German Institute presents 3 Kosovo outcomes

September 26, 2007

German Institute for International Politics and Security has presented a paper that outlines 3 possible scenarios for Kosovo after the December 10 negotiations deadline.
First is a confederation scenario in which an independent Kosovo would form a a confederate union with Serbia under a working title "United Independent States of Serbia and Kosovo". In this variant, Kosovo Albanians who have seized power in the province would declare independence but immediately join this Union.
Second possibility is an independence recognition by Belgrade and Russia after initial anger dissipates in these respective centers.
The third scenario, termed as "blacK" by the German Institute sees a possibility of a Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration of independence that is backed by Washington which would trigger a pullout by the UN peace keepers out of Kosovo and a division of the province. The institute also sees a possibility that this scenario would bring Serbian radicals to power in Belgrade and an escalation of violence in the region.

"Tom Ridge accuse for corruption in Albania?"

Photo:' Tom Ridge

Former Home Land Security Director of USA, under accuse: The albanian Government has payed his company "Ridge Global Llc" with about $ 500 thousand, from albanian public finances, said the albanian press.

For about one year, Tom Ridge has been payed from Albanian Government under a "secret contrate" for "National Security Issue of Albania" as special consilier of Prime Minister Sali Berisha with about $ 40 thousand in month.

But the Superior Control Administrate of the Albanian State has explored the "misterios contrate" with US private leader company Tom Ridge, accusing premier Berisha "to be not cleare" with public finances of albanian people.

In fact the Strategic Security of Albania has been aproved from Albanian Parliament and the contrat for one year with Ridge Global Llc" has been in any abusive form".

Some months ago Former NATO General Wesley Clark had a meeting with premier Berisha to promove his private company in Albania.
related link: http://www.balkanweb.com/

The Albanian tribunals continue to give land and properties to Albanians

State Departament
Daily Press Briefing Tom Casey, Deputy SpokesmanWashington,

Albanian Tribunal and Government to conquist greek minority lands and proprioties.

Photo: Deputy Spokesman Thomas Casey
 

DCSeptember 27, 2007INDEX:

MR. CASEY: Mr. Lambros Papantoniou.
QUESTION: On Albania.
MR. CASEY: On Albania. Okay.

 

QUESTION: Albania's intentions today in Northern Epirus, the Albanian tribunals continue to give land and properties to Albanians (inaudible) the Greek minority. And a lot of protests have taken place today in the Greek town of Himara (ph). Since the Albanian Government, Mr. Casey, started a new (inaudible) campaign against the Greeks in Northern Epirus, I'm wondering if you have any comment, in the framework of human rights, for who is the U.S. Government is very concerned.

MR. CASEY: Mr. Lambros, I'm not familiar with the specific incident you're referring to. What I would say is, of course, in any actions that the Government of Albania takes or any government takes, we would expect that those actions would follow the laws of that country, follow established norms and procedures and certainly be in accordance with the constitution. I haven't read the Albanian constitution recently. But as I recall, it does provide a general and good guarantee for basic human rights.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) another question. So it is a matter of our relation of human rights and that's why I'm asking you.

MR. CASEY: Well, again, Mr. Lambros, if your question concerns decisions rendered over the distribution of property in towns in Albania, I don't have anything specific for you on that. But what I would tell you is we would expect that any decisions made, whether by an executive body or by a court system, would follow the rule of law and the established laws of the country.

QUESTION: Thank you, (inaudible) to that specifically, but --

MR. CASEY: If you want, Mr. Lambros, I'm sure our friends in the European Bureau could answer you about that or perhaps the Embassy as well. But I think I would leave it to the Albanian Government to describe their actions. If there was anything -- there are any concerns that are raised by that I'm sure you'll hear from our folks in the appropriate time.

related link: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2007/sep/92916.htm

Italy Backs Albania's Nato Accession but with Greece is waiting to.....

Photo: Berisha and Shefer

27 09 2007, Tirana, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has given his strong backing to Albania’s aspiration to join NATO at a meeting with his Albanian counterpart on Wednesday.
Prodi expressed his appreciation for Tirana’s policy on organized crime and corruption, and encouraged Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha to push through reforms required for his country’s integration into the EU.

After the meeting Berisha declared that he was pleased with the support he had received from Prodi at their meeting in New York.

“The Italian Prime Minister assured me of his country’s active support for Albania’s integration into NATO”, he said, according to a press release from his office.

Albania is hoping to receive a formal invitation from next year's NATO summit in Bucharest to join the Alliance.

On Thursday he took part in the opening of the world leaders’ summit organized in view of the “Clinton Global Initiative,” which aims to tackle major challenges through active engagement in fields like energy, education and climate change.

Annyway Albania, would have next months a strong opposition Greece for it aspiration to NATO, which is waiting from Tirana to complet the politicaly and civil rigths reforms particularly the politicaly requets of Greek Ethnic Minority which is passed a dangerous period last years. The New Greek Parliament is waiting to ratifice tow agreements with Albania, one to join Albania to NATO next Summit of Bucarest in 2008 and seconde to help Albania to acces Association Stabilisation Proces with European Union.

Athens has expresed his decision to make veto against any position of FYROM to join to NATO Alliance, if Skopie does not change it direction for the name of Macedonia.

Raising tension in Southern Albania. The Albanian Tribunals continue to give lands and proprieties to Albanians with any abusive form against Greek Ethnic Community in Northern Epirus.

People of Himara in protest blocking the National Road from Vlora to Saranda, while in Dropulli another Tribunal has know as proprietor an anonymous person. The beginging new genocide aganist greeks in albania. Photo: Himara`s beatch

Northern Epirus News, September 26, 2007

Thousand of people from Himara Region, have blocked the national road from Vlora to Saranda, raising the protest against the Albanian Government. A decision of Tribunal of Vlora has gave proprieties to an anonymous person with about 600 hectar, in the places known as “Porto Panoramo (Palermo)” an old name of Marine Naval Base of Albania, 5 km from Himara Town. According to Albanian press the demonstrations has been united in Porto Palermo, protesting against the Albanian Government, which is responsible of the dangerous situation against proprieties of Greek Ethnic Community of Himara People. The Tribunals of Albania continue to give territories of greek people who live in Northern Epirus to unknown personages.

But working without any transparence with greek minority, the Albanian Government, Tribunals, Prosecutors and Cadastres are falsifying historically proprieties document which understanding as new very dangerous tension between Greek ethnic community and Albanian State. According to information, Mafia of Kosovo, that passed the holydays in Ionian Coast Line, “where interested to bay lands and proprieties” of Greek ethnic Community in Northern Epirus from Vlora to Saranda Region.

But not only Himara People is in target of Albanian mafia to assimilisation ethnicaly process, but also the Drinopouli Region have been another target of “abusive Tribunal decisions”. Hundred of Greek Community peoples has been shocked when lands of Pogoni Village, the Tribunal of Argirokaster has taken an anonymous person from Tirana, with about half of total territory of Greek Community of Pogoni.

The Kosovo nationalists have installed in Saranda Town the politic leader of UCK Adem Demaci, who makes opened anti Hellenic rhetoric often starting in Albanian press his goals against Greek Minority and threating the Hellenic National Security. Last interview of Adem Demaci was in BBC Radio Albanian Section which called the Chamuria Issue as a priority of Albanian nationalism after Kosovo Solution.

