Himara Region: 4 km of power lines stolen between Drymades and Vuno

Residents of Drymades, begin night patrols due to the low security of their families

Within a year, this vital line for residents of Himara, was robbed four times, said sources from Drymades forSManalysis.

Residents expressed their disgust for the situation, which does not guarantee free movement and safety, since, it is understood that there comes to theft, but something more, lack of security, for the Himara Municipality.

And yet, sometimes it is warned that the road axis, Vlora, Saranda, the night becomes a nightmare, in which, people are very worried, because theft of housing, whenever made​​, out of function main electricity lines.

The issue becomes more serious when, according to sources, for stealing the line may have contributed to electrical specialists in collaboration with police corrupted, who know better the situation in the region, which leads to think that a great band, is organized even with arms.

The issue of security in the Himara Municipality, in an area that most calmmly in Albania, surely that will exceed the security institutions of the European Union and NATO, to financing large amounts, the police and the community to collaborate, but for moment, nothing indicates this.

Albania: Status? Not without 12 key recommendations"

The Danish EU presidency doesn’t think that things could move faster with Albania’s EU candidate status application.

Asked by Top Channel if Albania has made sufficient progress for receiving the candidate status during or by the end of this candidacy, the Danish Minister of European Matters declared:

Nicolai Wammen, Danish Minister for European Matters: We welcome all steps that Albania has undertaken for improving the reforms, the democracy and stability in Europe. In this framework, we hope that we will be able to continue our close cooperation with Albania. I don’t think that someone sees this as something that could advance fast, but the presidency welcomes the efforts of Commissioner Fule and the others in the Commission, for our close relations with Albania.

Top Channel asked the Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, about the major challenges that Albania must fulfill for catching up with the neighbor countries.

Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement: “Let me add that the rules of the game for Albania are very clear. There have been a series of key recommendations, and the implementation of these recommendations is a very key element for Albania, not only for the EU candidate status, but also for opening the membership negotiations. We can receive information at any time that Albania has given good results on the 12 key recommendations, and when this happens, we will report to the European Council with the necessary recommendations for approving the next steps. The challenges for Albania are: to construct with an all-inclusive spirit upon the reforms that were achieved in November 2011. For this I have in mind the legislative reform for the elections. We are talking about a new approach of the 12 key criteria, turning this process into a real all-inclusive process, when both government and the opposition play their role, and the other important actors play their role; and also the way how the government and the opposition cooperate in Parliament, especially as regards the legislation that requires a qualified majority and other matters that are clearly related with the European agenda”.

"Fiks Fare" reports emigrants' passport procedure

It is difficult to receive a biometric passport when you are an Albanian emigrant that lives abroad. They can apply for biometric passports at the Albanian diplomatic structures in only two countries.

But even in these countries, they have to pay 50 EUR to accelerate the procedure.

Top Channel’s program “Fiks Fare” shows the situation how middle men in Albanian embassies ask money for making emigrant receive the passports without staying in queues.

This is another scandal reported by the investigative show, after the one reported some months ago about the diplomatic cars being used for drug traffic.

Israel’s Balkan Strategy

February 26, 2012 | Filed under: Geopolitics,Opinion & Analysis

By Dr. Josef Olmert Adjunct Professor, University of South Carolina

Amid the ocean of reports full of both misinformation and disinformation regarding Israel’s likely plans concerning Iran’s nuclear project, not enough attention is being paid to what is already happening, as opposed to what may or may not happen.

I’m referring to the interesting and seemingly successful Israeli strategy of getting close to countries surrounding Turkey. The latest was the visit of PM Netanyahu in Cyprus and the unprecedented agreement signed between the two countries which would allow Israeli troops, both naval and aerial, to be stationed in the small island nation in times of emergency.

PM Netanyahu is a right-wing Israeli leader, the lightening rod of many left-wingers all over the world. His host was President Demetris Christofias, a member of the AKEL party, the communist party of Cyprus, the only communist leader of any member nation of the EU. What seemed to be political science fiction just some time ago became a reality, and this is just one example of the shifting sands of Mediterranean and South European politics.

