U.S. encouraging Balkan EU integration through Athens

31 October 2009 | 10:13 | Source: Danas

BELGRADE -- Daily Danas writes that the U.S. is working with Greece to coordinate an integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union by 2014. Sources from international circles and the Serbian government told the daily that America wants to end the “Balkan issue” as soon as possible and ensure lasting peace and stability in the region. The U.S. has found its best ally for this in Athens, which is both close to the U.S. and Balkans countries, including Serbia. The desired date for countries of the Western Balkans to join the EU, according to domestic and international speculation, is June 28, 2014. Washington’s plan came to light in the so-called “road map” present by Athens, which proposes that Serbia and the rest of the Western Balkans enter the EU on the 100-year anniversary of the start of World War I. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić was also the first international official to meet with newly appointed Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who also mention a plan for the Balkans joining the EU in 2014. Former foreign minister of the then federal union of Serbia-Montenegro, Aleksandra Joksimović, said that it is logical for the U.S. to support such a plan, because it sees the integration of the Balkans into the EU as the best solution for all regional problems. “The European integration of the region would decrease tensions and neuralgic points which are of key importance to America, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. It should be taken into consideration that formally, such an initiative can come from the EU itself, and not from the U.S. There is also the fact that the idea could come from small EU member-states, not from the most powerful ones, because this would open the problem of balance and dominance among the stronger EU member-states. Greece perfectly fits the profile of a country that could support such an initiative,” Joksimović said. She said that a potential problem is that there are countries that are against a further enlargement of the EU, even to include Iceland and Croatia, which are well on their way to becoming members. “This initiative would call for this group of countries to appear before the door of the EU at the same time, and that would call for agreement within the group. I think that, for example, Croatia would not be thrilled by that,” she said.

Γιώργος Δελαστίκ

ALBANIA, THE POLITIC CRISES

Σε πολιτικό τέλμα η Αλβανία

Γιώργος Δελαστίκ

Αγνωστο παραμένει το πού θα οδηγήσει τελικά η παρατεταμένη πολιτική κρίση που σοβεί στην Αλβανία, μετά τις αμφιλεγόμενης νομιμότητας βουλευτικές εκλογές του Ιουνίου. Ο ηγέτης της σοσιαλιστικής αντιπολίτευσης και δήμαρχος των Τιράνων, Εντι Ράμα, τέσσερις ολόκληρους μήνες μετά τις εκλογές εξακολουθεί να μην αναγνωρίζει το αποτέλεσμά τους, βάσει του οποίου ο δεξιός Σαλί Μπερίσα σχημάτισε κυβέρνηση. Η Κεντρική Εφορευτική Επιτροπή είχε τελικά κατακυρώσει 71 έδρες του 140μελούς Κοινοβουλίου στον Μπερίσα, 65 στο Σοσιαλιστικό Κόμμα του Εντι Ράμα και 4 σε μια ομάδα αποστατών σοσιαλιστών, οι οποίοι μετεκλογικά συντάχθηκαν με τον... Μπερίσα! Ο Εντι Ράμα ισχυρίζεται ότι ο Μπερίσα έκανε νοθεία και ότι η επανακαταμέτρηση των ψήφων σε ορισμένες αμφιλεγόμενες περιπτώσεις θα είχε δώσει την πλειοψηφία στο Σοσιαλιστικό Κόμμα.

Το βέβαιο είναι ότι οι σοσιαλιστές μποϊκοτάρουν τις εργασίες της αλβανικής Βουλής, η οποία έτσι έχει καταστεί άνευ περιεχομένου όργανο από τον Ιούνιο και μετά. Παράλληλα ο Ράμα άρχισε να οργανώνει μαζικές κινητοποιήσεις των οπαδών του κόμματός του. Χιλιάδες σοσιαλιστές κατέκλυσαν τους δρόμους των Τιράνων προ δύο εβδομάδων, σε μια μεγάλη διαδήλωση με συνθήματα όπως «Πού είναι η ψήφος μου;» και «Ανοίχτε τις κάλπες». Το τελευταίο σύνθημα σχετίζεται με το γεγονός ότι τόσο οι εφορευτικές επιτροπές όσο και τα δικαστήρια αρνήθηκαν πεισματικά οποιοδήποτε αίτημα επανακαταμέτρησης υπέβαλαν οι σοσιαλιστές.

