"VIVA MAGNA GRECCIA"

While, the properties of the Greek Community of Albania, continue to sold with interference of the Albanian state institutions, Greece as "mother" state, has failed for ever to protect the human rights in Albania.

Kakome Bay sold
17/05/2012 20:05
Top Channel TV

In an interpellation with the Minister of Justice, Eduard Halimi, the Socialist MP, Erjon Brace, accused the government of selling 29 hectares of land at the Kakome Bay for a tourist village that doesn’t exist with a price of 1300 ALL per square meter.

According to Brace, Kakome was given in 2004 for becoming a tourist village, but the decision was repealed by the Democrats in 2007. The sale of Kakome was realized with a new law that sells land to the owners that have properties in the tourist villages.

In an interpellation with the Ministry of Justice, MP Erjon Brace accused the government of selling the Kakome Bay. According to Brace, the government is selling land to a tourist village that has not existed legally or physically.

“29 hectares have been sold in Kakome for only five million dollars, or 1.219,7 ALL per square meter. This is a price that doesn’t exist even in the most remote Albanian villages. This has been realized one day before the resignation of Shaban Memia, your director of the ALUIZNI (Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Zone/Building). 29 hectares have been sold, while there is not a single building in the so called village. This is the corruption map of Aluizni”, Brace accused.

Minister Halimi answered with the argument that the land was given by the Socialists and the price was set by the Socialist government.

“The government has given 29 hectares to this company, but you are wrong when you accuse this government, because the land has been given by you through this document that I have on my hand, on 23 June 2004. It was your Prime Minister of that time the one who signed this value. Didn’t you as one week ago to change the map that you had approved, because this formula has a market deformation?”, Halimi underlined.

Brace rejected the reference prices by saying that the land price in Kakome is much higher.

Tirana: Law for border returns
18/05/2012

Despite the fact that as a NATO member, no one can threaten the territorial integrity of Albania, the country has no law for its borders.

After the Constitutional Court repealed the marine agreement with Greece, our country had no law that determines the state borders.

The political forces and the MPs of the Security Commission voted unanimously for returning the previous law that determines the Albanian borders.

The Socialist MP, Ilir Gjoni; the Interior Minister, Bujar Nishani and the MP of the newest New Democratic Spirit party MP, Gazmend Oketa, asked the return of the previous law.

“We cannot pretend that we don’t know that our country had legally remained without borders”, Gjoni declared.

The agreement that was reached with Greece was used by the Constitutional Court, and until we will negotiate another agreement, we agree to return the law of 2011 for the marine borders”, Nishani declared.

“There are some points which say that Albania has lost the dividing line of the territorial waters, the locations of which is set by this law. If this is true, the law should enter in act immediately”, Oketa declared.

MP Gjoni raised the concern of the Saranda fishermen whose business had been stopped, but Minister Nishani declared that the claim of the Albanian fishermen does not stand. According to him, they are stopped by the Greek authorities only when they go to Corfu to get fuel.

“There are some sporadic cases that have been made public by the media, when our borders have been infringed, or our fishermen have not been allowed to conduct their activities”, Gjoni declared.

“The border authorities have immediately contacted with the persons who have claimed these things, and the Greek authority has never taken such measures, but the claims of the Albanian fishermen was made when they were sailing to Corfu for getting fuel, and there they have met the Greek authorities”, Nishani declared.

The Foreign Policy Survey: Greece top candidate to be kicked out of the alliance

May 16, 2012 | Filed under: Geopolitics

In advance of the May 20-21 summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Chicago, Foreign Policy and the Atlantic Council asked dozens of experts about the role of the alliance today. Heads of state, ministers of defense and foreign affairs, intelligence officers, and current and former members of U.S. Congress were among the respondents who answered our call. Although none of them thought NATO should cease to exist or that the United States would be better off leaving the alliance, they were less certain about whether NATO can adapt to a changing geopolitical and military landscape — and just who will foot the bill for future operations.

