Sidste Nyt fra Albanien, Kosóva og Makedonien

Indholdsfortegnelse Contents

Ugeoversigt Summary

Internationale organisationer   International organizations
FN   UN
Verdensbanken, IMF m.fl.   World Bank, IMF etc.
OSCE, Europarådet   OSCE, Council of Europe (CoE)
EU   European Union (EU)
NATO   NATO
ICTY - Tribunalet i Haag   ICTY

Balkan, generelt   The Balkans
Kosóva   Kosóva [Kosovo]
Øst Kosóva / Presevo-dalen / Syd-Serbien   Eastern Kosóva
Albanien   Albania
Serbien   Serbia-Montenegro. Serbia
Montenegro   Montenegro
Makedonien   Macedonia [FYRoM]

Grækenland   Greece
Tyrkiet   Turkey
Italien   Italia

USA   United States (US)
England   England
Tyskland   Germany
Frankrig   France
Danmark (Norge, Sverige)   Denmark (Norway, Sweden)

Rusland Russia
Kina China

UGEOVERSIGT (resumé)

EU: Se under: Albanien. EU og Albanien har undertegnet samarbejdsaftale. EU har udsendt materiale herom, som kan downloades fra: http://bjoerna.dk/dokumentation/ALB-EU-Signature-060612.pdf [5 sider]. An Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters was also signed.

Kosóva: Se under: Kosóva. SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen bekræftede 12.06.2006 den seneste tids forlydender om at han ville fratræde sit embede som SRSG i Kosóva; han ønsker at være mere sammen med sin familie, siger han.

PM Sali Berisha, Albanien, skal besøge Kosóva og tale med SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen, PM Çeku m.fl. Çeku var fornylig i Albanien.

OSCE & UNMIK har udsendt KOSOVO REVIEW OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 1999-2005 REFORMS AND RESIDUAL CONCERNS. Rapporten kan downloades fra: http://bjoerna.dk/dokumentation/KOS-Criminal-Justice-1999-2005.pdf. Formålet med denne rapport er at undersøge om domstole, anklagemyndigheder m.fl. har fulgt de henstillinger der er givet. Der er sket en hel del fremskridt, men mange problemer er endnu ikke løst, fx er der fortsat en hel del korruption og mange dommere m.fl. er ikke kommet op på et internationalt accepteret fagligt niveau. Executive summary optrykt i nyhedsbrevet.

Englændere beskudt. To Engelske Turister havde lejet en bil med Beograd-nummerplader og kørt til Kosóva. Bilen havnede i en Albansk bryllupskortege og blev beskudt, da man opdagede de Serbiske nummerplader.

Albanien: Se under: Albanien. Udenrigshandelen. Handelsunderskuddet voksede med 25 % fra Februar til Marts 2006.

De Asylsøgende fra Kina / Guantanamo. MFA (Det Albanske UM) har 060615 udsendt flg. meddelelse: In view of the statements made at domestic and international press by an official of the Office for Refugees, that Albania is considering the possibility of sending away the five citizens of Wighur origin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that such statements are totally untrue and do not constitute the official line of the Albanian Government on this issue. The Albanian Government has provided these citizens with all the necessary living conditions, based on the national laws and international conventions and is determined to help them get integrated to the country’s life; Likewise, it continues to deal with the normal procedures of processing their application for political asylum in the Republic of Albania. All other stances related to this issue are speculations. The Government provides the assurances that the five Wighur citizens remain welcomed in Albania and it has clarified its position with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

060613 Jordrystelse. Der meldtes - tirsdag eftermiddag - om en jordrystelse i det sydlige Albanien i størrelsen 4.5 i 30 km's dybde. Der meldes ikke om skader på mennesker eller bygninger.

Serbien: Se under: Serbien. Erhard Busek, stabilitetskoordinator, udtaler at Serbien vil tabe Kosovo, lige som man netop har måttet konstatere at Montenegro ville gå sine egne veje. Vejen frem består i at blive en integreret del af den Europæiske Union. Det er på tide at man tager afstand fra Milosevic' politik.

Montenegro: Se under: Montenegro. EU og senere Danmark og Serbien har anerkendt Montenegro som selvstændig stat.

Makedonien: Se under: Makedonien. Parlamentsvalg 05.07.2006. Valgkampen er gåët i gang. According to electoral register, a total of 1,741,449 have a right to cast their vote at 2,976 electoral units in Macedonia.

USA / Danmark: Se under: USA. 060609 SM Anders Fogh-Rasmussen har besøgt Præsident Bush i Camp David. Man vendte forskellige udenrigspolitiske emner (Iraq, Iran, Darfur). Bush sagde fx: »The Prime Minister and I share values, and he spent time making sure that I understood his strong belief that when we fight the war on terror and we help new democracies, that we've got to uphold the values that we believe in, and he brought up the Guantanamo issue. And I appreciate the fact that the Prime Minister is concerned about the decisions that I made on -- toward Guantanamo. I assured him that we would like to end the Guantanamo. We'd like it to be empty. And we're now in the process of working with countries to repatriate people.« + »Which brings me to my final point on our bilateral economic relations. Trade and investment between the United States and Denmark is flourishing at impressive growth rates. The United States is now the biggest foreign investor in Denmark. Likewise, Danish companies have turned their attention towards the United States. Our top five companies have created more than 20,000 jobs in the United States, and they have engaged in a vast number of subcontractors. I think that the broad range of subjects demonstrates the vitality and closeness of our relations.«

INTERNATIONALE ORGANISATIONER m.v.

Opmærksomheden henledes på Economic Reconstruction and Development in South East Europe. Adressen er www.seerecon.org. Her kan man finde materiale om aktuelle møder og konferencer.

VERDENSBANKEN, IMF M.FL.

Se under de enkelte lande / områder.

OSCE, Europarådet

Se under de enkelte lande / områder.

EU

EU har anerkendt Montenegro's selvstændighed.

EU og Albanien har undertegnet samarbejdsaftale. EU har udsendt materiale herom, som kan downloades fra: http://bjoerna.dk/dokumentation/ALB-EU-Signature-060612.pdf [5 sider]. An Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters was also signed.

NATO

ICTY - TRIBUNALET I HAAG

Verserende sager vedr. Kosovo: Anklageskrifter og udskrifter af retsmøderne kan findes på: http://www.un.org/icty/cases-e/index-e.htm

ICTY vs Slobodan Milosevic, (IT-02-54). Sagen er afsluttet uden dom pga Milosevic' død 11.03.2006

ICTY vs Fatmir Limaj et al. (IT-03-66). Der er fældet dom, se nærmere i # 284

ICTY vs Ramush Haradinaj (IT-04-84). Haradinaj er løsladt (på visse betingelser) indtil sagen skal for Retten.

BALKAN LANDE, LANDE VED ØSTLIGE MIDDELHAV

BALKAN GENERELT

Udsnit af EU's Europakort 2004. [Udsnittet kan forstørres ved at klikke på det]. Kortet indgår i en præsentationsbrochure, der kan downloades som pdf fra: http://europa.eu.int/comm/publications/booklets/eu_glance/20/da.pdf.

KOSÓVA

Bynavne: Angives der to navne på samme lokalitet, er den Albanske nævnt først. Se oversigten på: http://bjoerna.dk/kosova/byer.htm • Rapporter fra FNs Generalsekretær • 040616 SG Kofi Annan udtaler at han agter at udpege Søren Jessen-Petersen som 5' SRSG. Søren Jessen-Petersen blev senere udpeget og tiltrådte i Kosóva 040816. Søren Jessen-Petersen fratræder igen i slutningen af juni 2006 • 0308 Harri Holkeri tiltrådte som 4' SRSG. Fratrådt 0406 af helbredsmæssige grunde. • 020214 Michael Steiner tiltrådte i Kosova som 3' SRSG og fratrådte i begyndelsen af 0307. • En biografi over 2' SRSG Hans Hækkerup kan læses på Danske Politikere. En anmeldelse af hans bog »Kosovos mange ansigter« indgår i »Albansk Almanak 2004« • Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government. • Kosova's Regering. • Webside vedr. 2004-valgene

Parlamentsvalget 2004, se: http://kosovoelections.org/eng/. Præsidenten - Ibrahim Rugóva - blev genvalgt efter valget af Parlamentet the Assembly; han døde 21.01.2006. Ny præsident er Fatmir Sejdiu

SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen bekræftede 12.06.2006 den seneste tids forlydender om at han ville fratræde sit embede som SRSG i Kosóva, når hans periode udløber i slutningen af juni; han ønsker at være mere sammen med sin familie, siger han. UNMIK oplyser:

Søren Jessen-Petersen, JAN 2006, Photo: UNMIK

Kosovo: SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen announces his decision to leave his post

UNMIK/PR/1563

PRISTINA - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Søren Jessen-Petersen today announced that he will be leaving his post at the end of June.

“After almost two years on the job, it is time for me to rejoin my family in Washington DC.

I am aware, of course, that I will be departing at an important moment in the history of Kosovo. I am confident, however, that the political process leading towards a status decision is on track.

When I arrived in Kosovo, I stated my belief that there will be no normalisation, no stabilisation in the western Balkans unless the issue of Kosovo is resolved – the last piece in the puzzle taking the region from the conflicts of the 1990s to a peaceful and prosperous future. My experience here only strengthened that belief, as well as my determination to ensure that Kosovo was firmly on the path towards clarity of status, in order to benefit its citizens and the citizens of the region.

The destiny of Kosovo is clear and the future course towards a democratic and multi-ethnic society is more than ever in the good hands of the people and the elected political leaders of Kosovo. The international community, led by UNMIK and KFOR, will be there to continue its support.”

The SRSG, who arrived in Kosovo on 15 August 2004, served longer than any of his predecessors in the position. During the last two years, which were characterised by a stable and improving security environment, Kosovo was judged by the Security Council to have made sufficient progress in standards implementation in order for the process to determine Kosovo’s status – foreseen by UNSCR 1244 – to be launched.

During the same period, Kosovo evolved into a vibrant, mature democracy capable of surmounting a number of important challenges. These included the October 2004 elections (judged to be free and fair), the resignation of former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and his voluntary travel to the Hague Tribunal, the launch of status talks, the long illness and death of President Ibrahim Rugova, and the orderly succession in the positions of President, Assembly President, and Prime Minister earlier this year.