Μάλιστα σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό, η Κεντρική Εφορευτική Επιτροπή άρχισε τις τελευταίες μέρες να... καίει (!) τα ψηφοδέλτια, κάτι που σημαίνει ότι σύντομα κάθε αίτημα επανακαταμέτρησης θα είναι αντικειμενικά αδύνατον να ικανοποιηθεί, αφού θα έχουν καταστραφεί διά της πυράς τα αντίστοιχα ψηφοδέλτια. Ακόμη και οι τέως πρόεδροι της Αλβανίας Αλφρεντ Μοϊσίου και Ρετζέπ Μεϊντάνι τάχθηκαν με δημόσιες δηλώσεις τους υπέρ του ανοίγματος των αμφισβητούμενων καλπών και της επανακαταμέτρησης των ψηφοδελτίων που περιέχουν, αλλά αυτό δεν μετέπεισε φυσικά τον Σαλί Μπερίσα, αφού διακυβεύεται η εξουσία του.

Η αλήθεια είναι πως ούτε η ΕΕ ούτε φυσικά οι ΗΠΑ ασκούν κάποια πίεση στον Αλβανό πρωθυπουργό προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή, πράγμα που κάνει έξαλλο τον Εντι Ράμα, ο οποίος δημοσίως κατηγορεί την ΕΕ ότι στην Αλβανία ανέχεται κραυγαλέες παραβιάσεις δημοκρατικών στάνταρντ, που σε καμία περίπτωση δεν θα ανεχόταν σε κράτη-μέλη της.
Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι οι παρατηρητές του Οργανισμού για την Ασφάλεια και τη Συνεργασία στην Ευρώπη (ΟΑΣΕ) έκριναν «κακές» ή «πολύ κακές» τις διαδικασίες καταμέτρησης των ψήφων στο ένα τρίτο (!) από τα 66 κέντρα καταμέτρησης που είχαν συγκροτηθεί ειδικά για τον σκοπό αυτόν.

Στην Αλβανία δεν καταμετρώνται οι ψήφοι επί τόπου στα εκλογικά τμήματα, επειδή έτσι θα γινόταν όργιο νοθείας, αλλά μεταφέρονται οι κάλπες από όλη τη χώρα σε ειδικά κέντρα καταμέτρησης, όπου υποτίθεται ότι διασφαλίζεται η ορθή καταμέτρηση. Τώρα βέβαια κατά πόσον οι κάλπες που φτάνουν στο κέντρο καταμέτρησης είναι οι ίδιες ακριβώς με αυτές που έφυγαν σφραγισμένες από τα εκλογικά τμήματα, αυτό είναι άλλου (Αλβανού!) παπά Ευαγγέλιο.

Ο Ράμα απείλησε με «ατελείωτο κύμα διαμαρτυριών» αν ο Μπερίσα δεν συναινέσει σε επανακαταμέτρηση των αμφισβητούμενων ψήφων. Οι δηλώσεις πολιτικών στην Αλβανία δεν έχουν ποτέ ιδιαίτερη σημασία, οπότε είναι άδηλο αν ο Ράμα θα κατορθώσει να επιμείνει στην πολιτική ακύρωσης της Βουλής και συντήρησης του κλίματος αλλεπάλληλων διαδηλώσεων.
Αν ναι, αυτό θα οδηγήσει αργά ή γρήγορα σε κλιμάκωση της αναταραχής και στην πρόκληση σύγκρουσης με ενδεχομένως βίαιες πτυχές. Αν όχι, δεν αποκλείεται καθόλου να «φαγωθεί» ο... ίδιος ο Ράμα από σκληροπυρηνικά στελέχη των σοσιαλιστών, με πρόσχημα την αποτυχία του να αποτρέψει τη νοθεία σε βάρος του κόμματος από τον Μπερίσα.
Εξαγωγή της κρίσης

Μεγάλη Αλβανία και αναστάτωση

Η πολιτική αστάθεια που προκαλεί αυτή η εσωτερική σύγκρουση στην Αλβανία ενδέχεται να έχει επιπτώσεις και στην Ελλάδα, καθώς ο Σαλί Μπερίσα κάνει και κινήσεις εξαγωγής της κρίσης στο εξωτερικό. Υπό το πρίσμα αυτό πρέπει να ερμηνευθεί και η πρόσφατη δήλωση του Αλβανού πρωθυπουργού ότι «η Αλβανία, το Κόσοβο και τμήμα της Μακεδονίας όπου διαμένουν κυρίως Αλβανοί οφείλουν να ανοίξουν τα σύνορα για να ενεργοποιηθούν οι σχέσεις μεταξύ των Αλβανών», η οποία προκάλεσε την άμεση αντίδραση του Ρώσου υπουργού Εξωτερικών Σεργκέι Λαβρόφ. Η απαίτηση του Μπερίσα συμπεριλαμβάνει και την ελληνική περιοχή της «Τσαμουριάς», είχε σημειώσει το ρωσικό πρακτορείο ΡΙΑ - Νόβοστι.

