ALBANIA IN COLAPSE ECONOMIC CRISIS

IMF Fears Energy Crisis in Albania Will Damage Growth

Photo: Young Albanian boys run to catch a tank departing from a road in front of the Democratic Party headquarters in central Tirana Tuesday Sept. 15, 1998. Former President Sali Berisha's supporters rioted on the Albanian capitol's streets yesterday seizing tanks from the National Guard. Two tanks were returned to the government after it threatened to use all necessary force to remove armed men from around the building. (Photo by David Brauchli)
07 08 2007 Tirana _ The IMF expressed worries on Monday that the energy crisis that has swept Albania will have adverse effects on economic growth.
“The energy crisis presents a great danger for Albania. It affects all medium-term economical indexes and could create a hole in this years budget,” it said in a press release.The drought that has engulfed the Balkans this summer has lowered Albanian reservoirs, reducing the ability of hydropower plants to generate electricity. The greater demand for water has also made it impossible for the Albanian Power Corporation, KESH, to import large quantities of electricity.
Added to that has been heavier than usual use of air conditioners, due to record temperatures.Albanians have had to deal with massive power cuts lately, sometimes lasting up to 16 hours a day.

The Albanian Central bank has expressed similar worries to the IMF, warning that continued power failures “will curb economic growth by raising the cost of production for goods and services”.

Albania’s GDP growth is projected to reach 6 per cent this year. During the last fiscal year the economy grew by 5 per cent. However, experts worry that while the first two quarters seemed to match projection in terms of growth, in the second part of the year the economy will feel the burden of the energy crises.

Albania’s power generation system hasn’t seen major investment since the early 1980s, when the cash-strapped former communist regime stopped investing in new hydropower dams.

After the fall of communism, the demand for energy grew rapidly. The power grid is estimated to need $1.6 billion in investments to eliminate power failures.

Construction of a new World Bank-funded thermal power plant is expected to start in Vlora in southern Albania at the end of this year.

KESH, which has a monopoly in the provision of electricity, is preparing a request to the national regulator for a price rise, citing the heavy cost of imports.

ALBANIA; A DANGEROUS INISIATIVE TO COME BACK TO THE CIVIL WAR OF 1997 PERIOD.

Ex Premier Sali Berisha, now Prime Minister urges a new provocation to clash again North and South obliging the General Attorney and Tribunals to open the crimes during the civil war in Albania in 1997, as only solution to deviate a collapse energetic caos of the country.
Tirana.
The Albanian Government is preparing a great offensive against Opposition, using as politically rhetoric a process against some crimes made during civil war period in Albania in 1997. According to Albanian Press, tow processes has been opened in Cerik (Elbasani Region) and Vlora, when some of securities official’s forces has been died crashed with protests during the collapse of pyramids schemes in Albania 1997.

But, in reality Albania is passing a catastrophic period, missing electricity and the country is going to a very critic economic situation. Under influence of the Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the Tribunals and Persecutors of Albania, are opening some crimes made in 1997 when Albania is including to Civil War between Northern and South after pyramids schemes collapse made (According to CNN, Civil War explodes in Albania in 1997 Between Geghues (really Albanian from Northern Provinces including Kosovo and Western FYROM) and Toskes (Must of population old Epiriotean Greek origin).

Even the Albanian opinion has deviate the year 1997 catching the terminology as “Brutal History of Albanian modern state” from “Civil War” to “Collapse Situation from pyramids schemes”, these times is come to back again. Annalist in Albania think that the initiative to open Tribunals of 1997, is a new crises to deviate the really critic economic situation of the country, but supports another politic offensive of Leader Berisha against Albanian opposite.

Anyway if Berisha is to reopen 1997, using “Independent Tribunals” and the critic situation for General Persecutor of Albania, the only problematic country in Balkan Region should come back again to anarchy of 1997 favorising many protests in Southern Albania against the Government, a very risk for stability of the region .

In March 1997 Albania was going out of self control to Civil War, when about 8 000 victims. According to statistics only Vlora Region had about 1600 victims.

Albanian Civil War (1997)
In late 1996 and early 1997, several failed get-rich-quick schemes robbed hundreds of thousands of Albanians of their life savings. When protestors demonstrated in the streets demanding restitution, riot police attacked them. The lack of an acceptable government solution to this problem exacerbated the situation, and the riots spread across the country. These riots, and the state of anarchy which they caused, are known as the Albanian civil war of 1997. At the end of the conflict, more than 360 people had been killed and power had transferred from the Democratic Party to the Socialist Party.
Although the Albanian civil war was a dramatic event which garnered international attention, it was but one piece of that country's long and difficult transition from an isolationist Communist state to a parliamentary democracy, which began in 1992.
The Albanian financial crisis had began earlier in December of 1996, when protestors in the capital city of Tirana demonstrated against the government, which they held responsible for the collapse of several investment funds. The problem was worsened when $1.2 billion of Albanians' savings were wiped out by pyramid schemes on January 24, and thousands of Albanians took to the streets in the southern city of Lushnje. During the ensuing riots, protestors stole over 500,000 rifles and other arms from government depots. On January 25, Foreign Minister Shehu is attacked by demonstrators. The next day, thousands of protestors convene at in Tirana and clash with riot police. The civil war had now expanded throughout the country, as governments buildings are set on fire across Albania.
The riots had now expanded from protests over lost money to a general protest against the government. On March 1, the Prime Minister, Aleksander Meksi, resigns, and the next day the government declares a national state of emergency. As the government and military establishments scatter to the wind and anarchy sweeps across the country, the southern half of Albania falls under the control of rebels and criminal gangs. In addition, over 10,000 Albanians flee to Italy, which creates resentment and a refugee crisis there. At this point, the insurgents have solidified their control of the country by seizing the last government stronghold of Gjirokaster.
On March 11, the members of the Socialist Party win a major victory when their Bashkim Fino is appointed prime minister. However, the transfer of power did not stop the unrest, as protests spread to northern Albania. By March 13, all major population centers were engulfed in demonstrations, and foreign countries began to evacuate their citizens from Albania. In the three months of protests, the Albanian economy suffered a heavy blow as unemployment and inflation sharply rose, while the gross domestic product and the value of the currency fell. In late March, the UN Security Council approved dispatching a multinational military force to Albania to oversee the distribution of international humanitarian aid and maintain order, and on April 15, the 7,000 troops participate in "Operation Alba," which helps restore rule of law to the country.

Cources;

http://www.cnn.com/

http://www.globalsecurity.com/

http://www.kohajone.com/

http://www.balkanweb.com/

Begins the separation process of Kosovo

The Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku apels the Albanians: do not abandone Mitrovitsa

Prime Minister of Kosovo Agim Ceku has urged to Albanian people who live in Northern Kosovo to come back in their proprieties and to stand there. He urges for patience of Albanians until the Independence of Kosovo which must to be “reality from ONU” said Ceku. According to information, thousand of Albanians are selling houses and proprieties from Mitrovitsa Region of Northern Kosovo, buying from Serbian State.

Great Powers have decided to resolve the Kosovo Issue inside 120 days but Albanian press said: “This project is separate Kosovo between serbs and Albanians not for Independence of Kosovo”. Some days ago, the Parliament of Kosovo had debated about Kosovo future plain, but the United Group of Kosovo declared that any solution with out independence is unacceptable.
However, the project for 120 day previsted from Contact Group about future of Kosovo underlines a separation in peace of Kosovo between serbs and Albanians a similar project realized in FYROM between Macedonians and Albanians.