“It has been a privilege and an honour for me to work with and for the people of Kosovo,” said the SRSG. “I am very grateful for the support of my partners, including the institutional leaders, party and religious leaders from all communities, local leaders, women leaders, and many, many others. My frequent trips throughout Kosovo brought me into contact with many ordinary men, women, and young people of all ethnicities, and they have given me a great deal of hope for the future of Kosovo. They have shown me that reconciliation is possible, that they share the wish to build a prosperous and tolerant society, and that they are courageous and prepared to look towards the future and away from the past.

I would also like to thank my international partners and their representatives in Kosovo, notably KFOR – and in particular its two Commanders, Yves de Kermabon and Giuseppe Valotto –, NATO, the European Union, the OSCE, the Contact Group, the heads of the international and UN offices in Pristina, and numerous other international governmental organisations and nongovernmental organisations.

I have often been asked whether I would be the last SRSG to serve in Kosovo. I can say that, whereas I opened the last chapter of UNMIK’s mission in Kosovo, I am confident that my successor will close it.”

Den Danske UM, Dr Per Stig Møller udtaler (iflg. det Danske UM):

Søren Jessen-Petersen har gjort en stor indsats som leder af FN’s administration i Kosovo. I en afgørende periode har han formået at fremme en demokratisk udvikling i Kosovo og dermed givet et væsentligt bidrag til, at man til efteråret kan finde en løsning på Kosovos endelige status.

Hans lederskab vil blive savnet, men jeg respekterer hans beslutning om at hellige sig sin familie efter flere års indsats på tunge FN poster.”

Udenrigsministeriet, den 12. juni 2006

PM Sali Berisha, Albanien, skal besøge Kosóva og tale med SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen, PM Çeku m.fl. Çeku var fornylig i Albanien.

Pressemeddelelser fra UNMIK: OSCE & UNMIK har udsendt KOSOVO REVIEW OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 1999-2005 REFORMS AND RESIDUAL CONCERNS. Rapporten kan downloades fra: http://bjoerna.dk/dokumentation/KOS-Criminal-Justice-1999-2005.pdf. Formålet med denne rapport er at undersøge om domstole, anklagemyndigheder m.fl. har fulgt de henstillinger der er givet. Der er sket en hel del fremskridt, men mange problemer er endnu ikke løst, fx er der fortsat en hel del korruption og mange dommere m.fl. er ikke kommet op på et internationalt accepteret fagligt niveau. Nedenfor Executive Summary (excl. noter):

To date, the Legal System Monitoring Section (LSMS), in the Department of Human Rights and Rule of Law (the Department) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE Mission in Kosovo) has issued nine public reports and eight semi-public reports, which have analysed the justice system from a human rights perspective and highlighted fair trial and due process concerns. These reports have included almost 200 recommendations addressed to the relevant authorities for specific action to help remedy the shortcomings and help ensure responsible compliance with international standards. The responsible authorities have included the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, KFOR, the UNMIK Department of Justice (DOJ), legal or judicial institutions, the Court Presidents, prosecutors, and defence counsel. This report looks at the extent to which these authorities have addressed the concerns raised in the LSMS reports.

A considerable number of the OSCE recommendations have been fully or partially implemented by the addressed authorities. With respect to institutional developments, the authorities have established the Judicial Inspection Unit and the Kosovo Judicial and Prosecutorial Council to enhance the supervision of the criminal justice system; the Kosovo Judicial Institute (KJI) to train judges and prosecutors; the Criminal Defence Resource Centre (CDRC) to ensure a better equality of arms and Probation Service to foster a more rehabilitative penal system. Improvements have been made in the courts where the authorities have successfully encouraged greater participation by ethnic minorities. In terms of legislative developments, a number of the OSCE recommendations were fulfilled with the promulgation of the Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self- Government in Kosovo and the new procedural and substantive criminal codes, as well as through the issuance of justice circulars.

A number of the OSCE recommendations directed at the courts, prosecutors and defence counsel have also been addressed. There have been notable improvements in the way in which courts deal with crimes involving sexual assaults, as well as with the assignment of defence counsel. The Kosovo Chamber of Advocates (KCA), which represents the defence bar, has played an important role in raising the standard of defence representation by drafting a Code of Conduct and providing training for its members. In some areas, the standard of defence counsel has notably improved.

The OSCE recommendation that, in order to deal with judicial bias in ethnically sensitive cases international judges and prosecutors should participate, has been satisfied with a novel in which international judges and prosecutors sit alongside their local counterparts. Lastly, the former practice of extra-judicial detentions by the SRSG and KFOR has now ceased, seemingly for good, thus meeting the long-standing recommendations by the OSCE.

However, despite the above efforts, a number of the OSCE recommendations have not been addressed satisfactorily. For the most part, when the authorities have failed to act upon the recommendations, the relevant concern still remains a problem today. With respect to legal and judicial institutions, despite OSCE recommendation, the authorities have failed to provide courts with adequate office space to hold public hearings, and have resisted calls to increase judicial salaries to attract the brightest lawyers and to dampen corruption. There remains a serious lack of institutional support for dealing with non-custodial sentences, especially for juvenile offenders, so that a number of alternative punishments can not be used. Despite numerous recommendations calling for better facilities for dealing with mentally ill offenders, an adequate secure facility is still wanting. Whilst UNMIK has introduced a vast array of new laws, a number of areas that would have benefited from new or amended legislation, have been left untouched.

The OSCE has directed many of its recommendations to the judges. However, notwithstanding the assistance of detailed OSCE reports and training by the KJI, in many areas the judges have yet to lift the standard of their practice to satisfy international standards. Breaches of due process and fair trial norms occur regularly throughout Kosovo, despite specific recommendations indicating which practices need to change. In particular, the judges at all levels consistently fail to properly and fully reason their decisions on detention and punishment. The courts have failed to introduce recommended practices and procedures designed to ensure that trials are heard without undue delay: there remain problems in ensuring the attendance of witnesses at trial, organising the municipal court prosecutors, and obtaining expert evidence. And, despite consistent reminders, a number of court presidents do not ensure that complete trial schedules are posted in public view. In addition, many recommendations to defence counsel have fallen on deaf ears. The OSCE has continued to observe cases in which defence counsel have failed to represent their clients effectively and/or have breached the domestic code of conduct. In many cases this has led to a violation of the accused’s right to an effective defence.

Lastly, the international judge and prosecutor programme, although a necessary component and an overall success in fighting inter-ethnic and organised crime in the post conflict period, has a number of shortcomings. Whilst some of the OSCE recommendations were addressed, others were ignored. Inadequate contractual arrangements for the international judges and prosecutors hampers the system; the procedure for case assignments may breach international standards; and the lack of engagement in terms of mentoring has diminished the long term benefits of the program. These remaining problems, which could have been remedied without a large effort, have left the program open to criticism.

As the remaining legal and judicial responsibilities begin to pass from UNMIK to the PISG, this report can serve as a reminder of what has been achieved and, perhaps more importantly, of what remains to be done.

Leposavic har som Zvecan og Zubin Potok brudt med Kosóva's Myndigheder, siges det, angiveligt fordi den sikkerhedsmæssige situation er blevet ringere. I stedet for at samarbejde med Kosóva's Politi generelt vil man samarbejde med lokale enheder og etablere et selvforsvarssystem Serbiske RTS skriver:

Leposavic, 13 Jun (RTS) – The representatives at the Leposavic municipal assembly proclaimed the introduction of special measures on the territory of this municipality in Northern Kosovo and terminated all relations with the Kosovo interim institutions.

After Zvecan and Zubin Potok, this is the third municipality in Northern Kosovo that decided to terminate its contact with the Kosovo government, due to the “alarming deteriorating of the safety situation” in this part of the province, announced the Coordination Center international press service.

At the top of the decision for the Serbs to refuse to accept any pay from the Kosovo institutions, the representatives at Leposavic municipal assembly also adopted the general proposal to self-organize protection, which was presented at last week’s protest meeting in Zvecan.

This means ending the trust to the Kosovo police service regional units, since they are mostly Albanian, and introducing a closer cooperation with the local KPS units, which consist mostly of Serbs.

The self-defense program will include members of the civilian protection and an ex-member of the Serbian interior ministry from this region. One of the Leposavic requests is to respect the UN Resolution 1244, which includes the return of the Serbian army and police to Kosovo and Metohija, and a greater responsible role for UNMIK and KFOR.

It is also mentioned that if the previously mentioned suggestions are not implemented, then the Leposavic municipal assembly is ready to take part in the hiring and financing of 999 Serbian policemen.

Englændere beskudt. To Engelske Turister havde lejet en bil med Beograd-nummerplader og kørt til Kosóva. Bilen havnede i en Albansk bryllupskortege og blev beskudt, da man opdagede de Serbiske nummerplader. Tanjug skriver:

Gracanica, (Tanjug, June 15). Two British tourists were slightly injured on Thursday, when they were fired at on the road between Djakovica and Decani, the Caglavica-based KiM Radio reported. The Brits were traveling through Metohija (Western part of Kosovo) in a rented car with Belgrade license plates. In the vicinity of the village of Junik, near Djakovica, they entered a group of cars which was actually a wedding procession. When the Belgrade license plates were seen by the people from the wedding procession, they opened fire and fully demolished the cars. Veton Eljshani, spokesperson of Kosovo Police Service, confirmed the incident. David Blunt, the head of the British office in Pristina condemned the attack.

Ugerapport fra Dansk KFOR. Hærens Operative Kommando skriver (på http://www.hok.dk/):

Sommeren lader vente på sig

DANCONMARCH - en god tradition

12-06-2006 kl. 14:00

Redigeret af chef for Adjudantursektionen samt Presse-& Informationsofficer

Foto: NATO KFOR

Den Danske Bataljon i Kosovo har endnu engang haft fornøjelsen af at afholde den traditi-onsrige DANCON March. Marchen har til formål at holde god soldaterdisciplin i hævd, samt give soldater fra mange lande mulighed for at mødes under lidt andre forhold end de operative.

De 2 marcher, som Hold 14 har arrangeret i maj og juni, har ved begge lejligheder samlet mere end 1.000 deltagere fra flere end 20 nationer.

Marchen starter og slutter på Bataljonens paradeplads i Camp Olaf Rye, og på den 25 km lange strækning kommer gængerne igennem den smukke, men barske Kosovo natur.

Alle skal bære 10 kg udrustning, og det har taget pusten fra selv granvoksne mænd på vej op ad "bakken" ca. midtvejs på ruten. Men smilet på ansigterne, når målstregen passeres, vidner om stolthed og for enkelte også om at have flyttet nogle personlige grænser.

Vi har det som altid godt i Kosovo

Vejret har dog svigtet os i de seneste uger, og termometeret kommer ikke længere over de 20 grader. Efter et par meget varme uger med op til 32 grader er det faktisk helt rart, at man nu kan ånde igen.

