"Ukraine has practically slid into civil war"

Source: Tanjug

MOSCOW -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the opening of an international conference on global security that Ukraine has practically slid into civil war.

(Beta/AP)

"After the president was forcibly removed from power with active involvement of external forces, the country has practically slid into civil war," the Russian minister said in Moscow on Friday, and warned that a focal point of tension has been artificially created in Europe.
The 3rd Moscow International Security Conference is attended Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić. Shoigu spoke about the impact of "color revolutions" on global security and pointed out that those were an important factor of destabilization in many regions of the world.

Among the negative examples, he mentioned "the war against Serbia."

"The phenomenon of colored revolutions becomes an important factor of destabilization in many regions of the world. Under the pretext of spreading democracy, someone else's values are imposed on people. Socio-economic and political problems of some countries are used to replace nationally oriented governments with regimes that are controlled from abroad," said the high ranking Russian official, adding that all this provides "the sponsors" unhindered access to the resources of those countries.

According Shoigu, "color revolutions" have increasingly been gaining the form of armed struggle, using all available means, including information war and special purpose forces.

"To increase the effect, military force can be used to the full extent. The war against Serbia, the strikes on Libya, the intervention in the conflict in Syria are a confirmation of that," he warned.

In each scenario, Shoigu noted, the cause of foreign interference was different, but the scheme of its realization was "universal": information-related activities - military pressure - replacement of political leadership, and a change of foreign policy and economic vectors of a state.

If, the Russian minister added, they fail to replace a country's government, conditions are then created for armed conflict to take place in order to further shake up a government they do not like.

The war against Yugoslavia was also mentioned as a negative example by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who spoke after Shoigu, and Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov.

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Gerasimov said that "the dynamic of events does not allow for any further predictions of future developments."

"But it can certainly be assumed that in the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis a decisive factor will be the strengthening of military force and the extent of its application, which will inevitably have a negative impact on the state of European security."

He warned that some Western countries have increased their anti-Russian rhetoric, while NATO's military groupings in the Baltic States, Poland, Romania have also been enhanced. That military alliance is also present in the waters of the Baltic, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the general remarked.

"Under these circumstances we cannot remain indifferent to the events and will have to take measures in response," Gerasimov said, without specifying what those measures would be.

He also noted that conflicts within states ceased to be purely internal and increasingly take on an international character, warning that the use of non-state armed forces as the main instrument of force in conflicts leads to a growth of uncontrolled power in the world, such as terrorism, extremism, cross-border organized crime, and mercenaries.

"Whole regions are descending into chaos. This situation is just as dangerous for those against whom it is directed, as it is for those who created it. Color revolutions are one of the main sources of its origin," concluded Gerasimov.

President of Kazakhstan meets with Prime Minister of Albania

24.05.2014
 
Kazakhstan and Albania intend to develop trade and economic relations. Nursultan Nazarbayev and the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama talked about it today. In addition to trade ties, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres. During negotiations also the avoidance of double taxation and visa issues were discussed. These aspects, according to the Kazakh leader, are providing the basis for successful partnership between the two countries. The Prime Minister of Albania also added that the two States should work within the framework of various international organizations.

Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, PRESIDENT OF KAZAKHSTAN:
- Kazakhstan has a strong interest in establishing relations with Albania. In general, for our country, Europe is a major economic partner. However, we don’t have special relations with Albania. Unfortunately, the basic documents of economic cooperation between our two countries are not signed. I hope that your visit will begin negotiations in this direction. An agreement on economic cooperation should be signed.

Magnitude 6.4 quake strikes Greece, with tremors felt as far as Jordan

Published time: May 24, 2014 09:45
Edited time: May 24, 2014 18:33

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AFP Photo / Aris Messinis

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A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 18km off Greece’s southern coast in the Aegean Sea, near Kamariotissa, at a depth of 10km. Some injuries and damages were reported as far as Jordan. Hundreds have fled their homes in neighboring Turkey.
The under-sea quake caused an immediate injury in Greece, according to local police, as cited by the AP. Further injuries were reported by Greece's neighbors as panic-stricken residents fled homes.
There are reports of people feeling tremors all the way in Turkey, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Initial reports by the USGS reported a 6.4 magnitude, while the Institute of Geophysics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki put the strength at 6.3. The epicenter was estimated to be between Samothraki and Lemnos. Local police in the latter city report a part of the airport's ceiling has collapsed, which caused the one injury - a British female tourist.
"It lasted very long and it was very intense. We haven't got the full picture of the damage caused yet," the city's mayor, Antonis Chatzidiamantis, told Mega TV.
Local media report that the quake was felt in many major parts of Greece, both in the south and the north, in Athens and Thessaloniki. Aftershocks reportedly hit 6.7 in Turkey's Istanbul, Izmir and Canakkale, as hundreds in the western parts fled their homes, fearing structural collapses. A video has been uploaded by Turkish media, depicting the panic.
Some 20 people were hospitalized due to shock in the city of Gökçeada. "I was on the beach. Rocks started to shake. They were moving under out feet. We ran away. It took 20-25 seconds," one resident told the Hurriyet newspaper. Other minor injuries have been reported as well.
Turkey’s Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said that 270 people were hospitalized. While most were only suffering from minor injuries or shock, the number also included one person in critical condition who jumped from a balcony in Balıkesir’s Edremit district, Hurriyet Newspaper reports.
Another 30 people in the seaport town of Canakkale and five more in Tekirdag, on the northern coast of the Sea of Marmara, were reportedly injured after jumping out of their apartment windows.
No injures or damages have been reported in Istanbul.
Weak aftershocks from the tremor were felt as far as the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, as well as in parts of Jordan.
While the primary quake in Greece was taking place, Israeli authorities and media reported their own quake, which took place less than two houea prior to the Greek one. It was reported to be a minor 4.1 event, but people were reported to feel the shakes all across Israel.
The event took place in a seismically active region, where instances are quite common. Greek seismologists told local media that aftershocks topping 5.0 magnitude are to be expected shortly, telling the local Ant1 TV that this can certainly be classed as a "severe" quake.
The last such earthquake was in August 2013 - a 5.1 that struck about 125km north of Athens, with witnesses reporting tremors in the capital.
The country does face occasional shakes, but they are usually not very powerful. However, 1999's 5.9 event was quite devastating, killing 143 people. Part of the same seismic zone, Turkey was in the same year battered by a terrifying earthquake that claimed 20,000 lives in the densely populated north-west.