Related link cource: http://www.balkanweb.com/sitev4/index.php?id=6900

PM Karamanlis meets with French counterpart Fillon, President Sarkozy in Paris
Paris (ANA-MPA/N. Melissova) -- Greece's prime minister Costas Karamanlis met Monday in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for talks slated to cover a wide range of international, regional and bilateral issues. Karamanlis, who arrived in the French capital on Sunday, was greeted at the entrance of the Elysee Palace by Sarkozy, while foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and her French counterpart Bernard Kouchner also attended the meeting. The talks were scheduled to continue over a working lunch hosted by Sarkozy for Karamanlis, which would be followed by a joint press conference. Earlier in the day, Karamanlis had a 45-minute meeting with French prime minister Francois Fillon, with talks focusing on climate changes, prompted by the wildfires plaguing the two countries this summer, and prospects for their confrontation. The two sides agreed on coordinating their efforts and backing forms of cooperation for confronting the new conditions created by the climate changes. The two prime ministers also discussed the Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) and endorsed the completion of the relevant procedures during the current Portuguese presidency of the EU, which expires at the end of the year. They further discussed the European prospect of the western Balkan countries, which they described as one of the most important factors for ensuring stability and prosperity in the region. Karamanlis also brought up the FYROM name issue with his French counterpart, stressing that Greece has taken the required steps and now was awaiting the other side to follow suit. The talks focused also on bilateral relations, with emphasis on economic relations, which the two sides described as very good and expressed the desire for their further improvement, to the benefit of both sides. The two prime ministers particularly highlighted the increase in Greek exports to France and the increase in French investments in Greece. In a reference to the developments in Turkey and its European prospect, Karamanlis reiterated the firm Greek position of "full compliance, full accession".
Caption: Greece's prime minister Costas Karamanlis (R) being greeted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (ANA-MPA/A. Guilelmos)

Armenia’s Defense Ministry denies reports on buying weapons from Albania

Breaking News

(published on 29/07/2007By Regnum.ru (http://www.regnum.ru/english/861844.html)
26 July 2007 - The Armenian Defense Ministry has denied reports on buying weapons from Albania. Spokesman for the ministry Seyran Shakhsuvaryan talking to a REGNUM correspondent said that “no agreements have been reached about delivery of weapons from Albania to Armenia” and he heard of it for the first time. Leaks in the media, Shakhsuvaryan said, were another lie.According to some media, including Gazetashqiptare (Albania), an Armenian Defense Ministry official got in touch with his colleague in Albania and ordered a large shipment of weapons including flak of various calibers varying from 75 mm to 122 mm. After MEIKO Company having experience in the field was instructed to establish ties with officials in Armenia in charge and strike a deal. The source also notes that the Armenian side was supposed to pay for the shipment. However, Turkish authorities allegedly denied transit to it, and the ship with 60 containers aboard turned back. They in Albania are sure that the Turkey’s motion was caused by its harsh relations with Yerevan. MEIKO leadership, in its turn, believes that Albania has nothing to do with the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, because all selling procedures were carried out properly and legalized, so, today, the Albanian side is searching for other routes to deliver the shipment to Armenia. © CAUCAZ.COM Breaking News published on 29/07/2007

Azerbaijan to send a note to Albania for illegally selling of weapons to Armenia, Elmar Mammadyarov says

[ 27 Jul 2007 16:26 ]

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will send a note to Albania for illegally selling weapons to Armenia, APA reports quoting Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov as briefing journalists. According to the UN resolution, no country might sell weapons to the countries at war.

Turkish authorities have refused transit to a sizeable consignment of Albanian weapons and ammunition bound for Armenia. They forced the Albanian ship to sail back with its cargo.
Director of MEIKO Company engaged in trade of Pinari weapons, stated that Albania is not interfering in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Albanian Defense Ministry had appointed the MEIKO Company to fill the Armenian order, since it had some experience in this business selling Pinari armament. The Armenian side would pay for the consignment of armament./APA/

"The European Moviment Socialist Party of Albania"....Fatos Nano to compose the new politic Moviment.

Photo: Ex Mayer of Athens Dora Bakogianis, actualy Foreign Minister of Greece, to honore the ex Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano.

By Stavros Markos*

After faled to electe albanian president, Fatos Nano begins to change his politicaly profil inside Socialist Party of albania. A group of Socialist Party in Parliament, voted to elect a high represent of Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Bamir Topi, under the influence of ex socialist leader Fatos Nano. Annyway if the efforts of Nano to take the head of SP would be faled until Octobber 2007, for the left political of albania will begin the separation proces.
According to annalysis of RIEAS in Athens some months ago, Fatos Nano shold be the future leader to compose a new party suported from albanians emigrant in Greece including Northern Epiriotes contigent with about 700 thousand people. The new Politic Party will nominate "The European Moviment Socialist Party of Albania" a similar of PASOK the Pan Socialist Moviment of Greece, of leader George Papandreu (The President of International Socialist of the World).
The leaders of Greek Minority (Northern Epirus) in Albanian Parliament (HURP) have been the only supporters of Fatos Nano to be cantidat elected for President, but anny efforts faled because Albania (with total influence from diaspora and Kosovo) needed for a President a moderator cantidat from musulman religion, indicted from new developments in Southern Balkan Region, particularly for albanian unification future proces.
So, the new start of Fatos Nano assegns a strategic plain about new politic electinos in albania in 2008, under the total influence of Athens and suporter from northern epiriotean electorate to win the elections.

Decision of Fatos Nano to compose a New Political Party in Albania (RIEAS, Editorials 2007 & Analysis)

The ex Socialist Premier Fatos Nano, declared recently an proposal to VOA Albanian Section, in order to compose a new Politic Party in Albania, after the last Socialist Party Congress held in Tirana and with a negative political result. Nano accuses Edi Rama, the SP President, as a dictator and a fundamentalist that by his actions will ultimately disintegrate the influential Party of SP that since its foundation in 1991 plays an integral role in the Albanian political scene.
According to the Albanian Press sources, Fatos Nano could win politically in the future and become again a Prime Minister of Albania with a more European orientation, if he will include in his Party, a large representation of Northern Eipiriotes electorate, which historically live in Southern Albania, known as Northern Epirus Region. The electorate is almost exclusively composed by Albanian emigrants and Northern Eipiriotes, most of them holding Greek identity cards and citizenship documents
According to information from sources in Athens, the leader of Socialist Party in Greece, has requested by Edi Rama before local elections of 20 February, to have a large percentage of candidates from Northern Eipiriotes, mustering thousand of votes from immigrants in Greece, but Edi Rama was against this proposal.
On a domestic party level, Fatos Nano could take from Parliamentary Socialist Group (45 in total) the majority members, so as to gain political supremacy. Also he could easily control party politics in most parts of Southern Albania (Northern Epirus) whilst Edi Rama is mostly supported by the business world, the clans and the media.
It seems that Fatos Nano political future lies more in aligning with the Greek minority members and with the Albanian populous having strong ties with Greece, because in most respects this is going to be his vital electorate basis for the future developments in his party.
Regarding Hellenic diplomacy during and after 1997 period (Civil War in Albania) Fatos Nano has been supported through aid and finance from Athens and assisted in the expansion of Greek investments in Albania. On the other hand he was not overtly confident so as create more space for the Greek Minority rights... Fatos Nano in order to rise into the politic stratum once again needs support from the Greek-oriented electorate and the media and foreign diplomacy support particularly from Athens.
It seems quite probable that over the coming months the political significance of Greek minority members in Albania will going to upgrade to the influential role they could play in relation to domestic Albanian politics, especially those of the Socialist Party and in particular of Fatos Nano political ascendancy.

Stavros Markos*
(Journalist and Member of the World Security Network Foundation at Athens & Southeastern Europe Office, RIEAS Athens).