Situationen i Kosovo er stadig rolig. Ligesom i alle andre lande sker der også forbrydelser hernede. Desværre er disse forbrydelse sommetider af samme grove karakter, som vi ken-der det fra f.eks. Danmark.

Natten til den 1. juni blev en ung Kosovo-Serbisk mand standset af bevæbnede gernings-mænd da han var på vej hjem. Gerningsmændene skød mod den unge mands bil, hvilket resulterede i at han blev dødeligt såret.

Mordet på den unge mand er det tredje grove tilfælde af vold i samme område. Ved de to tidligere tilfælde blev der også anvendt skydevåben, dog uden at nogen blev dræbt.

Tre tilfælde af grov vold er naturligvis for meget, men rent statistisk er det faktisk færre end tidligere år. Størstedelen af de lokale Kosovo-Serbere i området har givet Kosovo-Albanerne skylden for overfaldende.

Både det lokale politi og FN´s politistyrke i området har dog slået fast, at intet tyder på, at der skulle være tale om vold med et inter-etnisk motiv. Dette betyder også, at det på ingen måde er bevist, at det skulle være Kosovo-Albanere, der står bag overfaldene.

Den Danske Bataljon har øget sin tilstedeværelse kraftigt i området for på den måde at undgå nye tilfælde af den grove vold. Der er ingen tvivl om at lokalbefolkningen føler sig meget mere sikker, når bataljonens soldater patruljerer i området, hvorfor den øgede til-stedeværelse bliver hilst hjerteligt velkommen.

I en anden del af Den Danske Bataljons ansvarsområde er der igen blevet kastet et par sten mod en FN bus med Kosovo-Serbere som passagerer. Ligesom sidste gang det ske-te, blev en af bussens ruder smadret, dog uden at nogen kom til skade.

Stenene blev kastet af et par unge Kosovo-Albanske knægte, som hævder, at de blev pro-vokeret af bussens passagerer.

Det er utrolig ærgerligt, at den slags finder sted. I bund og grund er handlingen jo meget uskyldig, idet knægtene ikke har haft til hensigt at skade passagerne dødeligt.

Problemet er, at disse tilfælde bliver brugt af de lokale medier og radikale nøglepersoner til at opildne det etniske had, dette fordi de bliver udlagt som om, at den ene etnicitet "endnu engang har været udsat for angreb".

Det der startede som en kvart fjer, bliver hurtigt til 200 høns.

Den generelle situation i Kosovo er dog stadig meget rolig og der er absolut ingen øget trussel imod Den Danske Bataljons soldater.

Vi betaler også husleje

I denne uge har vi i logistiksektionen udbetalt penge for jorden, vi bor på. Det er der ikke noget nyt i længere, så kontorhjælperen i sektionen klarer det gnidningsfrit sammen med en tolk. I næste måned vil han dog ikke være med, da han er på leave.

I stedet vil det være chefen, som går ned og udbetaler penge, men næste gang har vi en ny kontrakt, de lokale skal underskrive, så der skulle chefen alligevel have været med oppe og udbetale.

Der er ikke så meget nyt i den nye kontrakt, men vi hæver jordlejen, så ejerne får lidt mere udbetalt.

Chefen for sektionen var i dag ude i et af de fattigste områder i vores AOR (Area of Re-sponsibility), i landsbyen Banja, hvor vi har en sag kørende med leje af et stykke jord til en parkerings plads.

Den handel blev i dag endelig afsluttet, så nu er den sag også ude af verdenen. Den sag har taget meget tid fra sektionen, da Banja ligger langt væk og derfor kræver at man af-sætter en del tid til gøremålet.

Ellers en stille uge i logistik sektionen her i den danske bataljon i Kosovo.

MP`s gamle og nye kolleger

Ugen har været som de fleste andre. Der er blevet kørt nogle patruljer, lavet køretøjs ef-tersyn, hastighedskontrol samt andre arbejdsopgaver. Men for ikke at køre sur i de samme daglige rutiner, havde militærpolitiet inviteret de dan-ske politifolk, der også er på mission i området, til en grillfest.

Der blev tilmeldt 23 personer til arrangementet, så der var lagt op til et stort gilde. Dagen kom, og vejret var rigtig godt, sol og ingen vind.

Maden var blevet bestilt i cafeteriet, bordet var dækket og alt tegnede godt. Det eneste, vi manglede, var bare, at der skulle sættes gang i grillen.

Alle ved jo, at det er et rigtig mande job, at tænde op grillen, så der kom 30 kg kul på vores grill og fire mandfolk var klar til at få gang i den. Men det blev en større mission, end for-ventet.

For det kul vi havde, var umuligt at få ild i, alle gamle spejdertricks og fiduser blev afprøvet uden held. Efter én times tid med gamle aviser, to liter tændvæske, store vifte, og 3 vabler, kom der endelig god ild i kullet.

Så var alt parat og politifolkene kom fra nær og fjern. Det var ikke alle af de opmødte politi-folk vi havde set før, da der lige var ankommet 6 nye fra Danmark. Så det var en rigtig god lejlighed at få hilst på dem. Der blev hygget, spist og snakket til den helt store guldmedalje. Det var en rigtig god aften, og vi gentager nok succesen. PNINFKMP arbejdsuge

Så er endnu en uge gået i Kosovo, vejret har været meget foranderligt, men regnen har dog domineret mest.

Det har været en travl uge for de fleste, hvor der har været alt fra forberedelse af road-blocks, udveksling med Amerikanere til de vante daglige patruljer.

Ugen startede ud med, at folk har været til endnu en DANCON march, 25.2 km gang i rough terræn. Endnu engang var danskerne overlegne ift. mange andre nationer, da måle-stregen gang på gang blev passeret af Dansk KFOR foran de fleste af de andre.

Samlede antal deltagere var 1144 fra over 25 forskellige nationer. Det skal dog lige næv-nes, at det lykkedes en Sergent fra 3. Deling at bryde rekorden i tungeste oppakning. Den gamle rekord blev brudt med 3 kilo, som satte den nye rekord til 55 kilo.

Joint Operation med Amerikanerne

Deling fik æren af at være del af en joint operation med amerikanerne. Opgaven lød på at arrestere en hvis person, som betragtes som hard-liner. De blev hentet af amerikanerne, og skulle mødes med en sektion fra The American National Guard, som er en slags hjemmeværn.

De besidder dog langt flere midler end dem, vi kender til fra Danmark. Blandt andet Apa-ché helikoptere og Hmmwv's (High mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle,) også udtalt Humvee, og kendt som Eagle herhjemme.

Operationen skulle foregå ved at ligge fordelt ud foran et hotel, selvfølgelig i skjul, og håbe på, at manden på et tidspunkt skulle løbe ud. Desværre lykkedes operationen ikke.

Long Duration Patrol

2. deling fik opgaven at udføre en Long Duration Patrol, altså en langvarig patrulje, som består i at snakke med de lokale ude i bjergene og sove derude.

Denne gang var der kun tale om en enkelt nat i bjergene tæt ved en landsby kaldet Gaze-vode. Meningen ved denne form for patrulje er at vise lokalbefolkningen, at vi er i stand til at løse opgaver overalt i området.

Ydermere har man mere frit lejde til at løse opgaven med tidsmæssigt. Delingen fik snak-ket med en håndfuld mennesker, og fik på den måde fat i de nødvendige informationer.

Denne form for opgave er fysisk hård, da det kræver flere timers bjergmarch med oppak-ning, der vejer over 30 kg. Hjemturen er typisk lidt nemmere, da rationerne og vandforsy-ningerne er ved at slippe op.

Delingen vendte hjem til Camp Olaf Rye dagen efter, operationen fuldført.

Forberedelse af Road Blocks

Kompagniet har i denne uge også indøvet road blocks (vejspærringer), med henblik på at blokere alt færdsel fra én destination til en anden.

Opgaven skulle udføres med et hav af pigtråd, vores PMV'er som er et bæltekøretøj (Pansret Mandskabsvogn.) og ikke mindst alt vore RIOT Control udrustning.

For hver indøvelse blev der tildelt en gruppe til at agere som momenter, så den indøvende gruppe fik en oplevelse, der var så realistisk som overhovedet muligt - uden brug af rigtige demonstranter.

Dagligdagen

Som altid har alle 3 delinger kørt patruljer i de forskellige ansvarsområder. Bataljonen har beordret en forøgelse i antallet af kørte patruljer, hvilket har resulteret i en mere travl hver-dag.

Grundet det meget regnfulde vejr er kørselsforholdene blevet mere smattet. Specielt på de mindre bjergveje der nærmest minder om små skovstier.

Dette har bl.a. resulteret i, at en gruppe i 3. deling sad fast i hårdt terræn i 10 timer.

Fra at have kørt på patrulje kl. 10.00, var de ude til ca. kl. 22.00. Medfølgende 2 timers vedligeholdelse ved hjemkomst. Den planlagte hjemkomst var oprindeligt sat til kl. 14.00.

Denne oplevelse endte også med at være en udfordring for bilerne. Grundet det smattede føre, blev bilerne ofte slynget mod nærstående træer. Og undervognen måtte til tider skra-be sig en tur hen ad sten på jordbunden.

Det endte med at bilerne skulle på 3. Echelon for at få gennemført en del reparationer, men det hører med til arbejdet.

ØST KOSÓVA / PRESEVO-DALEN / SYD-SERBIEN

For nemheds skyld bruges betegnelsen Øst Kosóva / Presevo-dalen om det omstridte område med byerne: Presheva, Medvegja og Bujanoci (Albansk stavemåde). Ca. 75 % af befolkningen skønnes at være etniske Albanere - måske omkring 70.000. En modstandsgruppe har tidligere været i funktion, men synes nu at være »lukket ned«. Gruppen kaldtes i forkortet form UCPMB (som står for noget i retning af: Ushtria Clirimtare e Presheva, Medvegja dhe Bujanoci; på Engelsk: Liberation Army of Presheva, Medvegja and Bujanoci). Gruppen sagde at den intet havde at gøre med Kosova's UCK, og at den var en lokal gruppe.