Some weeks ago, the leader of Muslim Albania visited in the Knesset and gave a rousing pro-Israel speech. Netanyahu also cemented close, personal relationships with former left-wing Greek PM George Papandreo, the son of Andreas Papandreo, whose term as Greece’s PM was characterized by well-displayed public enmity towards Israel. Simultaneously, Israel has solidified its friendly relations with Bulgaria and Romania.

......................................

http://www.defencegreece.com/index.php/2012/02/israels-balkan-strategy/.

 

"Agreement reached on EU candidate status"

SOURCE: BETA, TANJUG

BRUSSELS -- French Foreign Minister Allan Juppe has been reported as saying that EU foreign ministers today "reached an agreement to grant Serbia EU candidate status".


Juppe was speaking in Brussels on Monday.

The agreement was reached on Monday, and today there were finally no objections, Juppe told reporters during a break at the meeting of EU foreign ministers, AFP reported.

The formal decision will be adopted on Tuesday and it needs to be confirmed during the EU summit which would be held on March 1 and 2.

"The conditions have been met and that will be encouragement for Belgrade to make progress in the process of EU integration, as well as for Kosovo, which also made progress," Juppe was quoted as saying.

"There must be patience, as some colleagues are saying, because the candidate status does not equal EU membership," the French official stated.

However, Tanjug news agency is quoting its unnamed sources in Brussels, who said that Germany and the Netherlands are still without a stand on Serbia's EU candidate bid.

Other diplomatic sources have confirmed that there was no full agreement among the ministers today on the issue, since some countries, like Holland, are waiting for Germany's clear stances.

Others, like Romania and Lithuania, are still against making Serbia a candidate - the former because of alleged discrimination of the Vlach minority, while the latter wishes to see its foreign minister become the next president of the UN General Assembly - a position for which a Serbian candidate is running as well.

SManalysis questionnaire for Himara Development Plan

91% of respondents, say, No Plan approval

5% of respondents, say, YES Plan approval

13% of respondents, expressed neutral to the Plan

The questionnaire organized by the diaspora of Himara, in collaboration with two communities, in USA and Albania.

Note: The result, will send for Public Relation to the Himara Municipality

Finally, Himara Development Plan in the waste bin, Failed

No Comment! 

A citizen of Himara, speaking Greek and Albanian to panel:Whyshould done the HimaraMaster Plain, without turning privateproperty?

Continues to concern always arises why the Albanianpoliticalparties, in the Himara Municipality, insist to developMaster Plain, before the return of all property and lands,residents of Himara.

Himara Residents: "We have not property official documents by Office registration"

About 90 percent of the population do not have an ownership documents in his possession, which means that only 10 percent of residents can develop Himara

HIMARA REGION. Their property must be only under the laws, not other. No municipalities in Albania can not grant a building permit if the person has a property registration certificate. The process was blocked in 2006 by a government decision to prevent unfair recordings that were seen during the process. In 1997 during riots burned documents containing cadastral maps with property registered under the 7501 law. Lately a project funded by the OSCE for the registration of houses and land appears to be moving forward and is blocked on many issues. The process is stopped to agricultural lands, pastures and forests. 

 The area has not been subject to demographic shifts, the type of citizens to come, as has happened in Durres and Tirana, where the existing population before vitetve 90, is changed by several times. Rather on zone demographic popullation is under reserve.After 90-summer, 67 percent of the population left the area to migrate mainly in Greece.Southern Nfrom Qeparo to Llogara to all the coast line including the villages under the administration of the Municipality of Himara, has now only 4500 inhabitants. An equal number of students it's a serious high school in Tirana."PROJECT AND WORDS"

Owners will contribute monetary value land or that services provided in it, be provided.The plan envisages the establishment of commercial service areas, or light industry, and protects frutikulturën.These are some of the advantages while there are many parts that must be viewed with caution. In Porto Palermo must possess not less than 35 ha, to seek njëleje construction under the new plan. In Drale, the beaches of "white road" down Llogara and Palasa, are two such surfaces, one of 50 ha and 20 ha tjetraprej. Himara internetitnë through blogs, have begun to point to put black on white, the names of politicians who have ownership
in these areas.  