Surces:


http://www.rieas.gr/


http://rieas.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=219&Itemid=41

Rice Warns Kosovo Against Independence Monday, July 23, 2007 11:27 AM

AP, Associated Press
WASHINGTON-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is warning Kosovo officials not to declare independence unilaterally and to continue with diplomatic efforts, the State Department said Monday.
The meeting between Rice and officials from the breakaway province comes days after the U.N. Security Council set aside a resolution that Russia called a hidden route to independence.
As the talks began, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that Rice planned to "underline the fact that nobody gains by trying to short-circuit the diplomatic process that is under way."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, seen here 19 July 2007, was urging patience on Kosovo leaders Monday, after the United States and European allies shelved a UN bid to secure independence for the Serbian province. Photo: AFP
The United States and the European Union said Friday they would move the forum for deciding Kosovo's status from the Security Council to the Contact Group on Kosovo, which includes representatives from the U.S., Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Russia.
The U.N. Security Council resolution on Kosovo's future was set aside Friday in the face of a possible Russian veto.
The Washington talks follow a comment by Kosovo's prime minister, Agim Ceku, suggesting that the province's parliament should adopt its own resolution setting Nov. 28 as a possible date for declaring independence.
Ceku will be among a group of officials and politicians from the province, including its president and the speaker of its assembly, who were to meet Monday with Rice and other U.S. officials, including national security adviser Stephen Hadley.
In April, the U.N.'s special envoy on Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, recommended Kosovo be granted internationally supervised independence but his plan was defeated at the UN Security Council.
The latest version of the resolution calls for four months of intensive negotiations between Kosovo's ethnic Albanian independence-seeking majority and the province's Serb minority, which wants to remain as part of Serbia.
It drops an automatic route to independence if talks fail. But it would hand the administration of Kosovo from the United Nations to the European Union after 120 days, which means the EU would be the key decision-maker in the province.
Kosovo Albanians will likely tell Rice and Hadley that patience among Musli mAlbanians in Kosovo is running thin and that further delays could inflame public opinion. Moderate forces in Kosovo represented by the delegation are under pressure from more radical parties and the public to show that they will deliver independence.
U.S. officials have said that despite the delay, the Bush administration fully supports independence.
Serbia's foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, is also scheduled to meet with Rice in Washington Thursday.

THE CHALLENGES OF THE ENERGY RELATED DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
Michaletos Ioannis (RIEAS Junior Analyst, Coordinator for the World Security Network Foundation Southeast Office Europe)
Copyright: http://www.rieas.gr/
In the 90’s the term Balkans was characterized by the international press as the region inflicted by a series of civil wars, embargoes, and ethnic hatred. In the 00’s the energy factor started to dominate the peripheral political scene and nowadays it seems that the energy game is moving to its completion; finding Russia empowered and eager to exploit its newly found accesses in the Western markets via Greece, Bulgaria and Italy.
A few days ago another grand deal (1) was signed between Athens, Sofia, Rome and Moscow, relating to the creation of a massive pipeline transferring natural gas from the Burgas port to Northern Greece and up to Southern Italy, named “South Stream” (2). The pipeline will have a total length of some 3,200 km and it will be pumped with some 30 billion cubic meters of gas each year from the Russian reservoirs.
Moreover the total cost will exceed 10 billion USD and it is interesting to note that it will affect negatively Turkey and Iran. The first country will be affected because the proposed pipelines will by-pass its territory, thus degrading to an extent its role in the regional energy politics. Teheran will also suffer from a partial exclusion from the European market that will be taped for the time being by Russia.
The pipeline will traverse sub-water the Black Sea and end in Burgas port in Bulgaria. Afterwards it will split most probably in two parts; one heading towards Southern Austria or Northern Italy and the other one passing through Greece and terminating in the Otrando port in Southern Italy, just opposite the island of Corfu. This massive project will be commenced in late 2009 and will be financed by the Italian ENI Corporation (3) and the Russian energy giant, Gazprom (4).
The big winner from this new deal can be said to be Greece and the current Administration that under the Prime Minister Karamanlis, has emerged as a local ingenious player (5), especially after masterminding the other important oil pipeline, the Burgas-Alexandroupoli (6) and the natural gas pipeline from Turkey- ending in Italy that concludes Greece’s role as an important energy hub (7).
The announcement of this particular energy project was held in Istanbul in light of the intergovernmental conference of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (8) where the Greek Prime Minister met Turkey’s Erdogan and held talks of bilateral interest. Of course the development was viewed negatively by Ankara that views a considerable stall in its plans of acquiring a great share of the energy exports from East to West. The Turkish President Ahmet Sezer stated for the potential environmental challenge that the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipeline is; in parallel with a decision by the Supreme Court of Turkey to question in legal terms the Ecumenical dimension of the Orthodox Patriarchy in Istanbul (9). Despite the fact that no one can correlate these two events, suspicion has been raised in Greece for an indirect way of exerting pressure to Athens due to its initiatives in the energy sector.
On the other hand the American Administration seems displeased by the whole development, especially since Athens hasn’t consulted State Department’s Nicholas Burns, on his recent visit to the Greek capital last month (10). Washington is eager to secure the interests and economic feasibility of the Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline that will transfer Azeri gas and of course resents any further advancement of the Russian exporters that have steadily gathered financial and political clout in Southeastern Europe and Germany over the past few years.
The culminations that resulted in the latest deal concerned a multiparty diplomatic negotiation table with Athens in the center. According to the leading Greek newspaper “To Vima” (11), it took almost half a year of continuous talks between Greeks, Italians and Russians before an agreement was reached. The most important part was the secrecy that characterized the negotiations, and it seems that there was a surprise for the parties excluded from the project.
The changing strategic landscape of the Balkans is centered on the energy developments, which in their turn affect either positively or negatively the domestic politics. Already Greece is experiencing a circulation of rumors relating to the opposition of Turkey in the new geo-economic environment and a recent fire in a natural reserve near Athens (12) apparently due to arson (13); is being blamed in the conflicting regional interests that are adamant in the change of balance of powers that it is occurring nowadays. Further, “To Vima” newspaper revealed in a recent article the possibility of “Political reprisals” against Karamanli’s Administration as the country is heading towards general elections and the incumbent government is trying to muster domestic support amid a multitude of interests often influenced by factors originating from abroad. A recent clue of the sensitivity the initiatives of the Greek government can have was the attack (14) a few days ago against the Minister of Culture, Mr. Voulgarakis, in central Athens on his way to sign an important cultural agreement between representatives of Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia (15). Under the terms of this accord, the four countries will take steps in securing the influence of the Christian Orthodox in the United Europe. In this case a group of unknown individuals attacked the entourage of the Minister in a classic “Hit & run” operation of the low-intensity urban warfare that is increasing alarmingly in the Greek capital (16).
In general the Balkan region promises yet a few world headlines, either in the political or economic field. The importance of the region is vast in comparison with its population, due to its use as a hub for the energy needs of the West and the Russian ambitions. Moreover the proximity to the Middle East and North Africa, reserve a truly unique placement for the Balkans in the strategic considerations of the global power-architecture cores in London, Washington, Moscow, Paris, Berlin and Beijing increasingly. The coming months will reveal more of the intrigues involved, and most importantly the winners and the losers of the “Energy game” of the 21st century.
Notes:
(1) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/26/business/EU-FIN-Turkey-Greece-Pipeline.php An article of the International Herald Tribune on the signing of the natural gas pipeline between Italy, Greece, Bulgaria & Russia
(2) http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2372249 A report by the Eurasian Daily Monitor service of the Jamestown Foundation, around the South Stream energy project
(3) http://www.eni.it/home/home_en.html The official website of the ENI Corporation
(4) http://www.gazprom.com/ The official website of the Gasprom Corporation
(5)http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/selectlang?lang=el&currpageurl=/user/showplain?maindoc=5465480&maindocimg=5465367&service=6 News brief by the Athens News Agency on the Greek initiatives in the energy sector
(6) http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070315/62034346.html A report by the RIA Novosti news service on the signing of the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipeline between Greece, Bulgaria & Russia
(7) http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1170255628.77/ An article by the EU Business news service on the Turkish-Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline
(8) http://www.bsec-organization.org/main.aspx?ID=About_BSEC The official website of the BSEC
(9) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/26/europe/EU-REL-Turkey-Orthodox.php An article by the International Herald Tribune on the decision by the Turkish court on the Ecumenical Patriarchate
(10) http://athens.usembassy.gov/relations/BurnsMarshall.htm Press release of the USA Embassy in Athens of the speech by Nicholas Burns for the 60-year anniversary of the Marshall plan
(11) http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=15100&m=A14&aa=1
An article by the Vima newspaper on the possibility of political reprisals against the Greek government due to its initiatives in the energy sector
(12)http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/news/world/20070629-greece-fires-all-night-approach-athens-heat-wave.html Correspondence of the France Agency around the fire in the Parnitha natural reserve near Athens-Greece
(13) http://www.greeknewsonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7089 An article by the Greek News Online service assuming possibility of arson. It has to be noted that various sources indicate towards arson, especially through TV & radio broadcasts in Greece.
(14) http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100011_04/07/2007_85261 Article by the Kathimerini newspaper around the attack against the Minister of Culture in Athens
(15) http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100017_04/07/2007_85258 Article by the Kathimerini newspaper, relating to the agreement signed by the Ministers from Orthodox countries in Athens.
(16) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/22/europe/EU-GEN-Greeces-Mean-Streets.php Article by the International Herald Tribune on the increase of urban –warfare style attacks in Athens. It has to be noted that this article was published in late January and since then the attacks have multiplied.