Related article see analysis ...June/ 2007,
"ALBANIA: IONIAN COAST, GREEK POPULATION AND THE JALI'S BEACH PROJECT"

IMF Backs Albania-Kosovo Highway
BIRN Agency, 25 09 2007 Tirana_ The International Monetary Fund has endorsed a controversial highway project, currently under construction, which will link the Albanian coast with Kosovo.
“We are monitoring the budget and large capital investments, like the Durres-Kukes highway. Though their cost is high, we are in favour of this project”, said Gerein Bell, head of the IMF mission, on Tuesday.

The project is the largest public works scheme in Albania’s recent history, and is being financed through commercial loans.However, the prosecutor-general’s office has been investigating possible irregularities in the tender for the construction of the highway.

Prosecutors have already questioned the former deputy Minister of Transport, Armand Teliti, and are seeking a similar meeting with the former Minister of Transport, Lulzim Basha, now the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Basha has refused to cooperate with prosecutors, and has said the charges against him are politically motivated.

Bell dismissed fears that the energy crisis that has hit Albania through frequent power cuts will substantially reduce economic growth.

“Trembles from outside factors have not affected economic growth until now, but they have raised inflationary pressures. The performance of exports has been better than expected; the same can be said about tourism, which has helped compensate for the negative effects of the energy crisis,” she said.
According to the Finance Ministry, last year’s power cuts cost Albania one per cent of its GDP growth in 2006.

Kosovo: Recognition Likely From U.S.

By JUDY DEMPSEY
Published: September 25, 2007
BERLIN, Sept. 24 — The United States and most of the European Union will recognize Kosovo if the Balkan province declares independence from Serbia in early December, when last-ditch negotiations end, United States and European officials said Monday.
The officials spoke as Serbian and Kosovo Albanian diplomats prepared to sit down this week at the United Nations for talks billed as part of a final effort to get agreement on the issue of Kosovo’s independence. Its future status has fueled a confrontation between the West and Russia, which has threatened to veto any Security Council resolution approving independence for Kosovo.
“The game plan is set,” said a senior European diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter.
The talks end on Dec. 10. “If there is no sense then that Serbia and Kosovo can agree on the province’s future, then Kosovo will make a unilateral declaration of independence,” he said, adding that “the U.S. will recognize that independence and the Europeans, as far as they can remain united, will follow too.”
On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview with Reuters: “There’s going to be an independent Kosovo. It’s the only solution that is potentially stabilizing for the Balkans rather than destabilizing for the Balkans.”
Illustrating the thorniness of the issue for European nations, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said in an interview last week that Europe must stay united on Kosovo, but that Russia’s position must be taken into account as well.
“Kosovo’s independence is unavoidable in the long term,” he said, adding that Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, “must understand that no one wants to humiliate him.”
Among European countries, analysts said Greece and Cyprus could break ranks with Washington and Brussels. Greece, a close ally of Serbia, is concerned that its neighbor Macedonia, a former Yugoslav republic, could become unstable if its ethnic Albanians agitate for independence.
Cyprus, divided between the Turkish north and the Greek Cypriot south, fears the Kosovo example might be used by Turkish Cypriots.
With so much at stake for European unity, diplomats said all efforts would be made this week at the United Nations to press leaders from Kosovo and Serbia to reach an agreement. The issue is one of the last unresolved disputes left from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
“I think it is best that we work through the United Nations Security Council,” said Ivan Vejvoda, director of the Belgrade office for the German Marshall Fund of the United States. “It would ensure full solidarity and democratic legitimacy in the region.”
While the European Union has been seeking an end to the impasse through the United Nations, it has begun losing patience with the struggle to find a consensus in the Security Council, according to European diplomats.
Mr. Putin, who wants the issue kept inside the United Nations, has opposed independence. Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, can veto or block any resolution calling for Kosovo to be independent.
European and American diplomats said the status of Kosovo could not be left in limbo indefinitely. Since 1999, when NATO bombed Serbian targets to stop the killing of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, the province of two million people has been under a United Nations-led international protectorate.
Wanting to end this precarious status, the United Nations last year appointed a former president of Finland, Marti Ahtisaari, to draw up a plan in which Serbs in the province would be granted a wide degree of political and cultural autonomy once Kosovo was independent from Serbia.
The European Union agreed to closely monitor the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan by replacing the United Nations protectorate there with a strong police and judicial system in which European officials would supervise Kosovo’s independence for a certain period. NATO, which has 17,000 soldiers deployed in the province, would remain.
While the Kosovo leadership overwhelmingly accepted the Ahtisaari plan, Boris Tadic, Serbia’s president, and Vojislav Kostunica, the Serbian prime minister, openly rejected it, saying they would never agree to Kosovo’s independence. Russia insisted on giving the diplomatic track another chance, which the United States and European Union accepted, but with the condition that the talks last no more than 120 days.
The Europeans appointed Wolfgang Ischinger, the German ambassador to London, to lead three envoys that includes Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko of Russia and Frank G. Wisner of the United States.
Separately, a bomb exploded in a popular area of Pristina on Monday, killing two people and wounding dozens, United Nations officials said.
The blast took place just after 2 a. m. on Bill Clinton Boulevard, shaking the city center.
The police and United Nations officials said the bombing appeared to be part of criminal dispute.
“As far as we know it’s not politically related,” said Alexander Ivanko, the chief spokesman for the United Nations mission that administers Kosovo.
Nicholas Wood contributed reporting from Ljubljana, Slovenia

FYROM hails Canadian move on name recognition

AP, September 23, 2007 2:26 PM
SKOPJE, Macedonia-Macedonia's prime minister said Thursday Canada has recognized his small Balkan state under the name Republic of Macedonia, despite objections from neighboring Greece.
Nikola Gruevski said the Canadian move was "excellent news," for Macedonia, which has a long-running dispute over its name with Greece.
"We have been informed by our embassy that Canada has recognized Macedonia under its constitutional name," Gruevski told Macedonian state radio. "This is excellent news for us and we welcome this move."
Canadian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Greece insists on calling its neighbor the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM, arguing that Macedonia alone implies territorial claims on the northern Greek province of the same name.
Athens said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis would complain to her Canadian counterpart later Thursday.
"We are not happy with this decision," Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said. "It is only natural that the hundreds of thousands of Greeks living in Canada will also be displeased with this decision."
Koumoutsakos said Canada would only use the name Macedonia in its bilateral relations, sticking to FYROM in all international bodies.
A total of 117 countries, including the U.S., have recognized the country as the Republic of Macedonia.
Macedonia gained peaceful independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and was admitted to the United Nations under the provisional name "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."

