armed groups.

In 14 March 1997 The Himara Commander Alex Balas, as Member of Committee of Public Salvation of Southern Albania, met on the board of the Italian Frigate "Allisseo" in Adriatic Sea with the Head of OSCE, Wraniski, Formet Greek Foreign Minister Janis Kranidiotis and other European Diplomats, about the Dangerous Situation of Albanian Civil War ..

The Himara Region had no murder During the Civil War in 1997, while the population was compact since the years 1912 to 1916, when Commander Spyros Spyros Milos, had declared the independence of Himara, within the Autonomous Republic of the Northern Epirus.

Related:  http://smarkos.blogspot.al/2016/03/19-years-ago-remembering-civil-war-in.html

The Greek frigate "Aegean 460" will patrol "Himara and Saranda" against drug trafficking and weapons

The Latest News

 Is this a military agreement Albania - Greece, under NATO initiative?

Albanian Coast Guard "Ilyria" will be stationed in Lesbos, while the Greek Frigate "Aegean", in Himara

Even Albania airspace monitored by Greek aircraft, F16.

Small Albanian Coast Guard, will patrol in Greek waters in Aegean between the islands of Lesbos and Hios, against clandestine trafficking and immigration from the Middle East while Greek frigate will patrol in Albanian waters of the Ionian Sea, from Karaburuni, Himara, Saranda to Cape of Stillos, to stop the influx of drug trafficking and weapons that come from Albania to Greece.

Albania contributes with a small ship to NATO Aegean force

 

Albania's Defense Ministry says it will contribute a warship to the NATO maritime force deployed to the Aegean Sea to help stop the smuggling of migrants from Turkey to Greece.

The ministry said Friday that a frigate with a crew of 21 will be part of NATO's flotilla to the Aegean Sea in reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions, starting in November.

Albania, a NATO member since 2009, has not been a major transit route for migrants through Europe so far, although small groups have tried crossing it to reach its northern neighbors.

Russia Is Deploying The Largest Naval Force Since The Cold War For Syria: NATO Diplomat

Just moments ago we reported that in the latest escalation involving Syria, the Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov was now sailing past Norway on its way to Syria, where it is expected to arrive in just under 2 weeks.  As part of the carrier naval group, Russia also deployed an escort of seven other Russian ships, which we dubbed the "most powerful Russian naval task force to sail in northern Europe since 2014" according to Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reports. It turns out it was more than this. As Reuters

Χιμάρα εκρήγνυται σε ένδειξη διαμαρτυρίας

 

Χειμάρρα, δεν μπορεί να υποβληθεί από το Αλβανικό κράτος για λογαριασμό της μαφίας

Διαμαρτυρίες της Χιμάρας, θα συνεχιστεί χωρίς τέλος

Παρασκευή 21 Οκτωβρίου 2016

 

 

 

 

Η Χειμαρριώτες συνεχίζουν τον αγώνα για την προστασία των περιουσιών τους. Σήμερα, το Παράτημα της Ομόνοιας στη Χειμάρρα σε συνεργασία με τη «Συμμαχία για την Προστασία των Περιουσιών στις Ακτές του Ιονίου», με πρόεδρο τον επιχειρηματία Νίκο Νεράντζη διαδήλωσαν μπρωστα στο δημαρχείο. Σε δηλώσεις του στα αλβανικά μέσα ο πρόεδρος της Ομόνοιας Χειμάρρας κ. Φρέντης Μπελέρης δήλωσε η δημοτική αρχή και η κεντρική εξουσία λειτουργούν χωρίς ίχνος διαφάνειας και δημοκρατικότητας. 

Ο κ. Νεράντζης, που συμβολικά είχε δεθεί με αλυσίδες, εις ένδειξη διαμαρτυρίας για το πολεοδομικό σχέδιο της πόλης, το οποίο έχει στόχο να υφαρπάξει τις περιουσίες τους, δήλωσε εκτός των άλλων, ότι «θα προβάλουμε αντίσταση στις μπουλντόζες της κυβέρνησης». Κατηγόρησε επίσης, το Δήμαρχο Γκόρο ως ΄΄υπηρέτη της εξουσίας των μασκαράδων΄΄ , προσθέτοντας ότι δεν δέχθηκε αντιπροσωπεία των κατοίκων για να ακούσει τα προβλήματα τους.

Η ανακοίνωση τύπου του ΚΕΑΔ 

«Σήμερα πριν από το μεσημέρι, οι κάτοικοι της Χειμάρρας διαμαρτυρήθηκαν για μία ακόμα φορά μπροστά από το Δήμο, για τα βασικά δικαιώματά τους: των περιουσιών τους, της προστασίας της πολιτιστικής τους κληρονομιάς και της φυσικής ομορφιάς της περιοχής τους καθώς και για την προοπτική ανάπτυξής της. 

Για μία ακόμα φορά, τα αιτήματά τους για διάλογο και διαφάνεια, ήρθαν αντιμέτωπα με τις κλειστές πόρτες του Δήμου και την αυθάδη σιωπή του Δημάρχου κ. Γκόρου. 

