Missile Delivery Prevents Foreign Meddling in Syria – Russia

Topic: Protests in Syria

S-300
© RIA Novosti. Yuriy Shipilov

MOSCOW, May 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia’s delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Syria is a restraining factor against possible foreign interference in the Syrian conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday.
“We believe such steps are to a great extent restraining some ‘hot heads’ from considering scenarios in which the conflict may assume an international scale with the participation of outside forces,” Ryabkov said.
He refused to say whether the Russian-made air defense systems had been already delivered to Syria.
“I can neither confirm, nor deny in what stage these deliveries are at,” Ryabkov said. “We understand all the concerns and signals sent to us from various states. We see that this issue worries many of our partners. We have no reasons to reconsider our position in this sphere.”
The sale of Russian weapons to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime has been a source of bilateral tension between Moscow and Washington, with US officials accusing Russia of arming a regime the United States says is killing its own citizens in Syria’s raging civil war.
Last week US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the sale by Russia of S-300 air defense systems to Syria would be “destabilizing” for the region.

© RIA Novosti.

The S-300-P surface-to-air missile system

Ryabkov reiterated that Russia is merely honoring previously-concluded agreements with Damascus by supplying S-300 systems to Syria. He said the systems are solely for defense purposes against airborne threats and cannot be used by the government forces against civilians.
Russia insists that the deliveries are legal under international law and that it is not supplying Syria, the largest importer of Russian arms in the Middle East, with offensive weapons.
S-300 is widely acknowledged by defense analysts as one of the world's most advanced air defense systems. An S-300 battery would "provide coverage of much of northern and central Israel if deployed in the south west of Syria for targets other than those at low altitude," Douglas Barrie, an air warfare analyst with the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies, told RIA Novosti earlier this month.

Dačić: KFOR guarantee of security of Serbs

SOURCE: TANJUG
BELGRADE -- Prime Minister Ivica Dačić underscored on the Monday that NATO's KFOR mission "remains the guarantee of the security of Serbs in the southern Serbian province."

 

(Tanjug)
He made the statement during his meeting in Belgrade with members of the delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Dačić also called on the members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to explain Serbia's efforts to their countries and help their governments back Serbia's EU path.

Members of the delegation underscored that "as one of the most important countries in the Balkans, Serbia is building peace and stability in the region, and expressed the belief that Serbia will continue its EU path and soon get the date of EU accession talks."

Serbia insists on lasting stability in the region and the search for a solution to all open issues through dialogue, Dačić said, according to a government statement.

The Serbian government launched a dialogue with the Priština interim government so as to ensure lasting peace and survival of the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija, the prime minister said and added that Serbia "insists on sustainable solutions in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, without violation of the verified principle on status neutral position."

"Serbia, two more countries block Kosovo"


BELGRADE, PRIŠTINA, SKOPJE -- Kosovo has not been invited to the upcoming summit of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Ohrid.

  

Atifete Jahjaga (Beta, file)
This is because Serbia and two other member countries have made an objection based on the SEECP Statute, which states that only sovereign and recognized states can take part in the Summit, which Kosovo is not, Tanjug was told on Monday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belgrade.

The Ministry said the "valid objection" from Serbia and two other countries is based on the regional initiative's Statute, which regulates regional cooperation in South-East Europe and which states that only countries which have the format and structure of a sovereign and recognized country can participate in the Summit.

Earlier on Monday, the office of Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga released a statement saying that Kosovo is being kept from participating in the Summit due to objections made by Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Jahjaga noting that this was contrary to the agreement reached in Brussels.

Jahjaga has not received an official invitation to the SEECP Summit taking place on June 1 and 2 in Ohrid, reads the statement.

The office of Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov said earlier that Kosovo has not been invited to the Summit.

The SEECP Summit has an established format and structure and, in accordance with the founding document and past practice, Macedonia cannot invite Kosovo without the consent of other countries, especially when it has been made aware that some member countries would cancel their participation if the invitation was extended, his office said in a statement.

Greece becomes trade battleground as foreign investors swoop

Three years after Greek bailout, Russian, Chinese and Qatari investors jostle for access into new trade gateway to Europe

• 
• • Helena Smith in Athens
  • The Guardian, Monday 27 May 2013 15.47 BST

Gytheio harbour, Greece. The country can become a gateway for investment and trade flows between China and Europe, says its prime minister. Photograph: Alamy