Βιβλιοπαρουσίαση
Θεοφάνης Μαλκίδης

Η ΕΘΝΙΚΉ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΛΒΑΝΙΑ
(Έκδοση στην ελληνική, αγγλική και αλβανική γλώσσα. Αθήνα 2007, εκδόσεις Γόρδιος τηλ. 210-8252279)

Το βιβλίο, το οποίο κυκλοφορεί στην ελληνική, αγγλική και αλβανική γλώσσα, αποτελεί μία γενική αναφορά στο Βορειοηπειρωτικό ζήτημα, στο ζήτημα της Εθνικής ελληνικής μειονότητας που ζει στην Αλβανία και στοχεύει στην εισαγωγή του θέματος τόσο στο ελληνικό όσο και κυρίως στο διεθνές περιβάλλον.
Το βιβλίο θέλει να συμβάλλει στην προάσπιση των δικαιωμάτων της ελληνικής μειονότητας που ζει στην Αλβανία και μαζί με όλες τις πρωτοβουλίες που έχουν αναλάβει οι εκπρόσωποι των Ελλήνων, αποσκοπεί στη ανάδειξη του θέματος.
Περιλαμβάνει μία ιστορική ανασκόπηση της πορείας των Ελλήνων που ζουν στο αλβανικό κράτος, μίας αυτόχθονης εθνικής ομάδας, η οποία έχοντας να αντιμετωπίσει παλιές προκλήσεις (περίοδος συγκρότησης του αλβανικού κράτους, περίοδος διακυβέρνησης του κομμουνιστικού καθεστώτος του Ενβέρ Χότζα) αλλά και σύγχρονες (περίοδος μετάβασης), προσπαθεί να κατοχυρώσει τα δικαιώματά της και να τα προβάλλει διεθνώς όταν αυτά δεν εφαρμόζονται και όταν καταπατούνται.
Μεγάλα προβλήματα όπως η εκπαίδευση των μελών της ελληνικής μειονότητας, η θρησκευτική της ελευθερία, η απόδοση στους δικαιούχους των ιδιωτικών, κοινοτικών και εκκλησιαστικών περιουσιών, η μη υλοποίηση από την αλβανική πλευρά των δεσμεύσεων για τα ανθρώπινα και μειονοτικά δικαιώματα, η τρομοκρατία εναντίον παραμένουν άλυτα και εντείνονται. Μάλιστα μέσα στο εθνικιστικό κλίμα που αναπτύσσεται στην Αλβανία, μια σειρά από ενέργειες της αλβανικής κυβέρνησης στράφηκαν κατά της ελληνικής μειονότητας με στόχο την οριστική απομάκρυνση του ελληνικού πληθυσμού.
Το ζήτημα της ελληνικής μειονότητας στην Αλβανία, πρέπει να αποτελεί κυρίαρχο θέμα στις ελληνοαλβανικές σχέσεις, στις διαπραγματεύσεις της Αλβανίας με την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, ως ζήτημα εξέλιξης ή όχι της σχέσης των δύο πλευρών και της προόδου με άλλους ευρωπαϊκούς και διεθνείς οργανισμούς (ΟΗΕ, ΝΑΤΟ, ΟΑΣΕ,).
Συνεπώς ο κυριότερος στόχος θα πρέπει να είναι ο σεβασμός και η πλήρης άσκηση των πολιτικών, πολιτιστικών, εκπαιδευτικών δικαιωμάτων της ελληνικής μειονότητας. Οι εθνικές μειονότητες και ειδικότερα η ελληνική μειονότητα δεν είναι περιθωριακό στοιχείο των κρατών της Βαλκανικής χερσονήσου και της Αλβανίας αλλά ένα δημιουργικό της τμήμα. Υπό τον όρο αυτό είναι αναγκαίος ο σεβασμός των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων της ελληνικής μειονότητας όπως εγγυώνται οι διεθνείς οργανισμοί, συμβάσεις και συνθήκες, αλλά και η αλβανική νομοθεσία.

**Ο Θ. Μαλκίδης είναι διδάκτωρ Κοινωνικών και Πολιτικών Επιστημών και διδάσκει στο Τμήμα Γλώσσας, Φιλολογίας και Πολιτισμού Παρευξείνιων Χωρών του Δημοκρίτειου Πανεπιστήμιου Θράκης. Ασχολείται με τις εκφάνσεις της πολιτικής, της οικονομίας και της κοινωνίας στον Παρευξείνιο χώρο και τα Βαλκάνια.
Έχει τιμηθεί από το Συμβούλιο Τύπου των Εθνικών Κοινοτήτων του Καναδά για τη συνεισφορά του στην προαγωγή του πολιτισμού και την αλληλοκατανόηση μεταξύ των Εθνικών Κοινοτήτων.

Κυριότερα έργα του είναι τα εξής:
-Η πολιτική της Ελλάδας και της Τουρκίας για τη Θράκη, μετά την ένταξή τους στο ΝΑΤΟ.
-La situation de la Minorité Grecque en Albanie. A l ' égard du Droit International relatif a la protection des Minorités. Dimensions Politiques et Juridiques. (Με τον Στέφανο Αμπατζή).
-Οικονομία και κοινωνία στον Παρευξείνιο χώρο.
- Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και Παρευξείνιος Χώρος.

Επίσης έχει επιμεληθεί τα βιβλία:
-Μετασχηματισμοί της εθνοτικής ταυτότητας των Πομάκων (Με τον Νίκο Κόκκα)
και
-Aspects of South-eastern Europe and Black Sea after the Cold War.

"STRATIGIKI" THE MONTHLY MAGAZZINE OF GREEK FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL DEFENSE ABOUT ALBANIA:

"Albania: The Islamic Terrorism threats the Greek Minority"

By George Despotides*

August 2007,

George Despotides is Politicaly Annalist for Security and Economic Issues in Southern Europe, Athens

Karamanlis receives mandate to form new gov't
Photo: ..with Prime Minister Karamanlis at "Great Maximus" Government Residence, Athens 2004.
Greek Politic Elections, wins New Democraty Parti
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis exited the presidential mansion on Monday with a mandate to form a new Greek government, a day after voters swept him and ruling New Democracy (ND) back to power in the Sept. 16 election. "We are fully aware of our responsibilities towards the people, regardless of what they voted," Karamanlis said outside the presidential mansion and after his customary meeting with Greek President Karolos Papoulias, the head of state assigned the task of allocating a government mandate. Ruling New Democracy (ND) party and Karamanlis were easily re-elected in Sunday's general elections in Greece, while the main opposition PASOK party slumped and the two leftist parties -- the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) -- posted a strong showing, nearly doubling their parliamentary seats. Moreover, the neophyte Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) became the latest newcomer to the expected five-party parliament that will emerge. Karamanlis again raised his party's standard of reforms, speaking to the nation in a televised statement in downtown Athens after ND clinched its re-election, saying that the outcome of the vote was a "clear mandate" by the people for his government to carry on with reforms and changes.

