The "Coast Line Association" held a rally for properties in Himara

Last Friday, in the center of Himara The Coast Line Association held a rally to protest the 7501 law, not to return people to Himara Region properties.

In the presence of hundreds of protesters, President of the Association, Niko Nesturi, accused Albanian politics, because, for political and electoral interests, is holding hostages in country's development especially at Himara Region.

The issue of property is included in a report classified as problematic by the European Union, for Albania. Especially in Himara Region, people and the Orthodox Church, have demanded the return of property in a legitimate identity.

OSCE has blocked a process of property registration in the Himara Region, waiting to Tirana, set off laws, which must respect human rights for the property.

The Himara Community, has described the issue of property in The Himara Region, as the influence of mafia supported by Albanian politics.

Albania: Sali Berisha, to the way for President for the third time

Although it is early to talk, the biggest surprises to the Albanian politics, is the choice of president of the Republic, which expires in July coming up.

But Sali Berisha, who is Prime Minister of the country, which held only 71 votes (69 votes, has the opposition) will try a third term for President.

Source comes from diplomatic analysis based in Tirana and Washington, for which Berisha, is the right person to lead Albania, regardless of any time or change Balkan balance, including the union territories with the Albanians.

"If there will be progress in Albania to benefit a candidate country for European Union, Sali Berisha, has shown the power to set contribute proceeding of the country especially in the activity of Albanian courts, but if the strategies differ in terms of territories of Albanians in one State, Sali Berisha, be to uniting their aspirations, "says the source.

Five killed in Macedonia, fear of rising ethnic tension

Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:59pm GMT

 

By Kole Casule
SKOPJE (Reuters) - Police in Macedonia have found the bodies of five people who were shot dead near a lake just outside the capital Skopje, the authorities said on Friday, a grisly discovery that risks fuelling tensions in the ethnically volatile country.
Authorities deployed riot police and the interior minister called for calm as hundreds of residents of the nearby village of Radisani, home to some of the victims, gathered to demand a quick investigation and attacked cars and television crews.
Local TV stations said the victims were Macedonians and ran pictures of some of them, although police said they had yet to identify the victims or the perpetrators.
Only last month, several people were injured and dozens were arrested in a string of tit-for-tat attacks between youths from Macedonia's Slavic-speaking majority and ethnic Albanian minority.
The timing of the killings - on the eve of Orthodox Good Friday and just two days ahead of Easter - could trigger further unrest in the former Yugoslav republic of 2 million people.
"We appeal to all citizens and media to restrain from speculations or activities that could stoke ethnic tensions," Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska told reporters.
At least a quarter of Macedonia's population is ethnic Albanian, living mainly in the north and west.
Four of the victims were in their late teens and 20s, the ministry said, while the fifth victim was a 40-year-old man. A fisherman found the bodies on the shore of a lake near the village of Smiljkovci, just outside Skopje, late on Thursday.   Continued...

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFBRE83C14F20120413

Tirana: Furious Greeks of Albania Demand Greek Ambassador Nicolaos Pazios Be Let Go

April 12, 2012 | Filed under: Geopolitics
Greeks in Albania are so frustrated that they asked the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recall the Greek Ambassador in Tirana, Nicolaos Pazios.

No official response has been made yet by the Greek government. Greeks of Albania are frustrated by Pazios’s latest public statement in the Albanian newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare, saying that “the treatment of past issues (meaning Northern Epirus) and often the misinterpretation of history according to the interests and well-known practices of nationalist elements using history for their personal interests, not only is harmful but also dangerous.”

When asked what Northern Epirus actually is, the Greek Ambassador gave an extensive answer, which the Greek Minority didn’t find pleasing at all.

“As you must already know, the Balkan region has suffered greatly by foreign interventions, suppression and lack of democracy, by wars and conflicts. In order to deal with the factors that have historically stirred up our region, I believe that cooperation based on equality, peaceful coexistence and the European integration (of Albania) set the terms that could guarantee a quiet present and a better future. Under this perspective, the treatment of past issues and often the misinterpretation of history according to the interests and well-known practices of nationalist elements using history for their personal interests, not only is harmful but also dangerous,” he stated. “A realistically emotionless evaluation of reality…should prevail at some point,” he added, stressing that “development, progress and political stability” are what Balkans need, not “tensions.”

The Greek Foreign Ministry hasn’t made any public announcements in regards to the issue. The Greeks in Albania look forward to an official response to make their own conclusions.

The Northern Epirus issue does not belong to the “past”; history is not meant to be disregarded in the shake of “progress.”

Source: greekreporter.com

http://www.unpo.org/article/14129

http://smarkos.blogspot.com/2012/04/greek-ambassador-in-tirana-maritime.html

Mitrovice Albanians prepare to defend themselves

One day after the Chairman of the Mitrovice Commune, Avni Rustemi, instructed the Northern Albanians to defend themselves from armed Serbs, it seems that self-defense is really their only alternative.