The Chinese are interested in airports, harbours and railways. The Russians are determined to infiltrate the energy market. The Qataris have made clear they want to invest in property.
Three years to the month after becoming the first eurozone country to be bailed out by the European Union (EU), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), Greece has finally got its long-delayed privatisation campaign off the ground, and the programme has turned the debt-choked country into a battleground for nations seeking access to the EU trading bloc.
"We have to transmit the message that this is a different Greece," the development minister, Kostis Hadzidakis, said in an interview. "We have to surprise in a positive way. Privatisations will send the message that we are a business-friendly country."
The prime minister, Antonis Samaras, took that message to Beijing this month, urging China to participate in what he described as Athens' success story. He was buoyed by a raft of unusually good news: international creditors had agreed to prop up the economy with another €8.8bn (£7.5bn) in rescue funds, Fitch had upgraded Greece's credit rating, while borrowing costs on 10-year bonds in May fell to their lowest level since the outbreak of the debt crisis.
If ever there was a time, it was now, for the Asian tiger to pursue its desire to make Greece a gateway to Europe by investing in infrastructure projects beyond Piraeus port. As Europe's biggest passenger harbour and one of its top 10 container terminals, the docks at Piraeus have become an operational base for the Chinese since Cosco, its state-run shipping company, paid €500m to lease half of them in 2010.
"Greece can become a real gateway for investment and trade flows between China and Europe, " said Samaras, whose conservative-dominated coalition has been credited with bringing political stability to the crisis-hit country since it assumed office last June. During his visit, 11 bilateral agreements were signed with Chinese officials, who have also signalled their interest in taking over Athens' international airport.
Last week, it was Moscow's turn, with Alexey Miller, the powerful head of Gazprom, Russia's biggest gas producer, flying into Athens for the third time in as many months to discuss buying Depa, Greece's natural gas corporation. Gazprom, which supplies 90% of Greece's natural gas through a pipeline from Bulgaria, made a preliminary €900m bid for Depa last year, although insiders say the deal will probably be closed for €750m.
As the country's sole retail gas distributor, Depa is one of two companies viewed as the jewel in the crown of a privatisation programme that, though wildly off target, is among the most ambitious undertaken on the continent of Europe. The other is the state gambling monopoly Opap, a third of which was sold to Greek-Czech investors this month.
In private talks with Samaras, Miller made clear that Moscow not only wanted to take over the corporation, but would brook no interference in the deal. The US and EU have raised objections to Russia exerting further influence over the energy sector in what has become an increasingly delicate geopolitical balancing act for Greece.
Cosco terminal at the port of Piraeus. The docks have become an operational base for the Chinese. Photograph: Alkis Konstantinidis/EPA Over the weekend, Greek officials said plans were afoot to sell Desfa, the natural gas network's operator, to Azerbaijan's state oil company, Socar, which is believed to be backed by US interests "for the sake of equilibrium".
A deadline for bids for Depa, originally set for 29 May, has been scheduled for early June.
In his office overlooking Syntagma square, Hadzidakis claims that what Greece has experienced is more than just an economic crisis. "It is an historic moment, a turning point for our country, the fight of our generation that we are condemned to win," he said. "If we are successful in selling both Opap and Depa, then we win a central battle and the privatisations to follow will be easier," adding that the government would work on the principle of selling to the highest bidder. "The whole process is fully transparent."
In its sixth consecutive year of recession, Greece, the recipient of €240bn in rescue funds, the biggest bailout in western history, is under immense pressure to push ahead with privatisations to cut a debt load that is projected to reach 185% of GDP this year. Samaras's tripartite coalition has similarly announced plans for the gradual denationalisation of the country's biggest electricity generator, DEH.
The breakneck speed at which the privatisations are taking place – regional airports, industrial real estate, sporting facilities, beaches, state-run hotels and even thermal baths were recently handed over to the state privatisation fund, Taiped – follows earlier criticism from the EU that the sell-offs have been painfully slow.
The programme, initially aimed at raising €50bn by 2019, has been repeatedly scaled back, with the government now intending to raise €11.1bn by 2016 and €25bn by 2020. A goal of €2.6bn has been set for 2013.
"Privatisations are never going to solve this country's financial problems," said Prof Theodore Pelagidis, head of economic analysis at Piraeus University. "But it is hoped they will eliminate state-linked corruption and increase production efficiency."
Hadzidakis said the privatisations would be the best proof yet that Athens is not only determined to revitalise investor confidence, but committed to pushing ahead with unpopular reforms.
Highly sensitive, the sale of prized state assets, or "the family silver", has long been perceived as the ultimate humiliation for a nation hobbled, more than any other on the periphery of Europe, by the punishing effects of relentless austerity.
"Even those who were against privatisations can accept them now," said the politician who had first-hand experience of public resistance to the sell-offs when he oversaw the sale of the nation's official carrier, Olympic Airways, in 2009. "They understand that privatising state-owned organisations is a prerequisite to tackling the problem of unemployment," he added, referring to Greece's record jobless rate of 27%. "People can see that the public sector is unable to create new jobs."
Gazprom chief Alexey Miller, left, leaves the Maximos mansion after a meeting with the Greek prime minister, Antonis Samaras. Photograph: EPA/Alexandros Vlachos To this end, he added, it was vital that potential investors were given the "red-carpet treatment" rather than the "red-tape nightmare" widely blamed for the country's notorious lack of competitiveness.
"Our objective," said Hadzidakis, "is to make Greece a transit hub in the broader region, which is why we are also working with the World Bank to see how we can develop a logistics sector as well."
Such is the desire to lure investors that the Greek parliament recently passed legislation offering five-year residence permits to non-EU citizens purchasing property worth more than €250,000.
The move was widely seen as a sop to the Chinese, who are keen to be able to travel freely in the 27-nation EU bloc. Although the Qataris have also expressed interest in developing Athens' former airport at Hellenikon, pouring €100bn into a joint investment fund, few, if any, EU member states have exhibited any desire to invest in Greece.
For all the official euphoria, the sell-offs have been the focus of widespread criticism, with opponents pointing out that at a time of depressed market rates, Opap, once the nation's most profitable state enterprise, received only two bids for the 33% stake in the company.
The winning bidder, the Emma Delta fund, will pay €652m for the stake plus management rights in the company, nearly €100m less than its market value based on the company's share price on the day the offer was submitted. However, Athens' total receipts from the sale will rise to €712m after dividends under the terms of the deal.
The reduced price tags have prompted political opponents to pledge to take to the streets once again and also to describe the programme as more of a "sell-out" than "sell-off".
"They are trying to convince us that the climate is changing because they are forging ahead with the programme of pillaging national wealth, which they call the privatisation programme," said Alexis Tsipras, head of the main opposition party, the radical-left Syriza. "What they don't say is that the sales, the change of ownership of profit-making organisations, are not about [to bring] investment. They won't bring growth or jobs."

What is up for grabs

Athens' old international Airport Hellenikon, which at almost 70m sq ft, is three times the size of Monaco. It is also Europe's biggest development project
Natural gas corporation Public power corporation
Ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki
Regional airports
Island marinas
Rail network
Water companies in Athens and Thessaloniki
Formerly exclusive state-owned Xenia hotel chain
Real estate for tourism development
Beach plots
Thermal baths

Kosovo not invited, it isn't sovereign state

 

BELGRADE - Kosovo is not invited to the upcoming summit of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Ohrid, because Serbia and two other member countries have made an objection based on the SEECP Statute, which states that only sovereign and recognized states can take part in the Summit, which Kosovo is not, Tanjug was told Monday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belgrade.

The Ministry said the "valid objection" from Serbia and two other countries is based on the regional initiative's Statute, which regulates regional cooperation in South East Europe and which states that only countries which have the format and structure of a sovereign and recognized country can participate in the Summit.

Earlier on Monday, the office of Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga released a statement saying that Kosovo is being kept from participating in the Summit due to objections made by Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Jahjaga noting that this is contrary to the agreement reached in Brussels.

Jahjaga has not received an official invitation to the SEECP Summit taking place on June 1 and 2 in Ohrid, reads the statement.

The office of Macedonian President Djordje Ivanov said earlier that Kosovo has not been invited to the Summit.

The SEECP Summit has an established format and structure and, in accordance with the founding document and past practice, Macedonia cannot invite Kosovo without the consent of other countries, especially when it has been made aware that some member countries would cancel their participation if the invitation was extended, his office said in a statement.

Photo Tanjug/S. Radovanovic

Protest in Priština against arrest of KLA members

Source: Tanjug

PRIŠTINA -- Several thousand people demonstrated in Priština on Monday against the arrest of former commanders of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

The protest in Priština on Monday (Tanjug)

The demonstration was organized by former KLA members, after a court ordered that a number of former members of the “Drenica Group,” including its two influential former leaders, Sami Lustaku and Sulejman Selimi, be placed under house arrest.
The protest, which began Monday morning, ended at about 13:00 CET with the participants announcing new protests.

The court in Priština ordered that all the seven men suspected of committing war crimes as members of the ethic Albanian KLA in 1998 and 1999 await their trial under house arrest.

The order came after a marathon questioning of the suspects.

EULEX Prosecutor Maurizio Salustro has demanded that the suspects remain in custody until the completion of the process.

Sulejman Selimi, known by the nom de guerre “Sultan,” currently serves as the ambassador of Kosovo to Albania.

Until the end of 1998, Selimi was chief military commander of the KLA. Following the disbanding of the KLA in 1999, he served as a senior officer of the Kosovo Protection Corps, and between 2009 and 2011, as the commander of the Kosovo Security Force.

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci reacted to the court order stating that the accusations against Selimi and others are “unfounded.”