They rated Greece, currently struggling to repay its crushing debt load, the top candidate to be kicked out of the alliance, exhibited deep divides on how to handle a troubled relationship with Russia, predicted that NATO would be unable to pull off another Libya-style intervention three years from now, and overwhelmingly viewed the Afghan mission as a failure.

Read more here: foreignpolicy.com

The Kakomea Issue, again debate in the Albanian parliament

The Businessmen who have occupied Kakomea, bought land with the legalization of outlawed

Vladimir Kumi: "Here's how the Greek lands, was sold and Greece, seeking to register the properties of "invaders" from the corrupted diplomats of OSCE"
 full 10 years of battle between the people of Nivitsa and "Albano mafia state"
Businessmen who eventually occupied Kakomese Bay, have managed to put in hand ALUIZNI and were able to purchase land within their territory through the process of legalization. Riviera Company, which had begun in 2004 procedures to obtain the concession Kakome bay, along with a French company, now turns out to be the sole owner of a piece of land which he has sold his former firm - Chairman's ALUIZN, Shaban Memia.
The document "Web Journal" shows that in early March, while Memia has been on the verge of removal from office of the Director General's ALUIZN, signed the sale of land on behalf of the company Riviera, which already operates in the Gulf Kakome as a subject without a tourist entity status. French company "Club Med" was withdrawn from the project since 2007 and the Albanian legal framework, the falls that once the concession given by Fatos Nano to be invalid.
But doing actually perform the practice of blocking its territory and return to a territory where every year guard arrested for drug trafficking, occupants of this land could have and buy a piece of territory under a contract, which is flagrant violation of the law.


Under the 8053 Law of December 1995, residents of coastal areas should be compensated with land or land if their land is subject to building tourism a priority. The land is given Company of ALUIZNI Riviera, is land which has been used and distributed to area residents, who are expropriated by the decision "de facto" ALUIZNI that sells a company which has still uncertain of its status as a tourism entity.
This decision becomes even more arbitrary, while the Assembly is being discussed again the law for transferring the ownership of agricultural land without compensation to residents near the tourist areas, which are expropriated for public needs.
The decision has sparked a reaction in villages Nivicë and St. Basil, who are still unclear about the fate of their properties.
Motion in the Assembly, Brace denounces looting of land on the coast
The opposition accuses the government is aiming to acquire lands of 8 thousand families in the coast, through the initiative of securities ownership. According to Deputy Erjon Brace, abuse, lies in 110 million square meters of land, passing them to a group of people. But Agriculture Minister Genc Ruli, who was the initiator of legislative initiative, said the draft did not create new divisions of land or property produces new titles. But a critical attitude to the government on issues of property held Environment Minister Fatmir Mediu. He claimed that with these initiatives, the government deepens unconstitutionality in relation to property. At the outset of the hearing, the Socialist parliamentary group leader, Gramoz Ruchi, Speaker of the Assembly debated, Topalli to opposition demands for hearings with Prime Minister Berisha.

Annyway the mayor of Lukovo municipality declared that "Here's how the Greek lands, was sold and Greece, seeking to register the properties of "invaders" from the corrupted diplomats of OSCE"

related:

 

Properties of the Himara People, in the hands of corrupt Government and OSCE diplomats

The head of the Municipality of Lukovo Vladimir Kumi: "We claims nor the OSCE Persona non Grata for registration Property Team of Our Region."

According to information, an official of the OSCE, is seeking to register land with the law 7501, just at the moment when the Parliament is expected to vote the bill as an amendment, by both major parties.

The news that the OSCE, is seeking to renegotiate the registration of property in Ionian coast, has risen again, discussions and revolt among the legitimate owners of the coastal zone of Ionian Coast, Himara and Lukovo Regions.

According to information, the failure of the first process has reactivated again, few corrupt diplomats in the diplomatic mission of the OSCE in Tirana, which in accordance with the laws that are deter Albanian parliament and government, are creating room for the massive looting, land in Himara and Lukovo.