12.07.2007 10:58:15
U.S., France, U.K. draft new resolution on Kosovo
( RIA Novosti ) - The United States, France, and Britain have drafted a new resolution on Kosovo, which does not automatically grant the Serbian province independence after 120 days of multilateral negotiations, UN sources said.
The issue of granting automatic independence for the region dominated by ethnic Albanians has been a bone of contention between Russia, a Serbian ally, and the other four members in the UN Security Council. The new resolution gives mediators four months to try and find a solution.
UN missions are already discussing another, third draft resolution, which has yet to be submitted to the UN Security Council.
Kosovars, who have been under the UN protectorate since NATO's 78-day bombings, are seeking independence from Serbia warning that they may have to take the situation into their own hands if no decision is made soon.

THE LAST BATTLE OF THE ALBANIAN NATIONALISM AGAINST THE ORTHODOX ARCHBISHOP ANASTASIOS JANULATOS
Stavros Markos (Journalist, Member of the World Security Network Foundation -Southeast Europe Office)
Ioannis Michaletos(RIEAS Junior Analyst and Coordinator of the World Security Network Foundation – Southeast Europe Office)
Copyright: Stavros Markos on line (www.rieas.gr)
In January 1991, the Patriarchate of Constantinople appointed the then Bishop Anastasios to enter Albania as the “Patriarchal Exarches" with the mandate to unite the Albanian Orthodox people irrespectively of their ethnic origin and re- establish the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. The Orthodox Church in Albania had been decimated after forty years of the most severe persecution. Before the overthrow of the Communist yoke, the numbers of the Orthodox clergy had diminished from 440 in the 1940’s to just 22 in 1990. Once again, the opportunity to revive a Church that was tittering on the brink of collapse was confronted by the Bishop Anastasios.
But the Albanian nationalism including a large number of Albanian parliamentarians, in 1992, wanted to have under their control the activity of the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church, claiming to the Albanian people (Muslims in general in their faith) slogans, such as, “His Beatitude Janulatos must leave Albania, because he is a Greek citizen and not an Albanian one”. This particular protest was heard loudly even inside the Orthodox Church of Tirana, during the religious ceremony of Archbishop Janullatos 16 years ago, and constituted a precursor of what was about to follow thereafter.
In 1994, the President of Albania Sali Berisha urged the Albanian people to vote a referendum for the New Constitution of the Country. Along the new draft, there was the request of an article of the constitution that obliged the Archbishop of Albania to become an Albanian citizen. Finally, the result of the referendum was a definite NO, and Berisha’s government had to postpone its plans at for the time being.
After the collapse of the Pyramidal Schemes and the Civil War that erupted in 1997, Albania proceeded for the second time to a popular referendum for Constitution, under the strong observation of the International Community organizations, OSCE and EU. The aftermath of it found Albania obliged to respect the religion’s independence and to adhere to the Laic State structures, meaning that the religions must be separated from the state and its administrative control.
During this period until now, the activity of Orthodox Church particularly of the Archbishop Janulatos, is confronted periodically by a multitude of incidents from Albanian nationalistic circles both from Diaspora (not of Orthodox religion), placing as a priority to the national strategy and demagogy of “Greater Albania” an ultimatum to Archbishop Janullatos that according to them “must leave Albania and resign from the Orthodox Church of Albania”. Albanian press often rallies against Archbishop Janullatos and continues its demagogues with apostrophes such as: “It is negative to have as a head of the Albanian orthodoxy a Greek citizen, who serves the Greek nationalistic strategy of Northern Epirus, converting the Albanian orthodoxy to Hellenic orthodoxy, and has nominated three high clerics from Greek origin in the general council of Albanian Orthodox church”.
In simple terms the Albanian media in most respects wants to divide the Orthodox faithful of the country that number some 20%, and turn the Albanians against the Greeks. For the time being hundreds of Byzantine churches in Northern Epirus (Southern Albania) has been violated from vandals and bandits, whilst 20% of the population is Christian Orthodox and feels distressed by the incidents and the state’s tolerance to that.
The Orthodox church of Albania has large land Superficies and proprieties particularly in the southern Albania territory, but until now the Albanian authorities, refuses to formally acknowledge it. Incidents with the local administrations and the Albanian tribunals has been often supported from the Albanian Service Secret against the Orthodox community and Church, as it has been reported from the Freedom House and Religious State Department Reports Human Rights of the World from 2003 until the last report.
Meanwhile in 2005, Archbishop Janullatos, was elected as the President of Churches World Council, which is a precedent to get to know the Albanian state across the world, while the Albanian nationalism raises the voice again against his eminence and in particular organizations active in the Albanian Diaspora in the USA. The AANC (Albanian American National Council) states that Archbishop Anastas Janulatos is a “person Non Grata” and he must leave the Albanian territory as soon as possible, because “he is forming the Hellenisation of southern Albania”.
Albania press continues to publish propaganda against the Orthodox Church, and even churches and monasteries particularly of Byzantine period, have been attacked and violated by Albanian criminals groups. At this point it is interesting to note that all of these attacks has not been reported in the Greek press, despite the fact that they are internationally know nowadays due to relevant internet publications either in English or in Greek.
On 10 June 2007, the Albanian authority, on occasion of the historic visit of the US President George Bush in Tirana, the name of Archbishop Janulatos was replaced by another person “Uncounted for by the Orthodox Church” while the heads of all religious denominations arranged a visit with the President. In simple words the Albanian government sabotaged a meeting of Anastasios with the American President in order to downgrade his status in the Albanian society.
This scandal was a clear cut provocation against the orthodox community of Albania, but was deviated and changed by the status protocol of President Bush from his staff during his visit in Albania. The absolutely silence of Albanian press about this scandal, conducted personally by the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and other national personalities reveals a strategic plan of the whole Albanian nationalism, to create a large front against Archbishop Janulatos and the Orthodox Church of Albania, which begins from the Albanian Diaspora and ends to the domestic Albanian politics in Tirana, including the government and the opposition.
This is the reason why the Albanian authorities do not give the Albanian citizenship to Archbishop of Albania Anastasios Janulatos, despite the fact that he is extremely popular not only from the orthodox of Albania and particularly from Greeks who live in Albania; but also from orthodox followers around the world. There has never been a decision described as “good faith” one from the Albanian authorities to honor the benefice of Archbishop Anastas Janulatos, whilst at the time; the Albanian nationalism is preparing the last battle against his eminence and orthodoxy.
The Association “Chameria” a Muslim community which habituates in Albania, escaped from Northern Greece in 1944 as “collaborationist with axes fascist forces” has demonstrated near the Greek borders in Southern Albania, demanding and protesting to Athens for their “home land rights” lost in Greece. Organized under the political background of the whole Albanian nationalist spectrum including the government, the representatives of the demonstration pressed the Archbishop Janullatos “to hold a special High Mass to honor the chams victim from Greek genocide of 1944”, but the response of Orthodox Synod Church was against: ‘We make High Mass for every soldier who died for the honor of his country and not under the recommendation from other religions communities”. Despite the fact that this incident might be classified as a ridicule one, it also provides a broad picture on the difficulties laying ahead not just for the Greek minority in Albania but also for potential perils involving the Greek state over the coming years.
Even though, the Albanian nationalism is raising in infinitum the battle against the spiritual leader of the Albanian orthodox community announcing as a victory of “greater Albania”, the end of the influence of Archbishop Anastas Janullatos to the Albanian orthodox mission. An aggravation of the situation between religions has begun in Albania and the Greek Ethnic Minority organization of Albania, known as “Omonia” calls to the Albanian government to have under observation any efforts of “Chameria`s Association” and its paramilitary instrument: “We are very disturbed about ulterior developments of Chameria Community protest to Greek Borders, considering as a provocation of the Albanian irredentism against our mother country, Greece, which compost a precedent to romp the existence of many communities which live in harmony in Southern Albania” said in the press statement the representative of “Omonia”.
A few days ago, in a village of the Greek ethnic community in the Argirocastro Region; stamped slogans under the name of UCC have appeared, and this is considered from the Greek population as a new provocation against the Greek minority. On April 2007, a paramilitary ethnic nationalist group known as UCC has claimed on a video their military actions and objectives against the Greek State in the Epirus Region. According to Research Terrorism Center in Washington, UCC is a known terrorist group with its first military action in Himara Region (Southern Albanian, Greek population) on 2003, killing a person, while in Northern Greece there has been an explosion in an electric station which links Italy and Greece in Egoumenitsa. The combination of Albanian nationalistic plans for a Greater Albania along with the abundance of smuggled weaponry and paramilitary personnel is an alarming indicator for the security forces of the region and in particular Greece’s in order to avoid any potential crisis.