"No compromise for observing elections"
 
TopChannel TV
27/05/2013

Conny McCormack, the head of the OSCE-ODIHR mission in Albania, declared on her first interview in Albania, given to Top Channel’s journalist, Muhamed Veliu, that their team will not be influenced by anyone.

McCormack underlines that there will be no compromise in declaring the facts during the voting day, the ballot counting process and the result. The OSCE-ODIHR chief observer said that for the moment they are collecting information from the terrain, based on facts, and are processing that information for the report that will be announced after two weeks.

Top Channel: What will this report focus on mostly?

Conny McCormack: This is what the ODIHR does. We stay here for two months, from the electoral campaign, to collect information for the electoral body, which also includes the Central Election Commission, the election administration, the registration of voters, the candidates’ list, the electoral process. We will be here until July 9th to follow the process of appeals. We are following two pilot projects that are related with the usage of electronics in these elections. It is a detailed and all-inclusive process.

Top Channel: During these two weeks, what have you verified about the work made by the Central Election Commission as administers of the electoral process?

Conny McCormack: Naturally that the implementation of the Electoral Code is another aspect that we see. It is one of the many aspects that we see. So far, there have been situations that are not in full accordance with the Electoral Code.

Top Channel: Could there be free and honest elections with half of the Central Election Commission, where the opposition is not represented, after the Parliament replaced one member and the three others resigned?

Conny McCormack: Naturally that everyone is thinking about the qualified majority, including the issue of having votes for the decisions that required five votes, which is not possible now. We are collecting information and observing the decisions that are taken; which of those are in full accordance with the Code and which ones need qualified majority. the Central Election Commission will be part of our report. Certainly that we will clearly speak about this, since, as I said, the the Central Election Commission is on everybody’s mind as the main component, and this aspect will be valued. We also see all of the aspects. We see the entire election administration, starting from the ballot count and the voting process, which is the key of the process, including the transparency in which it is being held and the transmission of the results. Certainly that the legal aspect is an important one for the process. There are many people who are trying to find a solution to the situation with the Central Election Commission. Certainly, it would be better having a complete Commission. It is functioning now and we need to wait for the process to evaluate the Central Election Commission’s work.

Top Channel: The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is represented in this observing mission by Roberto Batelli. You might be surprised by my question, but due to the sensibility of this name, I am obliged to ask you: Mr. Batelli is known as a close friend of another member of the assembly, Wolfgang Grossruck, who is a personal friend of the Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, Do you trust in Mr.Batelli’s impartiality and what effect will the Prime Minister’s friendship have in the final OSCE-ODIHR report?

Conny McCormack: The partnership between the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the ODIHR is built with a short two-week mission of theirs. They are an additional value, while we are here for eight weeks. We hope to have a better cooperation and better position. This is our goal, and this is always a challenge. There are also other observing groups, including that of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. There will be a wide international presence in the observing mission. Personally I have met Mr.Batelli and that was a good meeting. I felt that we have started a good cooperation. We must still wait to have an answer to your question.

Top Channel: Who will say the final word for the elections? You or Mr.Batelli?

Conny McCormack: This remains to be seen, doesn’t it? Let’s wait until the preliminary report is published, one day after the elections. I understood by the ODIHR people that this is a report that will be read word per word. I believe that there will be a negotiation for that. We hope to introduce an unanimous report during the press conference. I want to say that the ODIHR will allow no compromises. If we will find things that need to be said, you will hear them.

Top Channel: What made you apply for head of the ODIHR observing mission in the June 23rd elections of Albania?

Conny McCormack: I have always been interested to work with the OSCE. I have never worked with the ODIHR in the past. This would be a good opportunity to have a new approach with the process, since I have held many observing missions and preliminary election evaluations for other organizations. I thought that this would be something valuable on my CV.

Top Channel: On this phase of the electoral process, the political parties and the Central Election Commission are the main actors of the elections. During these two weeks in Albania, what opinion do you have about the way how the electoral process is being prepared? Are the actors doing their parts as the Code has stated?

Conny McCormack: As you know, we have a wide ODIHR presence with a team of 15 international members, from 14 member countries. We have election analysts, media analysts, and legal experts. I have held meetings with the leaders of the main parties, and now we are collecting terrain information based on facts, and this information is being processed. This is what we do, because the work of ODIHR is based on facts and evidence. We don’t create an opinion of ours in this early stage of the elections, but naturally we are collecting sufficient data that we will publish in the report after two weeks. You will find a lot of information on this report.

Another wave of Albanian nationalism against Greece

A lawyer for the Cham case?

Kan says that he has defended several cases in the world, including that of Cambodia, which, despite the political and historic differences, has the human right issue equal to that of Chameria.

Top Channel TV 

Karim Kan, a British lawyer, was contracted by the Party for Justice, Integrity and Unity to defend the Cham case. Kan has a series of specialization titles in the penal international and human rights law, and has defended several famous cases in international courts.

After his office studied for two years what is called a feasibility of the case, Karim Kan who is visiting Albania these days showed for Top Channel the possibilities of raising the Cham case.

“The lawyer’s profession is also that of vocation. In this case I am the voice of those who had their rights denied for a long time. My work on this case is to join forces and bring justice. We will make the voice of the survived people be heard. We will keep their testimonies for the massive violation, so that we can touch the international awareness”, Kan declared.

Kan says that he has defended several cases in the world, including that of Cambodia, which, despite the political and historic differences, has the human right issue equal to that of Chameria. This will be the legal basis n which he will defend the Cham case, supporting on the principle that no one stands above the law. Regardless the fact that the Cham case has a political dimensions between the two countries, Albania and Greece, by avoiding an answer about the chances of an international decision-making on this issue, Kan says that the possibilities are two: “I don’t want to give a precentage for the chances of this matter, but there are two percentages: either Greece will do the right thing, although late, and will bring justice. For example, why are the Cham people not allowed to visit the graves of their predecessors? This is discrimination and there’s no room in today’s world for this. We will insist on this. Every independent and right court will condemn this. Either Greece will do the right thing and accept a deal, or we will meet in court. These are the chances.”

Karim Kan is well known in the Balkan region for defending the former Chief of Armed Forces of Bosnia in former Yugoslavian war. For the Albanians he is known with the Limaj case.

State Scraps Anti-Racist Bill - Says It's Unconstitutional

State Scraps Anti-Racist Bill - Says It's Unconstitutional

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By Hellas Frappe on 27.5.13

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The State Legislative Commission said on Monday that the controversial anti-racist bill which PASOK and DIMAR have been pressuring the government to ratify is totally unconstitutional and therefore should be totally ignored. As noted by Supreme Court Judge Fotis Kafmenakis, the bill is not only unconstitutional but it is also "unnecessary" since the existing legislative framework covers all the provisions that the anti-racist bill sought for.