But as the inability of the Himara Municipality to seek laws from Albania, to give the people of Himara properties, not only not oppose any diktat that requires Tirana, but want the registration process, to continue the OSCE with the laws of Albanian parliament, which removes the Orthodox church properties and people, and assigns to the Tirana government.

Meanwhile the Lukovo Municipality, runs contrary declared full OSCE team for the registration of property, the property turned the local population.

The head of the Municipality of Lukovo Vladimir Kumi: "We Claims nor the OSCE persona non grata for registration Property Team of Our Region."

Greek American campaign against FYROM to NATO membership

Bill Summary & Status
112th Congress (2011 - 2012)
H.RES.650

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H.RES.650
Latest Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should work within the framework of the United Nations process with Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy goals of finding a mutually acceptable name, for all uses, for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] (introduced 5/10/2012)      Cosponsors (8)
Related Bills: H.RES.627
Latest Major Action: 5/10/2012 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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All Information (except text)	Text of Legislation	Summary	Major Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions with Amendments With links to Congressional Record pages, votes,reports
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A brief historical overview

The Slavs came in the Balkans in the 6^th century A.D., almost one thousand years after Alexander the Great�s death. Upon their arrival in the area their utmost desire was an exit to the Aegean Sea and later on the warm port of Thessaloniki, Greece�s second largest city, after Athens. Thessaloniki is also the capital of Greece�s north most province, Macedonia. Many conflicts occurred in the area throughout the centuries due to this longing of the Slavs and a lot of blood was shed.

Former Yugoslavia's southernmost part was called Vardarska Banovina prior to 1944. It was in 1944 that Marshal Joseph Broz Tito, the principal political leader of Yugoslavia at that time, created Yugoslavia's southern republic and called it "People's Republic of Macedonia". However, "Macedonia" was already the name of one of Greece's northern provinces. After 1944 a deliberate and systematic campaign was initiated for Yugoslavia's southern republic to usurp the history of ancient Macedonia in order to lay claim to lands in Greece and elsewhere. In September of 1991 the southern part of the broken up Yugoslavia named itself "Republic of Macedonia" and declared itself as a new independent country. Greece objected to their use of the name Macedonia as �Macedonia� was since antiquity and still continues to be an integral part of the Greek culture/world. 

Geographic Macedonia is within the borders of at least three countries. Only a small portion of geographic Macedonia lies within the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), whose population is one-third Albanian and two-thirds Slavic in origin. The largest part of geographic Macedonia lies within Greece in the Greek province of Macedonia.

 Because of this objection, the United Nations accepted this nation as a new member with a temporary name of "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (the FYROM) until a permanent name is found between Greece and its northern neighbor. To this date no solution has been found due to the FYROM�s ultranationalist stance.Moreover, FYROM promulgates propaganda in which it claims portions of Greek territory and usurps Greek national identity and culture in conflict with European values.  FYROM�s actions are a breach of the U.N.-brokered Interim Accord and erode efforts to build trust and good neighborly relations.

 

ACTION *

We urge you to contact your U.S. representative and request him/her to co-sponsor H.Res.650.

• If you do not see your U.S. representative as a co-sponsor above, please contact his/her office today.
• Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant.
• Advise them you are a constituent, calling from [city or town] and that you'd like the representative�s support by co-sponsoring H.Res.650.
• Advise the Congressional staff person to contact Congresswoman Maloney�s or Congressman Bilirakis� office to sign on as a co-sponsor.
• If you do see your legislator as a co-sponsor, please contact him or her to offer your thanks.