UPDATE ON ALBANIAN AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS)
By Stavros Markos* (Copyright: Stavros Markos on line)
http://rieas.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=398&Itemid=42
In a recent public appearance the Albanian National Security Council President and Army Chief Bamir Topi stated that: "The endless suspension of a final status in Kosovo decision creates serious perils for the regional stability. Albania should be prepared for any unexpected situation." This should not be surprising since Albanians were given the impression by the European Union (EU) and some NATO countries over the previous months that they were willing to recognize Kosovo's independence until the Serbian government in Belgrade and Serbian paramilitary nationalist groups openly announced their war preparations in order to retain control over the province.
In response, the United Nations and the EU advised all parties to hold, hoping that a solution streaming from the ongoing negotiations could break the entrenched impasse. In the meantime the Albanian nationalists in Kosovo, with the full support of Tirana, made unofficial claims of independence with the assumption they had Washington's support.
According to the Pristina daily Koha Ditore, for the last few weeks unofficial statements in political circles began to circulate, by which Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, without the knowledge of the Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, dispatched his private envoy, businessman Vojin Lazrevic to a number of European capitals so as to test their response to Kostunica's proposal on Kosovo being partitioned.
According to AKI, Lazrevic was indeed in Rome last week. Kostunica's Belgrade office has responded with a no comment reply to the reports and there has been no indication, officially, as to the responses so far from the European governments. However Lazervic may have been informed by them, that Tirana and the Kosovo Albanians would never support the above plan, even if they have to reach the point of preparing for war, in order to prevent partition.
Lazervic assumingly mentioned that if another war is inevitable, then the European Union and most of NATO member states should assist Serbia against any Albanian military unit, in Kosovo or from Albania itself and the reason being is that Albanian nationalists have support from Islamic militant groups.
Furthermore over the past few months there are considerable indications of Tirana's increased relations with Tehran. Iran is eager to see any war that can be used to distract the West from attacking Iran. Tehran can also use the next war in Southeast Europe to silence Vienna, and end the investigation into Iran's nuclear weapons program by the UN agency based there.
For the past week, Tirana has placed its military on "the second level of readiness" and all armed units are set to be active of "pre-mobilization" mode. In an attempt to defuse the situation Serbian Parliament member Dragan Todorovic is trying to portray reports of Albania's mobilization as "propaganda." Todorovic commented, "Still, I have to ask against whom Albania wants to go into war - Serbia, Montenegro or Greece."
Washington has expressed its serious concerns over these latest developments by sending CIA Deputy Director Stephen Kappes to visit Tirana on the 9th of September where he held two hours of secret discussions with the Albanian Secret Service (SHISH) Director Bahri Shakiri.
The escalation of tensions in the Balkan area alerts also FYROM, Bulgaria, Montenegro and most surely Greece which is heading towards general elections on the 16th of September. According to MAK News press agency, the President of FYROM, Branko Cervenkovski, has ordered for the rise on a first level alert of his country's security services, after the attack of Albanian paramilitary group against police patrol near Kumanovo.
Sofia continues to conduct wide-range propaganda about the rights of the Bulgarian minority in Albania. This issue has been raised since early August after a public statement by the Bulgarian ministry of foreign affairs in the Focus news agency and clearly portrays Sofia's wider interest for the Balkan affairs. The Bulgarian government last year, has distributed some 50 thousand passports to alleged Bulgarians in Albania, whilst the academics from Bulgaria mention around the existence of 100 to 300 thousands Bulgarians in Albania. The Bulgarian political and diplomatic maneuvers, creates further difficulties in Skopje after the decision of the Former Prime Minister of FYROM, Georgierwski to declare his nationality as Bulgarian one. Georgiewski during an interview on the national Bulgarian TV station declared that, “The Macedonian state, must be partitioned and Albanians can take Struga and Diber region, because after 5 years the Albanians have the capability to take more territories of this country”. As far as the tactic used by the Bulgarian side; it's not just the Bulgarian academics that are propagating the existence of a substantial minority of theirs in Albania, but also the Association of the Municipalities in Bulgaria decided to finance next year Bulgarian schools in Albania. That last move has created a stir in the Albanian press and damaged to an extent the relations between Sofia and Tirana.
In another field, that of security, Albania declared the end of the demilitarization of the Chemical Weapons process, financed from Washington with about 20 $ million. Also the rise of tensions in the region and in parallel the existence of organized crime and Islamic groups in Albania has obliged FBI to strengthen its operations in Tirana and make its presence more visibly over the past few months.
The Albanian Government has also strong cooperation with EU and Europol under the program "Intereg" that finances the Albanian frontier Guards corps in the area close to the Greek borders.
The current developments in the Balkans finds Greece in the midst of general elections, and the Greek Army is in constant alert after the catastrophic wildfires as well as, observing the borderline with Albania and FYROM for the case of an escalation in relation to Kosovo. In Southern Albania, (known also as Northern Epirus), a large Greek Community resides, which obligates the Albanian government to be in attention for any provocation from Albanian national paramilitary groups. Athens always has been supporter of the reforms in Albania, and is eager to assist in the implementation of proper human rights agenda in the country.
During the visit of the Under Secretary of the State Department on the 11th of June 2007 in Athens, Mr. Nicholas Burns, foreign Minister Dora Bakogianis declared that: "Albanian and FYROM are not ready to enter NATO in 2008 because they have made no progress in their reforms”. More recently, the Prime Minister Karamanlis during the course of the electorate Campaign stated in Thessaloniki international fair that “We will veto FYROM's entry to NATO if there is no compromise in the name issue".
On overall the recent entrance of Bulgarian advance in relation to the domestic Albanian politics, coupled with the Kosovo issue and the probability of a disintegration of FYROM; provides ample opportunities to the Greek diplomacy to gain a leading role in easing the tensions in the region. For the time being there are clear signs that a crisis is under way in the Western and Southern Balkans that could erupt as early as October 2007, unless there is no compromise between all interested parties.

Stavros Markos (Journalist, Member of the World Security Network Foundation-Southeastern European Office)

News sources:
Koha Ditore
AKI-Kronos
MaknewsFocus
Associated Press
Gazeta Sqiptare

OMONIA, THE GREEK ETHNIC MINORITY IN ALBANIA, CALLS TO GENERAL COUNTING POPULLATION

Stavros Markos*

“We call Albanian government to take in high consideration our request to respect human values and rights of minorities ethnic counting process”. HRUP menaces the government coalition. “Berisha, makes the general population counting or we will leave from collaboration”.

“We call Albanian government to take in high consideration our request to respect human values and rights of minorities making the General Ethnic Population Counting in Albania”” said the high represent of OMONIA (The Greek Ethnic Represent in Albania) last Sunday in Argirokaster, Southern Albania (Northern Epirus). The Central Committee of Omonia, declares to foreign agencies and Albanian media a ‘Ultimatum” to Albanian Government to take in high consideration the ulterior declaration from Greeks ethnic of Albania.

The developments in Balkan Region and Kosovo Issue, have opened a great discussion in Albania opinion, after Tirana called some days ago a decision for Kosovo Issue, “The independence of Kosovo is an important priority of Albanian Government to help Albanian Diaspora particularly the Ahtisari Project for independence of Kosovo ”. The new role of Tirana as factor directly about future status of Kosovo, has made in movements some other Balkan states including tow important states member of NATO and EU, Greece and Bulgaria.

Seeing the escalation of Sofia`s request to Tirana about Bulgarian Minorities in Albania supporting any possibility counting population, Athens urges Omonia to “menace” the Albanian Government to respect his promises to HRUP (The Human Rights Union Party, as strong represent electorate of Omonia in Albanian coalition government), for counting population process during 2001, but anything resulted failed.

In 2001, Omonia boycotted the process of Identity Card in Albania, declaring as step down of Albania to respect Minorities in Albania. The opposition leader Sali Berisha declared the boycott process of Identity cart by the Greek Minority as legitimate and urged in favor of Omonia to make the Counting General Population of Albania under ethnic requests including individual declaration of religion and nationality. In 2005 the politic coalition headed from Sali Berisha, wined the politic elections, while had as priority the request of Omonia. But nothing progress from Albanian government even Albania is waiting from Greek Parliament to ratify the Stabilization Process of Integration of Albania to European Union.

In June, the Pan Epirotic Federation of America, a strong brunch of Greek American Lobby in USA, urges to call Washington, EU and Athens to take extreme measures to Tirana including the stopping process of Albania to EU and NATO. Albania is only country in Balkan region, which has very problem inside the electorate process, counting population and politic elections. The last local election in February 2007, OSCE was very critic to Albanian politic parties, considering the elections as “Albania, is missing opportunities to prosperity of Albania in Europe, failing during the electorate process ”.