Besides the PASOK-DIMAR anti-racist law denies the importance of genocidal crimes, or crimes against humanity, war criminals and the crimes of Nazism and Fascism. At the same time it directly violates the Greek Constitution and the right of all citizens to partake in the social and political life (article 5, section 1). It also violates the right to free expression of ideas and the prohibition of Press censorship (article 14, section 1 and 2). It also violates the freedom of religious consciousness (article 13, section 1) - since it demands to forbid expression against other dogmas which is a basic element of the freedom of speech.

Thankfully for us, there are still some legislators who have common sense.

In the meantime, and in a bid to mend a widening rift in his fragile government regarding the fate of a contentious anti-racism bill, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras would meet with his coalition partners on Monday afternoon for talks that are expected to be very heated (amid reports that the smaller parties feel sidelined by conservative New Democracy).

The meeting, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Maximos Mansion, was called to resolve the dispute over the anti-racist law.

All of last week ND officials, and countless press reports, expressed serious concerns that the proposed anti-racist law would impinge on freedom of expression, prompting angry reactions from the two smaller parties, PASOK and Democratic Left, who know all of this but are desperate to get the bill to Parliament.

The bill also caused upheaval within the government’s inner circle with Justice Minister Antonis Roupakiotis, who is aligned with DIMAR, pushing back against ND’s attempts to freeze the bill, or to heavily amend it before submission. Democratic Left officials and other critics have accused the conservatives of yielding to opposition to the bill by the Church and the armed forces.

(What about the general public? Why not conduct a poll and see if it was accepted by the general population you m***rons!)

PASOK officials have struck a similar tone.

Over the weekend, PASOK leader, Evangelos Venizelos went a step further, firing a broadside at the New Democracy party for its general approach to governance. Addressing his party’s political central committee on Saturday, Venizelos accused the conservatives of “thinking that the government is a one-party administration” and repeated that PASOK is “cooperating with ND but is not politically aligned with it.”

(Thank God it isn't!)

In comments that suggested he would push again for a cabinet reshuffle, Venizelos said he would call for “a comprehensive evaluation of the operation of the government and its representatives.”

And if that wasn't enough, SYRIZA accused the New Democracy of pandering to far right Golden Dawn. Speaking to SKAI radio on Monday, SYRIZA spokesman Panos Skourletis accused Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’s party of having direct lines of communication with Golden Dawn.

     “There is a conscious political convergence between the government and neoNazi Golden Dawn,” said Skourletis.

The SYRIZA representative said that if the meeting between the coalition leaders ends in disagreement and the bill is not brought to Parliament, the leftist party would press for new legislation to be drawn up.

     “However, tackling neoNazism is not just an issue of a single draft law,” added Skourletis.

Samaras should really strike back at characters such as Venizelos, and the DIMAR and SYRIZA parties. He should even threaten them with elections. As it is, SYRIZA is dropping everyday in popularity, PASOK on the other hand is in a complete shambles and it is highly unlikely that this party will even be able to mass the 3% needed to get into Parliament again. And let us not even speculate what DIMAR's percentage will be in the next election countdown either! We are certain here at HellasFrappe that all of these pseudo-Leftists will calm their hormones once Samaras puts them into their place.

Signed
HellasFrappe2 Max Mag Theme. Designed by Templateism

Papandreou & Angelopoulos To Form New Party With The Blessings of the Clintons!

Papandreou & Angelopoulos To Form New Party With The Blessings of the Clintons!

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By Hellas Frappe on 26.5.13

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With the blessings of Hillary and Bill Clinton, George Papandreou and Gianna Angelopoulos are the main personalities that press reports claim will head the leadership of a new party in Athens, titled the Democrats. The US will finally have two figures it trusts in Athens and the new party could possibly even battle heads with the pro-Europe New Democracy party, as well as PASOK and DIMAR.

As mentioned earlier, the new party is going to be modeled after the relevant party in the US. The official Democratic party in Greece denied this report, but there are too many reports surfacing all over the Greek press that claim that it is true.

When we heard the name of the party here at HellasFrappe we began to laugh, because much like Pizza Hut and KFC it looks like politics are now going global as well.

On a serious note, it is still unknown what type of role Gianna and George will play, but it is believed that she will probably deal with foreign contacts while George Papandreou lays the groundwork (or awakens his shady socialist network) all over Greece.

(We wonder how many advisers he will need for that, last time he required a whole mess of people just to keep is IPad in top working order! Lol)

Gianna never hidden her political ambitions. In fact when former premier Costas Karamanlis was in power it was reported that she was pressuring him through Eleftheros Typos (a newspaper which she had owned) to nominate her for President of the Republic.

As for George, well three years after totally destroying Greece's economy and ridiculing our country and its people globally, he plans to make a comeback. In fact George Papandreou says that he is now ready and willing to return to the central political scene so that he can answer to all of his critics and at the same time prove to all concerned that the decisions he took in office were for Greece's benefit.

Jannis Plutarxos: I vote for Golden Dawn"




"The" democratic" parties destructed their citizens"
"I, support the Golden Dawn" the famous Greek singer  Jannis Plutarxos expressed in an interview in the newspaper Proto Thema.
About the apparent rise of nationalist right in our country, the famous singer Jannis Plutarxos said: "It is the result of a general indignation of an enormous injustice. Although I'm not man of extremes, I would like to ask you what worse could make an extreme rightist or an extreme left party of those who govern us, "filling," Democratic politicians are not the ones who looted and destroyed the people, forcing them to work for 400 euros and say thank you? talking about the "fascist" Golden Dawn and not talking about fascism to boggling with so I want the labors of a lifetime! What's this? There is junta or indeed a capitalist junta? ".
He continued: "And I if these parties manage in the right way and respect the problems of the Greeks, I am the first who will vote. Today criticize the acts of the parties and not interested in the ratings as masked or bullies. It is what they want. Enough to make the country the deadlock ... I regret to three years to see that democracy is a regime unenforceable by humans. It's a clever lie erected covered with a masterly manner the corruption of politicians. "

Turkey wants to raise military cooperation in Southern Albania

Turkish Army Chief, asks the Albania Minister to stand Turkish Army for invest in Orikum Naval Base and Kucova Air Base. 

Defence Minister Imami met the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Turkey
 




This morning, Defence Minister, Mr. Arben Imami had a meeting with Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Turkey, General Necdet Özel, who is on an official visit to our country.

Defence Minister Imami addressing to General Necdet Özel said that, I am very happy that you are continuing your visit to the Ministry of Defence and I hope you have liked Tirana. “Relations between our two countries and armies are excellent. Cooperation extends to all areas and I would like to thank you for the particular help you have given in the field of education with technical equipment, but also for our military personnel which operate together in NATO operations, and this is an expression of mutual trust”, - emphasized Minister Imami.

Your visit, continued further Mr. Imami, comes after the visit of the Minister of Defence, which was received with attention both in Albania and in Kosovo. Turkey is one of the countries that have contributed the most to the Armed Forces in the past 20 years, their transformation from old practices and certainly, it has been a friendly country which made possible integration into NATO.