TALKING POINTS

• Greece strongly supports the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of FYROM having not only acquiesced to but also supported its status as a candidate country for accession to the EU and to its joining the Membership Action Plan of NATO.
• FYROM's irredentist and provocative acts toward Greece are clear violations of the 1995 Interim Accord between Greece and FYROM and these acts demonstrate that FYROM is unwilling to demonstrate good faith toward  its neighbor Greece; a condition which must exist for the two countries to come together and resolve the name issue, and ultimately, for FYROM to attain NATO membership.
• Simply stated, FYROM cannot join NATO until it resolves its differences with NATO Alliance members Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania.

CONTACT BY TELEPHONE

• Contact your members of Congress by telephone by dialing the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202.224-3121.

CONTACT BY EMAIL/INTERNET

• To write your representative, visit https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml to find your representative, using your zip code.

 

 

Right now 8 Representatives have supported it, let us all do our best to increase the number of Congressmen by the end of this week, especially due to the fact that the NATO Summit in Chicago will take place on May 19-20, 2012.

 

Thank you,

 

Kostas Hatzistefanidis/Supreme President of the Pan-Macedonian Association

Dimitris Chatzis/Supreme Secretary of the Pan-Macedonian Association

Medvedev warns against “hasty Western wars”

Source: b92

MOSCOW -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev cautioned Western powers on Thursday against launching "hasty" wars.

Dmitry Medvedev (Tanjug)

He explained that such wars could lead to the rise of radical Islamist factions and even result in regional nuclear wars, AFP has reported.
"The consequence of hasty military operations in foreign states usually means that radicals come to power," Medvedev said at the International Legal Forum in Saint Petersburg.

He said that Moscow noted numerous examples of powers infringing on the sovereignty of other states, AFP pointed out.

"And sometimes these actions, which undermine state sovereignty, could result in a fully-fledged regional war. And even, although I do not want to scare anyone, the use of a nuclear weapon," Medvedev stressed.

Medvedev’s comments were a clear reference to Russia's current standoff with the West over Syria and its earlier condemnation of NATO's air strikes against Libya.

According to AFP, the Saint Petersburg event included speeches by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and other top international dignitaries and legal scholars.

Medvedev will stand in for President Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a third term after serving four years as a prime minister, at talks starting Friday after the Russian leader pulled out citing the need to complete his new government.

Shots fired at police in southern Serbia

Source: Tanjug

BUJANOVAC -- An unknown assailant fired multiple shots at a police checkpoint in the ethnic Albanian village of Dobrosin near Bujanovac around 3:00 CET on Thursday.

“The attack on police, i.e. police checkpoint at 3:00 in the morning is a terrorist act,” Vranje Police Administration Spokesman Dragan Stamenković has said.
He stressed that he could not give any more information about the attack.

The village of Dobrosin is located around 16 kilometers southwest of Bujanovac.

The so-called Liberation Army of the Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa (OVPBM, UCPMB) was founded in Dobrosin in the beginning of January 2000.

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said on Thursday that “we will not watch peacefully as somebody attack police officers” and confirmed that an ethnic Albanian terrorist group from Kosovo attacked the Dobrosin police.

He stressed that nobody was injured in the attack which took place only 100-150 meters from the administrative line with Kosovo.

The minister added that four policemen had been on duty at the station but that they had not been injured.

"Several short bursts were shot. Four policemen were on duty in the police station and fortunately, no one was injured," Dačić said, adding that another attack followed shortly, to which policemen responded with ten to 15 shots, thus ending the action.

“This is yet another proof that the pledges about the preservation of peace in this part of the territory are just talk,” he added.

“This is a drastic example of violation of agreements with the international community and another proof how much peace and stability are threatened. We will not watch peacefully as somebody attacks police officers in Serbia from across the administrative line. We are doing our job the way we have been doing it so far. I expect international officials to react to this incident,” the interior minister concluded.

Just formed the new Greek government, the Greek - Turkish tensions began in Aegean

New episode with Greek amphibious commando and the Turkish coast guard
 Serious episode had yesterday in Pserimos island, which thanks to the composure shown by the Navy and the Steal Greek commando team, did not evolve into "hot incident".
 Specifically Turkish Coast Guard vessel approached the area carried on a Greek gunboat and two amphibious commando groups. The exercise was stopped immediately and asked the Turkish vessel had passed within Greek territorial waters to leave immediately.

