The Greek American Who Joined Ivanka Trump at GES Summit in India

By Tasos Kokkinidis - Nov 30, 2017


Greek Reporter


Greek American entrepreneur Christos Marafatsos was chosen to be part of the US delegation led by Ivanka Trump at this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) that took place in Hyderabad, India, on 28-30 November.

Speaking to the Greek Reporter, Marafatsos said that more than 1,000 prominent entrepreneurs from 150 nations attended the important summit.

“Having some of the most brilliant minds in the world under one roof trying to create both public and private collaborations between countries, corporations and individuals was very significant,” he said.

The main theme of the summit was “Women First, Prosperity for All” and focused on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ivanka Trump arrive to inaugurate the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017
“With Ivanka Trump leading the delegation from the United States, you can see how symbolic this is for the role of woman as Economic Contributors to the world.

“This was a prime example of the greatest and most powerful country making a statement to the world that it’s time for woman empowerment,” Marafatsos said.

Marafatsos has been named Vice-Chairman to the National Diversity Coalition for Donald Trump and Advisor to the Republican National Committee’s Strategic Initiatives Team.

The Greek American was stunned to discover that there was no official participation from Greece at GES.

“There were only three Greek entrepreneurs, two from Athens and one from Thessaloniki, who took part, sponsored by the US Embassy,” he added.

“It is a shame that Greek entrepreneurship that can excel on the world stage was missing from such an important gathering.”

Marafatsos, President of Washington-based Blue Sky Capital, an investment brokerage and consulting firm, has established a presence in Athens.

He says that Greece offers great opportunities. Not just for business but also because it has an enormous human capital. Educated, intelligent people that can make a contribution not just to their own country but across the world, he said.

He added that with his experience he can help organize a Greek presence in next year’s GES.

“I can commit to sponsoring the Greek team for GSE next year,” says the passionate Greek American.

Brussels' Tax Haven Blacklist Should Include Four EU Members – Oxfam Tax Expert

CC BY 2.0 / Trocaire / Campaigners at the IF campaign concert in Belfast Botanic Gardens

OPINION

16:03 30.11.2017

If it is to be fair, the EU's planned blacklist of tax havens will include four EU member states, according to a blacklist drawn up by Oxfam; the charity's tax expert Johan Langerock, told Radio Sputnik that the EU is taking a step in the right direction but it remains to be seen whether member states have the will to really tackle the issue.

In the wake of the Paradise Papers publication earlier this month, which revealed widespread offshore tax avoidance by wealthy elites, the European Commission has redoubled efforts to get EU member states to agree a blacklist of global tax havens and potential counter-measures.

On Wednesday, the charity Oxfam released its own "robust blacklist of tax havens," which contains four EU countries "that would be blacklisted if the EU were to apply its own criteria to member states."

Johan Langerock, Oxfam tax expert and co-author of the report, told Radio Sputnik that the EU must not bow to political pressure in excluding influential states inside and outside the EU, which offer tax advantages for foreign multinationals or wealthy individuals.

Sputnik: Your report says the EU tax haven blacklist should include at least 35 non-EU countries and four member states of the EU. Why did you choose these countries?

Johan Langerock: This report assesses which countries should be on the EU blacklist, which is expected to be released next week, by applying the EU's own criteria objectively. At Oxfam, we applied the EU's criteria objectively and then we see that 35 non-EU countries should be on the blacklist.

Those countries are varying: a country like Albania could be on the list, but more important tax havens like Bermuda, Curacao, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland are also on our list. These are very famous tax havens, they appeared in many leaks recently, the Paradise Papers for example, so I really urge the EU to have an objective list and to have these harmful tax havens on the list as well.

We know, for example, that Switzerland is putting a lot of pressure on the EU to not be on their list, but if we apply the criteria objectively, Switzerland can't escape the final EU blacklist.

Sputnik: A recent report by the Tax Justice Network has suggested that while the European Union will not include its member states on the list, it could add Britain when it leaves the bloc in 2019. How realistic do you think that is?

Johan Langerock: The Tax Justice Network and Oxfam actually conducted a similar analysis and found our results are very similar, which is very good and shows that our analysis is very strong. But, on criteria two, fair taxation, we have a few differences. Oxfam identified four EU member states that failed that criterion as well: Ireland, Malta, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The Tax Justice Network adds the UK and Cyprus to it.


At Oxfam, based on our own analysis we don't believe that the UK would fail criteria two on fair taxation as, following our economic indicators, Britain is not attracting disproportionate profits to its jurisdiction.

Of course, there are discussions about the City of London being a kind of tax haven, but the problem is that's not being assessed, as such, by the EU. So, it seems quite unlikely to me personally that Britain will be blacklisted after leaving the EU but of course, if the EU changes its tax policies it could always be blacklisted at a certain point of time.

