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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 |
European Parliament, Strasbourg, 26 September 2006
Mr President, Honourable Members,
The European Commission has just adopted its final report on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Our conclusion is that both countries are in a position to take on the rights and obligations of European Union membership on 1 January 2007.
The accession of Bulgaria and Romania will mark an historic achievement: the completion of the 5th enlargement of the European Union, which further pursues the reunification of our European family.
On this occasion, I would like to congratulate the peoples and the authorities of Bulgaria and Romania for all the efforts they have produced in order to fulfil the conditions for accession to the European Union.
I would also like to thank you, Honourable Members, for the constructive role of the European Parliament. The Parliament has always been a staunch champion of the political, economic, and cultural benefits of enlargement. Your support has helped to spread peace, stability and prosperity in Europe.
The most recent enlargement – like others before it – has proved to be a great success. It has confirmed that enlarging the Union – if carefully managed – produces a win-win situation for both the existing and the acceding Member States. Enlargement stimulates economic growth and social cohesion and re-enforces the role and influence of the European Union in the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The readiness of Bulgaria and Romania is a direct result of the sustained progress both countries have achieved over the last years and particularly since our last report in May.
I must emphasise that the Commission takes its responsibility as guardian of the Treaties very seriously. First and foremost we must protect the functioning of the Union. This endorsement of the 2007 accession date for Bulgaria and Romania is based on a rigorous, fair and objective assessment, as Commissioner Olli Rehn will explain in detail in a few moments.
Bulgaria and Romania have found the right answer to our strict conditionality by addressing the areas we highlighted in May. In doing so, they have achieved considerable progress. However, today's report also outlines some areas where both countries need to achieve further progress by sustaining the current reform drive until accession and beyond.
The Commission has fixed a number of measures to accompany the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. In particular, the Commission will set up a mechanism for cooperation and verification of progress in the areas of judicial reform, the fight against corruption, and organised crime. The mechanism contains specific benchmarks which have to be met.
The Commission will report regularly to the Parliament and to the Council on the progress achieved. On that basis, the Commission may, if necessary, invoke the safeguard measure set out in the Accession Treaty.
The Commission has further accompanying measures at its disposal, which ensure the proper functioning of the Union up to and beyond the accession of both countries.
EU rules provide us with a comprehensive set of measures which allow us to combat potential risks in acceding and in current Member States and address concerns linked to food safety or the management of European tax payers' money.
The rigorous application of such accompanying measures underlines the emphasis we have placed on conditionality throughout the accession preparations of both countries. We are therefore convinced that - once again - enlargement will proceed smoothly in a way which will strengthen, not compromise the functioning of the Union.
It is indeed important to ensure that, as we enlarge, we are still able to function efficiently.
I would like to use this opportunity to state my position concerning future enlargements. After the completion of the 5th enlargement, with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, I believe that an institutional settlement should precede any future enlargement. This is the way to ensure that our enlarged Union will function in an efficient and harmonious way.
In any case, the Nice Treaty already imposes on us, after the accession of the 27th member, adaptations to our institutional setup.
Last June’s European Council conclusions have set the course for that institutional settlement and I hope that by the end of 2008 we will succeed.
In following that timetable, we would respect our commitments towards countries to whom we have opened an accession perspective and fulfil our strategic goal of consolidating peace and prosperity in our Continent.
Mr President, Honourable Members,
We are looking forward to Bulgaria's and Romania's historic achievement of European Union membership in 2007. I expect both to contribute energetically to the process of European integration.
MEMO/06/347
Brussels, 26 September 2006
Accompanying measures in the context of Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession
Throughout the one and half decade of preparations for EU accession Bulgaria and Romania have carried out an extraordinary reform process and they have gone through a remarkable transformation. Their accession does not compromise the functioning of the EU. However, there are still a limited number of areas where further progress is needed in the months leading to accession and beyond. Upon accession, the Commission will, if necessary, take accompanying measures to prevent or remedy any persisting shortcomings to ensure the smooth accession of both countries. These include safeguard measures, transitional measures, financial corrections on EU funds, and a cooperation and verification mechanism for the judiciary and the fight against corruption.
These measures complement the Commission's established tools to perform its role as guardian of the Treaties and to ensure the correct application of EU policies in all Member States. These include infringement procedures, competition policy measures, and [traditional] measures for the management of EU funds, and monitoring mechanisms, for example in the areas of Internal Market and Justice, Liberty and Security.
The Commission will make full use of these instruments wherever necessary to ensure the smooth accession of Bulgaria and Romania.
What are the safeguard clauses?
Safeguard mechanisms of last resort which are triggered either to prevent or to remedy particular problems or threats to the functioning of the Union. Any measures taken should be proportional to the corresponding shortcomings.