Το ΚΕΑΔ εκφράζει την πλήρη αλληλεγγύη του με τα νόμιμα αιτήματα των κατοίκων και απευθύνεται στον Π/Θ Ράμα, καλώντας τον να ξεκινήσει χωρίς να χάσει χρόνο, προσωπικά και όχι μέσω των τοπικών μαριονετών του, εποικοδομητικό διάλογο με την τοπική κοινότητα, προκειμένου να δρομολογηθεί λύση στα ζωτικής σημασίας προβλήματα χορήγησης τίτλων ιδιοκτησίας στους νόμιμους ιδιοκτήτες και καταγραφής των περιουσιών, προστασίας της πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς και της φυσικής ομορφιάς, κατάρτισης ενός ρεαλιστικού σχεδίου ανάπτυξης των υποδομών που αυτή τη στιγμή δεν υπάρχουν στην περιοχή, το οποίο θα διασφάλιζε την προοπτική αυτού του τουριστικού μαργαριταριού, μαζί με την τοπική κοινότητα και προς το συμφέρον της, και όχι στην υπηρεσία των παράνομων και καταχρηστικών συμφερόντων διαφθοράς των ισχυρά οικονομικών ομίλων.

Ο κ. Ράμα θα πρέπει να εγκαταλείψει, πριν να είναι αργά, την επιλεκτική, πελατειακή πολιτική προκαταλήψεων εις βάρος της Χειμάρρας και των κατοίκων της. 

Κάνουμε επίσης έκκληση στις πολιτικές παρατάξεις και σε όλους τους πολίτες της χώρας, για αλληλεγγύη με τους κατοίκους της Χειμάρρας στις προσπάθειες τους να αποτρέψουν την εφαρμογή του κακόβουλου σχεδίου που έχει ως στόχο την υφαρπαγή των περιουσιών τους. Η επιτυχία αυτού του σχεδίου θα αποτελούσε το πιο δυσοίωνο προηγούμενο για κάθε νόμιμο ιδιοκτήτη και κάθε ελεύθερο πολίτη της χώρας. 

Τι είδους προσέγγιση με την ευρωπαϊκή πραγματικότητα μπορούμε να προσδοκούμε στη χώρα μας, όταν επικρατούν συνθήκες κυβερνητικής αυθάδειας, παντελούς ελλείψεως διαλόγου και διαφάνειας, και επιβολής του παράνομου μέσω της κρατικής βίας;»

Clinton, Trump, and their Greek Connections: Who’s Better for Greece?

By
Philip Chrysopoulos -
Oct 19, 2016

Greek Reporter
us_debateMany Greek-Americans have taken a stance for or against the two presidential candidates who are battling it out again on Wednesday. However Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have not said much about Greece and their stand regarding the Greek crisis, the overall role of the country on the global stage as well as some of the so called Greek issues including the Macedonia name dispute with FYROM, as well as Greek-Turkish relations.

In fact, the last time Donald Trump spoke about Greece was on July 1st, 2015, when the Greek government was still in negotiations with creditors over the third bailout. Speaking on Fox News, the Republican presidential candidate said that the US should not get “too involved” in the Greek debt issue.

“I would stay back a little bit, I wouldn’t get too involved,” he replied when asked what he would do if he were president. “We get too involved with other things I mean, I would definitely stay back,” he said.

“We have enough problems, let Germany handle it… Putin probably comes in to save the day, if Germany doesn’t,” he added.



Hillary Clinton, who also hasn’t spoken recently on the subject has appeared to care a bit more about Greece and have a formulated opinion, however during her term as Secretary of State did not offer much tangible help to Greece. Speaking at an event in Iowa in 2015 the Democratic presidential candidate called the Greek crisis “a tragedy”.

“Greece is a NATO ally and a European Union member, and the U.S. has a great, active, successful Greek-American community, so I want to see a resolution,” Clinton said. “Obviously, at the end of the day, it is up to the Greek people to decide what they are willing to do, and I hope that we can see an outcome here that will actually help Greece recover and keep them in the euro zone,” she continued.



Eleni Kounalakis, an active Greek-American who also served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and now has assumed the role of foreign policy advisor in the “Hillary for America” campaign has a lot more to say about Clinton’s views on Greece:

“Hillary Clinton knows Greece. She’s spent quite a bit of time there since the time she was First Lady. She has very deep and broad relationships with the Greek-American Community. She’s been to our Patriarchate. She brought her husband there, the first sitting U.S. President ever to visit the Patriarchate,” Kounalakis said.



“This has to do with her relationships but it also has to do with her perspective… She has shown her respect and adoration for Greece and her belief in the importance of stability of Greece. The economic stability and of course the security of Greece,” she added.

The Greek advisor to the National Diversity Coalition for Trump, Christos Marafatsos, says that the majority of the Greek American community supports Donald Trump exactly because does not offer words of sympathy but action. Marafatsos believes that the Republican candidate will actually take a pro-Greece stance and push the IMF and the EU to offer Greece a much needed debt relief.

“He truly cares for Greece,” says the young Greek-American who is the face for Greeks for Trump and helps the Trump campaign to reach out to Americans of Greek descent.

“We don’t need anybody’s sympathy, but action, we are proud for what we have achieved in the States” said Marafatsos during an event in Nevada referring to Clinton’s stance on Greece.

But how easy is to defend one of the most controversial candidates in the history of the US? Marafatsos says that Trump has made mistakes like anybody else would during a Presidential campaign.

“I believe that if he makes a mistake he offers an apology and accepts responsibility,” this is the kind of President I would want.”

Watch our interview with the chief of Greeks4Trump below:

Both Greek American political advisors agree though on one thing: The Greek community can play a significant role in this election, given that as many Greek Americans as possible get out and vote no matter what party they support.

Soros, Clinton and Albania

Defend Democracy Press 

19/10/2016

• 
  

An email leaked by WikiLeaks reveals that when Hillary Clinton was US secretary of state in 2011, billionaire George Soros instructed her on how to handle unrest in Albania, stressing it “needs urgent attention at senior levels of the US government.”