Self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics form ‘Novorossiya’ union

Published time: May 24, 2014 16:25
Edited time: May 24, 2014 16:59

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Representatives from eight south-eastern regions voting at the people's congress in Donetsk / screenshot from RUPTLY video

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Self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics which recently held referenda on independence from Ukraine have declared the creation of Novorossiya union.
“We have signed a memorandum on the union,” Denis Pushilin, co-chairman of the Donetsk People’s Republic, told the media.
The new union will be called Novorossiya, said the people’s governor of the Donetsk Region, Pavel Gubarev.
He added that the document was signed in the city of Donetsk by Donetsk People’s Republic Prime Minister Aleksandr Borodai and the head of Lugansk People’s Republic Aleksey Karyakin.
People’s representatives from eight Ukrainian regions gathered for a congress in Donetsk on Saturday, a day ahead of scheduled countrywide presidential elections.
As a result of the congress, the south-eastern regions of Ukraine, where anti-government protests gained momentum, have announced the creation of a pro-federalization Popular Front socio-political coalition. The movement accepted a manifesto vowing self-determination and protection of people from “Nazi gangs’ terror.”
The coalition involves Odessa, Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Kharkov, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk Regions.
At the congress, all 145 delegates accepted the manifesto, which stresses that the Popular Front will consist of “everybody, who is ready to resist self-appointed Kiev authority, which started war against the people.”
The coalition vowed to protect innocent civilians from the “terror of Nazi gangs, financed by oligarchs and foreign security services.” It also pledges “a joint fight for people’s rights to a decent life.”
It says it has launched an investigative commission that will probe “crimes of Nazi-terrorists and their Kiev patrons”.
The coalition is calling for a boycott of the presidential election, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, because “all major candidates” are “oligarchs, whom we have already seen in top positions, hence, robbery and terror would continue,” the manifesto said.
When it comes to a new Ukrainian constitution, the Popular Front demands that it guarantees “neutrality” and nonparticipation in military blocks as well as “political independence”, “mechanisms to stop corruption and massive poverty.”
The coalition also demands that the parliament consists of two chambers. At the same time, regions must be given “a right to autonomy” and “independent foreign-economic activity”.
In addition to that, regional governments must be given a right to “announce its territory de-militarized zones and also “ban political, social and religious organizations on its territory” in case they are considered a “threat” to the people.
The Popular Front wants two official languages in Ukraine – Ukrainian and Russian.
Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics earlier announced they will not participate in Ukraine’s presidential elections scheduled for May 25.

Putin: I don’t think new Cold War will start, no one wants it

Published time: May 24, 2014 13:47
Edited time: May 24, 2014 18:26

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (R), meets with heads of the world's leading news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Konstantinovsky Palace, St. Petersburg. (RIA Novosti / Michael Klimentyev)

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The Russian president believes a new Cold War is unlikely as no one is interested in it. Vladimir Putin cited Crimea as Moscow’s "reasonable response" to "the language of force" the West was trying to use, but added it should not happen again.
“I really would not like to think that this is a beginning of a new Cold War,” he said speaking with the heads of the world media at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “I think this is not going to happen.”
The ‘new Cold War’ rhetoric has been rife in the West as the situation around the Ukrainian crisis becomes increasingly tense.
Those who provoked the armed coup in Ukraine should have thoroughly weighed up the consequences that would follow, Putin stressed.
“Those who had been provoking the armed coup in Kiev should have thought, if they were real professionals, about the consequences of their illegal ambitions,” he said, adding that he hopes that what happened in Ukraine “will become a precedent which has its own negative consequences, but still would revive a conscientious attitude to international law and practice of agreeing positions based on each other’s interests,” rather than “methods of using force.”

'Russia won't just sit on a bench and listen to what others say'

Touching on Russia's actions towards Crimea, Putin said it was a reasonable response on the part of Russia.
“We think that [the West] tried to talk to us in the language of force, and we, using the same logic, gave a reasonable answer. But I hope that this will never, under any circumstances, happen again anywhere,” Putin said.
When it comes to cooperation, particularly with the US, Russia will not “just sit on a bench and listen to what others say.”
“This is not the role Russia would agree on,” Putin said, stressing the importance of taking into account partners’ interests. But in bilateral relations there are lines “that can’t be crossed”.

24 May 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with heads of the world's leading news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Konstantinovsky Palace. (RIA Novosti/Sergey Guneev)

In Russia-US relations, in particular, Crimea was “that same line”, Putin pointed out.
“Tools are good when they are used," he said. "If we have platforms for mutual work, these are not platforms for having tea or coffee all together. These are platforms for finding solutions and compromises.”
In this regard Putin also pointed out reactions to the crisis in Ukraine which came from Canada.
“What about Canada’s position, it is traditional and close ally of the US, nothing surprises us here,” he said. “But where is Canada and where is Ukraine and Russia?” Putin added, stressing that neither Canada, nor the US has “this volume of national interest” as Russia does.
Russia’s leader has expressed confidence that many people living in Europe share Russia's stance on the Ukrainian crisis.
“Russia's stance over Ukraine is a fair one and European people see that," he said. "Conduct an opinion poll in Europe - I am not sure at all that the majority of citizens support their political leaders' stance on that matter. I have all grounds to assume that our position has very many supporters,” he said.
After Crimea voted in the March referendum to join Russia, the West voiced concerns that President Putin was aiming to recreate the old borders of the Soviet Union and is going to “annex” more of CIS countries.
Putin denied having such ambitions, saying that this popular opinion in the West is no more than an “element of information warfare.”
“This is a wrong impression and, I think, it is not what corresponds to reality, but that is a tool of information warfare,” he said. "They try to stick this label on us — a label that we are trying to restore an empire, the Soviet Union.”
Moreover, he stressed, Russia “never thought of joining Crimea, our special services were not working there.”