Stern warning to Skopje from Parvanov over 'minority' claim

SOFIA (ANA-MPA - B. Borisov) Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov on Thursday warned the government in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to retract statements regarding the existence of an ethnic 'Macedonian' minority in Bulgaria's Pirin region or jeopardise the country's prospects of joining the EU.

An announcement released by the Bulgarian presidency's press office on Thursday quotes Parvanov's stern reaction to a statement made by FYROM Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski - who referred to "Macedonians of Vardar, the Aegean and Pirin" - and his warning that Sofia's support for FYROM's EU accession was not "unconditional".

"I am bewildered by the position that has been expressed by the Prime Minister of neighbouring [FYROM]. I see it as unacceptable, as an expression of territorial claims. It is all the more unacceptable as [FYROM] aspires to become a member of the EU,” Parvanov said on Thursday, during an official visit to Australia.

more: http://www.ana.gr/

Albania's Police Chief Replaced

Ahmet PrenciAlbania's Interior Ministry announced in a Wednesday statement that the general director of police, Ahmet Prenci, had resigned his post and would be replaced by his deputy, Hysni Burgaj.

Officially, Interior Minister Lulzim Basha accepted Prenci's resignation for health reasons.
“During this period Albania's state police achieved [good] results in the fight against crime; it built and strengthened the relationship with international partners,” said Basha in a statement praising Prenci's work.

Prenci took the reins of Albania's state police three years ago. In the intervening years, he achieved a series of successes in the fight against organised crime. However, he will be best remembered for the positive role that the police played in the 2007 local elections and in the June 28, 2009, parliamentary poll.

Traditionally, police in Albania had been used by politicians to deform the electoral process, and the force's successful management of the last two electoral processes elicited praise from international institutions.

Basha was officially presented by Burgaj in a ceremony on Thursday. Prior to serving as deputy director of state police he was the head of police in the districts of Kukes and Gjirokastra.

Orikum, protesters clash with Police District of Vlora

Hundreds of people in Orikum, 20 km from Vlora, are clashed today with police forces and shot with rocks and hard stuff. Cause is made ownership of a land surface, which residents claim is their property.

Former Agricultural Farm workers strongly protested and threw items at the police strong, when blue uniforms came to the area of construction of the building, which has an "old owner".

The protesters claim that their property is, as in the 90s, they have taken to the right of this property under the 7501 law. But the property according to albanian media was known former owners, who possess the "appropriate documentation".

Orikum, or old Hellenic center known as Orikus before ottoman invasion, during to dictator period, is known as the "Traktat of Varsavia" Naval Base for submarines. After destructing of Albanian army in 1997, the old Naval Base is on the NATO hand since Albania joint NATO alliance in April 2009.

see photo: http://bw.balkanweb.com/fotoAlbum/dritare.php?id=113&IDFoto=113

Greece celebrates Oct. 28 national holiday

President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias on Wednesday attended the military parade held in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki to mark the October 28 national holiday - or Ochi Day - which commemorates Greece's decision to defy the Axis powers and join World War II on the side of the Allies.

In statements immediately after the end of the parade, Papoulias referred to the present-day relevance of the messages of that time, the legacy of national resistance and the sacrifices of people that had laid down their lives to defend Greece's freedom.

"The struggle continues today on many levels for the defence of the country and its territorial integrity, for a better future, for better health, for better education, for a new social conscience, a sense of solidarity with the weak and persecuted, for the creation of a country that embraces all of us and especially the young people that live with the dream of a better life," he said.

National Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos said the day was a reminder that "we must be united, responsible, optimistic and proud," while stressing that this demanded a nationwide effort.
"This is the effort the government is directing and it is in this effort that we invite all Greek men and women to participate, without any kind of political discrimination, in order to make our country stronger, more competitive and better for all of us," he said.