ALBANIEN

Klik på kortet, hvis du vil have det forstørret / click http://bjoerna.dk/kort/Albanien.gif to enlarge it

Info fra Albaniens Statistik: Befolkningstal: 3,1 Mio (1.1.2004). GDP (Gross Domestic Product): 630 Mia Lek (2002, current prices); GDP-structure: Agriculture: 26 %, Industry 10-11 %, Construction: 7-8 %, Services: 55-56 %. Export: 54 mia lek (2003) [heraf til Danmark: 23 mio lek; størrelsesorden 1,2 mio kr], Import: 226 mia lek (2003) [Heraf fra Danmark: 855 mio lek; størrelsesorden: 45-50 mio kr], Tradedeficit: 171 mia lek (2003). Største import fra Italien (75 mia lek) og Grækenland (45 mia lek), største eksport til Italien (40 mia lek). Unemployment: 14-15 % (2004-III)

Det Engelske Udenrigsministeriums 'Country Advice' til rejsende kan findes på adressen: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385522. Det Danske UM har pt ingen rejsevejledning, men henviser til det Engelske UM. Den Norske Ambassade kan findes på: http://www.norvegji.org/. Det Amerikanske UM har Juni 2004 offentliggjort en 'Background Note' om Albanien: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3235.htm

Mother Teresa: http://bjoerna.dk/albanien/Teresa.htm.

Parlamentsvalget i 2005 [Præsidenten vælges af Parlamentet for 5 år, næste gang i 2007]: Se nærmere i: http://bjoerna.net/sidste-nyt/265.htm

Præsident Moisiu's aktiviteter [Billederne i denne sektion kan som regel forstørres ved at klikke på dem (mens man er på nettet)]. Præsidenten har været vært ved et arrangement i anledning af aftale mellem EU og Albanien, se nedenfor. Præsidentkontoret skriver:

President Moisiu congratulated on the occasion of signing the Association-Stabilization Agreement.

June 134, 2006

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu hosted today a reception on the occasion of the signing of the Association-Stabilization Agreement between Albania and European Union, in which he congratulated all for the successful crowning of the perennial efforts of the Albanian people and politics.

In this reception took part the Speaker of the Assembly, Jozefina Topalli, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Albania, members of the government, leaders of political forces, parliamentarians, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and media, etc.

After the playing of the National Anthem and that of the European Union, the Head of state held at the presence of the guests an address during which he praised the signing of the Association-Stabilization Agreement as one of the most significant political achievements of the transition’s years that comes as the fruit of the contribution of all. President Moisiu stressed that this moment carries the symbolic and dignifying return of Albania to the European family by leaving behind the bitter past spent in isolation and under dictatorship and the difficult transition and moving towards a free and open society.

Pointing out the support that the Euro-Atlantic alternative enjoys among us Albanians, President Moisiu emphasized the merit that the Albanian politics and all the institutions of the Albanian state during the transition period of reforms share and also expressed the gratitude for the help and contribution of the European Union for the development of the Albanian democracy. “But the lion’s share of the credit belongs to the Albanians citizens, who regardless of the hardships we went through, never swayed from the European integration and in every chance they had, used their vote to correct the politics and encourage them towards reforms.” – stressed Mr. Moisiu.

In the conclusion, the Head of state reconfirmed that it is time when the Albanian state and society will face the toughest challenge: keeping the promises and implementing on time and with quality through concrete work all the commitments that spring from the Association-Stabilization Agreement and that requires the contribution of all the political and state factors. President Moisiu expressed his optimism about the European future of Albania.

- - -

THE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT MOISIU AT THE RECEPTION FOR THE SIGNING OF ASA

June 13, 2006

Distinguished Madam Speaker of the Assembly,
Distinguished Prime Minister,
Misters Ministers and Parliamentarians,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we are gathered to celebrate together the official signing of the Association-Stabilization Agreement of Albania with the European Union. Yesterday was a memorable day which successfully crowned the perennial efforts of the Albanian people and politics. It consists in one of the most significant political achievements of the transition’s years and comes as the fruit of the contribution of all. This moment carries the symbolic and dignifying return of Albania to the European family by leaving behind the bitter past spent in isolation and under dictatorship and the difficult transition and moving towards a free and open society.

Although procrastinated, the Association-Stabilization Agreement comes as a providential and necessary development. Albania and Albanians, regardless of the hardships they have gone through, never doubted the European aspiration. The project of reunification with Europe resisted time and became the leitmotif of the December ’90 Student Movement and of all the democratic reforms that took place during the last fifteen years. The fact that the Euro-Atlantic alternative enjoys widespread popular support in our country and has not met any opposition is already known. The same way, it is recognized the fact that the commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration makes up a consensual and unwavering alternative in the programs of every government and political parties.

On such cases, the tradition requires celebrations and congratulations. Hence, respecting the tradition, I would like to stress that the Albanian politics and all the institutions of the Albanian state during the transition period of reforms share the merit for this achievement. All of them, some more and some less placed a stone in building of our European path. I would also like, on behalf of all the Albanian citizens to express the sincere thanks to the European Commission and member countries of the European Union, which through their continuous assistance and support have offered a sensible contribution to the development of Albanian democracy. A special gratitude goes also to the Albanian experts, specialists and negotiators of the Agreement, who demonstrated professionalism and responsibility throughout all these years. But the lion’s share of the credit belongs to the Albanians citizens, who regardless of the hardships we went through, never swayed from the European integration and in every chance they had, used their vote to correct the politics and encourage them towards reforms.

Distinguished participants,

The process of integration enters a new and higher stage after the signing of Association-Stabilization Agreement. It offers a new dimension to the relations of our country with the European Union and also opens up the clear perspective of full integration in the Euro-Atlantic structures. Now it is time when the Albanian state and society will face the toughest challenge: keeping the promises and implementing on time and with quality through concrete work all the commitments that spring from the Association-Stabilization Agreement. This new stage requires the contribution of all the political and state factors, because only through a joint and sustainable reaction we will manage to shorten the integration path and to fulfill the citizens’ aspiration for a democratic, developed and European Albania. This new stage requires more work and less talking. It requires tangible and credible achievements.

I am optimistic and fully convinced that based on the vitality and creative energies of the Albanian citizens, on the increasing maturity and responsibility of the political class and also on the consolidated state institutions, the European future of Albania will be certain! Allow me, in conclusion to pay a special tribute to the noble Albanian people. And to honor all those peoples who are working to build a prosperous, peaceful and humane Europe.

Once again congratulations and cheers to you all!

Præsident Moisiu har besøgt den katolske kirke i Laç. Præsidentkontoret skriver:

President Moisiu visited the Church of Saint Anthony in Laç.

June 13, 2006

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu visited today the holy place in Sebaste of Laç on the occasion of the Holy Day of Saint Anthony.

Accompanied by Monsignor Rrok Mirdita, the authorities of local government and parliamentarians of the area, President Moisiu lit a candle at the memorial of Saint Anthony joining this way the prayers of many followers who came from all over the country for well being, prosperity and good health today and forever for the entire Albanian people.

On this occasion, the Head of state held a speech, in which he wished to all the believers for well being, peace and understanding in the family, for more work and opportunities to spend a peaceful life in progress and prosperity for them and future generations, who will contribute through their energies, dedication and intellectual capacity to the future of the country. Pointing out the religious tolerance which characterizes the Albanian people, President Moisiu emphasized that also this pilgrimage day is one more indicator of this precious virtue that we Albanians have inherited throughout the centuries.

Præsident Moisiu vender sig mod børnearbejde. Præsidentkontoret skriver:

President Moisiu expressed the commitment of the Albanian state in the fight against child labour.

June 10, 2006

In the framework of the World Day against Child Labour, there was an event organized in the Palace of Brigades under the auspices of the President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu and his daughter Mirela Moisiu in cooperation with the Representation of the International Program for the elimination of child labour (IPEC) of the International Labour Office in our country.

At the presence of the Minister of Education and Science, Genc Pollo and the Minister of Labour, Social Issues and Equal Opportunities, Kosta Barka, the Head of state expressed his praise for such initiatives in our country and also pointed out the commitment of the Albanian state to give its contribution in the fight against child labour. Mr. Moisiu emphasized that the education and well being of the new generation is a delicate matter and a very important issue to which must be paid a special care and attention in order to have valuable citizens for the Albanian families and society and capable people who can contribute to the future of the country.

Then President Moisiu greeted up close the children participating in the event, who are actually being educated at the IPEC centres in our country, by inquiring about their life, work and experience in these centres. With a great deal of interest President Moisiu followed a short artistic program performed by the children on this occasion.

In the framework of this event, the Head of state held a meeting with the Director for South East Europe and Asia in ILO-IPEC, Klaus Gunther, in which it was discussed about the work that must be done towards the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in our country and especially during the efforts and meeting the positive results for the integration of these children in the normal life of Albanian society. In the meeting took part Mr. Pollo and Mr. Barka and also headers of the IPEC centres in Berat, Elbasan and Korça.

The interlocutors pointed out the determination and commitment of the efforts done to enable the education and integration of these children in social life and also expressed the conviction that these objectives are difficult to meet, but are possible if based on basic programs and mid-term and long-term models undertaken by the respective structures.

PM Sali Berisha's aktiviteter: [Billederne i denne sektion kan som regel forstørres ved at klikke på dem (mens man er på nettet)]. PM Berisha og den Italienske Ambassadør har været til genindvielse: Kryeministri Berisha merr pjesë në përurimin e punimeve për rikonstruksionin dhe sistemimin e lagjes Kombinat:

PM Sali Berisha, Albanien, skal besøge Kosóva og tale med SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen, PM Çeku m.fl. Çeku var fornylig i Albanien.

De flg. billeder er fra undertegnelsen af samarbejdsaftalen med EU:

EU og Albanien har undertegnet samarbejdsaftale. EU har udsendt materiale herom, som kan downloades fra: http://bjoerna.dk/dokumentation/ALB-EU-Signature-060612.pdf [5 sider]. An Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters was also signed.

Udenrigshandelen. Handelsunderskuddet voksede med 25 % fra Februar til Marts 2006. Albaniens statistik skriver:

Export and import rise in March of 2006.

In March of 2006 export increased from 5600 mln leks to 6474 mln leks (15.6%) compared with the February of 2006 and increased 15.7% compared with March of 2005. Import inecreased from 20901 mln leks to 25646 mln leks (22.7%) compared with February of 2006 and increased about 35.1% compared with respectively month of the previous year.

The humanitarian aid this month is 145 mln leks.

Trade deficit for this month is 19172 mln leks signing an increase of 25.3% compared with February of 2006 and signing an increase of 43.2% compared with March of 2005.

Trade with the EU countries is 66.9%. The main trade partners for this month remain Italy and Greece. Export to Italy is 74.3% and import 27%, while the export to Greece is 12.9% and import 14.3%.

During this month, some of the partners countries with which our export and import is increased are respectively: Italy, Greece, China, Macedonia, etc (in exports) and Ukraine, Italy, Turkey, China, etc, (in imports).