‘Isolating Russia is impossible’

As for the Western sanctions against Russia, “I think that they are absolutely counterproductive, not based on a fair attitude to existing problems, and driven by a desire to impose on Russia international relations developments that do not correspond either with international law or with mutual interests. They certainly do not correspond with Russian interests,” Putin said.

24 May 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin, fourth from left, meets with heads of the world's leading news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Konstantinovsky Palace. (RIA Novosti/Michael Klimentyev)

Isolation of Russia is “impossible,” Putin stressed, adding that there is a “mutual dependence” between Russia with both the US and EU.
"Maybe damage, not minor, could be done to each other in conditions of the rather complicated situation within the global economy. And who needs this?” Putin said. "Possible consequences will be negative for everybody and may lead the European, Russian and world’s economies to turbulent processes that no one is interested in,” he said.
In fact, he stressed, “Some events which happened in Ukraine threaten Russia’s interests, first of all in terms of national security.”
Putin particularly referred to NATO’s intensified activities and possible Ukraine’s acceptance to the alliance.
“This could have been followed by not only acceptance, but also deployment of assault systems on the territory of Ukraine, including Crimea,” he said. “If this had happened, it would have had serious geopolitical consequences for Russia; our country would have been forced out from the Black Sea region, and Russia has been fighting for centuries for the legitimate right to a presence there.”

'This is not what monarchs do'

Focus on national interests of partners is key to improved relations and effective work, Putin pointed out. Speaking about relations with Great Britain, he said that if this is how relations will be built and partners there follow “national interests but not some other thoughts”, Moscow and London will continue cooperation, like it was “back in the past.”
“We'll maybe reach some new frontiers, we will think about what we do in the future in order to work effectively together,” he said.
When asked about Prince Charles allegedly comparing him to Hitler, Putin said he did not hear anything about that. But if this is true, it is "unacceptable" and "wrong".
"He has been to our country more than once, if he made such a comparison, it is unacceptable and I am sure he understands that as a man of manners," Putin said. "I met him personally, as well as other members of the Royal Family. This is not what monarchs do.”

Sali Berisha: in Himara has not Greek minority, but bilingual community


Berisha: "I always read the history of Himara, but also lobbying in Greece, not in high levels, use Himara for Northern Epirus issue, and you do not know that the Northern Epirus, they claim up to Vjosa River"

Tirana: Sali Berisha, Former Prime Minister of Albania, is expressed contradictory regarding the question who made some reporter, during in a television in Tirana, about the issue of Himara.

Berisha declared that in Himara Region, has not the Greek minority, but there are villages that speak Greek, so are bilingual. I have read with pleasure the history of Himara, but lobbying in Greece, not in high levels of the Greek government, try to use Himara, for the North Epirus issue.

"Not only that, but you should know that Northern Epirus just as simply do not consider minority areas, but those Greek lobbying, they demand the Northern Epirus border, up to River Vjosa" said Berisha.

Berisha is known for his declaration in occasion of the100th  anniversary of the Albanian Independence in Vlora on 28 November 2012, calling that the "Borders of Albania, begin from "Preveza to Preshevo" known as Greater Albania territory. 

Greece technically still at war with Albania

May 22 2014 

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Because of un-abolished war law Albanian Cham minority, who were expelled by Athens during World War II, can not claim back confiscated property worth hundreds of millions.

ANKARA (AA) - Albanian President Bujar Nishani asks his Greek counterpart, Karlos Papulias on Monday to abolish the law of war with Albania which has left the two neighbors technically at war for the last seventy years.

Albanians say that because of this law ethnic Albanians, referred to as Albanian Cham minority (from the Chameria area of Greek territory) who were expelled by Athens during World War II, could not claim back confiscated property in Greece worth hundreds of millions dollars.

Members of the Albanian Cham minority protested in front of Albanian presidency while the two presidents were meeting.

"I asked the Greek Parliament to abrogate the law of war which is still in power because it is in contrary with article 15 of the Treaty of Friendship," Albanian President Bujar Nishani said during a joint press conference with Papulias.

Greek parliament declared war on Albania back in 1940 (WWII), when Albania was under Italian occupation. Greek government removed the law by government decree in 1987 but the law was never abolished by Greek Parliament. Albania and Greece are two neighbor NATO countries but technically still at war. Albanian Cham minority claims hundreds of million dollars of property were confiscated by Athens under this law.

The President of Greece, Karlos Papulias is officially visiting Albania on November 3-5, 2013 invited by the President of the Republic of Albania, Bujar Nishani.

"Maritime delimitation between the two countries remains an issue to be resolved", President Nishani said, adding that "Albania is ready to resolve this issue in accordance with International Law".

Billionaire ‘Chocolate King’ on course to win Ukraine presidential poll

Away from the ongoing unrest in the east, candidates for Ukraine’s presidential election have been on the campaign trail ahead of Sunday’s vote.
Polls show that billionaire chocolate maker Petro Poroshenko remains favorite to win, with around 34 percent of the vote.
Addressing supporters at a rally, Poroshenko said: “I’m sure what we are all fighting for is peace, calm and security, an economic upturn, absence of corruption and total international solidarity with Ukraine, which will enable us to not only restore order in the east, but also return Crimea soon.”
Sunday’s election is arguably the most important poll since the country gained independence 23 years ago.
Pro-Russian separatists in control of towns in eastern Ukraine, however, have vowed to use force to derail the election despite calls from the OSCE’s Wolfgang Ischinger for calm on all sides.
‘‘I do hope that there will be no military force used between now and the end of the electoral process in order to allow the electoral process to go forward. And I hope that message is being heard not only by the government side, but also by the other side,” he said.
In all, some 21 presidential candidates are registered.
The poll is meant to stabilise Ukraine after street protests in February toppled Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovych.