Registration properties office in Vlore can quench the curiosity of those who owned there.During discussions after the presentation of Himara, the residents say proecupeded development of this plan, since very few people in the area owning property titles. This hot potato, after having received determiatied plan will remain in the hands of the municipality, which will review the appropriate requirements for development. Another such problem is that here we talk about infrastructure and services such as water supply, sanitation and sewerage, electricity supply, or the creation of corridors forcyclists, remains to be detajuar.Një another problem remains transparent.  

There are very few people who have seen and heard something about the plan. The idea preserves a series of gaps and is indjeshëm gjlbërta trashgimnise towards historic buildings in the area. There is a positive approach towards ndërtimimeve height and saves linjate hills facing the sea. Yes amjafton it to have a contemporary plan. Is well elaborated concept development inside

Sustainable? Is there a ecologic stance versus utilizing clean energy in the range of positive experiences with the world? Responses we receive will probably be ready kurgjithçka before it is approved in the National Territory Adjustment. So far the complaints are centeredon surfaces that are left outside development areas being considered untouchable for their characteristics, which are of type or forest green crown.Yes ashtuankohen and owners whose land is located in parking spaces considered.

related: 
http://www.shqiptarja.com/shq_lajm.php?IDNotizia=71004&IDCategoria=2706

http://smarkos.blogspot.com/2012/01/first-reaction-after-goros-visit-in-usa.html

http://smarkos.blogspot.com/2011/12/himara-civil-society-express-critical.html

Related: 

“It would be better if Serbia had police in Kosovo”

Source: Beta

BELGRADE -- Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dačić has strongly condemned the arrest of Serbian policemen in Gnjilane on Saturday.

Ivica Dačić (Tanjug)

He added he was sorry Serbia did not have its own police in Kosovo.
“I am sorry Serbia does not have police in Kosovo, because if it did the things done to Serbs by Albanians would not be happening and neither would things that Serbs are doing to themselves,” Dačić stressed.

He noted that it would be easier for the international missions if Serbian police were present in Kosovo, adding that the arrest was aimed at diverting the attention from the agreement on Kosovo’s regional representation and the integrated border management that had been reached by Belgrade and Priština in Brussels.

The interior minister added that Serbian MUP employees had been “reported by the Serbs who are working for Thaci”.

Kosovo police special units (ROSU) arrested four Serbian MUP employees, a registrar and a shop owner on Saturday on suspicion that they “threatened Kosovo’s legal order and obstructed police officers in the execution of their duty”.

SP: Albpetrol, a giant corruption affair

The opposition accuses that the unprecedented formula with which the government is selling the Albpetrol Company is a giant corruption affair with colossal damages for the citizens.

“Every Albanian must understand that today they are selling the exploitation rights for oil and gas, definitively. No one will be able to use the oil wells in Albania, besides these private operators who are receiving Berisha’s blessing”, declared the Socialist MP, Erion Brace.

The government says that the sales of the oil rights do not damage the national interests, because the state will receive the mineral export and income taxes from the private company that will buy Albpetrol.

“The state collects even today the mineral export and income taxes. The element that is going away from the public wealth is the dividend. Albpetrol was the one to receive the dividends. Tomorrow, this dividend will be taken by the private operator”, Brace declared.

The private operator that will buy Albpetrol will be granted with the right of the first offer even for all other oil concession, even when the Albanian investors will withdraw or even when their 25-year-long deadline will end.

“The fate of a child that is born today gets decided for the next 25 years, and by the end of these years, that child will be a simple worker in his country, because the natural wealth of his homeland will be sold before he comes to life, and Sali Berisha has privatized them. The privatization of the country ends with the privatization of Albpetrol”, Brace declared.

Albania is the only oil-rich country in the region, and the Patos-Marinza oil field is considered as the biggest source in the European Continent.

“The horrible part of this entire story is that we are exporting oil with cheap prices, and the Albanian citizens, who are the owners of this land, buy imported oil each year with a higher price”, the Socialist MP declared.

The de facto Albpetrol sale ends the privatization in the oil sector, where the state gives up from all special rights on its wealth.