Comparing the data of this month with the previous one for the same group of products we have:

Export of group “Construction materials and metals” increased from 923 mln leks to 1334 mln leks (44.5%),

“Minerals, fuels, electricity”, export increased from 190 mln leks to 244 mln leks (28.3%),

“Leather and leather manufactures” increased from 115 mln leks to 146 mln leks (27.6%), etc.

While export of group “Machinery, equipment and spare parts” decreased from 233 mln leks to 226 mln leks (3.3%).

Import of group “Construction materials and metals” increased from 2989 mln leks to 4738 mln leks (58.5%),

“Food, beverages, tobacco" increased from 3548 mln leks to 4769 mln leks (34.4%),

“Chemical and plastically products” increased from 2185 mln leks to 2710 mln leks (24%), etc.

While import of group “Minerals, fuels, electricity” decreased from 3548 mln leks to 3285 mln leks (7.4%).

In March 2006, the import of goods with excise is 2545 mln leks or 9.9% of the total import. During this month, the import of goods with excise is increased 40%, compared with same month of 2005. Oil fuel products are the main imported goods in the group of goods with excise (70.3%).

In March 2006 the indicator of specialization shows again that the export of group “Textile and footwear” has the main part of the total of export. During this month the indicator of specialization is 46.2%, showing a decrease compare with the same month of 2005, when this indicator was 52.3%.

Relationerne mellem Albanien og Kina. Xinhua skriver:

TIRANA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Albanian President Alfred Moisiu and Prime Minister Sali Berisha met separately here on Saturday with Wang Zhongyu, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

At the meetings, Moisiu and Berisha expressed the hope that China and Albania would strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and said more Chinese enterprises are welcome to come and invest in Albania.

Albania attaches great importance to developing bilateral relations with China and will, as always, adhere to the one-China policy, Moisiu said.

Berisha thanked China for its longstanding support and assistance to Albania.

Relations between China and Albania have grown steadily since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 50 years ago, Wang said, adding that recent years have witnessed more frequent exchanges and contact between the two countries and fruitful cooperation in the political, economic and trade, cultural and military fields.

Wang expressed China's appreciation and thanks for Albania's adherence to the one-China policy, and hoped the two countries would cherish their traditional friendship and expand bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.

Albanian Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli met Wang on Friday. They agreed to strengthen exchanges and work together to promote the healthy development of bilateral relations.

De Asylsøgende fra Kina / Guantanamo. MFA (Det Albanske UM) har 060615 udsendt flg. meddelelse:

In view of the statements made at domestic and international press by an official of the Office for Refugees, that Albania is considering the possibility of sending away the five citizens of Wighur origin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that such statements are totally untrue and do not constitute the official line of the Albanian Government on this issue.

The Albanian Government has provided these citizens with all the necessary living conditions, based on the national laws and international conventions and is determined to help them get integrated to the country’s life; Likewise, it continues to deal with the normal procedures of processing their application for political asylum in the Republic of Albania.

All other stances related to this issue are speculations. The Government provides the assurances that the five Wighur citizens remain welcomed in Albania and it has clarified its position with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Seneste nyheder fra ADN

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Opposition Set Not to Give Way to Temporary Electors’ Register

Representatives of the left-wing parties see the temporary register as a dangerous element which guarantees violations of the upcoming local power elections. Opposition was determined not to accept the use of the controversial temporary electors' register at a meeting of the heads of the five left-wing parties who gathered at the Socialist Party's headquarters on Wednesday.

Chinese Uighurs in Albania Can Be Transferred, Refugees Commissioner

But a press release of Albania’s Foreign Ministry said such a statement was completely untrue not constituting the official line of the Albanian government on this problem. The five Chinese ethnic Uighurs living in Albania after being taken there from the US Guantanamo prison can be transferred to another country, said an Albanian commissioner for refugees whose statement and the comments of the international and local media were denied by the Albanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Lack of Awareness Regarding Blood Donation, Cikuli

The Minister of Health declared that it is expected that within the next five years the number of voluntary blood donors will constitute two percent of the population, while within the next ten years 100 percent of blood donations will be voluntary. The Minister of Health, Maksim Cikuli presented on World Blood Donor Day the short and long-term objectives regarding the increasing of the number of blood donors in Albania.

Council of Europe Development Bank Will Quadruple Credit for Albania

The proceeds from loans to be granted by the Council of Europe Development Bank will be used in very important sectors such as the education and the health one. The Council of Europe Development Bank will quadruple the credit for Albania. The Governor of this bank, Raphael Alomar confirmed this fact during a meeting he held recently with the Albanian Finance Minister Ridvan Bode where they discussed the concrete support in priority sectors for the development of the country.

OSCE Presence supports preparation of Tirana value map for restitution and compensation of property. OSCE skriver:

TIRANA, 13 June 2006 - The OSCE Presence in Albania and the Albanian State Committee on Property Restitution and Compensation today signed an agreement that provides for the preparation of a property value map for the region of Tirana in four months.

"This map, which will serve as a model for similar work in the rest of Albania, is a key element in accelerating the compensation process for the whole country," said Sokrat Sinaj, Head of the Committee. "The agreement signed today provides the necessary technical and organizational expertise to develop the map."

"Since the entry into force of the property restitution and compensation law in September 2004, the OSCE Presence's support on this issue had been crucial," Mr Sinaj added.

Previously, the OSCE Presence supported the preparation of a similar property value map only for the Tirana urban area, which was used for the compensation of expropriated subjects in December 2005. It also provided training for property commissioners, drafted sub-legal acts and donated office equipment to the Committee.

Ambassador Pavel Vacek, Head of the OSCE Presence, said that the Presence would continue supporting the property reforms in the country, in line with its mandate.

060613 Jordrystelse. Der meldtes - tirsdag eftermiddag - om en jordrystelse i det sydlige Albanien i størrelsen 4.5 i 30 km's dybde. Der meldes ikke om skader på mennesker eller bygninger.

Date time 2006-06-13 at 14:15:41.5. UTC Location 40.32 N ; 19.93 E Depth 30 km. Distances: 90 km S Elbasan (pop 100,903 ; local time 16:15), 7 km W Tepelenë (pop 11,955 ; local time 17:15), 5 km SW Memaliaj (pop 4,951 ; local time 16:15)

Præsident Moisiu's kontor har udsendt flg.:

June 14, 2006

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu held today a phone conversation with the Deputy Prefect of Tepelena, Veledin Zaçe to inquire in a more detailed way about the situation after the earthquake that hit this area yesterday afternoon.

In this framework, President Moisiu talked also with the Head of the Qendër Commune, which includes also the Luzat village, Selami Memushi.

After being assured by Mr. Zaçe and Mr. Memushi about the situation there, the Head of state expressed his pleasure that the earthquake did not cause damages and the state of the inhabitants is very good. Mr. Moisiu expressed at the same time also his support in any eventuality.

Ceremoni for Kaptajn Petrit Myftari der blev dræbt i Marts 1997 under forsvaret af et militært anlæg. FM skriver:

June 2, 2006. It was organized in Durrës the ceremony of giving the title Martyr of the Homeland to captain Petrit Myftari, who died on duty on March 8, 1997 in Grykë e Koçiut - Përmet, defending the state and strategic military objects.

In this ceremony took part Deputy Minister of Defence, family members and relatives of Agron, representatives from Durrësi prefecture, military and colleges of the Armed Forces.

The speech was held by Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. Petrit Karabina who among other things said that: Today we are gathered for a very important event, that honors us all, especially the family of Agron Petrit Myftari, Durrësi city and every military with the honored uniform of Albanian Army.

The patriotic family of brothers Myftari from Qerreti of Durrës, while expressing the gratitude to Deputy Minister Petrit Karabina and through him to Minister pf Defence Fatmir Mediu, and especially to Government Berisha that awarded the high title of the Martyr of the Homeland to captain Petrit Myftari, assured him that his sons are educated with patriotic spirit, ready to defend the freedom, democracy and the state.

SERBIEN

Det Amerikanske UM har offentliggjort en 'Background Note' om Serbien - Montenegro: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5388.htm • Det Engelske Udenrigsministeriums 'Country Advice' til rejsende kan findes på adressen: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386622 • En biografi over tidligere Forbundspræsident Kostunica kan læses på Serbiske Politikere.

Præsidentvalg i Serbien. Boris Tadic blev i Juni 2004 valgt som Præsident. Seneste Parlamentsvalg: 031228.

Serbien har anerkendt Montenegro som selvstændig stat. Den Serbiske Regering skriver:

Belgrade, June 15, 2006 - The Serbian government brought at its session today the Decision on recognising the Republic of Montenegro.

Following the decision of Serbian parliament from June 5 with which it was established that the Republic of Montenegro had become independent, conditions have been fulfilled for the Serbian government to recognise the Republic of Montenegro on behalf of the Republic of Serbia and establish diplomatic relations, which will contribute to the development of friendly and good neighbourly relations.

The government passed the Conclusion on enabling Montenegrin citizens who have a registered place of residence in Serbia to be given the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. The government instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare an appropriate legal document for that purpose.

The government passed the Conclusion on enabling Montenegrin citizens to have equal conditions for their university studies as the citizens of the Republic of Serbia and instructed the Ministry of Education and Sport to prepare an appropriate legal document for that purpose.

Kosovo / Kosóva:

Erhard Busek, stabilitetskoordinator, udtaler at Serbien vil tabe Kosovo, lige som man netop har måttet konstatere at Montenegro ville gå sine egne veje. Vejen frem består i at blive en integreret del af den Europæiske Union. Det er på tide at man tager afstand fra Milosevic' politik.

MONTENEGRO

Præsidentvalg 030611: Filip Vujanovic blev valgt. Seneste Parlamentsvalg 021020.

Folkeafstemning 21.05.2006 om Montenegro's forhold til statsforbundet Serbien-Montenegro. Der var et mindre flertal for at udtræde af forbundet (55,4% mod 44,6%), hvilket er blevet anerkendt af EU m.fl. Formentlig vil Serbien acceptere den nye tingenes tilstand, skønt der var nogen murren efter at resultatet blev kendt.

EU og senere Danmark og Serbien har anerkendt Montenegro som selvstændig stat. Se under: Serbien. Det Danske UM skriver:

Montenegros parlament erklærede den 3. juni uafhængighed fra Statsunionen med Serbien efter et flertal af befolkningen havde stemt for uafhængighed i en folkeafstemning den 21. maj.