Copyright © 2014 euronews

Putin: All-out civil war in Ukraine, Odessa-style tragedy averted in Crimea

Published time: May 23, 2014 10:42

Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2014 (SPIEF 2014) in St. Petersburg May 23, 2014.(Reuters / Sergei Karpukhin)

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Russia gave free will to the citizens of Crimea, otherwise the peninsula would have seen the same massacre that happened in Odessa on May 2, President Vladimir Putin said.
“If we haven’t done this, [in Crimea] we would have had more tragedies than those which we now see in some Ukrainian cities, for example, in Odessa, where unarmed people have been burned alive: Fifty people have been burned, other fifty went missing. Where are they? They are killed, too.”” Putin said at St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Putin believes that after the February coup, Ukraine plunged into chaos.
“The civil coup supported by American and European partners came after. What next - chaos and now what we see is a full-scale civil war", added he.
Putin also said that Russia has a clear position on Crimea.
“We gave free will to Crimean citizens, they arrived at the referendum [March, 16] and voted for their own future,” he said.
Russian president said that “it is impossible to make almost 90 percent of the voters to come for the referendum."

Golden Dawn Presents Candidates For European Union Election

While the establishment forces scrape the bottom of base culture and are presenting TV personalities, soccer players, and other pop culture figures to represent Greece in the European parliament, we are choosing a different path. We will be fielding truly distinguished Greeks that are the pride of our race to be the face of Golden Dawn and Hellenism to the world.

Dr. Basil Chalvatzoulis, MD PHD- Dr Chalvatzoulis is a heart surgeon of international repute. Fluent in 3 languages (English and Swedish) the doctor served in the Giorgo Papanikolaou Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic under the direction of the late professor Panayiotis Spyrou. Between 1985 and 1995, his wide array of knowledge played a pivotal role in preventing thousands of Greek patients from having to be transferred abroad. Thanks to his work and leadership, the Greek health system and Greek patients have saved untold amounts of money and lives.
Dr Chalvatzoulis also is a veteran of numerous other hospitals, where he served afterwards. He also served as First Vice President of the PAOK football club between 1996 and 2004. During his time there PAOK won two Greek cups, in 2001 and 2003. When asked of his greatest achievement, he cites a 7 bypass heart surgery in 1996. He is the only surgeon in Greece with such an accomplishment. His patient is still alive today.

Former Lt. General of the Special Forces Synadinos Eleftherios- Lt General Eleftherios served the Greek army for almost 4 decades as an officer. He graduated from military school in 1979 as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. From then on he graduated from the Special Forces  School of Officers and the National Defense College. He has served in all types of units and has commanded the Special Forces of Greece from the bottom to the top.
Synadinos Eleftherios has commanded soldiers in Cyprus, the Greek Kosovo Force, and in May 2007 for 2 years, the 1 CCT TAX-AL. He was served as a staff officer in the 32 TAXPN in VSS and was the head Sector Planner for the Olympic Games. From March 2009 to March 2010 he held the rank of Brigadier, and was later promoted to the rank of Major.
He graduated from the Paratroopers in 1980. He has been honored with a wide variety of medals, commendations, and decorations. He is married with two children.

General Georgios Epitideios- General Epitideios graduated from the Military Academy, the Higher War College, and National Defense College. He has also went to Advanced Officers Artillery School in the United States and Greece. He is also a graduate of Public Law and Political Science, he got these degrees at the University of Athens. He is speaks both English and French.
He has also served as the Staff Officer at the Headquarters of the Allied Powers of Europe (SHAPE), the International Military Staff of NATO, and as a Director of the Department of Current Operations and Crisis Management of the Military Staff of the European Union (EUMS). He has handled matters for many years in NATO and the European Union (business plans, crisis management, doctrine, policy, exercise and operation logistics). He has represented Greece as a senior National Representative in the meetings for the design of exercises, both in doctrine and operational logistics for NATO and the European Union.
He has won as many medals and commendations as possible for his rank.
In his address to the Greek people, after choosing to run for European Parliament as a Golden Dawn candidate, he said:
“The upcoming elections for Government and the European Parliament are particularly important because the outcome will largely determine whether and how our country will continue to exist as a free and sovereign state, and if Europe will continue to maintain its historical and cultural identity or will evolve into something completely different from what it is today.
The decisions taken at the European Parliament decide the fate of the nations of Europe and have a direct impact on our daily lives. It is therefore necessary for the voice of the Greek nationalists to be represented, as this is one of dynamism and for the defense of national interests.
During this period, our country is facing the greatest risk to its existence ever in its history as an independent state. We are being attacked by enemies, who by any means, seek to dismantle the elements which make up the concept of nation and state.
These specific forces seek to destroy religion, history, education, health, economy, justice, national defense and security, our cultural heritage, flagrantly disregard our Constitution and individual liberties, and arrested and detained illegally our Leader, deputies and officers  who were democratically elected into office, financially impoverishes the people, has forced a mass exodus of our youth, and has driven thousands of desperate countrymen to suicide.
Through all this turmoil, we must not remain indifferent- we must fight. I will fight to the fullest extent possible for my country. “
Georgios Epitideios
General EA

PHOTO: Rasmussen arrived in Macedonia, met with Poposki

May 22, 2014 

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During the visit to the region, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen arrived in Macedonia.

During the visit, the Secretary General of NATO met with Minister for Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki and Minister for Defense Talat Xhaferi.
During the visit, Rasmussen will meet with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.

At the meeting, Rasmussen will be introduced with the status of the Macedonian progress regarding the implementation of the reform process and the main goal directed towards full Euro – Atlantic integration and rapid membership to NATO.