http://rieas.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=289&Itemid=66

"The Greater Albanian Symbol"

Highway set to bring Albania and Kosovo closer
Reuters - Analysis - Tirana

Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:36AM EDT

By Benet Koleka

KUKES, Albania (Reuters) - The shortest route from Kosovo to Albania's sparkling Adriatic coast makes a big dog-leg through the long, deep glens of neighboring Macedonia.The direct route from Serbia's breakaway province is a 234- km (145-mile) drive of seven hours over mountains 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level.

At 35 kph (20 mph), it takes travelers through a seemingly endless coil of dizzying hairpin bends."Traveling on that road has been a real trip through hell for me," says Rexhep Shahu, a poet who often makes the journey to his home town Kukes, near the Kosovo border.

"It is a symbol of impossibility."

That will all change in 2009 when a new highway links Kosovo to Albania. But it is a controversial project that some critics believe has more to do with dreams of a "Greater Albania" than the economic benefits touted by its backers.

Ethnic Albanians make up 90 percent of Kosovo's 2 million population.Since the end of the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict, hundreds of thousands of them have braved the old mountain road to get to Albania's beaches, bringing in some 350 million tourist euros ($470 million) every year.

Many plied the tortuous route this month to witness the Albania visit of U.S. President George W. Bush, whose country led the NATO intervention in 1999 to expel Serb troops from Kosovo and end the killing of Kosovo Albanian civilians.Bush was cheered for pledging that Kosovo Albanians will get their independence "sooner rather than later", despite Russia's strong backing for Serbia, which adamantly opposes it.

When Bush meets Russia's President Vladimir Putin at his family's Maine coast estate in the United States this weekend, the two leaders may reach agreement on Kosovo, or they may not.No one is betting, but Albania has already set to work on the new road -- a 180-km four-lane highway that will cut travel time between the two sister nations to two and a half hours or less.

DEVELOPMENT OR SYMBOLISM?

"The road goes through the poorest region of Europe and it will definitely revive it," Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha says of the 600 million euro highway, Albania's biggest infrastructure project to date."It will bring new life to the port of Durres and give access to the sea to Kosovo, Macedonia and southern Serbia."But others say the project is really a step towards the nationalist dream of a "Greater Albania" that would unite all ethnic Albanians in the region in defiance of the West.

As a result of the controversy, potential donors have stayed away. Albania is financing the road on its own from commercial loans, which critics say it cannot afford."Donors saw it more as a political than an economic project," said Pandeli Majko, a former Socialist prime minister in Albania who started pushing for the project in the late 1990s.But he believes the road would "crystallize a year-round tourism industry and double the size of the Albanian market", while allowing both communities to rationalize agriculture.

"Kosovo will probably start planting wheat while Albania deals with livestock and vegetable-growing," Majko said.Analyst Mentor Nazarko said money would be better spent on a project such as European Corridor Eight, crossing Albania and Macedonia, or on domestic and regional roads.But Majko and Berisha wanted "a place in history", he said."The political dimension of this project looks bigger than the economic dimension," said Nazarko. "Spending 600 million euros is a rather pharaonic project for Albania right now."Regardless of cost worries, construction is moving along. Albania contracted the U.S.-Turkish Bechtel-Enka group to build a two-bore tunnel, Albania's first, along the most difficult section, and bulldozers are at work daily near Kukes.

"I would have worked for free just to see this road unite our people," said Nasuf Bimbashi, a Kosovo contractor.Still trying to repair the wounds of the decade of war triggered by the break-up of Yugoslavia, the West opposes any "Greater Albania" ambitions, just as it opposes any dreams of a mono-ethnic "Greater Serbia" or "Greater Croatia".

The pro-Western leaders of Kosovo and Albania have dismissed any such plan. But for some, the road alone will do the trick."We need not talk too much about a union," said Kosovo truck driver Refki Morina. "The road itself effectively unites us. When the Berlin Wall fell, they didn't need to do anything else. Here, we simply have to build a highway."

(Additional reporting by Shaban Buza in Pristina)

Our comment.....

But, the correspondent of Reuters in Tirana, does not say why tow Greek Banks "Alpha Bank" and "NGB" honored 250 million euro to Albanian Government for this highway, helping directly Prime Minister Sali Berisha, while the public investment particularly in Southern Albania are in minimum rates? Why the government has blocked some highway investments in southern Albania such are Tepelene - Levan, Lushnje - Vlora and Vlora Saranda? The paradoxes continues at a critically moment when Albanian and Kosovo Mafia are investing to buy lands and proprieties to Albanian southern coast line, "taking the rights to be favoring " from government to built tourist villages during Ionian Coast Line, over the lands of Greek old proprietress origin. Anyway, for the Greater Albania, all together the Albanians are working without nothing other to.......

The last Battle of Albanian Nationalism against Orthodox Archbishop Janullatos

Photo: His Beatitude AnastasiosArchbishop of Tirana, Durrësand All Albania

By Stavros Markos*

In January 1991, the Patriarchate of Constantinople elected Anastasios to go to Albania as "Patriarchal Exarch" with the mandate to contact Orthodox people irrespective of their ethnic origin and re- establish the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. The Orthodox Church in Albania had been decimated after forty years of the most severe persecution. Before the country had finally overthrown its yoke of communism, the number of Orthodox clergy had diminished from 440 in the 1940’s to 22 in 1990. Once again, the opportunity to revive a Church on the brink of collapse confronted Bishop Anastasios.