Udenrigsministeren udtaler:

Det er en stor glæde for mig i dag at kunne meddele Montenegros regering, at Danmark anerkender Montenegro som et selvstændigt land. Montenegros valg af selvstændighed i folkeafstemningen den 21. maj var et udtryk for de bedste demokratiske traditioner. Jeg ser frem til at udvikle de allerede gode relationer mellem Danmark og Montenegro yderligere."

Udenrigsministeriet, den 15. juni 2006

MAKEDONIEN

Det Engelske Udenrigsministeriums 'Country Advice' til rejsende kan findes på adressen: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386163 • Det Amerikanske UM har offentliggjort en 'Background Note' om Makedonien: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26759.htm

Der er omkring 25 % etniske Albanere i Makedonien. Folketælling afholdtes 021101-021105.

Folkeafstemningen 041107 om decentralisering (= imødekommelse af Makedonien-Albanske interesser): Folkeafstemningen "faldt". Stemmedeltagelsen var kun omkring 26 %. Hvis afstemningen skulle have kunnet udvirke en ændring af decentraliseringslovgivningen, skulle deltagelsen have været mindst 50%, og desuden skulle der have været flertal mod lovgivningen. Det var ventet at stemmedeltagelsen ville have været noget større, selv om både Regeringspartierne og den Albanske minoritet anbefalede at man blev hjemme. Man kan nu gå videre i overensstemmelse med Ohrid-aftalerne.

Præsidentvalg i Maj 2004: Branko Crvenkovski - hidtidig PM - blev valgt (efter Boris Trajkovski som omkom ved en flyulykke). Seneste Parlamentsvalg fandt sted 020915. Der kan henvises til flg. OSCE/ODIHR-oversigtsside: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/field_activities/skopje2002/.

Makedonien forhandler med EU om optagelse. Aktuel status, se: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/fyrom/key_documents.htm. Se også den generelle side: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/index_en.html

Parlamentsvalg. MIA skriver:

Skopje, June 15 (MIA) - The election campaign for the parliamentary elections 2006 scheduled for 5 July began Thursday at midnight. The campaign will end on July 3 at midnight.

According to electoral register, a total of 1,741,449 have a right to cast their vote at 2,976 electoral units in Macedonia.

On July 4, one day before elections, 1,379 soldiers, 1,604 persons serving sentence in prison or temporary arrest and 531 persons with a status of internally displaced persons could cast their vote. Furthermore, the ill and disabled persons could cast their vote on the same day.

GRÆKENLAND

Seneste Parlamentsvalg 040307.

TYRKIET

UMs rejsevejledning: http://www.um.dk/da/menu/Borgerservice/FoerRejsen/Rejsevejledninger/RejsevejledningTyrkiet.htm.

Seneste Parlamentsvalg blev holdt 021103. Det blev i December 2004 aftalt (med EUs Regeringschefer)at der i Oktober 2005 skal indledes forhandlinger om optagelse af Tyrkiet i EU.

LANDE UDEN FOR BALKAN OG ØSTLIGE MIDDELHAV. NATO-LANDE

ITALIEN

Mother Teresa. I anledning af saligkåringen ('beatificeringen') 031019 har Vatikantet etableret en internetside: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20031019_index_madre-teresa_en.html

PM Berisha og den Italienske Ambassadør har været til genindvielse: Kryeministri Berisha merr pjesë në përurimin e punimeve për rikonstruksionin dhe sistemimin e lagjes Kombinat:

USA

De Asylsøgende fra Kina / Guantanamo. MFA (Det Albanske UM) har 060615 udsendt flg. meddelelse:

In view of the statements made at domestic and international press by an official of the Office for Refugees, that Albania is considering the possibility of sending away the five citizens of Wighur origin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that such statements are totally untrue and do not constitute the official line of the Albanian Government on this issue.

The Albanian Government has provided these citizens with all the necessary living conditions, based on the national laws and international conventions and is determined to help them get integrated to the country’s life; Likewise, it continues to deal with the normal procedures of processing their application for political asylum in the Republic of Albania.

All other stances related to this issue are speculations. The Government provides the assurances that the five Wighur citizens remain welcomed in Albania and it has clarified its position with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

060609 SM Anders Fogh-Rasmussen har besøgt Præsident Bush i Camp David. Man vendte forskellige udenrigspolitiske emner (Iraq, Iran, Darfur). Bush sagde fx: »The Prime Minister and I share values, and he spent time making sure that I understood his strong belief that when we fight the war on terror and we help new democracies, that we've got to uphold the values that we believe in, and he brought up the Guantanamo issue. And I appreciate the fact that the Prime Minister is concerned about the decisions that I made on -- toward Guantanamo. I assured him that we would like to end the Guantanamo. We'd like it to be empty. And we're now in the process of working with countries to repatriate people.« + »Which brings me to my final point on our bilateral economic relations. Trade and investment between the United States and Denmark is flourishing at impressive growth rates. The United States is now the biggest foreign investor in Denmark. Likewise, Danish companies have turned their attention towards the United States. Our top five companies have created more than 20,000 jobs in the United States, and they have engaged in a vast number of subcontractors. I think that the broad range of subjects demonstrates the vitality and closeness of our relations.« White House skriver:

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush welcome Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark and his family to Camp David Friday, June 9, 2006. Pictured, from left, are the Prime Minister's daughter-in-law Kristina, son Henrik and wife Anne-Mette Rasmussen. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

President Bush and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark Participate in Joint Press Availability Camp David

PRESIDENT BUSH: Good day. Welcome to Camp David. More importantly, welcome to Camp David to the Prime Minister and his wife. Mr. Prime Minister, we're glad you're here. Welcome.

The invitation to come to Camp David is an expression of my high regard for Prime Minister Rasmussen and our friendship between our two countries. You know, I think -- I was checking back, I think it's been over two years since we've had a foreign leader come and visit us here. And thanks for bringing such good weather. It was important to have good weather today, because the Prime Minister is going to give me a mountain biking lesson after this news conference.

A couple of thoughts, then he's going to speak, and then we'd be glad to answer some questions.

First, I appreciate the Prime Minister's belief that freedom can help change the world, and that freedom is universal. We had a really important discussion about our desire to help others realize the great blessings of liberty, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prime Minister Rasmussen has been a strong believer in supporting the Iraqi government's desire to live in democracy. I thank you for your courage, I thank you for your country's commitment of troops that are helping make a difference.

We talked about the new government in Iraq. The Prime Minister has met Prime Minister Maliki -- I have not, and so it was very useful for me to hear from him first hand about the Prime Minister's determination to succeed. I appreciate his understanding of the Prime Minister's desire to set priorities, starting with electricity in Baghdad, security in Baghdad, and dismantling militia groups that are creating havoc.

We discussed our common strategies in Iraq. One of the most important strategies is to make sure that the police force in Iraq is capable of inspiring the population who they're supposed to be protecting. And I believe we took a long -- we took a big step toward that when the Prime Minister selected a new Minister of the Interior, and as well as a new Defense Minister.

And so we spent time on that, and we spent time on Afghanistan, as well. Prime Minister Rasmussen shared his thoughts with me about President Karzai. We both agree that he's a patriot, that he's the kind of person that we can back and that we will back as this new democracy begins to develop.

We spent time on Iran. We shared thoughts about how to diplomatically solve the problem, and the problem is the Iranians want to have a nuclear weapon and they shouldn't have one.

We spent time talking about Darfur, our desire to help the AU forces achieve stability in Darfur. I've spoken out on this subject a lot. I believe there's genocide taking place, and I believe we have a responsibility to work together to bring some security to the poor folks that are being harassed and raped and murdered in the far reaches of Darfur.

The Prime Minister and I share values, and he spent time making sure that I understood his strong belief that when we fight the war on terror and we help new democracies, that we've got to uphold the values that we believe in, and he brought up the Guantanamo issue. And I appreciate the fact that the Prime Minister is concerned about the decisions that I made on -- toward Guantanamo. I assured him that we would like to end the Guantanamo. We'd like it to be empty. And we're now in the process of working with countries to repatriate people.

But there are some that, if put out on the streets, would create grave harm to American citizens and other citizens of the world. And, therefore, I believe they ought to be tried in courts here in the United States. We will file such court claims once the Supreme Court makes its decision as to whether or not -- as to the proper venue for these trials. And we're waiting on our Supreme Court to act.

We talked about bilateral relations. I am impressed by the fact that the Prime Minister is off to the West Coast with a message of new technologies and the desire for Denmark to work with some of our venture capitalists and businesses to promote energy independence, for example, and to come up with technologies that will enable a country like ours to become less reliant upon foreign sources of energy.

All in all, we had a very constructive visit, which will be continued over lunch after the bike ride -- presuming he doesn't ride me into the ground. (Laughter.)

President George W. Bush walks with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark to their joint news conference at Camp David Friday, June 9, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper

Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. Glad you're here.

PRIME MINISTER RASMUSSEN: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let me first of all express my gratitude for inviting me to Camp David. I'm very honored to be here. And one could hardly imagine a better venue to spend time for work and pleasure with close friends. So thank you very much.

We have had a very productive meeting this morning at this wonderful setting. First we talked about Iraq. A few weeks ago, I met with the new Iraqi government, as the President pointed out. It was with a particular sense of respect I heard the views of the first permanent democratically-elected government in Iraq. I would say that our efforts have not been in vain.

Democracy is what it is all about. We agree on the very reason for being engaged in Iraq: to put an end to oppression and to promote freedom, democracy and human rights. These are the very values we want to defend. That also gives us strong obligation to live up to those values in every step we take. When unacceptable events happen in Abu Ghraib, and when allegations are made about horrific events in Haditha, it is not only a tragedy for the victims, it is damaging to our own efforts and an offense to our very own values. The President has assured me that all allegations will be investigated and if there has been wrongdoing, then the responsible will be prosecuted.

We are committed to remain in Iraq as long as the Iraqi government and the U.N. request our assistance, and as long as we can make a positive difference.

As the President mentioned, we had also a discussion on Iran. I am pleased that the United States, under the President's leadership, has joined the European allies in presenting a package to the Iranians. It's now up to the Iranians to take advantage of this window of opportunity.

Secondly, we touched upon energy. I strongly share the President's view that energy is a major strategic challenge. I think that transatlantic cooperation can contribute to ensuring energy security and sustainable development. It could, for instance, be instrumental in developing new energy technologies.

In Denmark, this issue has been a high priority for 30 years. We have focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and we are among the leading countries when it comes to developing technologies in that field. It is part of the reason for our strong economy and competitiveness. And in Denmark, we have managed to combine economic growth with energy efficiency. Over the last 25 years, the Danish economy has grown by 50 percent without increasing the use of energy.