“Dear Hillary,” begins the email dated January 24, 2011 from the founder of Open Society Foundations, Soros.
“A serious situation has arisen in Albania which needs urgent attention at senior levels of the US government. You may know that an opposition demonstration in Tirana on Friday resulted in the deaths of three people and the destruction of property,” Soros says, according to the leaked email.
Three men were shot dead as anti-government demonstrators clashed with police in the Albanian capital in late January of 2011. Supporters of the opposition Socialist Party refused to accept the results of a 2009 election, citing corruption and fraud, when then-Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s Democratic Party won by a thin margin. Berisha accused the opposition of attempting to provoke a Tunisia-style uprising, saying “the bastard children of Albania’s own Ben Alis conceived Tunisian scenarios.”
“There are serious concerns about further unrest connected to a counter-demonstration to be organized by the governing party… and a follow-up event by the opposition two days later to memorialize the victims,” Soros says.
“The prospect of tens of thousands of people entering the streets in an already inflamed political environment bodes ill for the return of public order and the country’s fragile democratic process,” he adds.
“I believe two things need to be done urgently,” he adds.

Read also:

Mainstream Media Falsely Reports Sanders’ Endorsement of Clinton

“1. Bring the full weight of the international community to bear on Prime Minister Berisha and opposition leader Edi Rama to forestall further public demonstrations and to tone down public pronouncements.
2. Appoint a senior European official as a mediator.”
Soros suggested three candidates: Carl Bildt, Martti Ahtisaari, and Miroslav Lajcak, saying all “have strong connections to the Balkans.”
“The US and the EU must work in complete harmony over this, but given Albania’s European aspirations the EU must take the lead,” he stressed, adding that his foundation in Tirana was “monitoring the situation closely and can provide independent analysis of the crisis.”
Several days after the email was sent to Clinton, the EU did send one of Soros’ suggested nominees, Miroslav Lajcak, to meet Albanian leaders in Tirana to try to mediate an end to the unrest, Reuters reported.
In March, WikiLeaks launched a searchable archive consisting of 30,322 emails from Hillary Clinton’s private email server that she used while serving as US secretary of state. The 50,547 pages of documents cover Clinton’s correspondence from June 30, 2010 to August 12, 2014, of which 7,570 were sent by Clinton herself.
Last month, the whistleblowing website published an archive of over 1,200 of Clinton’s private emails pertaining to the Iraq War. Ahead of the release, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said the “upcoming leaks in relation to Hillary Clinton” would be enough to indict her.
Soros made a name for himself as the “man who broke the Bank of England” by engaging in questionable Forex hedging and betting against the sterling pound – which made him more than $1 billion in one day in September of 1992. Some have speculated that Soros has benefited from insider trading information when making investments. In 2002, a Paris court found Soros guilty of using inside information to profit from a 1988 takeover deal for bank Societe Generale.

Putin ally tells Americans: vote Trump or face nuclear war

Reuters

Andrew Osborn 6 days ago

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Americans should vote for Donald Trump as president next month or risk being dragged into a nuclear war, according to a Russian ultra-nationalist ally of President Vladimir Putin who likes to compare himself to the U.S. Republican candidate.

 

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a flamboyant veteran lawmaker known for his fiery rhetoric, told Reuters in an interview that Trump was the only person able to de-escalate dangerous tensions between Moscow and Washington.
By contrast, Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton could spark World War Three, said Zhirinovsky, who received a top state award from Putin after his pro-Kremlin Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) came third in Russia's parliamentary election last month.
Many Russians regard Zhirinovsky as a clownish figure who makes outspoken statements to grab attention but he is also widely viewed as a faithful servant of Kremlin policy, sometimes used to float radical opinions to test public reaction.
"Relations between Russia and the United States can't get any worse. The only way they can get worse is if a war starts," said Zhirinovsky, speaking in his huge office on the 10th floor of Russia's State Duma, or lower house of parliament.
"Americans voting for a president on Nov. 8 must realise that they are voting for peace on Planet Earth if they vote for Trump. But if they vote for Hillary it's war. It will be a short movie. There will be Hiroshimas and Nagasakis everywhere."
Zhirinovsky's comments coincide with deep disagreements between Washington and Moscow over Syria and Ukraine and after the White House last week accused Russia of a campaign of cyber attacks against Democratic Party organisations.
Even as WikiLeaks released another trove of internal documents from Clinton’s campaign on Wednesday, Putin insisted his country was not involved in an effort to influence the U.S. presidential election.
THE RUSSIAN TRUMP?
Zhirinovsky likes to shock liberal public opinion and he has frequently heaped scorn on the West, which he and other Russian nationalists regard as decadent, hypocritical and corrupted by political correctness.
His combative style, reminiscent of Trump's, ensures him plenty of television air time and millions of votes in Russian elections, often from the kind of blue-collar workers who are the bedrock of the U.S. Republican candidate's support.
Zhirinovsky once proposed blocking off mostly Muslim southern Russia with a barbed wire fence, echoing Trump's call for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Zhirinovsky, who said he met Trump in New York in 2002, revels in his similarities with the American businessman - they are the same age, favour coarse, sometimes misogynistic language and boast about putting their own country first. Zhirinovsky has even said he wants a DNA test to see if he is related to Trump.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Moscow, Russia, October 11, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev But unlike Trump, a billionaire real estate developer who casts himself as the anti-establishment candidate in the U.S. presidential race with no past political experience, Zhirinovsky is a consummate political insider who has sat in the Duma for more than two decades.
Putin has also praised Trump as "very talented", while the Republican candidate has said the Kremlin boss is a better leader than U.S. President Barack Obama. Clinton has accused Trump of being too cosy with Putin and questioned his business interests in Russia.
In other comments that have delighted Moscow, Trump has questioned the value of NATO for Washington, has spoken ambiguously about Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and suggested that the United States under his leadership would adopt a more isolationist foreign policy.
"He (Trump) won't care about Syria, Libya and Iraq and why an earth should America interfere in these countries? And Ukraine. Who needs Ukraine?," said Zhirinovsky, who once counted himself a friend of Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and whose deaths he still laments.
"Trump will have a brilliant chance to make relations more peaceful ... He's the only one who can do this," he said, adding that Trump could even win a Nobel peace prize.
CLINTON "CRAVES POWER"
In contrast, Zhirinovsky described Clinton as "an evil mother-in law" and said her record as secretary of state under Obama in 2009-2013 showed she was unfit to lead her country.
"She craves power. Her view is that Hillary is the most important person on the planet, that America is an exceptional country, as Barack Obama said," said Zhirinovsky. "That's dangerous. She could start a nuclear war."
In typically chauvinistic remarks, Zhirinovsky said Clinton's gender should also bar her from the presidency.
"Most Americans should choose Trump because men have been leading for millions of year. You can't take the risk of having one of the richest, most powerful countries led by a woman president," he said.
Asked about lewd comments Trump made about women in 2005 that have harmed his campaign, Zhirinovsky defended the Republican: "Men all round the world sometimes say such things that are just for their comrades. We must only consider his business (and political) qualities."
Though Putin and Trump have never met, Zhirinovsky said he believed they could establish a close working relationship, adding: "Victory for Trump would be a gift to humanity. But if Hillary Clinton wins it will be the last U.S. president ever."
(Editing by Christian Lowe and Gareth Jones)