16 Ukraine soldiers killed in deadly Donetsk region checkpoint attack

Published time: May 22, 2014 17:03

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An ambulance carrying dead Ukrainian soldiers travels off the site (seen in background) where pro-Russian rebels killed thirteen Ukrainian servicemen on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha, south of Donetsk, May 22, 2014.(Reuters / Yannis Behrakis )

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16 Ukrainian troops were killed and over 30 injured in an attack on a military checkpoint in Donetsk Region. The deadliest assault on the army since Kiev launched its military operation in the south-east of the country comes a few days ahead of election.
The checkpoint on the edge of Blagodatnoe village, near the town of Volnovakha, was assaulted on Thursday night.

Eyewitnesses told Russian Chanel One that the attackers arrived in transit vans, with armored vehicles and combat helicopters providing cover for them.

The gunmen set fire to the military’s armored vehicles and began shooting at the rookie soldiers, who had their encampment near the checkpoint.

One of the shells hit an ammunition depot, which resulted in a massive explosion that saw dozens injured, Channel One reports.

The video, which allegedly captures the events in Blagodatnoe, emerged on the internet on Thursday.

Two combat helicopters heavily, shelling an area covered by trees, and a huge explosion are seen in the footage.

Another clip from the scene shows the aftermath of the battle, with two burning armored vehicles and dead bodies on the ground.

The Donetsk Regional Administration said that 16 soldiers died and 32 received injuries in the attack on the checkpoint.

The self-defense forces of the People Republic of Donetsk said that the attack on the army’s checkpoint was a reprisal raid by the radicals.

“The Blagodatnoe residents came out to defend their homes. The soldiers were ordered to crush the resistance. But they refused to shoot at people, and were, eventually, punished for that,” the source in the self-defense forces told LifeNews.

The witnesses told the channel that the transit vans, which the attackers used for transportation, belonged to the Privat-Bank, which is owned by oligarch Igor Kolomoisky.

Kolomoisky bankrolled the Ukrainian coup in February and largely contributed to the creation of the National Guard, which helped legitimize the far-right militants among the Maidan protestors.

The newly-appointed Dnepropetrovsk Region governor is also blamed for masterminding the Odessa tragedy on May 2 when 48 anti-Kiev protestors died after radicals set fire to the local Trade Unions House.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has confirmed that there was a battle at Blagodatnoe village, but spoke only of eight casualties among its troops.

Ukrainian soldiers survey an area where pro-Russian rebels killed thirteen Ukrainian servicemen on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha, south of Donetsk May 22, 2014.(Reuters / Yannis Behrakis )

AP journalists, who visited the checkpoint, said they saw 11 bodies scattered around the site of the battle, with a witness speaking of around 30 injured, some of them in grave condition.

A surviving Ukrainian soldier told the agency that the attack was “horrible” and he has lost three of his friends in it.

“My daughter told me that war has begun there and I came to help,” one of the locals told AP. “I was providing all possible assistance since 5-00 AM. I was transporting the injured. I did all I could.”

However, the agency reports that it was the self-defense forces of the People’s Republic of Donetsk, behind the assault.

The agency reports that a group of anti-Kiev rebels in the town of Horlovka later claimed responsibility for the raid and displayed weapons, which were seized during the operation.

"We destroyed a checkpoint of the fascist Ukrainian army deployed on the land of the Donetsk Republic,'' the unit’s commander, who wore a balaclava, said.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian army major, who spoke to the survivors of the attack, told the BBC on condition of anonymity that he was sure that the attackers weren’t from the Donetsk self-defense forces, but were “mercenaries.”

Ukrainian soldiers block traffic near the site (seen in background) where pro-Russian rebels killed thirteen Ukrainian servicemen on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha, south of Donetsk May 22, 2014.(Reuters / Yannis Behrakis )

Also on Thursday night, Kiev forces continued shelling the outskirts of the besieged town of Slavyansk in the Donetsk region.

The artillery fire injured three people and destroyed several houses, the local self-defense forces said.

A bridge was blown up near the town of Lisichyansk in the neighboring Lugansk Region as the military engaged the anti-Kiev activists.

A soldier was killed and two others injured in the battle, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said, with the self-defense forces also speaking of several wounded on their side.

The Border Guard said that five of its troops were injured and one suffered a concussion in a gunfight at the service’s Stanchino-Luganskoe department, RIA-Novosti reports.

Kiev is pulling in more troops on into south-east of the country in anticipation of the presidential election on Sunday.

“According to our data, there’s currently around 6,000 [Kiev troops in the Lugansk Region], and their number has increased in recent days,” Valery Bolotov, the head of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Lugansk, said.

Lugansk and Donetsk regions have refused to recognize Kiev’s coup-imposed authorities, and staged referendums on May 11, which garnered landslide support for independence from Kiev.

Wary Europe Watches Vote in Greece for Signs of Protest

By JIM YARDLEYMAY 22, 2014

Photo

Elections posters for Alexis Tsipras attracted the attention of a passer-by in Athens last week. Mr. Tsipras, left, the leader of Greece's left-wing Syriza party, is running for a seat on the European Commission.
Credit Louisa Gouliamaki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

ATHENS — This time, there are no predictions of doom, no anguished fretting out of Washington or Berlin that Greek national elections could unravel the European economic order. That was the mood in 2012, when the fate of the euro seemed to hang on the whims of an angry Greek electorate that, in the end, voted to stay the course in the euro zone.

The dynamics seem reversed as Greeks return to the polls this weekend for European parliamentary elections. The balloting, from Thursday through Sunday, is supposed to represent another developmental step in the broader European political project, but an expected protest vote across Europe means that the impact may be greater on national politics.

In Greece, the vote has become a de facto referendum on the governing coalition and a test of whether ordinary citizens believe the government’s assertion that the country is finally on the upswing. Polls are showing the left-wing opposition party, Syriza, in a tight contest with New Democracy, the center-right party that leads the government.

“If the margin is large, on the order of 5 percent or more, this could be destabilizing,” said Harry Papasotiriou, a political science professor at Panteion University in Athens, adding that voters may use the European parliamentary races to send a message to the Greek government. “People can vent their emotions in a protest vote.”