I think it's fair to say that Danish companies are at the edge in developing new technologies, and they are already engaged in the United States. Some of them are traveling with me to the West Coast on Monday.

Which brings me to my final point on our bilateral economic relations. Trade and investment between the United States and Denmark is flourishing at impressive growth rates. The United States is now the biggest foreign investor in Denmark. Likewise, Danish companies have turned their attention towards the United States. Our top five companies have created more than 20,000 jobs in the United States, and they have engaged in a vast number of subcontractors. I think that the broad range of subjects demonstrates the vitality and closeness of our relations.

Mr. President, the health experts tell us that we need daily exercise. So before we even start thinking about lunch, I'm looking forward to exploring Camp David in even greater detail on bike. It's going to be hard work; I know that. But I will do my very best to keep up with you, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

So, once again, thank you very much for your hospitality. Meeting with you at Camp David has indeed been a great symbol of the close and very warm relations between our two countries. Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: I'll take a couple of questions. Deb.

Q Mr. President, after meeting with the Danish Prime Minister last month, Maliki said he thought he could stand up the Iraqi security forces in about a year-and-a-half. And with Zarqawi's death, do you think this is realistic?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I think it is -- we'll get a realistic appraisal about the capacity for standing up Iraqi troops as this new government begins to function as a government. It wasn't until just a couple of days ago that they had a Defense Minister. Now they've got a Defense Minister, which will give us time to assess their command and control, their capacity to be able to send an order from the top to the bottom of their organization, a Defense Ministry that will be independent from politics, hopefully.

Once we make those assessments, then I think I'll be able to give the American people a better feel for what "stand up/stand down" means. And one of the reasons we're coming here -- I'm coming here Monday, by the way, Mr. Prime Minister, with a lot of my Cabinet members to discuss the way forward in Iraq, to analyze the new government, to look carefully at what their blueprint for the future looks like, and to figure out how we can help. And of course, I will share our thoughts with the Prime Minister, because he's a very important part of our coalition.

Zarqawi's death helps a lot. Zarqawi was bin Laden's main advocate outside of some remote parts of the world. He was the operator. He was the person that had made the declaration that it's just a matter of time for America and other democracies to leave, so that we could then -- so that they could then develop safe haven from which to launch further attacks. He beheaded people, he was a cold-blooded killer, he masterminded the bombing of the hotel in Jordan. He masterminded the bombing of the U.N. headquarters early on in the liberation of Iraq.

Removing Zarqawi is a major blow to al Qaeda. It's not going to end the war, and it's certainly not going to end the violence. But it's going to help a lot.

One of the goals of al Qaeda was to encourage sectarian violence inside the country; it was to pit Sunni against Shia and Shia against Sunni in order to be able to stop democracy. His whole ambition was to stop the advance of democracy in Iraq. And our troops -- who performed brilliantly, by the way, in bringing this man to justice -- did the Iraqis and the Americans and anybody else who loves freedom a great service by bringing him to justice.

Q Can I ask you a follow up?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Probably not.

Q How long will --

PRESIDENT BUSH: This is Mr. Accommodator -- (laughter) -- Mr. Reaching Out. Yes.

Q You said you'd have to reassess with the new government these various things. How long do you think that that assessment is going to take?

PRESIDENT BUSH: See, part of the issue I deal with is people want to know with certainty when certain things are going to happen --

Q Just about --

PRESIDENT BUSH: -- and I understand that; it's a legitimate question. It's like, when are you going to withdraw troops? And the answer is, when conditions on the ground --

Q I didn't ask that.

PRESIDENT BUSH: No, I know, but I -- you asked the question, I answer them. The answer is, as to when we'll be able to stand up Iraqis and stand down, when we'll be able to analyze the situation, depends upon how these people react, how they react to pressure, how they react to forming their government. This is a brand-new democracy. And the problem with the war we have is it requires a certain degree of patience in order to succeed. And we have to be patient here as this new democracy begins to flourish, and has to deal with people like Zarqawi, who is trying to stop their advance.

And so, as soon as possible. I've told the American people I'd like to get our troops out as soon as possible. But the definition of "as soon as possible" is depending upon victory in Iraq. And victory in Iraq is a country that can sustain itself, govern itself and defend itself. That's the definition of victory, and we're making progress toward that goal.

Q Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, last week we saw a major change in the policy towards Iran. And although you don't want to talk about timetables, the Prime Minister talked about a window of opportunity for the Iranians. How do you see that window of opportunity, what is the timetable, and what will be the next step in the procedure when we talk about Iran?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you. Actually, you saw a shift in tactics, but not a shift in strategy. I've always felt like we needed to solve this problem diplomatically. And I always felt it was essential that when the Iranians looked out at the world, they see a common, united group of nations saying, no nuclear weapon.

Part of the change in tactics was to do two things: One, say to the Iranians, the choice is yours to make, see. You have said you're going to verifiably suspend your program. Now we're going to see whether or not you really mean it. And if you do, by the way, the United States will come to the table. And I said to our friends and partners, if they choose not to come back -- to suspend verifiably, there must be a consequence. There must be a sense of urgency on our part to send a common message to them. And I applaud my Secretary of State for effectively delivering that message.

And so to answer your question, we've given the Iranians a limited period of time -- weeks, not months -- to digest a proposal to move forward. And if they choose not to verifiably suspend their program, then there will be action taken in the U.N. Security Council.

Caren.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Your initial public comments on the death of Zarqawi have been described as more cautious than other developments, such as the capture of Saddam Hussein. Are you more cautious now? And, if so, why?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, let me make sure everybody understands, I'm thrilled that Zarqawi was brought to justice. And I am so proud of our troops and intelligence officers who brought him to justice. This man had a lot of blood on his hands. He killed a lot of people. And it's a big deal to have brought him to justice. Having said that, I don't want the American people to think that a war is won with the death of one person, that we have still more work to do.

I am confident that al Qaeda will try to regroup and kill other people in order to say, well, we haven't lost our -- we haven't lost our way. I believe that. I also know that there are criminal elements and irritated people inside of Iraq who will try to stop the progress of the government; they will continue to bomb.

The problem we have in this war is that all they've got to do is kill some innocent people by a car bomb, and it looks like they're winning, see. It takes a major event like an election or the death of Zarqawi to understand that we're making progress. And so one of the things I'm trying to be is realistic with the American people, and say there's still going to be tough days ahead, because the enemy has got the capacity to get on our TV with death and destruction. That's what they've got the capacity to do.

In the meantime, however, the political process -- remember, a government that can sustain itself and govern itself and defend itself. The governance aspect, as the Prime Minister will attest, is making progress under Prime Minister Maliki. It's a new type of government. It's a unity government that represents the Iraqi people under a constitution which they ratified, which is a remarkable feat, by the way, in the Middle East -- a government that can defend itself. And that is a government with an army that's well-trained, with a chain of command, that's responsive to civilian leadership.

And, finally, a government that can sustain itself is one that not only has an economic -- a bright economic future for its people, but one in which the internal security is such that people have confidence in their government. And, frankly, that's the area where we need a lot of work, which is in the police forces. The Interior Minister was dominated by politicians that wanted to seek revenge, as opposed to provide blanket security, and as General Casey has said, training our troops -- training the police is the mission of our troops for 2006. And I want to thank the Prime Minister for his great contribution through NATO and the police training academies that we're helping to run.

But we're making progress. But I don't want -- I want the people to understand that our progress will be viewed as incremental progress. If I didn't think we would succeed, I wouldn't stay. And if I didn't think it was necessary for peace, I wouldn't have put our troops there in the first place. And I told that to the Prime Minister. I said you can count on America for standing by this new government, because we're doing the right thing. And people are going to look back at this moment in history and say a democracy in Iraq helped change the world for the better and helped provide security. It certainly helped address the simmering resentment that exists in a part of a region that for too long has been ignored.

And some say, I understand, that liberty isn't universal, therefore we shouldn't worry about freeing people of Iraq. I strongly disagree with that. Liberty is universal. And not only in our attempts to defend ourselves, we also have got to understand that to help win hearts and minds, freedom is an avenue that will help do that. We've got to be confident in our belief in freedom and confident in our knowledge that freedom has the capacity to yield the peace we want.

Q Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, in previous meetings you have discussed Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and now Haditha, and possibly other crimes have been added to that list.

Mr. President, how did you try to convince the Prime Minister today that that kind of violations of human rights will stop and guilty will be prosecuted? And Mr. Prime Minister, are you today convinced that violations of human rights will stop so that these violations are not undermining the war for democracy in Iraq? Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: You know, last time -- I think it was in Denmark we talked about Abu Ghraib, if I'm not mistaken. I told the people in Denmark on your soil that it was a disgusting event. It soiled our soul. It's not what America stands for. I also -- I'm not sure I put it this way, but I understand humans make mistakes, but there needs to be accountability. And since then, those involved with the Abu Ghraib have been brought to justice. And that's what happens in transparent societies -- which, by the way, stood in stark contrast to the society that Saddam Hussein ran, where there was no justice, where there was no transparency, where people weren't given a chance to take their case in front of an impartial court. But that's what's happened here in America.

I'm like the Prime Minister, I understand that these incidents run contrary to what we believe; I know that. But I also want to assure -- I assured the Prime Minister -- that they'll be dealt with. That's what societies like ours do. I can't guarantee success all across the front, but I can guarantee there will be justice.

PRIME MINISTER RASMUSSEN: I'm very much in line with that. What we have seen in Abu Ghraib is not, was not what we are standing for. If the allegations concerning Haditha show up to be true, it is definitely not what the coalition, what America, what Denmark stands for. On the contrary, we are in Iraq to promote freedom, democracy, respect for human rights. And of course we should comply with these basic principles in all our behavior.

[BUSH] I can give no guarantee, but just like the Prime Minister, I can give the guarantee that in free and open societies, the whole process will be transparent. And if there are wrongdoings, the responsible will be prosecuted. That's a guarantee you can give in a free and open society, based on the rule of law.

Q Thank you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Fine looking shoes you've got on there.

Q Thank you, sir. Mr. President, what are your top commanders telling you in the last 48 hours about the possible impact of Zarqawi's death, and how does that affect what you are trying to accomplish in these strategy meetings, here at Camp David, Monday and Tuesday?

PRESIDENT BUSH: First, we had the strategy meetings scheduled before Zarqawi's death, interestingly enough. I haven't spoken to our commanders yet, except to call General Casey and McChrystal and congratulate them, but more importantly, for them to congratulate the troops and the intel groups that were working on finding Zarqawi.