Sputnik: How serious do you think the EU and Brussels are in addressing the situation with regard to tax havens?

Johan Langerock: The European Commission has been very ambitious on its fair taxation agenda. There have been many directors over the last years and months who have taken very good steps forward to a fair tax system. So, the ambition is there to have a strong backlist but now it's up to the member states and it's a discussion among member states.

As the Commissioner [for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs] Moscovici to the press yesterday, the blacklist will finally reflect the ambition of the member states. So, if member states are ambitious, we will have an ambitious blacklist, if they are not, we will have a weak blacklist which won't solve the problems of tax havens.

What impact does this issue have on EU member states and citizens? What can the general public do to put more pressure on Brussels over the matter over the next few years?

The public has to continue to show its disappointment with governments for not tackling the problem of tax avoidance, and clearly show there is an injustice going on. While a normal person pays on average 40% of taxes, a big company like Apple can just get away without paying taxes on a large scale. So, if the public continues to showcase this injustice and keeps on pleading for better rules, then governments in the end will change their rules.

Αλβανία: Έκκληση Προέδρου στους πολίτες για συνεργασία με στρατό λόγω των πλημμυρών

«Ο Μέτα καλεί του πολίτες: Συνεργασθείτε με τις δυνάμεις του στρατού και της αστυνομίας», γράφει το δημοσίευμα

Δεκέμβριος 1, 2017. Echedoros

Ο πρόεδρος της Αλβανίας, Ιλίρ Μέτα, αντέδρασε μέσα από το κοινωνικό δίκτυο 'Facebook',  για την ανησυχητική κατάσταση στην οποία βρίσκεται η Αλβανία.



Ο Μέτα εξέφρασε την πλήρη αλληλεγγύη του σε όλες τις οικογένειες που αντιμετωπίζουν δυσκολίες.
 Ο πρόεδρος ζήτησε από τους κατοίκους να συνεργασθούν με το στρατό, την αστυνομία και τις πολιτικές υπηρεσίες για την αντιμετώπιση της κατάστασης.


Ιλίρ Μέτα: «Αγαπητοί πολίτες, σε αυτήν την κατάσταση έκτακτης ανάγκης λόγω της βροχής που δεν έχει σταματήσει από χθες, βρίσκομαι μαζί με κάθε οικογένεια που αντιμετωπίζει δυσκολίες, εκφράζοντας την πλήρη αλληλεγγύη μου.

Θα ήθελα να σας καλέσω όλους να συνεργασθείτε με το στρατό, την αστυνομία και τις υπηρεσίες εκτάκτων αναγκών προκειμένου να ξεπερασθεί αυτή η κατάσταση και να αποτραπεί η κλιμάκωσή της.
Ευχαριστώ τα μέσα ενημέρωσης για τις πληροφορίες, καθώς διευκολύνουν την επικοινωνία και τη συνεργασία των πολιτών με τις αρχές».

"Cannons fell silent, but there's still danger in Balkans"

President Aleksandar Vucic says that "cannons have fallen silent" in the region - but that danger still exits.

SOURCE: TANJUG FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2017 | 12:19
 

For that reason, it is important to preserve peace and stability, he said during a meeting in Belgrade on Friday with a delegation of the the youth organization of the European People's Party (EPP).

"Serbia is on the European path, above all a path of preserving peace and stability in the region," he said, adding that this was "crucial for economic development of the Western Balkans, in order to try and the young in their own countries."

"I hope that we will create an economic union, that our trucks will not wait at borders, to allow faster growth for all countries of the Western Balkans," Vucic said.

He said that the need for cooperation between the former Yugoslav republics is always talked about, but that this cooperation should be extended to Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece.

"We are small and we have the same problems," Vucic said, adding that it was necessary to work on economic progress, "because the states will not survive without the ability to keep young people."

He added that EEP members have the greatest responsibility because they are in power in many countries in Europe, and that he believes that European countries will, understanding the dangers that exist, succeed in preventing them and build a stronger Europe that will also include the Western Balkans - "whose the development engine will be Serbia."

ENP Youth President Andrianos Giannou said during the meeting that they came to Serbia "as family and partners."

"We are here to comment on the progress. This region needs peace and stability, but also progress. We are pleased with your progress," Giannou said.

Minister of EU Integration Jadranka Joksimovic said that she would like EEP members to come to Serbia more often because Serbia is the only country in the region where a member of European People's Party bloc is in power.

She said that the European path of Serbia has its ups and downs, and that it is a process that is sometimes frustrating, "but the authorities share that frustration with European partners and try not to bother the citizens."

During the conversation, Vucic said he was "ashamed" by not being able to speak Hungarian and Albanian, that are among the minority languages ​​spoken in Serbia.

The president left the meeting after an hour, while Joksimovic continued to talk with the delegation.

MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS TO HIS HOLINESS BARTHOLOMEW I ON THE OCCASION OF THE FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW, PATRON SAINT OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

[Istanbul, 28 November – 1 December 2017]



Though away from Romeon my Pastoral Visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, I wish to extend my fraternal best wishes to Your Holiness and to the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy, the monks, and all the faithful gathered for the Divine Liturgy in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George for the liturgical commemoration of Saint Andrew the Apostle, brother of Simon Peter and first-called of the Apostles, the patron saint of the Church of Constantinople and of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. When the deacon invites those gathered during the Divine Liturgy to pray “for those who travel by land, sea, and air”, I ask you, please, to pray also for me.

The Delegation I have sent is a sign of my spiritual solidarity with your prayer of thanksgiving and praise for all that our Almighty and Merciful God has accomplished through the witness of the Apostle Andrew. In like manner, the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate welcomed in Rome last June demonstrated its spiritual closeness to us as we celebrated the wonderful deeds that God, the source of all good, accomplished through the Apostles Peter and Paul, patron saints of the Church of Rome.

The Apostles proclaimed to the ends of the earth, through their words and the sacrifice of their lives, what they themselves had seen, heard and experienced - the Word of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose for our salvation. Making our own this proclamation enables us to enter into communion with the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, which is the very foundation of the communion that already unites those baptized in the name of the Most Holy Trinity (cf. 1Jn 1:1-3). Catholics and Orthodox, by professing together the dogmas of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, by believing in the efficacy of the Eucharist and the other sacraments, and by preserving the apostolic succession of the ministry of bishops, experience already a profound closeness with one another (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, 15). Today, in thanksgiving to the God of love, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ and in fidelity to the teaching of the Apostles, we recognize how urgent it is to grow towards full and visible communion.

It is a source of joy to learn that on the eve of the feast of Saint Andrew, during a meeting attended by Your Holiness, the fiftieth anniversary of the visit of Pope Paul VI to the Phanar on 25 July 1967 was commemorated. That historic moment of communion between the Pastors of the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople brings to mind the words of Patriarch Athenagoras in welcoming Pope Paul VI to the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, where you are gathered today. I believe that these words can continue to inspire the dialogue between our Churches: “Let us join together what was divided, wherever this is possible, by deeds in which both Churches are involved, giving added strength to the matters of faith and canonical discipline which we have in common. Let us conduct the theological dialogue according to the principle [of] full community in the fundamentals of the faith, liberty both in theological thought, where this is pious and edifying and inspired by the main body of the Fathers, and in variety of local customs, as was favoured by the Church from the beginning” (Tomos Agapis, Vatican-Phanar (1958-1970), pp. 382-383).

I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Your Holiness for the generous and warm hospitality extended by the Metropolis of Leros of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, under the pastoral care of His Eminence Paisios, to the members of the Coordinating Committee of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. I wish to encourage anew this theological dialogue.  The consensus reached by Catholics and Orthodox on certain fundamental theological principles regulating the relationship between primacy and synodality in the life of the Church in the first millennium can serve to evaluate, even critically, some theological categories and practices which evolved during the second millennium in conformity with those principles.  Such consensus may enable us to envisage a common way of understanding the exercise of the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, in the context of synodality and at the service of the communion of the Church in the present context. This sensitive task needs to be pursued in an atmosphere of mutual openness and, above all, in obedience to the demands that the Holy Spirit makes of the Church.

Your Holiness, beloved brother in Christ, in recent months I have followed with great interest your participation in significant international events held throughout the world regarding the care of creation, peaceful coexistence among peoples of different cultures and religious traditions, and the presence of Christians in the Middle East. Your Holiness’s commitment is a source of inspiration, support and encouragement for me personally for, as you well know, we share these same concerns.  It is my fervent hope that Catholics and Orthodox may promote joint initiatives at the local level with regard to these issues, for there are many contexts in which Orthodox and Catholics can already work together without waiting for the day of full and visible communion.

With the assurance of my continued remembrance in prayer, it is with sentiments of warm affection that I exchange with Your Holiness a fraternal embrace of peace.

White House considering plan to replace Tillerson with Pompeo

by ALI VITALI and ROBERT WINDREM

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, an administration official confirmed to NBC News Thursday.

Though that plan has been discussed inside the White House, it's unclear when it will happen — or if it will, the source said. The news was first reported by The New York Times, but Tillerson's fate has been the subject of much speculation for months amid reports of tension with President Donald Trump.

The potential plan also includes filling Pompeo's slot at CIA with a Republican senator from Arkansas, Tom Cotton, the official told NBC News, noting that while he's well-regarded in the West Wing, there are differing views on whether Cotton should move to the CIA or stay in the Senate.

Cotton's spokeswoman told NBC News that "Sen. Cotton's focus is on serving Arkansans in the Senate."