Instead, the Turkish ship was maneuvering between the Greek and then the commandos aboard two boats approached the MAGNA 960 Turkish vessel with side ... threatening moods.The Turkish vessel left after a few minutes, but in the next few hours there was an increased lookout "for fear of the Jews."

Pserimos H belongs to the Dodecanese and is located north east of Kos and Kalymnos. The surface of the island is 14.8 square kilometers with a maximum altitude of 268 meters (879 feet), while the last census of 2001 its population stands at 130 residents. 

www defencenet.gr

The Greek army on the alert "war"


Which are the priorities for armaments of the new Greek Defense Minister? 

Frangoulis: All 14 Greek Frigates, in alert for any provocation against the Greek nation
 
Priority to the implementation of two important for the Armed Forces armament programs gives the new caretaker, the Defense Minister General, Frangos Frangoulis, said. 

This is a first for the acquisition of 4,200 missiles DM53A1 (APFSDS-T) and 2.000 M865 (TPCSDS-T) from the Dutch stock and receiving the second fifth Super Vita type R71 RITSOS which can be used by the Navy in a very short time, having completed the installation and testing of ship systems.Undoubtedly these two movements show the direct determination of the Minister to complete two arms programs were launched to implement earlier or were pending. 

 In this way, the new Minister implements a month what the previous ministers did not materialize in 5 years.With these two moves, the new Minister of upgrades in a short time the possibilities of tanks Leopard 2HELL and increases the available resources of the Navy whose role in the coming months will be crucial to the defense of national interests.All these are implemented as soon as the Turkish experience in the training center in Poznan boats, opposite the bridgehead of the new equipment Karagats fording rivers recently acquired, and must not forget the continuous aggression by Turkey in the Aegean Sea as recorded in Pserimos other day. 

Noted that the project of transnational contract for the supply of the Dutch ammunition approved by the KYSEA in early April before the election on May 6, while the fifth received pending for almost two years, depriving the Navy a very useful unit equipped with missiles MM40 Exocet Block 3 with potential disaster objectives ashore within 180 kmwww.defencenet.gr

Berisha calls for nationalist rhetoric against neighbors (Greece)

"With a single alphabet from Albania-Kosovo today"
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha asked today by the neighbors of the Albanians to "free themselves from albanofobia" as he characteristically said.
Mr. Berisha made the above statement during a speech in the town of Prizren in Kosovo, where they attended together with the President of Kosovo Atifete Giachgiagka and his counterpart, Hashim Thaci, the presentation of a single alphabet to be used by children in Albania  an Kosovo.

 "We are committed as ever to work on the draft of the union of all Albanians in the European Union", said Berisha.

 He added that "our neighbors should be released from albanofobia because this is a remnant of the primitive past."

"The Albanians are peaceful people, as well as scenes that took place in Presevo prove that the Serbs are in primitive stages," said Mr. Berisha still commenting on the incidents that occurred between ethnic Albanian and Serbian authorities in Presevo Valley in southern Serbia. newsit.gr

Today, the 98th anniversary of the Protocol of Corfu

No Comment!

Perivolos Beach, Drymades, today is turning in buildings and fortifications with solid concrete, the "concessions donated" for Mafia with political influence in Tirana, just by the representatives of the people of Himara, an urban massacre, which aims to wrest all historically natural resources and public, but also monetary income from tourism purposes, to the Himara Region.