Archbishop of Greece to Government: ‘We Will Not Deliver Our Homeland and Faith to You’

Link
By
Philip Chrysopoulos -
Oct 19, 2016


Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos unleashed a scathing attack against the government and the political world during a speech in Livadia, central Greece, on Monday evening.

The content of the speech came in the aftermath of a radio interview by Education Minister Nikos Filis on Monday morning. Filis said that the Greek Left in government wants the separation between Church and State.

The education minister and the Archbishop have an ongoing argument over the proposed changes in religion courses in Greek schools. Filis has stated that despite the fact that the ministry was in consultation with the Church of Greece on the issue, the final decision on education matters belongs to the State and his ministry.

During his speech, Ieronymos challenged the government to not mess with Greece’s religion. “You may have sold out Greece’s treasures, our trains, our ports, but we will not hand over to you our homeland and our Orthodox faith,” he said.

Speaking about the economic crisis, the Archbishop said that, “these are hard times and all people are suffering. We need to be clear on what we want, what kind of family we want, how we want our children to be, how we want to live tomorrow, what kind of vision we have,” and added, “It is time we all need to wonder: Should we start supporting individuals instead of political parties?”

Archbishop Ieronymos also referred to the refugee crisis calling on Greeks to help the refugees whose country is bombarded without being responsible for it.

"Putin lost in Montenegro, will try to cause more problems"

U.S. Analyst University Daniel Serwer says there is strong support for Montenegro's accession to NATO and the EU in the wake of the elections in that country.
Source: B92, RTCG Tuesday, October 18, 2016 | 10:53

(Tanjug, file)

In a statement for Voice of America, carried by Montenegro's state broadcaster RTCG, Serwer, who is a professor at the Johns Hopkins University, said that "it appears NATO has won" and that the victory was Djukanovic's, although perhaps not as convincing as the Montenegrin prime minister and DPS leader would have liked.
He added that Djukanovic will first have the chance to form a government "and will need a coalition, for which there are many options."

Serwer thinks that a government made up of the DPS and minority parties would be stable.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be the case. It seems to me that most minorities in Montenegro not only accept Djukanovic but are also happy with the idea of Montenegro becoming a member of NATO, which they see as a guarantee of a certain level of decent treatment because the NATO club is a democracy that treats their minorities in the right way," Serwer has been quoted as saying.

He noted, however, that there was still opposition to Euro-Atlantic integration in Montenegro.

"The opposition is largely encouraged by the Russians, who are trying to prevent the accession of Montenegro to NATO and at the same time warn Serbia against joining. However, they lost. This is a clear and unequivocal loss of Vladimir Putin, but I expect that he will continue trying to cause problems in Montenegro," said Serwer.

He also thinks that Washington will be largely satisfied with what happened.

"I hope the ratification of the Protocol on the Accession of Montenegro to NATO will continue," Serwer said, adding that he was aware that Montenegro wants it to be done when the U.S. Congress meets after the elections, and before the new composition gathers.

"I doubt it is possible, but if it is, I would like it to happen," concluded the professor.

Djukanovic: Montenegro to Join NATO Within Several Months

By
InSerbia with agencies -
Oct 17, 2016


BELGRADE – Montenegro will join NATO within several months, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said after parliamentary elections held on Sunday.

He also vowed to accelerate negotiations on the country’s joining the European Union.

“Today we are glad to say that Montenegro would continue to follow the path of the certain European future, that within just several months we will ratify a protocol on Montenegro’s joining NATO and decide on the Montenegro’s NATO membership,” Dukanovic told his supporters late Sunday.

At the same time Montenegro’s opposition parties that are expected to enter the country’s parliament after Sunday elections said that they wanted to form a coalition to oust the government headed by Dukanovic from power.