Focusing on the situation in the region, Minister Imami said that, we assessed the Turkey’s role for the stability of the region, where we have tried in these 20 years, and I believe that we have demonstrated all our will for peace and stability. We tried and we have built good relations with our neighbours as Macedonia, Montenegro, we also have very good relations with Croatia, we are trying to stabilize relations with Serbia and we have not conditioned this relationship because of Kosovo, bearing in mind that Kosovo issue is resolved between Pristina, Belgrade and international community. This does not mean that we have not made any effort for the recognition of Kosovo independence. In general, our country is trying to become not only one of the elements of stability, but also for integration efforts, primarily into NATO, underlined Mr. Imami.

Minister Imami, while talking specifically about areas of cooperation between our two countries and armies, mentioned the increasing number of students for training or specialization in the last two years in Turkey, cooperation in Afghanistan, where our military personnel work and help together the Afghan people, support and cooperation with the Commando Battalion, Military Police, etc. “These years have been years of great transformations of Armed Forces. Our focus has been transformation. We are closing the demilitarization programme. In September this year, we will organize the last transformation conference and we believe that will close the full integration stage of the Armed Forces into NATO”, - stated Defence Minister Imami.

Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Turkey, General Necdet Özel said that, I fully believe that this visit will be a contribution to advance good relations between our two countries and I take this opportunity to express my gratitude and thanks for the reception reserved to me. He stressed that relations between two brotherly countries and cooperation are early. In the framework of cooperation agreements signed in 1992, projects and activities are being implemented in the field of training, specialization, health and logistics support. We are ready to listen to the demands you have and assess them and other areas of cooperation, underlined General Özel.
In this important meeting was also discussed the strengthening of cooperation in other projects, such as the Naval Base in Pashaliman and Kuçova’s military airport, etc.

Earlier, the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Turley was welcomed with ceremony and guard of honour by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Xhemal Gjunkshi. After the ceremonial welcome, both delegations held talks on issues involving bilateral relations in the framework of the Armed Forces, region and Alliance. Major General Gjunkshi thanked his Turkish counterpart for the high level of cooperation in the field of defence between the two countries, as well as its role for their continuous strengthening, and expressed the conviction and will to further strengthen this cooperation.

http://www.mod.gov.al/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2537:ministri-i-mbrojtjes-imami-priti-shefin-e-shtabit-te-pergjithshem-te-fa-te-turqise&catid=87&Itemid=662

Government adopts implementation plan

SOURCE: B92, TANJUG

BELGRADE -- The government late on Sunday in Belgrade adopted the report of the team for the development of the implementation plan of the agreement reached in Brussels.

 

(Tanjug)

The government also adopted a plan to implement the agreement reached with Priština on April 19, "as a document that does not prejudge the status of Kosovo and Metohija," it has been announced.

Prime Minister Ivica Dačić has informed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on this decision, the government's website said. 

The letter reads that "the government of the Republic of Serbia believes that the adoption of the implementation plan will open the door to results that will meet the interests and expectations of the citizens and all parties involved in the process." 

"The Serbian government believes that the appointment of the regional police commander for northern Kosovo, which will be made using the powers of the Union of Municipalities from Article 9 of the Agreement, may considerably contribute to building trust and stabilisation of the political and security situation in the strengthening of the entire territory of Kosovo and Metohija," said the statement. 

The letter further stated that the Serbian government "pointed out that by determining the plan of implementation, as well as by reaching all previous and future agreements and implementing them does not violate the determined principle of status-neutrality in all phases of implementation." 

The government also "rejected the resignation by Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Aleksandar Vulin," - and decided he will continue in that position. 

"It is very important for us that nobody accidentally interprets that what we are agreeing now has some meaning in view of the status issues," Dačić told B92 on Sunday, and that it was "important to confirm that the Brussels talks between Belgrade and Priština are status-neutral, that they do not prejudge Kosovo's future status, but that talks would continue with representatives of international community."

“K. Serbs want guarantees they will be Serbian citizens”
SOURCE: TANJUG
JAGODINA -- Ex-Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanović says Kosovo Serbs want guarantees from the government that they will be Serbian citizens.

 

Oliver Ivanović (B92, file)
“They request guarantees that they will have political security and economic perspective and only our government in Belgrade can guarantee that,” he stressed.

“If our government does not guarantee that, nobody else can give good enough guarantees because Serbs in Kosovo trust neither Priština nor Brussels,” Ivanović told Jagodina-based Palma Plus TV.

He stressed that the “government will not change the agreement because it works and speaks on behalf of seven million citizens of this country, regardless of how politically important we (Kosovo Serbs) are, the government simply will not allow us to change something it initialed, agreed on and tested in parliament”.

“By withdrawing the agreement, the government would lose credibility in the international and domestic public and such government would be of no use to us, Serbs in Kosovo would lose a lot,” Ivanović pointed out.

According to him, the Serb people in Kosovo would be put at ease if they had guarantees that they would have Serbian citizenship, that they would not have to use Kosovo’s identity documents and that the “Republic of Kosovo” stamp would not be put on their documents.

“Everything is in the hands of our government that has so far made the same mistakes as the previous one I was a member of, maybe even the one before, and that is a lack of communication with Serbs who live in Kosovo and Metohija, in this case especially with Serbs who live in the north,” Ivanović explained.

He believes that the lack of real information makes room for disinformation and that “there will always be people who will use this disinformation for their personal or party interests and it will seem like a campaign against the government”.

Kosovo’s Ex-Security Minister Held Over War Crimes

A court ordered house arrest for former minister Sylejman Selimi and six other Kosovo Liberation Army ex-guerrillas over alleged war crimes against civilian prisoners in 1998.
Edona Peci BIRN Pristina
The court in Pristina on Saturday ordered 30 days of house arrest for former security forces minister Selimi as well as the mayor of Skenderaj/Srbice, Sami Lushtaku, and five other suspects over their alleged involvement in abuses at a Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA jail during wartime.

The case been criticised by the Kosovo government, which has said that it “believes in justice and the innocence of KLA commanders and fighters”.

The court dismissed a request from EU rule-of-law mission, EULEX prosecutors to remand the suspects in custody.

The decision followed a marathon pre-trial hearing which continued into the early hours of Saturday morning.

The ruling against keeping them in detention was welcomed by applause from dozens of relatives and supporters of the suspects who had waited in front of the court for the decision to be made public.

EULEX officers and Kosovo police arrested five of the suspects, who are known as the ‘Drenica Group’, on Thursday.

“The five individuals are being investigated for war crimes against the civilian population in the form of the violation of the bodily integrity and health of civilians held in a KLA detention centre located in Likovc/Likovac (Skenderaj/Srbica municipality),” said a statement from EULEX.

According to the prosecution, civilian detainees were abused at the KLA prison in June 1998.

The arrest of former minister Selimi, who is now Kosovo’s ambassador to Albania, only became public at the hearing.

His lawyer Tome Gashi described the court’s decision to impose house arrest as “very unjust”, also describing it as “a legal scandal”.

“I believe that all the evidence [presented] at this hearing proved… no kind of crimes ever happened in Likovc during the period of time mentioned by the prosecutor,” Gashi told reporters.