Protocol of Corfu

May 17, 1914 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_of_Corfu

The Protocol of Corfu (Greek: Πρωτόκολλο της Κέρκυρας, Albanian: Protokolli i Korfuzit), signed on May 17, 1914, was an agreement between the representatives of the Albanian Government and the Provisional Government of Northern Epirus, which officially recognized the area of Northern Epirus as an autonomous self-governing region under the sovereignty of the prince of the newly established Principality of Albania.^[1] This agreement, granted to the Greeks of the districts of Korytsa and Argyrokastro, which form Northern Epirus, wider religious, educational, cultural and political autonomy, inside the borders of the Albanian state.
After the end of the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), the subsequent peace treaties ceded the region to Albania. This turn of events catalyzed an uprising among the local Greeks which lead to the Northern Epirote Declaration of Independence, at February 28, 1914. Finally on May 17, the International Commission of Control, an organization responsible to secure peace and stability in the area, intervened and the Protocol of Corfu was signed. However the protocol’s terms were never implemented because of the politically unstable situation following the outbreak of World War I and it was eventually annulled in 1921 in the Conference of Ambassadors.^[2][3]

Adem Demaçi

Adem Demaci: Albanian territories can`nt join the fight

Adem Demaci said that we should find a way to unite the territories of Albania. Kosovo politician who has spent 28 years in prison for his voice against ill-treatment of Albanians in the former Yugoslavia, said that the union of the border can not be achieved classically.

"Some seek to make the classic way, the struggle to defend the borders. I do not understand that we are small people and are surrounded by many other nations and not very sympathetic, "said Demaci.

According to former KLA leader initially Albanian people should theoretically join and then find the way to joining the border.

Shekulli newspaper

Greece to hold new election on June 17

Source: B92, BBC

ATHENS -- Greece will hold fresh elections on June 17 since no party managed to secure a majority in parliament and form a new government.

(Tanjug)

Until the elections, Greece will have an interim government. This will prolong the political crisis and push the country closer to bankruptcy and out of the euro zone.
No party won a majority in the 6 May parliamentary election.

Council of State President Panagiotis Pikramenos will head the caretaker government until the election.

After the negotiations with Greek President Karolos Papoulias ended without an agreement, leaders of three biggest political parties have been accusing each other of failure.

Based on the results of the May 6 election, New Democracy won 108 seats in parliament, Syriza won 52, PASOK 41, Independent Greeks 33 and Democratic Party 19 seats.

The Communist Party, which won 26 seats in parliament and Golden Dawn, which won 19 seats, did not take part in the talks on forming of the new government.

There has been deadlock since the election over whether to continue with the austerity measures required by an international bailout agreement.

Recent opinion polls suggest that Syriza, a leftist bloc opposed to the tough bailout conditions, would win a new election, but would still not gain enough for a parliamentary majority.

While Conservatives and Socialists claim that the austerity plan represents the last chance to prevent the country from defaulting, Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras says he has a plan that includes keeping Greece in eurozone and scrapping the austerity plan. EU leaders, however, claim that the plan is unsustainable.

The eurozone countries have warned Greece to adhere to conditions that are a part of the bailout loan, adding it will not get any additional funds otherwise. The EU also warned the country that it was risking being kicked out of the eurozone.

Official: Northern Serbs won't accept Priština's plan

Source: Beta

BELGRADE -- Ministry for Kosovo official Oliver Ivanović says a concrete agreement on the status of Kosovo, and its northern part, can be reached only through dialogue.

Oliver Ivanović (Beta, file)

Commenting on the Kosovo Albanian government's announcements that they would in September "offer a plan for a dialogue on northern Kosovo", Ivanović said:
"Priština is aware that it cannot have any influence or sovereignty in the north, and under pressure from some in the international community, it is launching a new plan. However, it must be aware that any plan, even the best there could be, an ideal plan, will not be accepted by Serbs and Serbia".

Serbs are the majority population north of the Ibar River, and reject the authority of the government in Priština, as well as the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, made over four years ago.

Priština's announcements stated that its plan aimed to "integrate" northern Kosovo into what it said was "the constitutional and legal system of the country", while it would be realized "through a dialogue with representatives of Serbs from the north".