Tillerson has recently begun discussing a year-end departure with colleagues, according to a second administration official.

Tillerson was at the White House, but Trump did not answer whether he wanted the secretary to stay on the job. The two men met twice Thursday.

In response to the reports, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, "There are no personnel announcements at this time," adding that Tillerson "continues to lead the State Department."

When asked later by reporters if Trump had confidence in Tillerson, Sanders didn't answer directly, saying only, "When the president loses confidence in someone, they will no longer serve in the capacity that they're in." Pressed on what the meant, Sanders reiterated the same point.

At the State Department, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Chief of Staff John Kelly called the agency Thursday morning to say reports of the plan "are not true." The New York Times reported that Kelly had signed off on the succession strategy.

Nauert said Tillerson "enjoys this job" and continues to do his work, and added that the secretary "serves at the pleasure of the president, as we all do."

But the White House official said the plan to replace Tillerson has traction inside an administration where Tillerson allies are now scarce. "He's burned all his bridges," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pompeo, on the other hand, is well regarded by White House staff, according to the official.

Image: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson listens as President Donald Trump speaks to the media
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson listens as President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Nov. 20, 2017 in Washington. Kevin Dietsch / Pool via Getty Images file
Other White House officials said they were unaware of any plan to oust Tillerson. One senior White House official said that while Trump has developed a bond with Pompeo, there is no indication yet that Kelly has signed off on having Pompeo lead the State Department.

It's not surprising that Pompeo would be next to get the top diplomatic spot in Trump's administration. Multiple current and former intelligence officials told NBC News that some people inside the intelligence community had started referring to Pompeo as the "Trump whisperer," a reference to the depth of their relationship.

According to these sources, Pompeo spends hours at the White House talking with the president long after his daily intelligence briefing, not just about intelligence, but politics as well.

Tillerson, for his part, has had a rocky tenure at State — facing challenges both from inside his agency and from Trump, who has at times minimized Tillerson's role in international diplomacy.

NBC News has previously reported that Tillerson threatened to resign in July after a series of clashes with the president, at one point venting his frustrations by calling the president a "moron," according to multiple senior administration officials who were aware of the matter at the time.

Meanwhile, twice in the last six months, including Wednesday night, in gatherings of former CIA directors, Pompeo joked that he didn't expect to be director much longer.

At a tribute to former Director Bill Webster and fundraiser for the Spy Museum, Pompeo began his speech with a joke, telling the audience that included former directors George Tenet, John Brennan and Michael Hayden, along with current Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, "I hope that isn't my title at this time next year."

Ο ΥΠΕΞ Αλβανίας σε συνάντηση με τον σύμβουλο του Τραμπ

Οι υπουργοί Εξωτερικών των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων συναντήθηκαν και συζήτησαν  με τον σύμβουλο ασφαλείας του Αμερικανού προέδρου Ντόναλντ Τραμπ, στην Ουάσιγκτον

Νοέμβριος 30, 2017. Echedoros

Κατά την επίσκεψή του στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, ο υπουργός Ευρώπης  και Εξωτερικών, Ντιτμίρ Μπουσάτι, είχε συνάντηση με τον σύμβουλο του προέδρου των ΗΠΑ και σύμβουλο ασφαλείας, στρατηγό Μάκ Μάστερ.



Η συνάντηση ήταν κοινή με τους υπουργούς Εξωτερικών των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων.

Ο υπουργός Μπουσάτι, γράφει το αλβανικό δημοσίευμα, επαίνεσε την τρέχουσα συνεργασία μεταξύ των δύο χωρών και ευχαρίστησε τον Ύπατο Εκπρόσωπο των ΗΠΑ για την υποστήριξη προς την Αλβανία, για την οικοδόμηση στρατιωτικής ικανότητας στον τομέα της άμυνας, καθώς και για την παροχή βοήθειας σε αλβανικούς θεσμούς επιβολής του νόμου,  για την καταπολέμηση της τρομοκρατίας, του οργανωμένου εγκλήματος και της διαφθοράς.


Επαναβεβαίωσε τη δέσμευση της Αλβανίας να συνεχίσει να υποστηρίζει  την πρωτοβουλία του προέδρου Τραμπ για μια μετωπική αντιτρομοκρατική πάλη στο πλαίσιο του Παγκόσμιου Συνασπισμού καθώς και για τη δέσμευση της Αλβανίας να συμβάλλει ενεργά στις ειρηνηνευτικές επιχειρήσεις της Ατλαντικής Συμμαχίας στις ζώνες συγκρούσεων.


Ο Μπουσάτι υπογράμμισε τη σημασία που αποδίδει η αλβανική κυβέρνηση στη συνεννόηση  και τη συνεργασία με τις θρησκευτικές κοινότητες για την αποθάρρυνση του φαινομένου του βίαιου εξτρεμισμού.