European leaders, concerned with political stability in Greece, are watching warily. The Greek stock and bond markets have wobbled in recent days amid concerns that a subpar showing by New Democracy could bring pressure for new national elections, which are not scheduled until 2016.

Greek politics is still defined by the bailout from the so-called troika of foreign creditors: the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. The bailout prevented the country from going bankrupt but inflicted punishing terms that have contributed to record unemployment.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has argued that Greece is now clawing its way toward recovery, with some economists forecasting a return to growth by the end of the year.

On the campaign trail, New Democracy leaders say Greece must maintain political stability or the sacrifices made during the bailout — and the seeds of recovery — could be jeopardized.

“Instability is bad for the economy,” warned Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, arguing that a Syriza victory could be destabilizing. “You have to explain to people the consequences of their choice.”

Two years ago, Syriza championed the anti-austerity sentiment and threatened, if elected, to reject the terms of the bailout — a worrying stance for European leaders. New Democracy narrowly won and cobbled together an awkward coalition government with its Socialist rival, Pasok, and a third party, Democratic Left. The rest of Europe exhaled.

Now, with Syriza in a tight race, the party’s telegenic leader, Alexis Tsipras, is again framing the European election as a referendum on the bailout agreement, brushing off talk of possible political instability. Mr. Tsipras is running for a seat on the European Commission, though analysts say he does not expect to win and is instead trying to cultivate a leftist, anti-austerity movement across Europe. His real goal is to win in Greece, where he says a Syriza victory would be a no-confidence vote in the government and in New Democracy. 

"We are confident that the results in the European elections will show they are far behind Syriza,” said Yiannis Milios, a top strategist and Syriza lawmaker, who argues that the government’s economic program has punished ordinary people but rewarded the wealthy. “We have the concentration of wealth in a few hands. We have wage earners losing their rights.”

The shape of the election in Greece is especially unpredictable because of the range of parties pushing starkly different populist messages. Pasok, the party that dominated Greek politics for decades, is trailing badly in the polls; many analysts believe it is in a death spiral that could endanger the government coalition.

A new centrist party, To Potami, or “The River,” has emerged in recent months, led by a popular television journalist, Stavros Theodorakis. After a flurry of news media attention, To Potami has hit a plateau in polls. But Mr. Theodorakis has tried to tap into the broad public disgust with the established parties.

“The people have been exhausted from this and do not listen anymore,” he said in an interview. “They are tired of these dogmas.”

The biggest wild card is Golden Dawn, the far-right party with an anti-immigrant, neo-fascist ideology. Last year, the government led a sweeping crackdown, labeling the group a criminal organization (rather than a political party) and arresting its leader and five members of Parliament. The crackdown was expected to prevent Golden Dawn from competing in the European elections — except that this month Greece’s Supreme Court ruled that the party could.

With its angry, nationalist message, Golden Dawn has tapped into the broad public fury over the country’s economic collapse. Two years ago, it stunned the political establishment with a strong fifth-place finish and has been polling in third or fourth place this time.

“It will be terrible if they end up being the third party,” said Professor Papasotiriou, who also works for a think tank linked to New Democracy. “It would be very bad for Greece.”

Dimitris Bounias contributed reporting.

Basha urges Albanians to protest against Rama 

 

 

Following his tour in the cities of the country with the slogan "One nation against drugs; Rama go home ", the head of the Democratic Party, Lulezim Basha has stopped in the city of Valona where he invited the Albanians to convey the message that Albanians are pro-Europe and anti-drug.

At a time when the European Union countries, day daily facing tons of drugs coming from Albania, Friday's protest is the clearest signal, said Basha during his speech.

"With our movement Friday, we will send a powerful message for integration. We will say to Europe that Albanians are Europeans in dignity and that narcotics are an unacceptable reality, and that Albanians are determined to deprive Mr.Rama from Albania along with the supervisor who brought them on the top. The economic situation in Albania is very difficult, unemployment is sitting cross-legged like never before and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, it is also understandable that anyone could think that drug is an alternative. Drugs did not solve the problems. Drugs created other problems " said Basha.

DP leader invited Albanians to be standing united to say no to the drugs. / albeu.com /

Braho: Himara, a single administrative unit, there is a danger of union with Greece.

Spartak Braho, Chairman of the Security Committee in the Albanian Parliament, declared in Territorial Reform Parliamentary Committee that "in the event that Himara, emerges as a separate entity, then there is a possibility that tomorrow, they join to Greece".

Photo of the Day

Rep. Congressman Gus Bilirakis during the meeting in Washington DC, with the Himara Society of USA

Intensify efforts of the Himariot Lobby in United State of America, holding a meeting with Republican Congressman of Vlorida, Gus Bilirakis. After the meetings that they had developed the Himarioton Society in the State Department on the issue of property and perspectives of the Himara Region, Congressman Gus Bilirakis will be a strong supporter of American Politic makers for the rights of the Himara Region.

The Himara Community calls the Albania Parliamentary Commission to unite Lukovo with Himara


The Himara Community, based on the public proceedings of the Parliamentary Commission for the New Territorial Division, as a member of the Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Albania, proposes:
 
Himara to joining with Lukovo, in a Municipality, creating an administrative unit away from other regions and districts. This suggestion is based on the principles of historical, geographical, territorial, productive, cultural, touristic, religious and ethnic features. 

The Himara Community is, following this process as a  priority of the Government of Edi Rama, for the opening of negotiations for European Union, invites all political elements, parliamentary and government, which will be taken in consideration of the Himara people and civil society in particular, invites actors of this process, tto respect the principles  which relies on territorial division.

A simultaneously, this process, which is funded and supported by the Euro-Atlantic structures and in particular by the U.S. government, should be taken into consideration, to the ethnic composition of the District of Himara, the Council of Europe and the Conventions on the Rights of Minorities and all the territorial Ionian Coast, as a natural extension of the special features, which has no spiritually connection with other geographic regions of the country.