According to Albanian Government, the estimates for greek minority are 3% or 58 thousand ethnic greeks in albania, while greek american organiations said for 600 thousand greeks togather with vllahs who live in Albania. The first statistics of Albanian State in 1928, said for 3% greeks while the Greek Government claimed much morre than Tirana. In Peace Conference in Paris 1919 the Greek Prime Minister Elefteros Venizelos claimed to Great Powers for about 120 thousand ethnic greeks live in Albania.

Stavros Markos*(Journalist, Member of the World Security Network Foundation -Southeast Europe Office)

ALBANIA: A Few Greeks Discover Their Neighbour

By Apostolis Fotiadis

Photo: Apollonia Parc, the old Helenic City in Albania

ATHENS, Sep 17 (IPS) - Some years ago most Greeks knew Albania only as an unknown frontier. It was a country from which impoverished migrants crossed into Greece in search of a job and a better life; a place that people were leaving, where nobody wanted to go.

A gradual if limited integration of the newcomers and the opening of a newborn market for Greek business in Albania has created an opportunity for a few in the Greek public to learn more about their neighbour.

Historical links have been rediscovered. The flow of people has started becoming reciprocal even if marginally.

Stefanos Hatzimanolis is the one travel agent to have sensed this change. The last two years he has been organising holiday packages to Albania.

"People who buy packages for Albania are either experienced passengers who want to add this destination to the list of places they have been to, or they are motivated by curiosity," he told IPS. "They are well educated, and they are usually informed about their destination."

His customers come mostly from northern Greece, and are interested in four or five-day excursions which include transportation, hotels, meals and a tourist guide. "It makes it easier for the visitor since these services do not work perfectly all along the country. Currently we move more than 800 people annually by airplane or bus."

The trip that the agency offers covers many sights and cities in central and south Albania.

"Visitors are usually impressed with the castle at Berat, the city of Durres, and the city centre in Tirana. The cost of the trip is between 295 and 340 euro, depending on the services someone wants to buy, plus any personal expenses. It is very difficult to convince someone to travel to Albania for more than that at the moment," Hatzimanolis said.

The trip focuses on the ancient heritage and the ethnic Greek element of the country. Specific emphasis is given to the archaeological site Butrinti, 290km south of Tirana, and other southern cities with an ethnic Greek population like Gjirokaster, Himara and Sarande.

Greek tourists say they are attracted largely by ethnic ties and feelings.

Nikos Petalotis, a 33-year-old dentist, said his visit to Albania was a dream come true. "It is important for me to visit this region of Hellenic culture about which I have read many books and heard innumerable stories. I am interested in the Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments."

Andrea Litis, a pensioner, says he goes for personal reasons. "My parents came from a small village outside Gjirokaster, but they never managed to return after the Second World War. Indirectly, through their stories, I became nostalgic about these places. I felt strong emotions during my trip."

Despite the country's natural beauty and the attractiveness of its cultural wealth, Albania's tourism development is widely challenged by lack of infrastructure.

"It is obvious that they need a new road circulation network," said Natassa Siniori, a journalist who has travelled extensively around Albania. "Distances are not calculated by kilometres but by minutes or hours. Narrow streets with bad quality tarmac make an otherwise pleasant journey tiring and difficult."

But problems with infrastructure do not deter all. Hatzimanolis says cultural and other attractions more than compensate.

"Perhaps the tourist sector and basic infrastructure still need a lot of advancement. But the will of people to improve things, and their limitless interest in opening up this market creates good conditions for cooperation. And local cuisine and Albanian culture are likely to grab the attention of the tourist from Greece and the broader Mediterranean." (END/2007)

Ancient Greek Jar Found on Albania Coast
Photo. Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi right, U.S. archaeologist George Robb, centre, and dive master Howard.K.Phoenix hold an alleged 2,400-year-old Greek jar, part of a sunken shipment of up to 60 ceramic vessels, which was the top find from what organizers say is the first archaeological survey of Albania's seabed, conducted by U.S. and Albanian experts. The image was taken in the harbor of the Albanian southernmost town of Saranda, 300 kilometers (186 miles) from capital Tirana, on Aug. 14, 2007. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
By LLAZAR SEMINI
SARANDA, Albania (AP) — Encrusted with tiny shells and smelling strongly of the sea, a 2,400-year-old Greek jar lies in a saltwater bath in Durres Museum, on Albania's Adriatic coast.

Part of a sunken shipment of up to 60 ceramic vessels, the 26-inch storage jar, or amphora, was the top find from what organizers say is the first archaeological survey of this small Balkan nation's seabed, conducted by U.S. and Albanian experts.

"Touch it, touch it. It's luck," said mission leader George Robb of the Key West, Florida-based RPM Nautical Foundation. "You're touching something that was made before Plato was born."

Launched in July, the month-long survey was the first step in compiling an underwater cultural heritage map that could eventually plot the position of sunken fleets from ancient and mediaeval times believed to lie along Albania's 220-mile coastline.

Auron Tare, the project's local coordinator, said Albanian authorities were hoping to sign a deal with RPM, a non-profit foundation, late this year for a five-year survey.

"That would give a boost to a still nonexistent field of archaeological research in the country," Tare said. "It would be a great promotion for local tourism, especially diving tourism, and could possibly lead to the creation of an underwater archaeology museum."

Archaeologist Adrian Anastasi said the survey would help protect the country's marine cultural heritage from looters — an increasing problem since the collapse of the country's hardline Communist regime in 1990.

"(The survey) will help create the necessary legal and structural infrastructure to protect shipwrecks from looting," said Anastasi, Albania's only archaeologist specialized in underwater research.

Anastasi said the project — using state-of-the-art scanning technology — would likely have cost the Albanian government up to $5.4 million if they did it by themselves. "RPM has all the necessary modern technology, and is doing it with its own funding," he said.

Linking the western Balkans and the East with western Europe, Albanian waters were busy with shipping during ancient and mediaeval times.

"In those times ships usually stayed near the shore, to maintain visual contact with land, and all our coastline was a very intensive route for commercial and other traffic," Anastasi said.

The light-brown clay amphora, probably used to store wine or oil, was found on the last day of the survey off the ancient town of Butrinti near Saranda, some 186 miles from Tirana and opposite the Greek island of Corfu. It dates to the 4th century B.C.

The find will stay immersed in water at the museum in Durres, 20 miles west of Tirana. Museum workers will gradually reduce the water's salinity over the next year, to remove salt from the amphora ahead of its conservation.

"Based on what we can see on the surface, there is a high probability that (the amphora) is a sign of a shipwreck located deep there from that period," said Jeffrey G. Royal, archaeological director of RPM, whose Mediterranean operations are based in Valletta, Malta.

If so, it would be the first 4th century B.C. wreck to be located in Albanian waters, say survey organizers, who are keeping the find's precise location and depth secret for fear of looting. Only a handful of wrecks from that period have been excavated in the Mediterranean.

Anastasi said 50-60 amphorae were located on the seabed. Once the finds are assessed, an effort will be made to uncover the wreck, which would give information on the ship's destination and ancient naval architecture of the period.

Albanian officials also plan to ask permission from neighboring Montenegro for the RPM's Hercules research vessel to continue its exploration north of Albania.

The ship also located 14 other shipwrecks from the 19th and early 20th centuries, in the survey that ended Aug. 13.