He accused EULEX prosecutors of staging “a spectacle” rather than a legal process based on genuine evidence.

He said the defence would appeal against the ruling on Monday.

However, EULEX said the investigation would continue.

Prosecutor Maurizio Salustro mentioned six potential witnesses who could testify about abuses at the Likovc/Likovac detention centre.

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci raised concerns about the case at a cabinet meeting on Friday.

“The Kosovo government believes in justice and the innocence of Kosovo Liberation commanders and fighters, the just war of the KLA and Kosovo citizens and the cleanness of the Kosovo Liberation Army war,” Thaci said.

The War Veterans Association has also accused EULEX of “trying to attack the KLA’s war” and has called for a public protest on Monday.

Once an indictment is raised, the case of the Drenica Group will be the third high-profile war crimes case launched by EULEX since its mission in Kosovo began in 2008.

Three ex-KLA commanders, Latif Gashi, Rrustem Mustafa and Nazif Mehmeti - the so-called ‘Llapi Group’ - are currently on trial for allegedly abusing civilians in the Llapashtica/Lapastica prison.

Former KLA commander and transport minister, Fatmir Limaj, and nine other defendants are also on trial for allegedly abusing Serb and Albanian civilians and Serb prisoners of war at the Klecka detention centre.

In a separate case, Lushtaku, the mayor of Skenderaj/Srbica, is one of six defendants accused of waging a hate campaign against BIRN Kosovo director Jeta Xharra.

New Poll Places Golden Dawn In Second Place- Passes SYRIZA!



By Hellas Frappe on 24.5.13

HellasFrappe warned everyone concerned that this would happen, and thankfully some people are beginning to listen (example anti racism bill). By ignoring the over one million people who support the Golden Dawn party, by provoking national sentiment on issues that are very sensitive to Greek citizens (such as those noted in the anti racism bill), by not addressing the real problems of society (Turkish provocations in Aegean, Thrace, Cham issue, FYROM issue, etc.), the only thing that the members of Parliament and the Greek media has done is to escalate the Golden Dawn's popularity with the people.

In a new poll published by Makis Triantafylopoulos' zougla.gr new site, the Golden Dawn party moved into second place, passing the US-endorsed SYRIZA party. The conservative New Democracy apparently maintains a comfortable lead over all parties, or recorded 21,1%.

The Golden Dawn party received 14,5% while SYRIZA trailed in third place at 14%.

SYRIZA is suffering many losses to the newly established party of Alekos Alavanos, as well as to other smaller parties, (or has already lost about 8,4%).

The Independent Greek party scored 5.8%, followed by PASOK with a historical low of 4.2%, the Greek Communist party (KKE) with 4%, and DIMAR with 3.1%.

Source in Greek - news24

(Editor's Note - Golden Dawn is not popular because there are people in Greece that are racist or against foreigners, Golden Dawn is popular because it respects the Greek Constitution, the Greek Armed Forces, Greek history and especially our Greek national issues. The conservatives always traditionally supported these ideals... They lost their way at some point because the media and the Leftist parties in Greece have a profound influence on the political developments of the country, and especially the people and we believe that they were persuaded to follow a different path that did not reflect what the conservatives really stand for. We are nonetheless very pleased that they have realized that the new trend, which tilts to the right, will only benefit them. Time to get back to some of their grass roots on these issues. Who knows, it could be a new era for Greece!)

Albania: Visa Free Travel For Russian Tourists Until September


     
Albania introduced four-month visa-free travel for Russians today. The country’s government announced this decision for a term between the 25th of May and the 25th of September., VoR Reported.

 Opening its borders Tirana hopes to increase the number of Russian tourists. Almost 12,000 Russians visited Albania in 2012.

Tour operators working in Albania stress that the main obstacles for the growth of the number of Russian tourists are not visa issues but the absence of direct air communication, shortage of hotels and low-quality service at holiday resorts.

Turkey’s Balkan Policy under the AKP


 ,Geopolitics
 by Liountri Christianna

After AKP and Erdogan rose to power back in 2002, Turkey was on the verge of a severe financial crisis that led to a deal with the IMF and a haircut of 62% on its deposits. However, Turkey – facilitated by its political system which allows for more authoritarian policies to be implemented- is now ranked among the countries with the highest rates of development (8.5%) and claims for a more influential role in the regional arena. Its comeback provided it with the opportunity to pursue a more extrovert foreign policy, seeking to exploit current tensions and long standing divisions. Such a case are the Balkans where Turkey tries to gain access and promote its geopolitical interests by means of economy, diplomacy and religion, all under the concept of neo-Ottomanism.

            This proactive policy is not an innovation of Erdogan’s government nor of its Minister of Foreign Affairs Davutoglou. The founder is considered to be Turgut Ozal who introduced the concept of Turkoislamic synthesis as a means to extend Turkey’s sphere of influence. Later on, when Ismail Cem was minister of Foreign Affairs (1999-2002), he too opted for a multidimensional pro-active foreign policy yet with a firm Western orientation. In both these cases but also under Erdogan, Turkey seeked to take advantage of current instabilities in order to redefine its position in the new world order following the end of the Cold War. When referring to Turkish Foreign Policy under the AKP, one can not but refer to Ahmet Davutoglu -chief advisor at the Prime Minister’s Office during the period 2002-2009 and from 2009 on, Minister of Foreign Affairs-who seems to be the most decisive figure. The so -called “Davutoglu’s Doctrine” which is described in his famous book “The strategic depth” seems to find a literal application in AKP’s policies. With regard to the Balkans, the two most important short-term and medium-term goals of Turkish foreign policy in the region are the strengthening of Bosnia and Albania and the creation of an international legal framework that could set the minorities of Turkish origin under the protection of the Turkish state. Under this legal framework, Turkey should seek to ensure such provisions that would provide it with the pretext to intervene in issues related with the Muslim minorities in the Balkans.[1] In order to promote Turkish foreign policy’s interests, he proposes as a guideline the use of intra-and extra-regional balances in order to prevent the formation of a Balkan coalition.[2] Recognizing the existence of three historical fields of influence – the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, the Orthodox-Slavic heritage and the Ottoman Empire, he suggests that the U.S. will choose to support the Islamic factor in the area to prevent the increase of influence of Germany or Russia.[3]

            Turkey gains foothold in the Balkans on the grounds of common history, the presence of approximately 1,000,000 people of Turkish origin in these countries, the geographical proximity, its growing economic presence and a foreign policy that aims to secure allies in Turkey’s integration to the EU through the establishment of friendly relations with Balkan countries. Given the volatile situation in the Balkans where national fermentations have not been completed, combined with the american slow withdrawal which is accompanied with reluctance or failure to foster institutions that will ensure the sustainability of the state to whose creation they contributed, a stabilizing actor is considered essential for the region. Such a role was agreeably taken over by Turkey. The main target of Turkey’s Balkan policy, as shaped by the AKP, is to prove to the Europeans that it has western features. To alleviate fears of  establishing a zone of influence in the area, it assures that it wishes the integration of these countries to NATO and the EU. In addition, Turkey does not have a strong political influence in any Balkan country and the fact that it can not project military power beyond the limits of NATO, it adds a negative impact on ensuring strong underpinnings.