Furthermore, the government in Priština is suggesting that "Belgrade should join the dialogue in its final phases", with the role of "making sure that the agreement is honored".

But Ivanović dismissed these announcements by saying that he was "absolutely certain that no Serb representatives will be found in the north for such a thing".

The plan will be unacceptable, he continued, for as long as there is no concrete agreement reached through dialogue, that would represent a political framework for the status of Kosovo and of the north.

"By launching its plans for integration of the north Priština is rushing in order to improve its position before we arrive at practical negotiations," Ivanović believes.

Ivanović also noted that the authorities in Priština were "preparing to offer a solution, instead of preparing for negotiations", and said this was "a reverse process", while the initiative was "something that should come at the end".

Hitos: Greek politics and all governments, have betrayed the Northern Epirus, which is the part of Epirus historicaly

The well known Journalist Vassilis Hitos, speaking, for the year 1997 and make objections to the Greek policy regarding the notion of Southern Albania or Northern Epirus

Today remind Prokollin Corfu 1914, we also signed by Tirana, but continues to exercise of 100 years of terror and violation of rights of Greeks in Northern Epirus.

Russia concerned at Kosovo ‘Syrian militant training’ reports

Published: 15 May, 2012, 15:24

Free Syrian Army fighters patrol a street in Qusair town near Homs city, northern Syria May 5, 2012 (Reuters/Stringer)

TRENDS: Syria unrest

TAGS: Meeting, NATO, UN, Kosovo, Russia, Politics, Robert Bridge, Opposition, War, Syria

Media reports suggesting that Kosovo officials have established contact with the Syrian opposition to train Syrian militants in the secessionist province are causing alarm, the Russian Ambassador to the UN said Monday.
­"The training of militants would run counter to the efforts of the UN and Arab League special envoy, which are supported by the entire international community," said Vitaly Churkin, speaking at a session of the Security Council devoted to the situation in Kosovo.
The UN Ambassador went on to warn of the possible global implications of such paramilitary exercises.
"Apart from this, turning Kosovo into an international drilling ground where the militants of paramilitary formations would get training might become a serious destabilizing factor reaching out to places far beyond the boundaries of the Balkans," Churkin said.
Diplomats and media reports said that at least three exiled Syrian activists have been in Kosovo recently for talks with the former Kosovo rebels who fought a separatist war against Serbia in 1998-99, which culminated in NATO unleashing a ferocious, 78-day aerial bombardment (March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999) on Yugoslavia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed its concern over the media reports.
"Lately there have been media reports about contacts between Syrian opposition representatives and the authorities of the so-called Republic of Kosovo,” the ministry said in a statement issued on Monday. “This is not just about 'exchange of experience' in organizing separatist movements aimed at toppling existing regimes, it is also about training Syrian militants in Kosovo." 
They intend to use areas that are geographically similar to the Syrian landscape, the ministry statement continued. It is likely that training centers will be opened at the former bases of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
"Such intentions raise concerns. They run counter to the efforts of United Nations – Arab League Special Envoy Kofi Annan, backed by the entire international community. We are calling on international organizations present in the province to take whatever steps are necessary to foil such schemes," the Foreign Ministry concluded.
Meanwhile, Churkin also mentioned the problem of an international investigation concerning horrific reports involving Kosovo's alleged trading in human organs, which was exposed by Dick Marty, the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Russia proposes a thorough probe of all the crimes committed in Kosovo, including the case of organ trafficking, the UN Ambassador said.
He voiced Moscow's concern over the slow pace of investigation of the established facts of organs trading and said those facts contain immediate indications that the incumbent leaders of Kosovo were involved in these crimes. The probe is steered by the EU Rule of Law Mission.
Churkin said the investigation should be free of bias and prejudices, and all the individuals involved in that criminal trading should be brought to responsibility.
“Proceeding from these considerations, we supported Serbia's proposal to hand the investigation over to the UN," he said.
Robert Bridge, RT