Ο στρατηγός Μάκ Μάστερ επαίνεσε τη συμβολή της Αλβανίας στην καταπολέμηση του βίαιου εξτρεμισμού και ριζοσπαστισμού και τις σαφείς θέσεις του στην προσήλωση της δημοκρατικής σταθερότητας στην περιοχή.

Bosnian Croat Hague convict dead after drinking poison

Slobodan Praljak, whom the The Hague Tribunal (ICTY) on Wednesday sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes, died after drinking poison in the courtroom.

SOURCE: B92, TANJUG WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017 | 17:44
 
Slobodan Praljak is seen 'drinking poison' (EPA/ICTY)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic confirmed this during an extraordinary news conference, and offered his condolences to the family.

A spokesman for the ICTY, Nenad Golcevski, also confirmed the death, and said Dutch authorities had launched an independent investigation.

Praljak was among six former leaders of the wartime "Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Herceg-Bosna)" - whose guilty verdicts were confirmed today by the Appeals Chamber.

The incident happened in the courtroom earlier on Wednesday, interrupting the reading of the judgment. Praljak said he was "not a war criminal," and after declaring that he "rejects the judgment" - appeared to be drinking something "from a small bottle."

His defense lawyer then said that Praljak had "taken poison." The judge called for a medical team and halted the proceedings. Several moments later the live broadcast from the courtroom was stopped.

Citing unofficial sources and family members, Croatian media reported earlier on Wednesday afternoon that Praljak - who during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s headed the Main Staff of the Croat Council of Defense (HVO) - had died in the hospital.

Ahead of Plenkovic's news conference, the news agency of the Muslim-Croat entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Fena, said that Praljak was "stable."

It is unclear at this time how Praljak managed to smuggle the container allegedly containing the poison into the courtroom, considering that defendants are under special security measures.

Tanjug reported on Wednesday afternoon that the reading of the judgment resumed "without Praljak's presence."

Earlier in the day, the Hague Tribunal (ICTY) confirmed the existence of a joint criminal enterprise organized by Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s.

A portion of Croatia's political leadership, with then Croatian President Franjo Tudjman at the helm, also took part, the tribunal's Appeals Chamber said, announcing its ruling in the Jadranko Prlic et al. case.

The chamber rejected the appeal lodged by the former Croat leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and confirmed the original finding that a joint criminal enterprise was established by Franjo Tudjman and other political leaders with the aim of setting up an entity "in accordance with the old borders of Croatia," Tanjug is reporting today.

The chamber acquitted the defendants on charges of crimes committed against civilians in Mostar.

Carmel Agius, presiding judge of the Appellate Panel, who is also president of the ICTY, said that the chamber - with Judge Fausto Pocar's dissenting opinion - found that the destruction of the Old Bridge in Mostar was carried out for military purposes, rather than to intimidate and terrorize the civilian population, i.e., the Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks).

The original verdict, passed in 2013, sentenced Jadranko Prlic, wartime prime minister of the self-proclaimed Herzeg-Bosnia, to 25 years in prison. Five other defendants - Bruno Stojic, Berislav Pusic, Slobodan Praljak, Valentin Coric, and Milivoj Petkovic were also found guilty at the time, receiving sentences ranging from ten to 20 years.

Συνεκπαίδευση του Πολεμικού Ναυτικού με το Ναυτικό της Γερμανίας

Από το Γενικό Επιτελείο Ναυτικού ανακοινώνεται ότι, την Τρίτη 28 Νοεμβρίου 2017, διεξήχθη συνεκπαίδευση της φρεγάτας ΚΟΥΝΤΟΥΡΙΩΤΗΣ, με το πετρελαιοφόρο FGS FRANKFURT AM MAIN του Ναυτικού της Γερμανίας, στη θαλάσσια περιοχή των Κυκλάδων.

Η εν λόγω συνεκπαίδευση συνέβαλε στην ενίσχυση της επιχειρησιακής και μαχητικής ικανότητας και ετοιμότητας καθώς και στην προαγωγή του επιπέδου της συνεργασίας και της αμοιβαίας κατανόησης μεταξύ των συμμετεχόντων σε Συμμαχικό επίπεδο.

Το πετρελαιοφόρο FGS FRANKFURT AM MAIN κατέπλευσε στο λιμένα του Πειραιά, όπου θα παραμείνει έως την Κυριακή 03 Δεκεμβρίου 2017, στο πλαίσιο της συμμετοχής του στη Ναυτική Δύναμη Standing NΑΤΟ Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2).

Shqiptaret te zhgenjyer me Kosoven. Mbi 16 mijë kosovarë heqin dorë nga nënshtetësia

SManalysis

Hapja e kufijve mes Shqiperise dhe Kosoves, sic pretendon Ministri i Diaspores Pandeli Majko, mund te shkaktoje nje vale te islamizmit radikale, kur grupe te ardhur nga Siria nga Kosova, mund te kercenoje jo vetem Shqiperine por edhe gjithe rajonin.