            As Özden Zeynep Oktav aptly notes: “Seen in retrospect, it can be said that Turkish activism in the Balkans has always been nourished by the crisis situation in the region. Turkey started to become active in the region due to the crises in Bosnia – Herzegovina & Kosovo. However, the important issue is that during both crises Turkey has acted within the framework of NATO, the EU and the West in general. It should also be noted that the current activism has not been due to a new crisis yet is related to the ones that became protracted since the beginning of 1990’s”[4]

            The cornerstone of Turkey’s Balkan policy is to secure influence in Bosnia – Herzegovina, which seems to include three levels: at a local level by encouraging dialogue among peoples constitutionally recognized in the country, at a regional level, with pressure on Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia to develop stronger links between them and thus overcome the conflict, at an international level by undertaking diplomatic initiatives promoting the territorial integrity of the country and its integration to the Euro-Atlantic institutions.[5]  President Abdulah Gul’ visit back  in October 2009 in Belgrade – the first Turkish officer’s visit after 29 years- marked the resumption of relations between Serbia and Turkey. On the 24th of April 2010, the presidents of Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia signed the Istanbul Declaration on Peace and Stability in the Balkans which guarantees the territorial integrity of Bosnia and commits the signatories to improve cooperation and to ensure mutual commitment to the  path towards European integration. (This initiative is part of the rationale for multilateral agreements in the Balkans in which Turkey will participate in order to ensure diplomatic footholds). Furthermore, in February 2008 Turkey recognized Kosovo’s independence and has committed itself to promote its interests internationally. Finally, Turkey strongly supports the efforts of “Macedonia” -which has been recognized under its constitutional name since 1991- for achieving full membership in NATO and the EU, before finding a solution to the name dispute with Athens. In December 2010, the Ministers of Defence of Turkey and “Macedonia” signed an agreement on economic and military cooperation. At the recent NATO summit in Chicago (20 – 21 May 2012), although the issue of enlargement of the Alliance was not officially in the agenda, Turkey did not miss the opportunity to move diplomatically to promote the nominations of FYROM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Georgia.

             Another important issue that has risen after the collapse of the communist regimes and the consequent lifting of prohibitions related to religious practices, is the redefinition of the role of religion. Islam was used as a differentiating factor to ethnic groups, especially in Kosovo and Macedonia. The traditional elite and the rural populations were reluctant to be identified as Muslims, preferring to highlight their national origin. For instance, the Albanian Muslim community perceives itself as a cultural minority in Europe and gradually adopted its own national myth, based on the rejection of the religious divisions among ethnic Albanians.[6] The vacuum created by this regime change provided an opportunity for Islamic Non-Governmental Organizations, closely associated with the Arab Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, to promote the extreme version of Islam as proposed by Wahhabism – the religious fundamentalist movement within Islam that advocates the return to the teachings of the basic texts of Islam (Koran, Hadith, Igkma). Given Islam’s radicalization, the prevalence of extreme religious tendencies in the Islamic world, and the proven connection of Islamic NGO’s with Al-Qaeda, U.S.’s  leadership saw Turkey as a country that could act as a counterbalance.[7] It is important to remark that Turkey was presented as a moderate Islamic actor rather than a secular Islamic state. This verbal change bears more than a simple symbolism. Instead, it  emphasizes moderation as a means to secure network communication with the countries where Muslim populations inhabit and alleviate the pressure toward secularism and the imposition of a Western-style democracy. However, despite the initial fear of the radicalization of the Balkans, the upgrade of the role of religion did not put into question the relationship between religion and the state and the social structures of those countries. In terms of Turkish penetration in the Balkans with Islam as a starting point, AKP’s government uses the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) and the Secretariat for Religious Affairs ,   while government involvement is recorded in religious and parastatal organizations in the region. Tika was an organization founded during Turgut Ozal’s presidency as a means of an active foreign policy within the concept of Turkoislamic synthesis.TIKA as an international relief agency can act only in States which are officially classified as “developing”. Therefore, the actions have been limited to the Western Balkans and could not penetrate in Greece and Bulgaria. TIKA takes up symbolic actions such as rebuilding mosques or  programs lacking religious reference such as assisting in rural development  and providing health care. Rebuilding mosques is considered important in order to raise the morale of the Muslim communities, ince mosques had been targeted by Serbs during the wars of the 1990′s. Also, it takes a symbolic character of the restoration and rehabilitation of the Ottoman heritage and a reaffirmation of the role of Turkey as a protector of Muslims in the region.[8] The Secretariat for Religious Affairs is under the Prime Minister’s Office and is therefore independent of the Foreign Ministry and its action goes beyond the limits imposed by traditional diplomacy, thus allowing it to work with Islamic organizations. Since 1995, it organizes the “European Islamic Council”, in which participants are the heads of the Islamic directorates from 38 countries (Central Asia and the Balkans). Since 2007, the Presidency of the Council decided to hold an annual meeting of the Heads of the Balkan Muslim communities. The Secretariat was also established after an Ozal’s initiative to restore the faith to traditional Islam. Its responsibilities include the appointment of imams, the payment of their salaries, the organization of religious activities; it acts as the highest religious authority in matters of doctrine and faith. After the 1980 coup, it began to assume responsibilities that went beyond the traditional administrative borders within the national territory and began to operate in countries where there were Turkish immigrants.[9] Parastatal organizations acting in accordance with the Turkish government  also play an important role, acting through networks that are difficult to detect and control.The most outstanding example of all is Gulen’s Movement, which has founded a significant number of colleges and universities in the Balkans (indicatively, the university of Burc in Sarajevo and the Epoca University in Tirana). Also, the reconstitution re-recorded and re-Islamic brotherhoods adjacent to the tradition of Naksibendi.

            With regard to the economic promotion of Turkey in the region, we see investment in strategic sectors such as tele-communications, infrastructure and banking sectors. Regarding trade relations between Turkey and the Balkan countries, a 6.7% of the total export product of the country is directed to them. The further expansion of Turkish exports is stalled by the law quality of its products, the transparency of the trade process and the working conditions. Analysts foresee the possibility of a further penetration of  Turkish products if the economic crises continues  causing German and French companies, Austrian and Italian banks to withdraw from the area and Greek investments to decline.[10]

                Since Turkey’s integration process to the EU delays, it seems no longer willing to abandon a multifaceted field of action in order to join the lengthy and collaborative processes of EU. Nonetheless, the integration of friendly-allied  countries in EU can provide support to the Turkish integration’s efforts. For Turkey, to exert political influence in the grade that it will secure regional domination, a mix of continuous economic crisis and a long-term blockade of the Balkan countries from the EU are considered to be the only two factors that will allow such a development. Τhe relative decline in Brussels’ leverage has in turn opened opportunity for other players such as Turkey, Russia and China to fill in the gaps.[11]

Albania: Italian singer Al Bano awarded Scanderbeg medal



Artist receives honour in Rome for role in regime fall
24 MAY, 11:33


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(ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 24 - Italian singer Al Bano Carrisi on Thursday was awarded in Rome with a gold medal from the Albanian order dedicated to the national hero who freed Albania from Turkish rule, Giorgio Castriota Scanderbeg (1414-1507).