The Montenegro’s opposition criticizes DPS plans to decide on the country’s joining NATO by parliament’s voting and demands to hold a nationwide referendum on the issue. According to preliminary results of the elections, PDS gained 36 of 81 seats in the parliament while the Democratic Front that comes second — with only 18 seats.

However, four opposition parties and coalitions (the Democratic Front, the Key Coalition, the Social Democratic Party and the Democrats) reportedly got 41 seats taken together, which gives them a chance to form a government.

Norway releases images of Russian fleet en route to Med

AFP

15 hrs ago

© Provided by AFP Norwegian Armed Forces handout image shows the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov passing the Norwegian island of Andoya in international waters on its way to the mediterranean 

  The Norwegian military said Tuesday it had taken photos of a Russian fleet, including its flagship aircraft carrier, which were shadowed off its coast as they headed for the eastern Mediterranean.
Based in Severomorsk in the Barents Sea in the Arctic, the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and seven other vessels were photographed on Monday in international waters off Norway, Major Elisabeth Eikeland, spokeswoman of the National Joint Headquarters in the Norwegian army, told AFP.
"We have been informed that they are en route to the Mediterranean," Eikeland said.

"It's not every day that so many ships sail together off Norway," she said.
The carrier was shadowed by a Norwegian navy frigate, with a vessel from another NATO member primed to take over escort duties afterwards, Eikeland said.
"The tone is good" with the Russian ships, Eikeland said.

Russia announced on Saturday that the Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov, its only aircraft carrier, was to reinforce Moscow's military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, where its forces are conducting a bombing campaign in Syria.

The Admiral Kuznetsov is travelling with the Pyotr Veliky battlecruiser, the Vice Admiral Kulakov destroyer and large anti-submarine ships, the defence ministry in Moscow said.
On Tuesday, Moscow announced an immediate halt to raids by Russian and Syrian air forces on Aleppo as a gesture of "goodwill".

The Kremlin said this would enable the evacuation of civilians from rebel-held areas of the city, which has been bombed intensively during the past month.

Kush do te bashkoi Shqiperine me Kosoven?

SManalysis

Lideret shqiptare si ne Shqiperi dhe Kosove, konsumojne politik te brendshme ne emer te Bashkimit te Shqiptareve, nje aksion qe perendimi vetem sa i teston por edhe nuk i ndalon.

Por Institucione Euro Atlantike “Think Tank”, shikojne Sali Berishen si njeriun me te favorshem, per te kryer unifikimin Shqiperi – Kosove nga Tirana, dhe Albin Kurtin nga Prishtina. 

Kjo per shkak se autoriteti i Berishes ne Kosove dhe Diaspore, lidhet edhe me te qenurit te tij nga Veriu i Shqiperise, per te cilen sondazhet e GALLOP, e shikojn kete referendum me te mundshem te fitoje nga Veriu i Shqiperise, se sa nga jugu.

Sali Berisha ka deklaruar se “Ndryshimi i kufijve dhe Bashkimi i Shqiperise me Kosoven, do te detyroheshim per te lene territore” (Gjilan, Kosove, 17 Dhtetor 2011)

Pse Edi Rama dhe PS, smund te bashkoje Shqiperi - Kosove?

Megjithe perpjekjet e fundit per te bere politike unifikuese pan shqiptare, Edi Rama nje lider karizmatik por me religjioz te dyshimte, me prejardhje nga Jugu i Shqiperise, ka mare inisiativa per te kryer bashkjimin e Shqiperise me Kosoven., POr, vite me pare, ne Prishtine ne prani te studenteve kosovare, gjate nje pyetje “ne se Partia Socialiste dhe ai vete, ndjehen filo greke se” u shpreh se “PS nuk eshte parti filo greke dhe as ai vete, por filo greke jane ata qe shiten detin Greqise” (29 Nentor 2011, Prishtine, me rastin e promovimit te librit Kurban).

Ky ne fakt, eshte nje perceptim i elites politico mediatike ne Kosoves, qysh ne kohet qe Rugova ishte lider i Kosoves. Jugun e Shqiperise, keto grupe, e konsideronin si “filo greke, epiriote” ndersa Partine Socialiste, qysh nen udheheqjen e Fatos Nanos, ata e kane konsideruar si filo greke, vecanerisht pas shperthimit te “Luftes Civile” ne Shqiperi, 1997.  

Ka nje arsyje me shume per te menduar se ne Jug te Shqiperise, jetojne shume orthodokse, qe sipas GALLOP, ky territor, ka me shume JO, per Bashkimin e Shqiperise me Kosoven. 

Sipas GALLOP kerkojne Shqiperine e Madhe, nga Shqiperia  67%, ne Kosove 81% dhe nga Shqiptaret ne Maqedoni 52%. Pjesa kosovare maqedonase shqiptare, jane te ritit musulman 100% qe kjo nuk ndodh ne Shqiperi, qe 33% qe i thone JO ketij bashkimi, shumica jane orthodokse ne Jug te Shqiperise.

O 'Eλληνας του Τραμπ στο protothema.gr

πάντησε χωρίς δεύτερη σκέψη στην πρόταση του επιτελείου Τραμπ

Παναγιώτης Σαββίδης 18/10/2016

Εκτύπωση

O 35χρονος επιχειρηματίας επιλέχθηκε μέσα από μια μεγάλη λίστα ομογενών υποψηφίων για τη συγκεκριμένη θέση - κλειδί

Τον ομογενή επιχειρηματία Χρήστο Καραφάτσο, επέλεξε ο Ντόναλντ Τραμπ για την κινητοποίηση της ελληνοαμερικανικής κοινότητας υπέρ της υποψηφιότητας του ενόψει των εκλογών της 8ης Νοεμβρίου στις ΗΠΑ. Ο ίδιος είναι μέλος του Εθνικού Συνασπισμού Διαφορετικότητας (Νational Diversity Coalition) που έχει συστήσει το επιτελείο του Τραμπ, με στόχο να προσελκύσει ψήφους από τις 35 εθνικές κοινότητες των ΗΠΑ, που μπορεί να κρίνουν και το τελικό αποτέλεσμα.