But the Albanian nationalism including a number of Albanian parliament member, in 1992, wanted to have under control the activity of Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church, claiming to Albanian people (Musulman religion in general) the slogans “His beatitude Janulatos, must leave Albania, because he is Greek citizen no Albanian”. The protest often has been inside of Orthodox Curch of Tirana, during the religious ceremony of Archbishop Janullatos.

In 1994, the President of Albania Sali Berisha urges the Albanian people to go in referendum for the New Constitution of the Country. Inside of new draft, was the request of an article of constitution, to obligate the Archbishop of Albania to be Albanian citizen. Finally, the resultant of popular referendum has been NO, time when the Pressident Berisha perturbs his glorious figure.

After the collapse of Pyramidal Schemes and Civil War in 1997, in 1998 Albania goes for the second time to popular referendum for Constitution, under strong observation of International Community organizations, OSCE and EU. The religions communities must are independents and Albania must to be a Laic State, also the religions must be separated from the state and it administrates control.

During this period until now, the activity of Orthodox Church particularly to Archbishop Janulatos, is confronted periodically to multi dimensional incidents from Albanian nationalism both from Diaspora (not orthodox religion), putting goal as priority to national strategy and demagogy of “Greater Albania” an ultimatum to Archbishop Janullatos who “must leave Albania from Orthodox Church of Albania”. Albanian press often dedicated against archbishop Janullatos continues to make a lot of demagogy as negative impact to have in head of Albanian orthodoxy a Greek citizen, who serves to Greek nationalism strategy of Northern Epirus, converting the Albanian orthodoxy to Hellenic orthodoxy nominated three high cleric from Greek origin of general council of Albanian Orthodox church.

Anyway, the orthodoxies of Albania, must part from Greek ethnic minority, are about 25 - 30% of total population of Albania are very disturbed about escalation of religion conflict in Albania. Hundred of Byzantine churches in Northern Epirus (Southern Albania) have been violated from vandals and persons, often not catched from authorities.

The Orthodox church of Albania has the large land superficies and proprieties particularly in southern Albania territory, but until now the Albanian authority, refuse to known they. Incidents with local authority and Albanian tribunals have been often supporter from Albanian Service Secret against orthodox community and church, reported from Freedom House and Religious State Department Reports Human Rights of the World from 2003 until last report.

Meanwhile in 2005, Archbishop Janullatos, was elected as President of Churches World Council, which composts a precedent to known the Albanian state on the world, when Albanian nationalism raised the voice again against his eminence Janulatos particularly from Diaspora. The AANC (Albanian American National Council) urges to claim Archbishop Anastas Janulatos as “person Non Grata” and he must leave the Albanian territory very soon as possible, because “he is making the hellenisation of southern Albania”. Albania press continues to publics propaganda anti orthodox church, even churches and monasteries particularly of Byzantine period, have been attacked and violated every time from Albanian criminals groups.

On June 10, 2007, the Albanian Authority, in occasion of historically visit of US President George Bush in Tirana, over alls, had previsted a meeting with George Bush and high representatives religions of Albania, but the name of Archbishop Janulatos was replaced from another person “anonymous of Orthodox Church”. This scandal has been a provocation against orthodox community of Albania, but was been deviated and changed by status protocol of President Bush from his staff during his visit in Albania. The absolutely silence of Albanian press about this scandal, conducted particularly from Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha to other politic responsibilities tells a strategic plan of Albanian nationalism installed a large front against Archbishop Janulatos and Orthodox Church of Albania, which begins from Albanian Diaspora to Albanian politic specter in Tirana, including the government and a part of politic opposition.

Is this fact why the Albanian authority does not give the Albanian citizen to Archbishop of Albania Anastas Janulatos, even he is the must loved person not from orthodoxies of Albania and particularly from Greeks who live in Albania but also from orthodoxies of the world. Never has been a decision as “good work” from Albanian authorities to honor the benefice of Archbishop Anastas Janulatos, while at the time; Albanian nationalism is preparing the last battle against his eminence and orthodoxy.

June 25, 2007. The Association “Chameria” a mussulman community which live in Albania, escaped from Northern Greece in 1944 as “collaborationist with axes fascist forces” has demonstrated near the Greek borders in Southern Albania, demanding and protesting to Athens for their “home land rights” lost in Greece.
Organized under politic background of all politic Albanian nationalist specter including the government, the representatives of demonstration calls the Archbishop Janullatos “to held a special High Mass to honor the chams victim from Greek genocide of 1944”, but the response of Orthodox Synod Church was against: ‘We make High Mass for every soldier who did for the honor of his Patria and not for recommendations from another religions communities”.

Anyway, the Albanian nationalism is raising in infinite the battle against spiritual leader of Albanian orthodox community damaging as victory of “greater Albania”,
the end of influence of Archbishop Anastas Janullatos to Albanian orthodox mission. An aggravation of situation between religions has begun in Albania inasmuch, the Greek Ethnic Minority of Albania, known as “Omonia” calls to Albanian government to have under observation any efforts of “Chameria`s Association” and his paramilitary instrument: “We are very disturbed and minaced about ulterior developments of Chameria Community protest to Greek Borders, considering as a provocation of Albanian irredentism against our mother country, Greece, which compost a precedent to romp the existence of many communities which live in harmony in Southern Albania” said in the communicate press the represent of “Omonia”.

Last year, an official visit of Greek president Carolos Papullias in Albania was annulled after the cham community protest near of the Hotel, when the President Papulias should meet Albanian counter part Alfred Moisiu in Saranda . Some days ago, in a village of Greek ethnic community of Argirocastro Region, has been stamped slogans under the name of UCC, which considered from Greek population as a new provocation against Greek minority. On April 2007, a paramilitary ethnic nationalist group known as UCC has claimed one video their military actions and objectives against Greek State in Epirus Region. According to Research Terrorism Center in Washington, UCC is known terrorist as first military action in Himara Region (Southern Albanian, Greek population) on 2003, killing a person, while in Northern Greece, they has been exploded a electric station which links Italy and the Greece in Igoumenitsa.

Meanwhile, the parliament lawmakers hold one minute of silence for the “Chames victim from Greek genocide of 1944”. This warm escalation, from Albanian parliament should have in future dangerous religion impact which should damage the perspective of Albanian State to EU and NATO, regarding implication of Greek Ethnic Minority and Orthodox Church, a very critic moment, where the Greek opinion, can not stand indifferent.

Stavros Markos*

(Journalist and Member of the World Security Network Foundation at Athens & Southeastern Europe Office, RIEAS Athens).

sources:

http://www.terrorism.com/

http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Intel&file=index&view=295

http://www.WorldSecurityNetwork.com/

http://www.state.gov/

http://www.balkanalysis.com/

http://www.balkanweb.com/

http://www.kathimerini.gr/

Resolution ,35th Panepirotic Convention

Photo: Press Conference on the situation of the Greek minority in Albania from left to right: Haralambos Karathanos, Secretary-General of the organisation of North Epirus, Konstantinos Hatzidakis (EPP-ED, Greece), and Grigorios Karamelos, Member of the Albanian ParliamentBrussels, 02 April 2003

EU MUST STOP ASSOCIATION STABILISATION PROCES AGREEMENT WITH ALBANIA

The Panepiriotic Convention urges to USA, EU and Greece to have under strong observation Albania, about the Rights of the Greek minority in Albania. The Panepiriotic Convention, calls EU to romp the stabilisation proces with Albania, still the greek minority to be lived with civil and politic rigths.