Receiving the prize, the internationally renowned crooner recalled why he was named Al Bano, in honour of a country where his father fought during World War II. 'If he is a boy, let's call him Al Bano, it will bring him luck', he reportedly said. 'I have a very special connection with Albania', said the artist, recalling how his father Carmelo Carrisi used to tell him he was called Al Bano 'because I was in Albania during the war but didn't kill anyone'. He also returned alive: 'He would sleep in the home of locals who would feed him corn'.

Albanian ambassador to Italy, Neritan Ceka, said it is the first time the honour granted by the president of the republic is awarded to an artist.

The ambassador said the singer from Cellino San Marco contributed in sparking a popular protest which in 1991 led to the fall of a 45-year-long regime. Al Bano, stressed Ceka, performed in 1989 in Tirana in front of 20,000 youths, singing songs of freedom. 'On September 18-19 1989, shortly before the fall of the Wall, I performed at the local congress palace and the stadium in Tirana', the artist told ANSAmed. It was the first time that a Western artist performed there, he said. 'I saw the new Albania being born', said Al Bano. 'I planted a seed of freedom and I am not saying this but former president Amir Topi'. The singer said he wants to go back to Tirana soon: 'I would like to go back and sing exactly there, in the same stadium'. (ANSAmed)

 Kosovo Govt Criticises Mayor’s War Crimes Arrest

The Kosovo government has criticised the arrest of the mayor of Skenderaj/Srbice, Sami Lushtaku, and four others for alleged war crimes against civilian prisoners during the 1999 conflict.
Edona Peci BIRN Pristina
The government issued a statement late Thursday expressing concern about the arrests of Lushtaku and the other suspects over alleged abuses at a Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA jail during wartime.

“The Kosovo government believes in the just war of the KLA and its fighters and commanders - a war which enabled Kosovo to achieve freedom, independence, a democratic state and a partnership with the international community,” the government statement said.

It added that the government “believes in justice and the innocence of KLA commanders and fighters”, although it also offered support for international rule-of-law missions.

Officers from the EU rule-of-law mission EULEX and Kosovo police arrested the five men on Thursday.

“The five individuals are being investigated for war crimes against the civilian population in the form of the violation of the bodily integrity and health of civilians held in a KLA detention centre located in Likovc/Likovac (Skenderaj/Srbica municipality),” said a statement from EULEX.

“One of the individuals is also being investigated for a war crime in the form of the killing of one civilian,” the statement said.

Lushtaku’s lawyer Arianit Koci confirmed that his client had been detained.

“Mr. Lushtaku is charged with war crimes against the civilian population in violation of the Geneva conventions,” Koci told BIRN on Thursday.

He said that more information about the case was expected on Friday when Lushtaku and the other four suspects are to appear before a pre-trial judge.

The lion of Himara

Pyrros Dimas Now On Executive Board of IWF
By Hellas Frappe on 23.5.13


(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It was announced that four-time Olympic medalist in weightlifting, Pyrros Dimas was elected at the Executive Board of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), during its electoral Congress held in Moscow between May 20-21.

The veteran olympic gold medalist, who today is forty-two years old, has had an outstanding career in international weightlifting. He won three gold Olympic medals (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000) and a bronze in Athens in the 2004 Olympic Games, after which he signaled his retirement by leaving his shoes on the platform, while an appreciative crowd gave him a standing ovation.

His trophy chest also includes 3 gold medals in World Championships and 1 in European Championships. Dimas is currently the chairman of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation and a member of the Hellenic Parliament with the PASOK party.

Macedonian hooligans attack House of Albanian Alphabet


24/05/2013 Top Channel TV

Macedonian hooligans attacked the House of Albanian Alphabet in Manastir today.

Local media report that vandals broke the doors and damaged photographs and documenting materials of the Albanians who signed the Albanian Alphabet Congress.

The Director of the Alphabet House, Gazmend Hoxhaj, expressed his sadness about the attack and asked the police to bring the responsible to justice.

The attack was condemned by the Albanian History Association in Macedonia. “This is a low act of specific Macedonian circles, fed with extreme Albanophobia”, a declaration says.

The Macedonian Police has arrived on the scene and is investigating.

“Russia won’t change its position on Kosovo”

SOURCE: BETA
SOCHI -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that his country has not changed its stance on Kosovo and that it “supports Serbian friends” in talks with Priština.

 

Vladimir Putin (Beta/AP)
He told a press conference after a meeting with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić in Sochi on Friday that Russia continued to advocate a solution for Kosovo that would be in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and be acceptable to both sides.

The Serbian president said that Serbia and he personally were grateful to Russia for its stance on Kosovo “that everything that is good for Serbia is good for Russia”.

Putin announced that Russia would continue to “encourage” Russian companies to invest in Serbia.

He announced that another EUR 1.5bn would be invested in the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) and reiterated that Russia would invest USD 1.7bn in the construction of South Stream gas pipeline.

Putin stressed that Russia had approved several loans to Serbia, both to prop up the state budget and to reconstruct infrastructure in the country.

The Serbian president noted that the two countries’ cooperation in politics, economy, culture and science was very good and that it was constantly improving.

He added that Serbia highly appreciated Russia’s support in development and strengthening of friendly relations and that Putin would be presented with the Order of the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade as a sign of gratitude.

Putin said that Russia “symbolically” helped Belgrade renovate and rebuild Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo.

After the signing of the agreement, Nikolić and Putin read their statements and reporters were not allowed to ask questions.

Mosques attacked after killing of soldier

SOURCE: B92
LONDON -- Over 100 members of Britain's ultra right-wing group EDL gathered last night near the spot where a British soldier was brutally murdered in London.

 


People heckle London Mayor Boris Johnson, not pictured, as he leave the scene of the attack (Beta/AP)
They clashed with the police, throwing bottles at officers, and "continued to run riot and sing nationalists songs in a local pub" after the police formed a cordon.

The police said they received reports of attacks against mosques throughout London later during the night, but that they could not make a direct connection with the murder of the soldier - reportedly committed by two Islamists.

However, eyewitnesses said that "it was clear from the attackers' behavior that it was about revenge."

A local Muslim said that a brick was used to smash a window on a nearby mosque, while two men were arrested elsewhere in the city for attacking other mosques.

Another man was detained for attacking a mosque in Kent, said the police.

According to reports, the soldier was "hacked to death" on Wednesday in London by two British men of African origin.

One of them later approached a CCTV camera holding a knife and meat cleaver in bloodied hands, and said, "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

According to a Reuters report, British Prime Minister David Cameron held an emergency meeting of his intelligence chiefs to assess the response to what he called a "terrorist" attack.