O 35χρονος επιχειρηματίας επιλέχθηκε μέσα από μια μεγάλη λίστα ομογενών υποψηφίων για τη συγκεκριμένη θέση – κλειδί, μετά από εισήγηση του Mάικλ Κόχεν, ενός εκ των στενών συμβούλων του Ντόναλντ Τραμπ. Αποστολή του κ.Μαραφάτσου είναι να προσεγγίσει την ελληνοαμερικανική κοινότητα που αριθμεί επίσημα το 0,4% του πληθυσμού των ΗΠΑ (1,27 εκατ.). Ποσοστό βέβαια που σε καμία  περίπτωση δεν μπορεί  να κρίνει το  τελικό αποτέλεσμα σε παναμερικανικό επίπεδο, ωστόσο λόγω του πολύπλοκου συστήματος με την εκλογή εκλεκτόρων ανά πολιτεία -που στη συνέχεια επιλέγουν τον επόμενο Πρόεδρο των ΗΠΑ- η ψήφος των ομογενών μπορεί να γείρει τη πλάστιγγα σε συγκεκριμένες πολιτείες όπως στη Βόρεια Καρολίνα, το Νιου Χάμσαϊρ κ.α.



Πάντως Δημοκρατικοί και Ρεπουμπλικάνοι επιζητούν την υποστήριξη ηχηρών ονομάτων του ελληνοαμερικανικού λόμπι, κάποια από αυτά περιλαμβάνονται στη «χρυσή»  λίστα του Forbes, προκειμένου να διαθέσουν -εκτός από δυνατό brand και λάμψη- τεράστιες χορηγίες, αναγκαίες για το δυνατό finish της προεκλογικής εκστρατείας.

Όπως λέει ο κ. Καραφάτσος στο protothema.gr, απάντησε χωρίς δεύτερη σκέψη στην πρόταση του επιτελείου Τραμπ, πιστεύοντας στις δυνατότητες του εκκεντρικού υποψήφιου των Ρεπουμπλικάνων και των αλλαγών που μπορεί να επιφέρει στις ΗΠΑ. Στην απόφασή του, έπαιξε ρόλο και η ελληνική καταγωγή του : «Είναι τιμή μου που έχω επιλεγεί να εκπροσωπήσω την ελληνική και κυπριακή ομογένεια στον Εθνικό Συνασπισμό Διαφορετικότητας του Τραμπ, με στόχοι να κινητοποιήσω τους Έλληνες και Κύπριους των ΗΠΑ υπέρ του υποψηφίου του Ρεπουμπλικανικού κόμματος . Αποφάσισα να υποστηρίξω τον Ντόναλντ Τραμπ γιατί μου υπενθυμίζει την καταγωγή και πως ξεκίνησε η οικογένεια μου στις ΗΠΑ. Ο πατέρας  μου με τους γονείς του –όπως πολλοί άλλοι Έλληνες- έφτασαν στην Αμερική τη δεκαετία του 1950 με μόλις μία βαλίτσα ρούχα στα χέρια. Ήρθαν στο άγνωστο, χωρίς να γνωρίζουν την παραμικρή λέξη στα αγγλικά, και ξεκίνησαν μια νέα ζωή γνωρίζοντας πως με πολλές θυσίες και σκληρή δουλειά τα παιδιά τους θα έχουν ένα καλύτερο μέλλον. Το αμερικανικό όνειρο που λέμε» λέει επισημαίνοντας πως: «Ο Τραμπ είναι ο μόνος που μπορεί  να διατηρήσει ζωντανό το αμερικανικό όνειρο».



Ο Εθνικός Συνασπισμός Διαφορετικότητας (Νational Diversity Coalition for Trump), συστάθηκε τον περασμένο Ιούλιο, με στόχο να προσεγγίσει τις εθνικές κοινότητες των ΗΠΑ, μετά το θόρυβο που έχει προκληθεί από θέσεις που έχει λάβει δημόσια ο Τραμπ για θέματα που αφορούν τις μειονότητες αλλά και τη μετανάστευση. Στο NDC συμμετέχουν αντιπρόσωποι από 35 εθνικές κοινότητες των ΗΠΑ (Αφροαμερικανοί, Ασιάτες, Λατίνοι, Έλληνες, κ.ά.) και θεωρείται κρίσιμο όργανο στην προσπάθεια του Ρεπουμπλικανικού Κόμματος να επικρατήσει στις εκλογές. Ο Έλληνας αντιπρόσωπος στο NDC, εμφανίζεται βέβαιος πως στη συντριπτική της πλειοψηφία η ελληνοαμερικανική κοινότητα θα στηρίξει την υποψηφιότητα του Ντόναλντ Τραμπ, απορρίπτοντας  ισχυρισμούς πως οι Έλληνες των ΗΠΑ παραδοσιακά είναι πιο κοντά στο Δημοκρατικό Κόμμα. «Είμαι σίγουρος πως ο Τραμπ θα τύχει της ισχυρής υποστήριξης της ελληνοαμερικανικής κοινότητας στις εκλογές. Καθημερινά συναντώ όλο και περισσότερους Έλληνες που  υποστηρίζουν  για επόμενο πρόεδρο των ΗΠΑ τον Ντόναλντ Τραμπ. Θα το δείτε στην κάλπη» λέει.