During a survey of Top Channel in the northern Albanian neighborhoods we met some residents who spoke about the difficult situation.

The common citizens who live in deep Northern Mitrovica areas told us how they understood the message of Chairman Kastrati, while giving their messages for the Kosovo institutions.

One reason why the Northern Mitrovica Albanians don’t want to show up on camera is because they fear that the Kosovo police will take away their guns. This was in fact reported in a meeting that the neighborhood representatives had with Kastrati one day ago.

The situation was created a few days after the murder of Selver Haradinaj at his own house. Lacking of a solution and based on the messages that have been given, the Albanians have planned their own action strategy against the Serbian institutions in this area.

Albanian wanted for multiple murders in his home country arrested in London after 15 years on the run

• Police picked up Ndrieim Sadushi at home last night
• Fingerprints disprove fugitive's claim in court that he was the victim of mistaken identity

By Lyle Brennan
PUBLISHED: 09:36 GMT, 11 April 2012 | UPDATED: 16:00 GMT, 11 April 2012

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Ndrieim Sadushi, 41, is wanted in Albania in connection with three murders

An Albanian fugitive accused of multiple murders in his home country has been arrested in north London after 15 years on the run.
Ndrieim Sadushi, 41, was last night picked up on an international warrant by police outside his home in Southgate.
An Albanian court found him guilty in his absence of three killings and an attempted murder in the eastern European country in 1997.
At an extradition hearing in Westminster Magistrates' Court today, Sadushi claimed he had been the victim of mistaken identity and was in fact 31-year-old Arjan Kasa.

But district Judge Michael Snow ruled police had got the right man after being told his fingerprints matched those of the convicted killer.

Sadushi, who is said to have used at least six aliases while evading the authorities, will face a life sentence if he is sent back to his homeland.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2128108/Albanian-wanted-multiple-murders-arrested-London-15-years-run.html#ixzz1ru8bqNS0

Albin Kurti addresses President Topi: Mitrovica is being taken by Serbia

"SOT" Newspaper

 The chairman of the Self Determination Movement Albin Kurti addressed an open letter to the Albanian President Bamir Topi commenting the latest incidents in Mitrovica asking him to start negotiation with the UN and NATO on the North of Kosovo because Albanians there feel endangered and threatened. ‘As you may be aware of, the Republic of Kosovo cannot address this issue in international panels as the UN or NATO. 

While You, as a representative of the Republic of Albania and of Albanians in the UN and NATO can start a discussion on the high risk of ethnic purge of Albanians from Mitrovica. Therefore, there must be a national, political and diplomatic action before the new purge against the Albanians acquires new scales and resembles the ones of 1998, 1999, 2000’, the letter highlights.  

Albania seeks Turkish investments

11/04/2012

Promising tax breaks, Albania's prime minister calls for Turkish companies to invest. Also in business news: Representatives of 50 countries gathered in Istanbul to attend the 15th Eurasian Economic Summit.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha (right, with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recip Erdogan) arrives in Ankara for the Turkish-Albanian Business Forum. [Reuters]

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha urged Turkish companies to invest in his country, promising them a tax exemption for a period of eight years. The call came on Friday (April 6th) at a Turkish-Albanian Business Forum held in Ankara. The event was attended by more than 100 businessmen from Turkey, and 60 representatives of Albanian companies.

Albanian politician arrested for Italian drug convictions

Albania drug trafficking extradition Fatmir Kajolli Organised Crime police cooperation Sali Berisha

 

A municipal counsellor with ties to the Albanian government has been detained in his country under an Italian arrest warrant for drug-related convictions, the website Le Courrier des Balkans reports.

Fatmir Kajolli, 47, a Republican Party counsellor in the southwest city of Fier, was arrested on 9 April. He was reportedly under house arrest pending an extradition request from Italy.
Courts in Milan and Rome sentenced him in 2002 to 16 and 24 years in prison, respectively. It is unclear why his arrest has taken so long.
Since the drug trafficking convictions in Italy, Kajolli has undertaken many activities as politician and businessman. He is said to be very close to Fatmir Mediu, the environment minister under Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
According to US cables published by Wikileaks, Kajolli helped to rig the 2009 parliamentary elections, allegedly in collusion with two cabinet ministers at that time.
Under an extradition agreement between Albania and Italy, 30 suspects have reportedly been arrested, mostly on drug trafficking charges.
Two years ago, Berisha told EurActiv in an exclusive interview that his country was now one of the safest in Europe following a crackdown on organised crime, and economic growth had remained steady despite the global crisis.
But political life has been largely paralysed due to the refusal of the opposition Socialists to accept the result of the June 2009 election. The European Union has lamented the failures of the Albanian electoral system, urging the EU hopeful to undertake deep parliamentary reform.
The economy has seen a sharp decline and January 2011 saw violent protests, which Berisha compared to a "Tunisia-style" revolt.