ALBANIA; STRONG MEASSURES TO ANNY DESTABILISATION OF BALKAN REGION Photo left: A Greek Class Frigate patrolling the greek albanian waters border on the Ionian Sea
Photo down: During the meeting between Berisha and Rama on press conference.

By Stavros Markos*

The Albanian President Bamir Topi said: "The endless suspension of a final status decision was doing serious damage to regional stability. Albania should be prepared for any unexpected situation." That is a quote from Albania National Security Council President and Army Chief Bamir Topi as he describes the deteriorating situation in the Balkans. This should not be surprising since Albanians were given the impression by the European Union (EU) and some NATO countries most of this year they were willing to recognize Kosovo independence until the Serbian government in Belgrade and Serbian para-military nationalist groups openly prepared for war to retain control over the province.
In response, the United Nations and the EU advised all parties to wait in the desperate hope some negotiated solution could break the entrenched impasse. In the meantime Albanian nationalists in Kosovo, with the full support of Tirana, made unofficial claims of independence with the assumption they had Washington's support.
According to the Pristina daily Koha Ditore, for the last few weeks word began to circulate Serbia Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, without the knowledge of Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, dispatched his private envoy, businessman Vojin Lazrevic to a number of European capitals to test their response to Kostunica's proposal on Kosovo being partitioned.
According to AKI, Lazrevic was in Rome last week. Kostunica's Belgrade office has responded with no comment to the reports and there has been no indication, officially, as to the responses so far from the European governments, but I suspect since they are desperate to avoid another wave of fighting in Southeast Europe they would be willing to support partition. However Lazervic may have informed them Tirana and the Kosovo Albanians would never support it even to the point of going to war to prevent it.
Lazervic may then mention since another war is inevitable the European Union and most of NATO should assist Serbia against any Albanian military unit, in Kosovo or from Albania itself and the reason being Albanian nationalists have support from Islamic militant groups. He should know of Tirana's increased relations with Tehran. Iran is eager to see any war that can be used to distract the West from attacking Iran. Tehran can also use the next war in Southeast Europe to silence Vienna and end the investigation into Iran's nuclear weapons program by the UN agency based there.
For the past three days Tirana has placed its military on "the second level of readiness" and all armed units set to active "pre-mobilization." In an attempt to defuse the situation Serbian Parliament member Dragan Todorovic is trying to portray reports of Albania's mobilization as "propaganda." Todorovic commented, "Still, I have to ask against whom Albania wants to go into war - Serbia, Montenegro or Greece."
Washington has expressed its serious concerns over these latest developments by sending CIA Deputy Director Stephen Kappes to visit Tirana Sunday evening where he held two hours of secret discussions with Albania Secret Service (SHISH) Director Bahri Shakiri.
The escalation of tensions in the Balkan area is making in alert also FYROM, Bullgaria, Montenegro and sure Greece which is going to politic elections. According to Macedonian Press Agency, the President Branko Cervenkovski, has rised in first level the Security Council of FYROM, after attack of Albanian paramilitary group against police patrol near Kumanovo.
Sofie continues to make propaganda about the rights of Bulgarian minority in Albania, "shutting down Skopie to silence his national rhetoric propaganda in Albania". Bulgarian government last year, has distributed about 50 thousand passports to Bulgarian in Albania, while the historians speak for about 100 to 300 thousands Bulgarian in Albania. But the Bulgarian offensive is making in difficulty Skopje after the decision of Former Macedonian Prime Minister Georgierwski to declare his nationality as Bulgarian. Georgiewski during an interview on TV Bulgarian station declares that, “The Macedonia state, must partition and Albanians can take Struga and Diber region, because after 5 years the Albanians could take more territories of this country”. Bulgaria is the second state after Greece which damages the rights of minorities in Albania, knowing also citizenship for Bulgarian who lives in Albania, after Athens, which gave citizenship for Greeks of Albania last year. Greece last year, now Bulgaria is riseing the diplomatic pressing to Tirana for counting proces popullation of Albania. Not only bulgarian academics are making the campaing, but also a decision of Association Municipalitis of Bulgaria to finance next year bulgarian schools in Albania has opened a large discution in Albanian opinion.
Anyway Albania is going to a large United Government after a meeting proposed from Albanian President Bamir Topi between the Prime Minister Sali Berisha and leader of Opposition Edi Rama. Last week NATO and Albanian Government put an agreement to friendly collaboration indicted for the rise of tension in Kosovo. Last month, Albania declared for the end of demilitarization Chemical Weapons process, financed from Washington with about 20 million $.

The rise not only of tenssion in the area but simmilar the organized crime and islamic groups in Albania had obligated FBI to estabilish in Tirana strong operators and aggents in accordance with albanian authority.

The Albanian Governament has also strong cooperation with EU and Europol under program "Intereg" financing albanian frontier authorities to be atented with communities who live in area with Greek borders.

Athens is going to anticipate politic elections but is seeing the tension in the area as protagonist of NATO and EU member. According to Greek media, is possibility to create a large government after elections including the Opposition of PASOK, seeing also for the strong measures of Greece for any escalation of conflict in Balkan Region(!).. The Greek National Army is in alert after catastrophic situation of fires in all the Greek territory and is including to the electoral process, but is observing his borders with Albania and FYROM for any extremely escalation from Kosovo in accordance with NATO and EU. ….In Southern Albania, (known as Northern Epirus separated province), lives a large Greek Community which obligates the Albanian government to be in attention for any provocation from Albanian national paramilitary groups. Athens always has been supporter of reforms of Albania to enjoy to NATO and EU but something is obligated from politically results particularly for the Human Rights values. During the visit of Under Secretary of State Department on 11 June 2007 in Athens Nicholas Burns, foreign Minister Dora Bakogianis declared that: "Albanian and FYROM to be clear, are not ready to enjoy to NATO next Summit of 2008 after no any progress in politically reforms”, while the Prime Minister Karamanlis during the electorate Campaign said “We will make veto "against any name of Macedonia" state to the NATO next year”.

Stavros Markos*
(Journalist, Member of the World Security Network Foundation -Southeast Europe Office)

References:
www.adnkronos.com
www.kathimerini.gr
http://www.focus-fen.net
www.balkanweb.com
www.gazeta-shqip.com
http://www.ana.gr/

www.worldpress.org

Kosovo Albanians shun Serbia, but not its passport.

Photo (AFP): An ethnic Albanian poses with his former Yugoslav republic passport (R) and his UNMIK (United Nations mission in Kosovo) travel document, 04 September 2007. Kosovo Albanians who normally shun anything do with Serbia are applying in their tens of thousands for the former Yugoslav republic's passports.