Ο ίδιος απαντάει και στις επικρίσεις της Χίλαρι Κλίντον, που κατηγόρησε τον υποψήφιο των Ρεπουμπλικάνων για ρατσισμό και ξενοφοβία.  «Ο Τραμπ είναι υπέρ της νόμιμης μετανάστευσης. Τα χρήματα που κέρδισε στη ζωή του τα κέρδισε επενδύοντας στις εθνικές κοινότητες. Δεν μπορεί ένας εκατομμυριούχος να είναι ρατσιστής. Ως Ελληνοαμερικανός υπενθυμίζω πως οι γονείς και οι παππούδες μου –μαζί με εκατομμύρια άλλων- πάτησαν νόμιμα το πόδι τους στις ΗΠΑ» λέει.

Όσον αφορά θέματα που αφορούν άμεσα την Ελλάδα, όπως η οικονομική κρίση, το χρέος, τα ελληνοτουρκικά και το κυπριακό, ο κ.Μαραφάτσος υποστηρίζει πως οι θέσεις του Ντόνλαντ Τραμπ είναι ξεκάθαρες. «Ποιος είναι καλύτερος να λύσει το θέμα του χρέους ; Ο Τραμπ γνωρίζει από χρέη και τα καταλαβαίνει. Είναι εκατομμυριούχος και έκτισε την αυτοκρατορία του βασιζόμενος στα χρέη. Ξέρει πώς να χειριστεί τέτοια θέματα με επιτυχία. Ο Τραμπ ενδιαφέρεται να υποστηρίξει την Ελλάδα στο θέμα του χρέους και εμείς ως κοινότητα πρέπει να προωθήσουμε την ανάγκη να δοθεί μόνιμη λύση που θα συμβάλλει στην οικονομική ανάκαμψη της Ελλάδας και το να γίνουν επενδύσεις εκεί. Όσον αφορά το Κυπριακό  να πιέσουμε για μία δίκαιη λύση στο Κυπριακό. Τονίζω, πως ο Τραμπ έχει πλήρη εικόνα της προσπάθειας της Τουρκίας, να τουρκοποιήσει την Κύπρο». Προκειμένου να προσεγγίσει ψηφοφόρους αλλά και δωρητές από την ελληνοαμερικανική κοινότητα, έχει λανσάρει με επιτυχία  το hashtag ‪#‎Greeks4Trump.



Όπως λέει είναι ένας εύκολος τρόπος μέσω των social media να δείξουν οι Ελληνοαμερικάνοι την υποστήριξη τους  στον Ντόναλντ Τραμπ. «Ο αγώνας μέσα από τα social media έχει τρομερό αντίκτυπο στην καμπάνια του Τραμπ… Εξάλλου ο ίδιος έχει πετύχει να δημιουργηθεί ένα κίνημα αλλαγής στη χώρα. Όλο και περισσότεροι Αμερικάνοι αντιλαμβάνονται πως ο Τραμπ είναι ο  άνθρωπος που μπορεί να  κάνει μεγάλη και πάλι την Αμερική, όπως είναι και το κεντρικό Moto».

Μετά τα debate των δύο υποψηφίων, ο ίδιος εμφανίζεται βέβαιος για την επικράτηση του Ντόναλντ Τραμπ στις εκλογές της 8ης Νοεμβρίου. «Καθημερινά ο αμερικανός ψηφοφόρος συνειδητοποιεί τι πραγματικά λέει και υποστηρίζει ο Τραμπ, κλείνοντας τα μάτια και τα αυτιά σε όσα λένε τα κανάλια και γράφουν οι εφημερίδες. Ακούν τι θέλει να κάνει για τη χώρα και τους ίδιους και κρίνουν»  λέει.

Το  2011 ο Χρήστος Μαραφάτσος ανακηρύχθηκε από το περιοδικό Business Week o τρίτος καλύτερος νέος επιχειρηματίας στην Αμερική κάτω των 25 ετών. Σήμερα είναι ιδρυτής και πρόεδρος της εταιρείας Blue Sky Capital στην Ουάσιγκτον, που ασχολείται με επενδύσεις και real estate.

Η καταγωγή του έχει ρίζες στην Χίο και στην Σπάρτη, τόπους που αγαπάει και επισκέπτεται κάθε φορά που έρχεται στην Ελλάδα. Όσον αφορά την κρίση στη χώρα μας, εμφανίζεται βέβαιος πως θα επιστρέψουν οι καλές μέρες και πως τη  διαφορά θα την κάνουν οι νέοι άνθρωποι. «Μπορεί να είναι μικρή η Ελλάδα, αλλά έχει πολλά να προσφέρει στον κόσμο. Να μιλήσουμε για το καταπληκτικό φαγητό, τον τουρισμό, τα προϊόντα, την ιστορία και τον πολιτισμό από οποιονδήποτε άλλη χώρα».

Προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή, μετά τις εκλογές στις ΗΠΑ, θα επικεντρωθεί  στην προώθηση ενός νέου hastag στα social media υπέρ της Ελλάδας, που θα απευθύνεται στους Ελληνοαμερικανούς και όχι μόνο. Τίτλος του :  #MakeGreeceGreatAgain κάτι σαν το προεκλογικό μότο του Τραμπ.