Main opposition New Democracy Parliamentary group secretary Yiannis Tragakis, who represented ND leader Costas Karamanlis, stressed that the "heart of Greece today beat in Macedonia, in Thessaloniki" and underlined ND's pride in "our armed forces youth".
"Let us all take as our example the sacrifices of the heroes of 1940. Let us today all say no to terrorism, say a big no to corruption and a big yes to democratic processes, a big yes to transparency and a big yes to the unity of Greeks," he added.

Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) George Karatzaferis noted that, 69 years after 1940, Greece "must again say no, but this time to an enemy that lies within the gates. We must defeat terrorism. We must defeat that which seriously harms democracy."

The parade in Thessaloniki was also attended by the candidates for main opposition ND's leadership, Antonis Samaras, Dora Bakoyannis, Thessaloniki Prefect Panagiotis Psomiadis and Dimitris Avramopoulos, in addition to the usual military leadership and local government officials.
After the parade, Thessaloniki Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos held an official luncheon in honour of President Papoulias, who expressed satisfaction that the Egnatia Highway now linked Thessaloniki directly with the northwestern Greek city of Ioannina, saying that this would greatly boost cooperation between the two cities.

In Athens, as in every other municipality of Greece, the day was marked by parades of school children throughout the country. The parade in central Athens going past Syntagma Square was attended by Education, Lifelong Learning and Religions Minister Anna Diamantopoulou and had been preceded by a celebratory mass and the laying of wreaths at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier by Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, other local government officials and representatives of the political parties.

EU foreign ministers fail to discuss Albania's bid

28/10/2009

LUXEMBOURG -- "Technical reasons" prevented the EU foreign ministers from discussing Albania's request for EU candidate country status on Tuesday (October 27th).

The Swedish EU presidency said the delay was not for political reasons. "The only reason for the delay is that the German parliament is expected to convene soon âs since Germany went through elections recently," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.

Albania applied for candidate status in April.

Bollanos - Berisha meeting

27th October 2009

On the the meeting with all the mayors, the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha met especialy with the mayor of Himara Vasilis Bolanos.

The debate was a very good atmosphere. Present at the meeting was an adviser to Prime Minister on issues of local government.

The President of Omonia and Himara Mayor informed Mr. Berisha for the problems facing in Himara Region such as property, investments, infrastructure, etc..

Albanian Prime Minister were received complaints from the president of Omonia on the unacceptable behavior of some local politicians in the Democratic Party who fired Omonia after the recent elections in July.

The two men renewed their meeting where they will investigate the issue more thoroughly.




more in gree.....www.nenanews.eu

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW, ARRIVES IN NEW YORK
www.greeknewsonline.com

Albanian cabinet backs investigations against lawmakers, ministers

TIRANA, Albania -- The government has voiced readiness to strip immunity from any parliamentary member or minister, should they face legal proceedings. "Every request from legal institutions to remove a lawmaker's immunity will be accepted," Prime Minister Sali Berisha said on Saturday (October 24th), reacting to calls from the US and British embassies in Tirana to do more in this area.

The parliamentary majority led by Berisha's ruling Democratic Party has insisted that it is impossible to adopt such a law given the absence of the opposition. The Socialist Party has been boycotting parliament to protest what it describes as the "manipulation" of the June general elections.

At the same time, the SP and other opposition parties have criticised the government for obstructing legal proceedings against cabinet members accused of corruption

AFTER TURKEY, ITALY BACKS THE NATIONALIST RHETORIC AGAINST GREEK ALBANIAN AGREEMENT FOR CONTINENTAL SHELF

The Vlora`s General Italian Consul visits Argirokaster tow days before the Greek army fests the anniversary of "OXY DAY" The Epique Victory of Greek people against Italian fascist invasion to Greece in October 28, 1940.

According to Albanian newspaper "Korrieri" the General Italian Consul in Vlora Segio Strozzi declared about the Continental Shelf agreement between Greece and Albania as a reaction of "Italy would be present just in a another moment" understating that Italy its very preoccupied about diplomatic relations of Albania with it neigborders.

Anyway is unclear the visit of Italian Consul in Argirocaster even the visit previsted by the V.Greek Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos in occasion of OXI DAY.

THE GREEK MINORITY OF ALBANIA BOOKS IN THREE LANGUAGE INCLUDING ALBANIAN (ENGLISH, GREEK) THE HISTORY AND ALL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS KNOWN BY ONU AND OTHER, AN ACTIVITY OF PAN EPIROTIC FEDERATION OF USA

http://www.hellenes.com/NorthernEpirusBook.html