Nga Kosova kane lene vendin e tyre qe e enderonin te pavarur me dhjetra mijera shqiptare, por te zhgenjyer nga kjo aventure, ata kane preferuar te shkojne ne shtetet europiane, kryesisht ne Gjermani.

Sipas burimeve te fundit, rreth16 mijë kosovarë heqin dorë nga nënshtetësia e Kosoves dhe i jane bashkuar nenshtetesise gjermane.

Vlefshmëria e pasaportës gjermane e ka shtyrë pothuajse te gjithe shqiptaret e Kosoves, që të marrin pasaportën e këtij shteti europian dhe të heqin dorë nga shtetësia kosovare per shkak se shteti i kosoves, eshte ende i panjohur nga OKB.

Gjermania e ka kushtëzuar shqiptaret e Kosoves që të zgjedhim njërën shtetësi dhe tjera mundësia për të udhëtuar më lehtë në vendet e tjera pa vizë.

Ministria e Punëve të Brendshme ne Kosove, njofton se deri më sot për tri vite kanë hequr dorë nga shtetësia kosovare 16410 qytetarë të Kosovës.

“Për vitin 2015, kanë hequr dorë nga shtetësia kosovare 5540 persona, në vitin 2016 5871, kurse në vitin 2017 (janar-tetor) 4999 persona”, thuhet në përgjigjen e MPB-së, për RTK Televizioni i Kosoves.

Sipas MPB-së, janë tri shtete që kosovarët po marrin shtetësi të tyre, ku prinë Gjermania me 14110 qytetarë të Kosovës që janë pajisur më shtetësi gjermane, Austria me 1469 persona, Norvegjia me 260 persona.

Presidenti i Kosoves, Hashim Thaci, i ka kerkuar Presidentit te Shqiperise Ilir Meta, qe te paise me dyshtetesi shqiptaret e Kosoves, pasi ata ndjehen te izoluar, por kjo inisiative, eshte e rezikshme pasi Tirana vlereson se ne mesin e popullsise se Kosoves, ka ende komunitete qe jane te prirur nga radikalizmi islamik, qe mund te shkaterroje harmonine fetare ne Shqiperi.

Aktualisht pasaporta e Kosovës është në mesin e më të dobëtave sa i përket mundësisë që të udhëtohet me të. Për fuqinë që ka pasaporta e Kosovës, faqja www.passportindex.org e ka rankuar në vendin e 83.

Kosovo’s Plan B: If Not Accepted Into EU, Join Albania?

 

© Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev

EUROPE
19:13 27.11.2017

If Kosovo does not reach its goal of the international recognition of independence by February next year, when it will mark ten years of self-proclaimed autonomy from Serbia, Kosovo will hold a referendum on joining Albania, a source in Pristina told Sputnik Serbia.

On the eve of the 105th anniversary of the independence of Albania, which the country marks on November 28, commemorating the declaration of the autonomy from the Ottoman Empire back in 1912, the main square in the capital of Kosovo, Serbia’s majority-Albanian former province, is decorated with the red-black national flags of its neighboring state.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has made Albanian Flag Day one of the self-proclaimed state’s national holidays.

Ramush Haradinaj
© AFP 2017/ ARMEND NIMANI
Ramush Haradinaj
According to a statement made by Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci, "Kosovo's borders with Albania should be opened, following the example of the European Union."

A source in Pristina, who wished not to reveal his name, has noted to Sputnik Serbia that "such synchronization of efforts is not as naive as it seems at first sight."

He further pointed out that even though ten years has passed since the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo, it is still far from being an internationally recognized sovereign state. And the decade-old euphoria among those who supported the independent Kosovo has faded.

"Kosovan leaders must offer something to their citizens, so obviously they have moved on to plan B: "if they do not want to accept us into the EU, we will move on to Albania." In other words, if nothing changes, they will revive their old threat and hold a referendum on joining Albania," the source suggested.

He further suggested that Ramush Haradinaj might have made the holiday of a neighboring country a state holiday of his own "so-called state" not for the sake of preserving cultural values.

"It would have been the same as if Germany celebrated Holland's Independence Day, or vice versa (on the condition, of course, that Kosovo is an independent state). The Flag Day of November 28 is the same very day when the Albanians adopted a document proclaiming the independence of Albania at a meeting in the city of Vlore in 1912. This document, adopted by the People's Assembly, which included representatives of four regions with Albanian populations (Kosovo, Shkodra (Scutar) Janina and Bitola vilayets), created Albania," he explained.

On the other hand, he noted, Thaci's statements that the borders of Kosovo and Albania should be opened following the example of within the EU, is just "hot air."