Himara people, has expressed itself for joining the Commune of Lukovo, to be a separate administrative unit, from December 2005, the time when PanHimarioton Conference held in Tirana, with funding and support from the U.S. Government, with the participation of all political actors of the Region, administrative and Civil Society, has decided to build the future.

Macedonia: Protesters attack casino of Albanian person in Skopje

21 May 2014 | 07:29 | FOCUS News Agency

Skopje. Protesting youths last night attacked a casino in the capital Skopje which is owned by an Albanian person, Zoran Talevski, a correspondent of FOCUS News Agency in Skopje, reported.
The crowd managed to break into a casino called Senator, then took out equipment and thrеw it into bins on fire. At the same time other young people damaged other things inside the casino using clubs.
The protesters stopped the arrived fire trucks and the police had to intervene, this resulting in clashes.
The demonstrations in Skopje began as a Macedonian school leaver was stabbed and killed on Monday evening by a thief of Albanian origin.

Rasmussen to visit Macedonia

May 21, 2014 by aleksandra in Macedonia  

 

During his visit to the region, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, on 22 May, 2014 is paying a visit to Macedonia.

During the visit, the NATO Secretary General will meet with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, Defence Minister Talat Xhaferi and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.
At the meeting, Secretary General Rasmussen will be informed on the status of progress of the Republic of Macedonia in respect of the implementation of the reform processes in the country, and the main goal directed towards full Euro – Atlantic integration and rapid realization of NATO membership

Pentagon deploys another warship to Black Sea

Published time: May 21, 2014 14:59
Edited time: May 21, 2014 20:11

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USS Vella Gulf cruiser (Reuters/Chip East)

The United States military confirmed on Tuesday that a guided missile cruiser is en route to the Black Sea as worries persist about the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia.
"I can confirm the Vella Gulf, a Navy cruiser, will be going in to the Black Sea probably later this week," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told the press on Tuesday, AFP reported.
Earlier this week, RT reported that a military source had told Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency that the US Department of Defense was expected to deploy a ship towards the Black Sea this week as part of what Moscow is considering a wide build-up of NATO forces in the region. Now the Pentagon has confirmed that the Vella Guld will replace the USS Taylor, a frigate that was stationed in the Black Sea until May 12 and preceded by the presence of the USS Donald Cook.

The guided-missile frigate USS Taylor (Reuters/US NAVY)

An US-authorized treaty, the Montreux Conventions of 1936, bars outside countries from keeping warships in the body of war for more than 21 days. Instead of retiring America’s naval presence from the region altogether, though, the DOD is again exchanging one ship for another in the midst of the growing tensions between Ukraine’s interim government and those wanting a stronger alliance with neighboring Russia.

The USS Donald Cook (AFP Photo)

As RT reported previously, the Vella Gulf is 172 meters long, 16 meters wide and can carry two multipurpose helicopters. It is also equipped with an Aegis air and ballistic missile defensive system, Tomahawk cruise missiles, antisubmarine missiles and surface-to-air missiles.
Ahead of this week’s deployment, the Vella Gulf was expected to participate in a semi-annual, UK-led training exercise in the Mediterranean Sea “designed to provide NATO and allied forces a unique multi-warfare environment in which to prepare for global operations,” according to the ship’s newsletter.

Tomahawk cruise missile (Reuters/U.S. Navy photo)

According to AFP, the Pentagon plans to maintain a military presence in Eastern Europe through the end of the years as the standoff between Moscow and Kiev continues.

Ethnic Albanians steal bike then murder the 19 year old owner

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Police started resolving the monstrous murder of 19 years old high school graduate Angel P. who was killed Monday afternoon in front of the European Eye Clinic in Gorce Petrov. As police sources say, they’ve already arrested the suspected murderer Naser E. It is expected that the detained will be brought to the public prosecutor Tuesday and will later appear in court for further proceedings. The incident occurred after Nasser E. broke into the house of the murdered Angel and stole his bike. Angel and his father Saso witnessed the theft prompting Naser to flee. After that, Angel and his father started a car chase after the thief, but when they approached the embankment to the river Vardar they continued the chase on foot. Angel was first to get near the thief who had two other individuals with him. Naser and his friends pulled knifes and stabbed Angel to death. According to unconfirmed information, Angel was stabbed twice in the heart. The murdered 19 years old was a graduate of the prestigious Medical High School, had intended to become a doctor. In the meantime, the Gorce Petrov Street later this afternoon was blocked by thousands of citizens revolted by the killing of the innocent boy, but a man driving from the direction of Saraj neighborhood provoked an incident trying to drive through the crowd. Luckily, the police forces securing the blocked street stopped the violent driver thus preventing bigger incident. Some of the gathered citizen angrily burned several garbage containers and the situation in the neighborhood is tense. In order to prevent more riots, the police closed all roads leading to Gjorce Petrov and at the moment it is not possible to go inside even to citizens who live in the neighborhood and want to get home. Currently, according to information, a local restaurant is in flames and lots of windows are broken while the protests are getting more intensive. The citizen asked Gjorce Petrov’s Mayor Sokol Mitrevski to close the foot bridge to Saraj. The place where the young man was killed is surrounded by a number of citizens of Skopje lighting candles and holding vigil. The Municipality Council has called an emergency meeting to analyze the disturbing events.

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  Golden Dawn fliers on the pavement (Photo: wikimedia commons)

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EU Elections

Greece's Golden Dawn seeks allies in EP

Today @ 09:29

Related

1. Greek far-left in election lead
2. Greek denial of vote to targets of racism increases Golden Dawn's EP chances

1. By Nathalie Savaricas

Athens - Politicians from Greece's extreme-right Golden Dawn party are likely to be voted into the European Parliament amid high approval ratings despite the jailing of a third of its leaders.
In Sunday's (18 May) first round of municipal elections, Golden Dawn candidates fared relatively well in several municipalities. Party spokesperson Ilias Kasidiaris, who is running for Athens mayor, reached fourth place in the first round of elections. The second round will take place next Sunday, the same date as the EU vote.
But the party's consistent appeal at home (two polls give it between 7.5 and 8.5 percent of the EP election vote) is not reflected abroad.