“We call on the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and all international organizations to demand that Albania fulfill all its international obligations to ethnic Greeks in Northern Epiros and throughout Albania. We call on European representatives negotiating with Albania to forge a framework for its eventual integration in Europe to freeze negotiations until the Albanian government fulfills the E.U.’S demand to take accurate measure of minorities in the country. We call on the Albanian government to enhance its full acceptance in the community of responsible nations by restoring its full Greek Minority all educational, religious, political, linguistic and cultural rights due them under bilateral and international agreements signed by its representatives since the country was created in 1913 including the right to declare their ethnic and religious affiliation in a census monitored by international observers. We call on the Albanian government to finally honor the 1935 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice to allow ethnic Greeks to educate their children in their mother tongue whenever they live. We call on the Greek government to raise a strong voice in international organizations for the rights of ethnic Greeks in Albania and to do everything in its power to help Greeks from Northern Epiros working in Greece to return to their homes by providing economic assistance that will allow them to earn their livelihood in their native region and maintain its identity. We call on the Greek Parliament to adopt a resolution that it will not approve Albania’s membership in the European Union unless it first grants all rights to the ethnic Greek Minority in the country starting with an accurate measure of its members. We call on the United States to do everything in its power to end the occupation of Northern Cyprus by Turkish troops; to press the Turkish government to end harassment of the Patriarchate, re-open the School of Halki, and acknowledge the Pontian and Armenian genocide and to press FYROM to stop expropriating the name Macedonia, which has been identified with Greece throughout its history.” The Convention elected the new board of the Panepirotic Federation as follows: Photis Galitsis president, Alex Pallas vice-president, Demetris Koutoulas secretary, Eva O’Brian special secretary, Eva Cantlis treasurer. Members: Christos Kyrkos, Eleonora Michopoulos, Irene Photiou, Ioannis Rammos, Vasilis Mandros, Kostas Zestakis. Past president Demetrios Tsoumbanos was elected chairman of the Convention.Former president Michalis Servos delivered a comprehensive and detailed report on the conditions of the Greek Ethnic Minority in Northern Epiros. Professor Theofanis Malkides presented his book “The Ethnic Greek Minority in Albania” published by the Panepirotic Federation on three languages, Greek, English, and Albanian. The book will be distributed to the members of Congress and Senate, to university libraries, to local state politicians and to various organizations. The Panepirotic Federation has given 250,000 dollars in scholarships the last ten years.


Το ψήφισμα, το οποίο υιοθέτησε το 35ο Συνέδριο, έχει ως εξής: «Τα μέλη της Πανηπειρωτικής Ομοσπονδίας Αμερικής, συνελθόντα κατά το 35ο δισενιαύσιο εθνικό τους συνέδριο στο Γούστερ της Μασαχουσέτης από τις 13 μέχρι τις 16 Ιουνίου 2007, 65η επέτειο από την ιδρύσεως της Ομοσπονδίας τους, υιοθέτησαν
το ακόλουθο ανακοινωθέν:
Καλούμε τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και τα Ηνωμένα Έθνη και όλους τους Διεθνείς Οργανισμούς να απαιτήσουν από την Αλβανία να εκπληρώσει τις διεθνείς της υποχρεώσεις προς τους Έλληνες της Βορείου Ηπείρου και όλης της Αλβανίας.
Καλούμε τους Ευρωπαίους αντιπροσώπους, οι οποίοι διαπραγματεύονται με την Αλβανία για το πλαίσιο της μελλοντικής της ένταξης στην Ευρώπη να παγώσουν τις διαπραγματεύσεις έως ότου η Αλβανική κυβέρνηση εκπληρώσει την απαίτηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης να προβεί σε ακριβή απογραφή των Μειονοτήτων στη χώρα.
Καλούμε την αλβανική κυβέρνηση να επαυξήσει την ολοκληρωτική της αποδοχή στην κοινότητα των υπεύθυνων εθνών, αποκαθιστώντας στην ελληνική εθνική μειονότητα όλα τα εκπαιδευτικά, θρησκευτικά πολιτικά, γλωσσικά και πολιτιστικά
δικαιώματα, τα οποία της ανήκουν λόγω των διμερών και διεθνών συμφωνιών που υπεγράφησαν από τους αντιπροσώπους της από την δημιουργία της χώρας το 1913, συμπεριλαμβανομένου και του δικαιώματος
να δηλώνουν την εθνική και θρησκευτική τους ταυτότητα σε απογραφή πληθυσμού, η οποία θα επιβλέπεται από διεθνείς παρατηρητές.
Καλούμε την αλβανική κυβέρνηση να τιμήσει επί τέλους την γνώμη του Διεθνούς Δικαστηρίου του 1935 να επιτρέψει στους Ελληνες να εκπαιδεύουν τα παιδιά τους στην μητρική τους γλώσσα.
Καλούμε την ελληνική κυβέρνηση να εγείρει δυναμικά την φωνή της στους διεθνείς Οργανισμούς για τα δικαιώματα της Ελληνικής Εθνικής Μειονότητας στην Αλβανία και να κάνει τα πάντα εν τω μέτρω των δυνάμεών της να βοηθήσει τους Έλυνες από την Βόρειο Ήπειρο οι οποίοι εργάζονται στην Ελλάδα να επιστρέψουν στα σπίτια τους παρέχοντάς τους οικονομική βοήθεια η οποία θα
τους επιτρέψει να κερδίζουν τα προς το ζην στη δική τους περιοχή και να διατηρήσουν την ταυτότητά τους. Καλούμε την Βουλή των Ελλήνων να υιοθετήσει ψήφισμα, το οποίο δεν θα επικυρώνει την ένταξη της Αλβανίας στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση εάν δεν αποδώσει πρώτα όλα τα δικαιώματα στην ελληνική εθνική μειονότητα, αρχίζοντας με ακριβή απογραφή των μελών της.
Καλούμε τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες να κάνουν τα πάντα εν μέτρω των δυνατοτήτων τους να τερματιστεί η κατοχή της Βόρειας Κύπρου από τα Τουρκικά στρατεύματα. Να πιέσει την τουρκική κυβέρνηση να σταματήσει τον κατατρεγμό του Πατριαρχείου, να επιτρέψει την επαναλειτουργία της Θεολογικής Σχολής της
Χάλκης. Να αναγνωρίσει την Ποντιακή και Αρμενική Γενοκτονία και να πιέσει την Πρώην Γιουγκοσλαβική Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας να σταματήσει να απαλλοτριώνει το όνομα Μακεδονία, το οποίο έχει ταυτιστεί με την Ελλάδα καθ’
όλη την ιστορία της».
Στον χαιρετισμό του ο Μητροπολίτης Βοστόνης είπε ότι «κατάγεστε από τόπο μαρτύρων και ηρώων, από γη μεγάλων ευεργετών του Έθνους. Οι μεγαλύτεροι ευεργέτες της ελληνικής Παιδείας, εντός και εκτός της Ελλάδος, ήταν Ηπειρώτες. Την παρακαταθήκη αυτή της προσφοράς της μαρτυρίας και των αγώνων να την κληροδοτήσετε στα παιδιά και στα εγγόνιά σας» και τόνισε πως «όλοι μας πρέπει να είμαστε υπερήφανοι για την ελληνική μας καταγωγή».
Μιλώντας για το Βορειοηπειρωτικό, είπε ότι «θα πρέπει να μάθουμε και να μη ξεχάσουμε ποτέ την ιστορία» και τόνισε πως «δεν πρέπει να ξεχάσουμε ποτέ τον αείμνηστο Μητροπολίτης Κονίτσης Σεβαστιανό και τους αγώνες του. Δεν πρέπει
να ξεχάσουμε εκείνους, οι οποίοι είδαν τις εκκλησίες τους να γίνονται κινηματόγραφοι και αποθήκες.
Δεν πρέπει να ξεχάσουμε καμία μάνα, ιδιαίτερα τις μάνες που είδαν τα παιδιά τους να υποφέρουν και να φυλακίζονται επειδή τόλμησαν να μιλήσουν Ελληνικά».

Epirus Convention prize for Nick Gage (in the middle, Servos in the left and Doukakis on the right)

MICHAEL DUKAKIS TO ADDRESSEPIROTIC CONVENTION IN WORCESTER

Former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, whose maternal ancestors came from a region in northwestern Greece called Epiros, will address a naFotional gathering of Greek-Americans from that area in Worcester, MA on June 16.