"There are practically no borders between Kosovo and Albania. What Thaci is trying to do is gain official support for abolishing these borders on paper, by explaining that this is not an association, but a simplification of communication between the citizens of the two countries. Of course, Thaci would not have said this if he was not given a green light to do it. Besides, I am sure that it was also not without the blessing from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has serious tensions with the European Union over the EU's treatment of Kosovo and Albania," the source opined.

The authorities in Pristina, he asserted, are trying to revive the "national spirit" in their citizens in order to raise their approval ratings, because this is very important for achieving success on the international arena.

"It is a well-known fact that for Europe, the Albanian factor is a nightmare, as it simultaneously affects five countries in the Balkans [supposedly Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and the self-proclaimed Kosovo]. Albanians are aware of this, and this awareness makes them stronger. And if we add the support of the US, and, moreover, Turkey, then what else can we expect," the source stated.

During her visit to Pristina, Albanian Defense Minister Olta Xhacka said that Tirana supports the transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces into the Armed Forces. Albania is a NATO member state, and the army of Kosovo would, according to the suggested plan, fall under direct control of the North Atlantic Alliance, suggesting that Kosovo's integration into Albania is already underway.

Kosovo, what used to be Serbia’s majority-Albanian province, proclaimed its independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia disputed the legality of the declaration. The International Court of Justice determined that it did not violate international law. Following the decision of the Court, the republic has received 114 diplomatic recognitions as an independent state, of which two have been withdrawn. Serbia and Russia, among others, do not recognize the autonomy of the self-proclaimed republic.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE AS ‘SPECIAL ENVOY TO BALKANS’?

Nov 23, 2017
SOURCE Sputnik
 
Kosovo wants the United States to be involved in dialogue to normalize its relations with Serbia, which is giving a fresh impetus to the idea discussed in Washington for several years to appoint a special envoy to the Balkans.

Former US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice may be the main candidate for the position of US special envoy to the Balkans, several sources in Belgrade and Mitrovica have told Sputnik Serbia.

The appointment of Rice would supposedly allow Washington to have a “firm hand” in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina and thus try to restrain Russia’s policy in the Balkans.

Sources also told Sputnik that the US is not considering direct involvement in the Brussels-led Kosovo talks. When the negotiations are completed, the European Union is expected to offer membership to Serbia and give Kosovo a candidacy status.

“The US doesn’t want to involve [itself] directly in the talks. Their goal is to control the final stages [in normalization] related to Kosovo [and Serbia]. Washington also wants to resolve the problems related to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, first of all concerning the current political process in Republika Srpska. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are US-led projects. For Washington, they play the role of a reliable political foothold in Europe. Europe is now changing and the US wants to re-establish political, not to speak of military, influence in the Balkans,” one of the sources said.

The source also pointed out an increased number of American officials visiting the Balkans. Over the past year, over 100 US congressmen have visited the region, which is “unprecedented,” according to the source.

The source also suggested that those visits indicate that American lawmakers may be working on a document postulating the need for increased US involvement in the Balkans.

“This document would be submitted to Congress and to the US president who then would have to engage in the Balkans, despite the fact that the region is not among his current priorities,” the source said.

At the same time, the source added, Washington has a “plan B.”

Αλβανία- Κοσσυφοπέδιο: «Ας ανοίξουμε τα σύνορα την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2018»

Μάικο εξ ονόματος του Ράμα: Ας ανοίξουμε τα σύνορα από την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2018

Νοέμβριος 27, 2017. Echedoros

Πρίστινα.
Ο πρώην πρωθυπουργός της Αλβανίας, Παντελή Μάικο, απολαμβάνει μεγάλο σεβασμό μεταξύ των Αλβανών του Κοσσυφοπεδίου και αυτός ο σεβασμός ενισχύθηκε απόψε (χθες) όταν σε μια ομιλία του στην Πρίστινα, κάλεσε του Κοσοβάρους να ανοίξουν τα σύνορα μεταξύ των δύο αλβανικών κρατών, σημειώνει αλβανικό δημοσίευμα.


Ο Μάικο,  δήλωσε ότι από την εποχή της μεγάλης εξόδου κατά τον πόλεμο στο Κοσσυφοπέδιο, όταν ήταν πρωθυπουργός της Αλβανίας, η Αλβανία είχε ανοίξει τα σύνορα στους Αλβανούς του Κοσσυφοπεδίου και κανείς δεν τους ζήτησε διαβατήρια, ούτε χρειάσθηκαν κάποια έγγραφα όπως τώρα.


«Τον Ιανουάριο του 2018, εμείς οι Αλβανοί της άλλης πλευράς, προσβλέπουμε στο άνοιγμα των συνόρων. Ας προβούμε σε αυτήν την ευρωπαϊκή δράση», είπε ο Μάικο, μιλώντας εξ ονόματος του σημερινού πρωθυπουργού Έντι Ράμα στο οικονομικό Φόρουμ της Αλβανικής Διασποράς, όπως ανέφερε η δημόσια τηλεόραση.