 

Washington Post Opinion: KOSOVO POWDER KEG

Opinion SManalysis

 

October 2016. The known US journalist Nicholas Gage, also advisor of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Constantine Mitsotaki in Greece, unveiled in view of developments in Southern Balkans especially about Kosovo, and Albania. The current situation analyzed 23 years ago, by Gage, is almost the same: Between desire to join Albania with Kosovo, but to leave the right to decide the same, even the Northen Epirus, population in South of Albania with Greece.Within the week, Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, asked Serbia to recognize Kosovo as an independent state, while Albanian voices in the world, call for referendum to joint Kosovo with Albania.. On the other hand, Greek Foreign Minister Niko Kotsias, warned Tirana, to exercise caution with Greece, expressing a position in the form of ultimatum, if Albania, would have to choose between Europe and a possible clash with Greece on all historical issues.,Statements made when the Protocol of Friendship and Cooperation Albania Greece in 1996, has expired and both members of NATO countries, do not have the chance to create a new spirit of cooperation and friendship.

 

 

By Nicholas Gage April 11, 1993
 The Washington post  

Every day we watch the tragic bloodshed in the northern Balkans, wondering how much of it might have been prevented if the West had developed a clear policy at the beginning to respond to the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The lesson of the disasters in Bosnia and Croatia is that unless measures are taken before hostilities began, it becomes impossible, even for a superpower like the United States, to stop the conflict afterward.

It is crucial that we heed that lesson to keep the conflict in the northern Balkans from spilling over to the south and spreading to countries that have so far avoided it, including Albania, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and, most critical of all, the major powers in the region, Greece and Turkey -- historical adversaries and uneasy allies in NATO.

The way to avoid an all-out bloodbath in the Balkans is to put in place now a clear and firm policy directed at the spot where, everyone agrees, such a conflict is likely to begin. That place is Kosovo, the southwestern part of the former Yugoslavia. Serbs consider Kosovo sacred because it is where their nation began, but now it is overwhelming populated by ethnic Albanians, most of whom are Muslims.
Kosovo is a political powder keg ready for the slightest spark. The Serbs are keeping the lid on through martial law, waiting for the fighting in Bosnia to end before moving to reduce the Muslim population by pushing hundreds of thousands of them across the border into Albania. At the same time Kosovo Albanians are quietly amassing arms sent by friendly Muslim countries, waiting for the right chance to strike out against the Serbs.

So far the United States has responded to this volatile threat of combustion in the Balkans by warning the Serbs that we will intervene militarily if they move against the Albanian population in Kosovo. We have not issued such a warning about any other part of Yugoslavia, so the threat makes it clear how concerned Washington is about Kosovo.

But the warning, made by both the Bush and Clinton administrations, may actually encourage conflict in Kosovo rather than prevent it. While it may restrain the Serbs, it may encourage the Albanians in Kosovo to revolt because they feel the Americans would come to their rescue and help them win independence or, their ultimate goal, union with Albania.

The Albanian government in Tirana has fed such ambitions by calling for Kosovo's independence and emphasizing the "unity" of all Albanians in the region. Behind such encouragement is the dream of absorbing a part of Serbia that is much more developed than Albania itself and the hope of resettling the southern part of Albania, called Northern Epiros, with Albanians from Kosovo in order to push out the ethnic Greeks who live there and want their own independence.

But such a move by Tirana would compel Greece to intervene to protect the Greek population in Northern Epiros, which, in turn, would probably cause the Turks to rush to the support of their fellow Muslims in Albania ... and the whole Balkans would explode into war.

Warning only one side not to take action in Kosovo, therefore, will not only fail to avert conflict in the area but may actually ensure that hostilities would break out throughout the region.
What is needed is not warnings whose consequences have not been thought out but an effective policy that will restrain the ethnic ambitions of all the parties in the southern Balkans.

The key to such a policy is for the Clinton administration to call for parallel status for Kosovo and Northern Epiros and to insist that rights granted to one will also go to the other. If that is done, the Albanians will be moved to scale back their demands for Kosovo because they will have to give the same rights to the Greeks of Northern Epiros. At the same time, the Serbs could not refuse to grant a political settlement to Albanian Muslims in Kosovo if it is also offered to their fellow Orthodox Christians in Northern Epiros.

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That status should not offer these minorities the means to unite with the adjacent countries to which they feel ethnic kinship -- Albania and Greece -- because any alteration of borders in the Balkans would create havoc throughout the region. What will work best is a form of autonomy that will give both minorities the power to develop their own cultural, educational and religious institutions as they wish, but still keep them within existing borders.

But any plan that is unfair and unbalanced, that ignores the realities of the region and tries to address the grievances of the Albanian minority in Serbia while ignoring the Greek minority in Albania, is doomed to failure. Indeed, it would ignite all of the Balkans at the close of this century into the kind of conflagration that devastated the region at the beginning of it.

All the states of the former Yugoslavia, except for Slovenia, have large ethnic minorities, as do most of the other countries in the Balkans, Central Asia and the former Soviet Union. In Georgia alone, two separatist groups are battling the central government for self-determination. Similar conflicts are certain to break out in many other countries unless a way is found to satisfy the aspirations of minorities without threatening the sovereignty of the states in which they live. Kosovo and Northern Epiros offer an ideal opportunity for the international community, led by the United States, to forge a model for that kind of autonomy.

If such a model had existed three years ago, the bloodbath in the northern Balkans might have been avoided. It is worth noting that even the political leaders of Slovenia were willing to remain in the Yugoslav federation if their calls for autonomy had been met. The United States must take the lead in convincing countries with strong ethnic minorities that autonomy is not a threat but an opportunity. The place to began is the southern Balkans.

The writer, a former foreign correspondent and the author of "Eleni," was born of Greek parents on the border between Greece and Albania.