The occasion for the gathering is the 35tth biennial convention of the Panepirotic Federation, an association of 36 chapters of immigrants from Epiros and their offspring that was originally formed in Worcester in 1942. The convention will be held from June 13 to 17 at Worcester’s Crown Plaza Hotel.
Along with Michael Dukakis, a former governor of MA, distinguished public figures such as Representative James McGovern and Worcester Mayor Konstantina Lukes will attend the gala dinner dance on June 16 that will be the highlight of the convention.
Metropolitan Methodios, the spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox Christians in New England, will deliver the invocation and the benediction at the dinner, assisted by the Rev. Dean Paleologos, dean of St. Spyridon’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester.
Representing the younger generation of the Greek-American Epirote community, Albany television news reporter Demetra Ganias and author/journalist Eleni Gage will be co-emcees of the gala dinner dance.
More than 300 delegates from all over the U.S. will participate in the four-day convention, including six former presidents of the Federation and dozens of chapter presidents. Among the most notable delegates will be Al and Dorothy Wilson, who will travel all the way from Los Angeles to attend, even though they are 87 and 85 years old respectively. The Wilsons are the parents of actress and producer Rita Wilson, the wife of actor Tom Hanks. He named his estate in Idaho “Sotira” after his mother-in-law’s village in Epiros. (Other notable Greek Americans from Epiros are former CIA director George Tenet, author Nicholas Gage and the late actor and director John Cassavetes.)
The convention will also attract a number of public figures from Greece, including several deputies in the Greek Parliament, as well as Nikos Gontas, the mayor of the provincial capital of Epiros, Ioannina.
The convention will begin with registration on June 13, continue with working sessions over the next three days, and culminate with the election of new officers on Saturday, June 16 and the gala dinner dance that evening. The working sessions will open with a report from the current president of the federation, Michael Servos, a businessman from Clearwater, FL, who will outline the organization’s efforts over the past two years to support the Epiros region, half of which lies in Greece and half in Albania.
Epiros is an ancient area whose recorded history goes back to Homer. Aristotle wrote in his treatise “Meterology” that the Greek language and culture began in the region. The mother of Alexander the Great, Olympias, was a princess of Epiros, and the last military leader to defeat the Romans in battle was King Pyrrhus of Epiros.
Until the 20th Century, the whole of Epiros was considered one region, but when European powers created the new country of Albania in 1913, they assigned the northern half of the area to the new nation. Overnight the ethnic Greeks of the area found themselves a minority in a new country that regarded them with suspicion and often persecuted them.
One of the main goals of the Panepirotic Federation in America has been to try to secure basic human rights for the ethnic Greeks of Northern Epiros and at the same time to promote economic development in the southern part of Epiros that is in Greece. Over the years, the Federation has provided hundreds of scholarships to students in both parts of the region and has helped support schools, churches, and cultural organizations in both areas.
Last year, at a conference in the capital of Epiros, Ioannina, the Federation was instrumental in creating a World Council of Epirotes Abroad to bring together Epirote organizations from all five continents and strengthen their efforts to promote economic development and cultural enrichment of their ancestral

Photo: "Shekulli"

Nickolas Gage: "In Albania live abou 600 thousand ethnic greeks"

The declarate of the Head of Pan Epiriotic of World Organisation, is made in Occasion of 35 Pan Epiriotic Convention which is making in Boston, USA.

"The albanian Governament does not make the General Counting Population because has afraid about individual declarate in which every albanian citizen must claim his identity. According to Albanian Authorities, the greeks in albania, are 1.17% of total popullation, while the Greek Organisations said for about 25% (togather with vllahes greek Community)

The Greek Governament according to statistics of Prime Minister Venizelos on Peace Concerence in Paris 1919, has declared for about 150 thousand, while seeing acctualy the raise of albanian statistic population makes between 550 to 600 thousand greek who live in Albania and Greece (emigrant). The greek governament it self has the statistics based also to his decision last year for given the greek citizenship to albanian emigrants, who like greek heritage togather with greek omogenes, a total numebr of 700 thousand who live in Greece and Albania (Northern Epirus)

According to CIA factbook in 1989, the ethnik greeks of albania are between 3% (albanian statistics) to 12% (greek organisations) a total population about 3.2 million from census statistics of state dictature. Annwyaw a large orthodoxes in albania (30% albanian population) must declare their old epiriotean origin.

Albania's love affair with America

President Bush was met with cheers,

hugs, and a kiss when he greeted Albanians

Sunday during a visit to the country.

PETER Lucas June 14, 2007

THE THING to remember about the extraordinary reception the Albanian people awarded President Bush on Sunday was that the outpouring of love was not so much for Bush -- although he is popular in the tiny Balkan nation -- but for the country he represents.
Any president of the United States would have received the same overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome. Unlike the jaded residents of the rest of old Europe, the Albanian people, who are new to democracy, believe that the United States is a great democracy that believes in spreading freedom and democracy around the world. Albanians believe they are living proof of this.
Albania's love affair with the United States did not begin overnight. It started when President Woodrow Wilson, after World War I, stood up to the victorious nations of Europe and insisted that Albania, made up of one of the oldest peoples of Europe, was a true nation and that its borders had to be preserved and protected.
Back then the so-called victorious Great Powers -- Britain, France, and Italy -- wanted to divide Albania up among its neighbors, as a sort of reward for fighting and defeating the German/Austrian coalition.
Serbia was slated for a piece here, Greece a chunk there, and Italy a section of the coast. But for Wilson standing up for Albania, the tiny, poor and defenseless country would have disappeared. So it is no small wonder than many an Albanian boy born after 1919 was named Wilson.
Albania did disappear for awhile when Italy invaded it in 1939 and occupied the country. After Italy was defeated by the Allies and dropped out of World War II in 1943, the Germans took its place. The Communist Partisans, with some help from the United Kingdom and the United States, forced the Germans out of the country. There was nothing to cheer about, though, when Enver Hoxha and the communists took over Albania.
Hoxha ruled the country with an iron fist, like a small version of Stalin, stamping out freedom, religion, and hope.
When Hoxha died in 1985, communism followed suit a few years later. Once again Albania looked to the United States for hope and guidance. When Secretary of State James Baker paid a visit to the fledging democracy in 1991, the crowds were as large and as enthusiastic as the crowds that greeted Bush on Sunday. Joyous men sought to lift Baker's limousine and carry it into downtown Tirana like a trophy.
Then came Slobodan Milosevic and his ethnic cleansing of Kosovo in 1999. As hundreds of thousands of Kosovars streamed across the border for safety in Albania, President Clinton dragged a reluctant Europe into following him and his NATO bombing of Serbia that forced Milosevic's downfall. Once again the Albanian people learned that their security lay not with the states of Europe but with the United States.
When Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Albania in 1999, she was treated like a rock star. The same treatment was given to Secretary of State Colin Powell in 2003 when he went to Tirana to witness the signing of the Adriatic Charter, a document that is leading Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia into NATO membership
Albania showed its gratitude when it answered Bush's call to join the coalition of the willing and follow the United States into Iraq. Albania practically elbowed its way to the front of the line.
Although its contribution in manpower was small -- 120 soldiers -- its spirit was large. Fatos Tarifa, Albania's former ambassador to the United States at the time, was widely quoted when he said: "If you believe in freedom, you believe in fighting for it. If you believe in fighting for it, you believe in the United States."
That sums up the feeling Albanians have for the United States better than anything else. Sometimes Albanians are more American than Americans.
Bush, the first American president to visit Albania, thrilled the country at his Sunday joint press conference with Albania's prime minister, Sali Berisha, when he said, "Mirëdita." That's Albanian for "Have a good day." And so they did.
Peter Lucas, a former Boston political reporter, is author of "The OSS in World War II Albania."