Η ομιλία του ο Μάικο, που τώρα είναι υπουργός της Διασποράς των Αλβανών, έγινε δεκτή από το κοινό με επευφημίες στην αίθουσα.


Εκτός από τον Μάικο, ο πρωθυπουργός του Κοσσυφοπεδίου Ραμούς Χαραντινάι και ο πρόεδρος του Κοσόβου, Χασίμ Θάτσι, μίλησαν σε αυτήν την εκδήλωση.

IZETBEGOVIC PREPARES PARAMILITARY FORMATIONS IN BOSNIA – REPORT

Nov 26, 2017
PHOTOTANJUG/ SAVA RADOVANOVIC
SOURCEVecernje Novosti


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BiH Presidency Member Bakir Izetbegovic is conducting an illegal training of paramilitary formations, which so far passed at least 9,000 young Bosniaks, reported Serbian daily “Vecernje Novosti”.

According to the daily, more than 9,000 Bosniak men between 18 to 35 years of age went to the shooting school and basic tactical combat operations, and 5,000 of them also were charged with uniforms and basic military equipment.

Information on illegal military training directed by Bakir Izetbegovic and the top of the Democratic Action Party comes at the height of tensions in BiH after the first-instance verdict to Ratko Mladic at The Hague Tribunal. The “Bosnian pot”, according to the information obtained by the daily from security circles, although apparently cold, is dangerously heated and threatens to undermine regional peace.

That the situation across the Drina is far from idyllic, but also that the Bosniaks systematically approach preparations for possible conflicts, warns the interlocutor of “Vecernje Novosti” close to the security services of Serbia:

“Generals of the former Army of BiH, mostly members of SDA, held a meeting at Jablanica lake at the beginning of November, attended by Bakir Izetbegovic. The only topic of this meeting was a summary of the training of young Bosniaks in the period from May last year to October this year.”

Illegal military training, outside the BiH Armed Forces system, was carried out under the auspices of several non-governmental organizations and associations. The military training plan also includes several shooting clubs, which, according to intelligence, were founded only for this purpose. Young Bosniaks were trained to use infantry weapons, seven to twelve days, in the shooting clubs and at the polygons in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica, Bihac, Buzi, Maglaj and Zivinice.

The basic preparations for the conflict, apart from the participation of the highest ranking Bosniak war commanders, is testified by the fact that the money was also reserved in order to achieve the agreed training plan in the winter months.

Information obtained by “Vecernje Novosti” unequivocally indicate that the “brain of the operation” of the establishment of the illegal army is Bakir Izetbegovic.

“He promised financial aid, because he estimates that this kind of preparations can be a key to preserve the positions of Bosniaks in Bosnia” – notes well-informed source of the daily. “Izetbegovic also appointed responsible persons for providing funds and supervision. He also appointed persons responsible for conducting the operation by the regions.”

Those familiar with the intelligence image of the Balkans and security experts are not surprised by the information obtained by the daily. Professor of the Faculty of Security Radomir Milasinovic recalls that the war in Croatia was preceded by hidden training of young Croats.

“Information about sleeping paramilitary forces and training in BiH brings us back to 1990 and 1991. At that time, shooting clubs were established in which nationalists gathered. They were not only used for training in warfare but were also politically indoctrinated. There are open conflicts in the Balkans and some people definitely care about bringing instability and provocation, to make the conflicts sharper. That, however, would not bring anything good to anyone.”

Αλβανία: Εγκρίθηκε η ανοικοδόμηση της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Αθανασίου στις Δρυμάδες

Νοέμβριος 26, 2017. ECHEDOROS

Τίρανα.
Η υπουργός πολιτισμού Μιρέλα Κουμπάρο δήλωσε ότι η αρμόδια αρχή (KKR) επανεξέτασε και ενέκρινε σήμερα το έργο της ανασυγκρότησης της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Αθανασίου στο ιστορικό κέντρο των Δρυμάδων.


Στη σελίδα της στο Twitter η Κουμπάρο έγραψε «Και πάλι για την εκκλησία του Αγίου Αθανασίου στις Δρυμάδες»


«Το Εθνικό Συμβούλιο Αποκατάστασης; (KKR) ενέκρινε το έργο της ανασυγκρότησης της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Αθανασίου, στο ιστορικό κέντρο των Δρυμάδων, όπως ήταν η παλαιά εκκλησία, όπως αξίζει στους κατοίκους των Δρυμάδων».


Η υπουργός ενσωματώνει στο κείμενο της μια φωτογραφία της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Αθανασίου καθώς τα ερείπιά της.