BERNICE, Serbia (AFP) — Kosovo Albanians who normally shun anything do with Serbia are applying in their tens of thousands for the former Yugoslav republic's passports. The scramble for the travel documents is continuing unabated even as the international community frets about deadlocked Kosovo status talks, and ethnic Albanians' thinning patience for independence from Serbia.
Thousands of such applications are awaiting processing, as the independence-seeking Albanian majority in the tiny Balkan territory seeks less restricted travel abroad.
Although she admits feeling "bad" about it, 23-year-old Majlinda says she has no option but to apply for a Serbian passport at the same time as wanting Kosovo to become the world's newest state.
"We want independence but we also want their passports. But I have no choice," said the Pristina resident.
Majlinda, who refused to provide her surname, brushed off the possibility of being branded a traitor by ethnic Albanian hardliners.
"If they want us to be patriots, let them provide us with Kosovo passports that make life easier for travelling abroad. If they did so, I wouldn't even think of asking for a Serbian passport," she said defiantly.
Ethnic Albanians have been fraught with travel problems since Kosovo's 1998-1999 war, when Serbian forces expelled hundreds of thousands of them from their homes and destroyed their identity documents.
The province has since been managed by the United Nations mission in Kosovo, which has been given the authority to issue locals passports bearing the mission's "UNMIK" acronym.
More than 40 countries recognise the UNMIK passports, but of neighbouring countries only Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro accept them without restrictions.
For Kosovo Albanians travelling under UNMIK's name, a simple journey abroad can turn into a wrangle of red-tape left over from the communist era.
Those carrying Serbian passports say they find it easier to obtain visas with the dark-blue travel booklets of the country from which they wish to separate.
Ramadan Shala, a 53-year-old maintenance worker from Pristina, travelled to Gracanica, a Serb-populated enclave near the Kosovan capital, to hand over the necessary documents for his son Rifat's passport.
"Rifat got asylum in London where he works now, but he has to submit a passport to the British authorities" in order to claim residency, said Shala.
Rifat left Kosovo for Britain two years ago, travelling with an UNMIK passport. But it expired and he has asked his father to get him a Serbian one, believing it would make it easier for him to settle in Britain.
"Rifat will be fired and expelled if he doesn't get a Serbian passport by the end of this year," a worried-looking Shala said.
Milos Tabakovic, a notary and registrar in the small village of Bernice, near Pristina, said he noticed an increasing number of Kosovo Albanians seeking Serbian passports.
Tabakovic, in charge of collecting applications for documents such as birth certificates and citizenship papers necessary for obtaining passports, said that "people want to solve the problem of unrestrained travel abroad."
"They do it by obtaining a Serbian passport which is valid from five to 10 years and is recognised by more countries than UNMIK travel documents," he said.
After filing documents to the administrative centre in charge of the southern part of Serbia proper in Nis, Tabakovic later receives passports to hand out to the applicants.
"Our administration has received more than 10,000 applications only in July, while we receive around 500 applications a day," said Goran Djurdjevic, an official at Serbia's Interior Ministry office in Nis.
Tabakovic is a small but crucial link in the chain of Serbian administration that has remained in Kosovo, mainly in Serb enclaves. Belgrade still considers Kosovo as a part of its territory and is happy to issue its papers to anyone in Kosovo who wants them.
Despite being the sole official provider of passports to the citizens of Kosovo, the UN administration has so far never tried to put an end to this booming activity.
According to its data, UNMIK has issued some 600,000 passports since 2001, while Serbian authorities say they have issued some 200,000 passports to Kosovo residents in the past eight years.
Kosovo is awaiting a decision on its future status due by the end of this year.
Ethnic Albanians want nothing short of independence, while Belgrade has staunchly been opposing these calls, instead offering the province wide autonomy.

Balkans 2007: The beginning?

By Ioannis Michaletos*

As the world moves fast towards the closing annual season of Autumn, an upturn in world politics is starting to emerge, and might signify for a third time in less than 100 years that the Balkans will be the locale “Where all silly things started”.
March 2007 was the decisive annum where the emergence of an “Orthodox Energy Axis” seemed to take place, signified by the agreement for the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipeline. For the first time in history Russia effectively by-passed the Bosporus with the assistance of Bulgaria & Greece, two NATO countries. Both countries were rewarded with the construction of two mega-warehouses of some 1,5 million tons of oil in their ports and Greece has already bought high-tech Russian weaponry that would constitute a real change in the balance of powers in the wider region. Three months later Russia, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy sign a large deal for natural gas transfer that further accelerates the projection of the Balkans right in the middle of the world. Moscow eyes Montenegro where it has invested heavily in the real estate sector and continuously projects its geopolitical role in all states with the exception of Albania for the time being.
In parallel the Western capitals were shocked by the adamant stance of Moscow to recognize a potential Kosovo independence, whilst it offered all means possible help to Belgrade to withstand pressure. Eventually Germany and France started cautiously to become neutral between USA and Russia and by assessing the drain of American forces in the multiple fronts across the world due to the war against terror; are trying to establish their own zones of influence in the Western Balkans and in contrast with all the “Deals signed” post 1999 war. The summer of 2007 revealed that the globalization process is a mimicry of the 1870-1914 period where all powers were competing each other and forming alliances for their own profit, as well as, colonizing the planet and subduing weaker cultures and societies.
Kosovo already hosts the Bondsteel camp with as much as 500 hectares of surface and over 300 buildings with thousands of personnel, military, civic and security forces. Virtually a castle in the midst of a poor underdeveloped area inflicted by organized crime, corruption and high birth rate that suffocates this Balkan hinterland. The main role of the “Castle” apart from constructing the security of the 1999 agreement; is to play a decisive role in safeguarding the proposed construction of the AMBO pipeline stressing from the Bulgarian –Burgas port, passing through FYROM and ending up to Vlore in Albania. Its construction was always in peril due to the fragile societal and ethnic composition of Western FYROM, an issue that cannot be examined without taking into consideration the developments in Kosovo. Actually any move towards independence would ultimately leave the government in Skopje in the unpleasant situation of neighboring with two Albanian states, with expanding population and with its own Albanian minority becoming a majority by 2020, if demographic trends continue. Already Bulgaria from its own part is securing its influence by issuing tens of thousands of passports for citizens of its Eastern neighbor.
Moreover the Greek-American consortium SENCAP lost the competition of acquiring the thermo-electrical power station Negotino; to a Canadian-Bulgarian coalition. Despite the fact that the former offered more, the governing party BMPO sided with the Bulgarian corporation and information from FYR Macedonia describe fierce American opposition to the whole development. It is interesting to note that widespread rumors for an eventual “Federal Union” between FYROM and Bulgaria are beginning to circulate, an event that will have ramifications probably more important and intense than Kosovo independence.
Serbia during the summer period achieved more or less to withhold its diplomatic points it gained during Spring, that are most importantly the ability to draw a red line under which it cannot retreat and also rejected an offer to become a member of the EU if it has to abandon K&M. Needless to say that this is more of a symbolic statement with long-term effects for other states wishing to enter the Union such as Turkey or even Ukraine. In reality Europe is not the attractive lady that it was five decades or even five years ago, and the ageing process is starting to affect its ability to negotiate actively in important and sensitive issues like the Kosovo one. Thus every nation state is filling the gap of the EU, as it was also the case in 1991, in most respects.
Albania, has the potential of becoming a hotbed of political developments over the coming months due to the rising opposition between the Berisha’s government and the opposition and the other grass roots movements across the country that demand alignment with Europe in terms of citizen’s rights, less corruption and decentralization of the incumbent heavy-handed political patronage. All these movements should be made visible by October if all conditions remain stable and there are not any sudden events that will draw the country into a political deadlock.
Greece is experiencing a fire-wave that according to governmental statements is conducted by a well-organized arson plan. Moreover the EU Commissioner Mr. Fratinni, commenting on this, stated that Europe is experiencing a new form of terrorism, “Territorial terrorism” that uses the environment as a “Weapon against the population, economy and the state”. In a few word Greece is the first country where this form of terrorism is being implemented, albeit with no concrete knowledge of the culprits.
Over the past few years the Athens government made some spectacular deals with Russia (See above), opened its market to the Chinese and Arab capital and cultivated strong ties with the USA multinationals, especially the East Coast ones, centered in New York. In a few words it has expanded its geoeconomic role and made itself a regional financial hub, a process that increases its role in the world commerce, both the official one and the “Parallel one” (Narcotics, trafficking, money laundering, etc”. Greece and consequently the Balkans are the gateway of Europe to the Middle East, N. Africa and the Black Sea, and any sudden change on the established balance of powers relates to wider shifts of the interests of the global economy, despite the miniscule GDP the regional states produce in comparison to the rest of the world.
The Balkans are experiencing a multitude of events that eventually will culminate in great events sooner rather later. The coming autumn period will be a revealing one, judging by the concentration of a plethora of unresolved issues in such a constrained geographical terrain and needless to say, a restive and rebellious part of Europe. The European, American and Russian leaders have the historical opportunity to compromise in a wide range of issues in Southeastern Europe and look further into the future in order to withstand the global challenges of environmental destruction, Islamic fundamentalism and the fierce economic competition from Asia. Otherwise the Balkans will once more play the role of the tinderbox for Eurasia with unknown consequences for the global security for decades to come.