Alliances

None of Europe's popular far-right parties has backed or sought to make an alliance with Greece's extremists, who are often labelled "neo-fascists" – something the party denies.

Golden Dawn's salutes, symbols and anthems are similar to those of the Third Reich and its supporters have violently enforced its anti-immigrant policies.It has exacerbated racial tensions in Greece, which has seen the arrival of thousands of EU-bound immigrants from Asia and North Africa, even as it struggles with massive unemployment and zero growth.

"We have the right to self-determine ourselves, so we are Greek nationalists," mayor-hopeful Kasidiaris told EUobserver, dismissing claims about the party's links to Nazism.
When asked to define Nazism, the former special forces commando said he "didn't know what the term meant" and "didn't understand what they mean when they call us that – it's an abstruse term".
In the past, party leader Nikos Mihaloliakos has openly praised Hitler, while Nazi paraphernalia has been found in the houses of senior officials and lawmakers.
The deadly stabbing of a hip hop artist by a Golden Dawn supporter last year triggered the arrest of several of the party's lawmakers and members. They are now facing a series of charges including murder and extortion.
While many radical right-wing parties across Europe, led by France's National Front, have indicated they will club together in the next European Parliament, they are steering clear of Golden Dawn.
Late last year National Front leader Marine Le Pen said Golden Dawn had a "filthy image". In February she told a Greek journalist that far-right parties "have been very clear about not including" Golden Dawn in their alliance.
But some experts say the gap between them is not that wide.
Vasiliki Georgiadou, a political science professor at Athens Panteion university, believes the continent's leading far-right parties, including France's Front National, are not teaming up with Golden Dawn merely for strategic reasons rather than outright objection to their policies.
Le Pen has been seeking to get Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's eurosceptic UKIP, to join up with her in the next EP. But Farage has rebuffed her on the grounds that her party is "racist". Georgiadou notes that a National Front alliance with Golden Dawn would only confirm Farage's criticism.
"Even if [Le Pen's Front National and like-minded parties] share ideology on anti-Semitism, immigration and Russia – teaming up with them would be a mistake: This is why it hasn't happened yet and I don't foresee it happening in the future," said Georgiadou.
Kasidiaris admitted that no European party had aligned itself with Golden Dawn yet, but remained hopeful alliances would emerge after the elections.
For his part, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the former leader of the National Front and the father of Marine, in an interview last March said did not rule out alliances with Golden Dawn after the EU elections.

Fringe allies

But while Golden Dawn might be ignored by the continent's more influential right-wing politicians, it has maintained plenty of contact and support among radical fringe parties.
A series of meetings have recently taken place between extreme nationalist parties in various European capitals.
Late last year, Greece's Golden Dawn, Spain's La Falange, Romania's Noua Dreapta and other like-minded parties held talks in Madrid, where they also signed a collaboration pact.
Meetings also took place in Rome, where again Golden Dawn officials held talks with their Italian counterparts, Forza Nuova, and others, including Germany's National Democratic Party. Of all these parties, only Germany's NPD is likely to get a seat in the EP.
In January, Nick Griffin, head of the fascist British National Party (BNP), travelled to Athens to announce his solidarity with his Greek counterparts.
A month later, officials from Svenskarnas parti, "the Party of the Swedes", Sweden's nationalist socialists, also travelled to Athens and participated in a demonstration with Golden Dawn protesting the imprisonment of its party leader, Nikos Mihaloliakos. The Swedish party admires Hitler and its party programme says genetics should determine Swedish nationality.
In a further indication of the below-the-radar links between far-right fringe parties, the Party of the Swedes and the Nordic Resistance Movement members sent letters to Greek embassies complaining about Mihaloliakos' arrest.
The Swedish branch of the Nordic Resistance movement also organised a rally in Stockholm in support of Golden Dawn.
Mihaloliakos later wrote 'thank you' letters to these Finnish and Swedish white supremacist movements for their support.
The Nordic organisation is based in Sweden but is also active in Finland, Denmark and Norway.
Golden Dawn's image at home also remains strong.
In a poll conducted shortly after the killing of a hip hop rapper last year, only 20 percent of the party's voters believed the party had neo-Nazi leanings.
Kostas Markis, a father of three from Northern Greece who voted for Golden Dawn, also dismissed these accusations. "The party has nothing to do with fascism now … it might have originally but it has done a turnaround in the last years," he said in a telephone interview.
"There's a small number of Golden Dawn members who are Nazis but they have been supporting the party for a very long time – officials would be abandoning them if they openly condemned [Hitler] now," he added.
Makris echoes an opinion shared by many Golden Dawn voters. Like many Greeks, he considers himself a patriot, and feels mainstream political parties have betrayed him.
Greece's surrender of its sovereignty to its international creditors has revived the nationalism of many voters who recall that the nation stood up to the Ottoman empire in the 19th century.
Golden Dawn has played on this patriotism and has seized upon historical symbols to appeal to citizens disenchanted with traditional parties. It is also seeking to rid the party of its thuggish reputation.
As it heads to both the EU vote and the second round of municipal elections, Golden Dawn is fielding several prestigious candidates including astrophysicists, academics, doctors and retired military generals.
But analyst Georgiadou warns that the party has been forced into survival tactics. "Publicly they may try to show a different face but their manifesto has not changed – nor has their rhetoric," she noted.
Their texts include economic, social and defence policies while their ideology is centered on the notion of race and the survival of the Greek "nation race". "Illegal immigrants" are a threat to the continuation of the "racial continuation" of Greece, Golden Dawn's website reads.
Kasidiaris said his party does not intend to change its fundamental beliefs.
"We have a certain political programme [which] draws from our ideas, ideology and we'll take it to the end – we won't change."
Alvise Armellini in Italy, Mikael Brunila in Finland, Ylva Nilsson in Sweden and Helena Spongenberg in Spain contributed to this report