I suspect they will tell you what I just said, answered to Caren, and that is that it's a big deal, but it's certainly not the end of conflict. We had some -- we believed that al Qaeda was stirring up violence inside of Baghdad. And one of the things the Prime Minister told the Prime Minister and me by phone, that the security of Baghdad is a central part of having a strategy that shows the Iraqi people that the government is capable of governing and achieving objectives.

And, therefore, if al Qaeda was a part of -- not the sole source, but part of the violence inside of Baghdad, it helps to get rid of their commander.

It's also a -- General Abizaid, whose job it is to think beyond just Iraq -- he's the CENTCOM, he's the theater commander -- will tell you that the upper management of al Qaeda was counting on Zarqawi to help implement their vision beyond Iraq.

See, it's really important for the American people to understand that al Qaeda has got an ideology and a strategy to impose that ideology. And part of the strategy is to create turmoil in moderate Muslim nations. And they want to overthrow moderate Muslim nations. They want to have their view of the world. I call it totalitarian, Islamo-fascism. Whatever you want to call it, it is extreme and it's real. And Zarqawi was the implementer of that strategy. And he can no longer implement. And that is helpful in winning the war on terror.

Iraq is a theater in the war on terror. It's not the war on terror. It's a part of the war on terror. And Zarqawi was a general inside of Iraq, and he was a part of their strategy outside of Iraq. And I suspect General Abizaid -- I don't mean to be putting words into one of our top commanders, but I would suspect he would say this was a major blow to al Qaeda.

The death of Zarqawi was very important for the people of Iraq. He was sowing incredible violence inside of Iraq. He promoted spectacular death. And by the way, he talked about human rights abuses, and we -- definitely need to be held to account. But the world needs to hold to account terrorists for civil rights abuses, too. The killing of innocent people to achieve a military objective is the cornerstone of al Qaeda's military strategy. And this world of ours -- it's no question we ought to be concerned about what the United States does. But I expect the free world, as well, to unite in condemnation of terrorist activities around the world. See, it ought to be a universal condemnation. We ought not to excuse that kind of behavior.

And yesterday's action -- or a couple of days ago action, expressed our disdain for that kind of killing of innocent life. And bringing him to justice is a positive thing.

It's important for the Iraqi people to see progress in the death of Zarqawi, there's no question progress toward more stable -- it's not going to solve all problems. And I'm sure, as I mentioned to you, there's going to be some who step up and say we will teach you a lesson and we will continue to send suiciders into neighborhoods just to show that we've still got power. But they've lost their general. They've lost the person that the top management of al Qaeda was counting on. And it's a positive development.

Q Is there specific goals for Monday and Tuesday?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Specific goals for Monday and Tuesday is to review the Iraqi strategy, the Iraq way forward. In other words, the Prime Minister has put forward a strategy as to how to achieve his objectives, which coincide with our objectives -- a nation that can sustain itself, govern itself and defend itself. And we want to review all aspects of that strategy. I felt that Camp David is a good place to do it because it can be distracting down in Washington -- with phone calls, and all those kinds of -- we can make sure the people involved in senior levels of government stay focused on the task at hand.

I will be talking to Zal and our commanders, just to get assessment. One question I'll ask is precisely the question you asked. I want to get a feel for their view of the Iraqi government's plans and how we can help Iraq achieve the objectives they want. And then the next day, we're going to have the Ambassador from Iraq to the United States up to talk with him, as well as have a Cabinet meeting between my government and the Maliki government via secure video. And I think that will be a very interesting moment for the Iraqi government, to see that we're concerned and interested about their plans for success. And I think it will be interesting for us to be able to get a sense for the type of people that the Prime Minister has attracted.

Ask Anders a question, will you? He's feeling a little defensive. (Laughter.)

Q I'm sorry, I have one for you, Mr. President. This week, a report from the European Council talked about some CIA flights, illegal CIA flights with the prisoners in Europe, and illegal CIA presence also in some European countries. Have these flights taken place, and did you discuss this in your meeting today?

PRESIDENT BUSH: We haven't discussed it yet. I suspect we will now that you brought it up. I would just -- I can tell you what I'll tell the Prime Minister, is that in cases where we're not able to extradite somebody who's dangerous, sometimes renditions take place. It's been a part of our government for quite a period of time -- not just my government, but previous administrations have done so in order to protect people. And as we do so, we protect the sovereign rights of nations that we're involved with.

Okay, thanks for the press conference. Enjoy yourselves. Get out of here. (Laughter.) Welcome, glad you all are here.

President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark navigate a path at Camp David Friday, June 9, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper

Q Are you guys going to race?

PRESIDENT BUSH: No, we're old -- one of us is old. (Laughter.) I'm taking a lesson.

ENGLAND

TYSKLAND

FRANKRIG

DANMARK (NORGE, SVERIGE)

EU og senere Danmark har anerkendt Montenegro som selvstændig stat. Se under: Montenegro.

SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen bekræftede 12.06.2006 den seneste tids forlydender om at han ville fratræde sit embede som SRSG i Kosóva, når hans periode udløber i slutningen af juni; han ønsker at være mere sammen med sin familie, siger han. Se under: Kosóva.

Ugerapport fra Dansk KFOR. Hærens Operative Kommando - se under: Kosova.

060609 SM Anders Fogh-Rasmussen har besøgt Præsident Bush i Camp David. Se under: USA.

LANDE UDEN FOR BALKAN OG ØSTLIGE MIDDELHAV. IKKE NATO-LANDE

RUSLAND

UMs Rejsevejledning: http://www.um.dk/da/menu/Borgerservice/FoerRejsen/Rejsevejledninger/RejsevejledningRusland.htm

KINA

Relationerne mellem Albanien og Kina. Xinhua skriver:

TIRANA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Albanian President Alfred Moisiu and Prime Minister Sali Berisha met separately here on Saturday with Wang Zhongyu, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

At the meetings, Moisiu and Berisha expressed the hope that China and Albania would strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and said more Chinese enterprises are welcome to come and invest in Albania.

Albania attaches great importance to developing bilateral relations with China and will, as always, adhere to the one-China policy, Moisiu said.

Berisha thanked China for its longstanding support and assistance to Albania.

Relations between China and Albania have grown steadily since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 50 years ago, Wang said, adding that recent years have witnessed more frequent exchanges and contact between the two countries and fruitful cooperation in the political, economic and trade, cultural and military fields.

Wang expressed China's appreciation and thanks for Albania's adherence to the one-China policy, and hoped the two countries would cherish their traditional friendship and expand bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.

Albanian Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli met Wang on Friday. They agreed to strengthen exchanges and work together to promote the healthy development of bilateral relations.

De Asylsøgende fra Kina / Guantanamo. MFA (Det Albanske UM) har 060615 udsendt flg. meddelelse:

In view of the statements made at domestic and international press by an official of the Office for Refugees, that Albania is considering the possibility of sending away the five citizens of Wighur origin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that such statements are totally untrue and do not constitute the official line of the Albanian Government on this issue.

The Albanian Government has provided these citizens with all the necessary living conditions, based on the national laws and international conventions and is determined to help them get integrated to the country’s life; Likewise, it continues to deal with the normal procedures of processing their application for political asylum in the Republic of Albania.

All other stances related to this issue are speculations. The Government provides the assurances that the five Wighur citizens remain welcomed in Albania and it has clarified its position with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Information om »Sidste Nyt«

»Sidste Nyt om Albanien, Kosóva og Makedonien« hører til et web-site om de Balkan-lande hvor der lever mange Albanere: http://bjoerna.dk/albanerne.htm.

Her kan du også finde »gamle nyheder«, anmeldelser, links og en Balkan Brevkasse.

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Bemærkninger om EDB-sikkerhed.

Du må citere hvis du angiver hovedsidens adresse: bjoerna.dk

Siderne om Albanerne finder du på: bjoerna.dk/albanerne.htm

To skridt frem. Bogomslaget

»To skridt frem? Albanien i en brydningstid«

Baggrundsmateriale kan findes via:
http://bjoerna.net/to-skridt-frem/#Linksamling

»Albansk Almanak 2004«

Almanak'en for 2004 er udkommet i december 2005. Her finder du nyhedsbrevene fra 2004 og nogle kommentarer.

Bogen udgives i et sæt bestående af et hæfte (de første 77 sider) og en CD (alle 1264 sider). På CD'en også supplerende materiale - ikke mindst »1912 - Med den serbiske Armé i Makedonien« - Fritz Magnussen's beretninger v/ Palle Rossen.

Se indholdsoversigt på: http://bjoerna.dk/albansk-historie/almanak-2004.htm.

Se pris på: Bestillingsliste.

»Albansk Almanak 2005«

Almanak'en for 2005 er udkommet i april 2006. Her finder du nyhedsbrevene fra 2005 og forskelligt supplerende materiale.

Bogen udgives i et sæt bestående af et hæfte (ugeoversigterne) og en CD (med ugebrevene og det supplerende materiale - i alt omkring 2.150 sider).

Se pris på: Bestillingsliste.

»Albanske Studier« bd. 1-2

Kommentarer til Bjøl, Huntington, Machiavelli, Sørlander, DUPI (Humanitær Intervention), Clausewitz, Mao Zedong, Lars R. Møller, Malcolm og flere andre.

Englændere på rejse i Albanien: Edward Lear, Edith Durham og Robert Carver.

Bøger om slægtsfejder og blodhævn. Diskussion af Anne Knudsen's disputats om blodhævn på Korsika og af Ismail Kadare's roman »Ufuldendt april«.

Baggrundsmateriale om den Sønderjyske general Christian von Holstein, der deltog i Habsburgernes felttog ind i Kosóva i 1689-90.

Sidst i bogen et forsøg på en sammenfatning i form af nogle 'grundlæggende synspunkter'.

Desuden en kommentar til Hans Hækkerup's »På skansen«. På CD'en supplerende materiale om traditionelle Albanske klædedragter og om Holstein. Hans bog om Kosovo er omtalt i »Albansk Almanak 2004«.

Du kan downloade indholdsfortegnelsen og kommentaren til »På skansen« fra: http://bjoerna.dk/albansk-historie/studier-2002.htm

Bogen findes i trykt form og på CD (som pdf-fil). Papirudgave 368 A4-sider i 2 bind. Bogen sælges som papirudgave m/ CD og som CD alene. Se pris på: Bestillingsliste.

Til dig der kigger på et ældre nummer af »Sidste Nyt«.

Seneste udgave af denne »annonce« kan ses på:

»Sidste Nyt« (klik)