Ioannis Michaletos Editor South East EuropeWorld Security Network Foundation Ioannis Michaletos was born in Athens in 1978. He pursued studies in the UK where he obtained a BA in Politics from Essex University and an MSc in Human Resources Management from Luton University. He is occupied as an HRM Consultant and a contributor to the News Agency –Balkanalysis-. He is also an Associate Analyst for the political forecasting service –ISRIA-. He has served as a Petty Officer of the Hellenic Navy. He speaks Greek, English, and French and has a passive knowledge of Italian. He is a member of the Governing Board of the RIEAS Institute and a Network Manager for an NGO –YUASEC Hellas-.

www.worldsecuritynetwork.com/.../dsp_author3.cfm

ΠΡΩΤΗ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΑΣΗ ΜΕΛΩΝ ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΟΥ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟΥΗΠΕΙΡΩΤΩΝ ΕΞΩΤΕΡΙΚΟΥ (Π.Σ.Η.Ε.) ΣΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΙΝΑ

Ανταπόκριση-φωτογραφία: Νίκος Σουτόπουλος

Photo: Το Δ.Σ. του Π.Σ.Η.Ε. κατά την πρώτη συνεδρίασή του στα Ιωάννινα
ΙΩΑΝΝΙΝΑ-Με καλούς οιωνούς αλλά και μεομόφωνες αποφάσεις πραγματοποιήθηκε σταΙωάννινα και στο Ξενοδοχείο «Du Lac» τοΣάββατο 4 Αυγούστου 2007η πρώτη συνεδρίαση των μελών του Παγκόσμιου Συμβουλίου Ηπειρωτών Εξωτερικού (Π.Σ.Η.Ε.),προκειμένου να καθοριστεί η παραπέρα πορεία και δραστηριότητα του πρωτοβάθμιου αυτού οργάνουγια τους Απόδημους Ηπειρώτες σε όλο τον κόσμο.
Μετά το εθιμοτυπικό καλωσόρισμα από τον Πρόεδρο του Π.Σ.Η.Ε. και διάσημο συγγραφέα Ν.Γκατζογιάννη προς τα μέλη ομογενείς Ηπειρώτες από όλες τις ηπείρους, συζητήθηκανδιεξοδικά όλα τα θέματα της ημερήσιας διάταξης ανάμεσα στα οποία ήταν
ο οικονομικός απολογισμός καθώς και η στρατηγική με τους μελλοντικούςσχεδιασμούς και στόχους για την πορεία του Π.Σ.Η.Ε. Η οργάνωση του πρώτουΣυνεδρίου του Π.Σ.Η.Ε. στην Ήπειρο το 2008 ανατέθηκε σε ειδική επιτροπήπροετοιμασίας Συνεδρίου, καθώς συστάθηκαν πέντε επιτροπές για την κάλυψηόλων των αναγκών και δραστηριοτήτων του (καταστατικού, δημοσίων σχέσεωνκαι πληρο-φόρησης, δημιουργίας ιστοσελίδας, συνεργασίας με το ΠανεπιστήμιοΙωαννίνων κ.ά) Τέλος συζητήθηκαν άλλες προτάσεις και οργανωτικά θέματα,ενώ λήφθηκαν ομόφωνες αποφάσεις για ένα δημιουργικό ξεκίνημα προς όφελοςτων απόδημων Ηπειρωτών σε όλο τον κόσμο

Macedonian media about Bulgaria: OMO Ilinden-Pirin, collaborators, 100,000 Bulgarians in Albania
5 September 2007 13:15 FOCUS News Agency
Skopje. One of the main topics in the Macedonian media on Wednesday is the court decision in Sofia not to register OMO Ilinden-Pirin as a political party.The Bulgarian authorities violated the agreement contracted in June between the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and government officials in Sofia about the registration of OMO Ilinden-Pirin, A1 television channel informs.With the explanation that the party did not have 600 members at its founding assembly, the Sofia City Court again turned down the registration demand of OMO Ilinden-Pirin, throwing it out of the October local elections race.“I can describe the court decision as the greatest legal absurd that has ever happened in the 17 years. The court has not set out any legal arguments; practically it did not have a single piece of evidence,” party leader Stoyko Stoykov said.According to Strasbourg sources the Bulgarian officials have already complained to the European Court of Human Rights about the court decisions. They expressed hope the Supreme Court would reply positively to the complaint by OMO Ilinden-Pirin.According to diplomatic sources Bulgaria will have to register the party, but the intention was winning time and not allowing OMO Ilinden-Pirin to run in the local vote on October 28th.The deadline for parties to declare their participation in the local elections expires on September 12th, until then Bulgaria’s Supreme Court will most probably not sit into the OMO Ilinden-Pirin case, A1 concludes.Makfax agency announces about a total of 139 former and current lawmakers in Bulgaria had reportedly collaborated with communist-era security service.A special panel investigating Bulgaria's communist-era police files found that the political leaders Ahmed Dogan, Georgi Parvanov, Georgi Markov, Zhan Videnov and Krasimir Karkachanov were collaborators of the former security service.As many as 19 current members of Bulgarian Parliament are said to have collaborated with the former security service.Incumbent President Georgi Parvanov was also named by the panel as a collaborator. He was recruited in 1989 and his codename was Gotse.DPS leader Ahmed Dogan was agent of the former security service.VMRO leader Krasimir Karakachanov, who is widely known with his anti-Macedonian campaign, was also an agent of the former security service.The committee on declassification of the secret services' file said the ex-prime minister Zhan Videnov was also informer for the communist-era security service. He was removed from the list of active collaborators in 1990.The Macedonian press pay attention to the report broadcast on the Bulgarian National Television that 100,000 Bulgarians are living in Albania.Over 100,000 ethnic Bulgarians are living in Albania, and they are a priority for the Bulgarian government, the Macedonian Vreme newspaper writes.According to the Albanian Balkanweb agency the Bulgarian center for studying minorities mentions in a 2004 report that there are 50,000 Bulgarians in Albania, Mala Prespa and Golo Bardo. In the report the Bulgarian National Television claims the number is 100,000 and criticizes the Albanian government for not paying attention to this minority and for the lack of schools teaching in Bulgarian. The report mentions the Albanian government does not recognize the minority, the newspaper adds.