The EU legal order, which applies to all Member States, provides many safeguard measures in the various EU policies.
In addition to this, the Accession Treaty for Bulgaria and Romania provides for further safety nets to address potential accession related difficulties. The following three safeguards can be invoked up to 3 years after accession:
• a general economic safeguard clause; (Article 36)
• a specific internal market safeguard clause; (Article 37)
• a specific justice and home affairs safeguard clause, (Article 38)
These safeguards are the same as the ones included in the Accession Treaty of the Member States who joined on 1 May 2004.
What is the general economic safeguard clause?
The general economic safeguard clause is a traditional trade policy measure. It aims to deal with adjustment difficulties which an economic sector or area in either old or new Member States may experience as a result of accession. Member States (new and old) may apply, during a period of three years after accession, for authorisation to take protective measures in order to remedy such economic difficulties. The European Commission may then decide such measures. They can be decided only after accession and shall not entail frontier controls.
What is the internal market safeguard clause?
If Bulgaria or Romania fails to implement internal market legislation with a cross border effect and this risks a serious breach in the functioning of the internal market, the European Commission may take safeguard measures. It may do so either upon its own initiative or on the request of a Member State.
Such safeguard measures may be taken until 3 years after accession, but they may be applicable beyond that date until the situation is remedied. The European Commission may modify, shorten or terminate the measures in response to progress. If necessary, the measures may be decided prior to accession and become applicable upon accession.
The internal market safeguard clause covers the four freedoms and other sectoral policies such as competition, energy, transport, telecommunication, agriculture and consumer and health protection (e.g. food safety).
The Commission will decide upon the measures on a case-by-case basis. The measures may limit the application of the internal market or cross-border EU policy in the given sector only as much as necessary to remedy the situation. Priority will be given to measures which least disturb the functioning of the internal market and, where appropriate, to the application of the existing safeguards in the EU laws and standards. The internal market safeguard measure applies exclusively to Bulgaria and Romania and not to the other Member States.
What is the justice and home affairs safeguard clause?
If there are serious, or imminent risks of serious shortcomings in Bulgaria or Romania in the transposition or implementation of EU rules relating to mutual recognition of judgements in criminal or civil law, the Commission may, after consulting the Member States, take safeguard measures. It may do so either upon its own initiative or on the request of a Member State.
Safeguard measures in this area may be taken until 3 years after accession, but they may be applicable beyond that date until the situation is remedied. Measures decided before accession would be applicable as from accession. If necessary, the measures may be decided prior to accession and become applicable upon accession.
The justice and home affairs safeguards are closely linked to the functioning of the justice system. Examples of areas covered are insolvency proceedings, proceedings on matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, uncontested claims, or the European Arrest Warrant.
Concretely, the Commission could temporarily suspend specific rights of Bulgaria and Romania under the EU laws and standards. For instance, it could enable current Member States to refuse automatic recognition and enforcement of certain civil and criminal judgement and arrest warrants in either Romania or Bulgaria.
What are transitional measures?
The Commission may, for three years after accession, prevent the export of Bulgarian or Romanian products which do not comply with EU veterinary, phytosanitary and food safety rules, to the rest of the EU.
To take a concrete example, the export of live pigs and pig meat products of Romania and Bulgaria to the rest of the EU will remain banned as long as the animal disease classical swine fever has not been eradicated. For instance, food safety in Europe can be guaranteed by the possibility to prevent the sale of unsafe products in the internal market. The Commission may add further food establishments to the list of those banned for three years after accession from exporting to the rest of the EU after accession. Those establishments which do not comply with EU standards can only sell their products on the domestic markets. By the end of this period, these establishments either have to be upgraded or close down.
In addition, there are also transitional measures which have been agreed during the accession negotiations, laid down in the Accession Treaty. They concern specific areas where either Bulgaria and Romania or the current Member States are allowed to not fully apply the EU laws and standards during a limited period after accession. These areas cover for example the free movement of workers, acquisition of land, road transport and some aspects of the environmental and agricultural EU laws and standards.
What are financial corrections on EU funds?
Upon accession, Bulgaria and Romania will benefit from substantial EU funds, in particular structural and agricultural funds. The Commission will ensure that these funds are properly managed. Any improper use of EU funds will lead to financial corrections. These may consist of delayed disbursements, reduction on future payments or recovery of funds.
For structural funds, the EU laws and standards provide four types of control that may lead to financial corrections. Firstly, every Member State needs to submit operational programmes which have to be approved by the Commission before any payments can be made. Secondly, if Bulgaria or Romania do not have adequate management, certification and audit authorities, no interim payments will be made. Thirdly, the disbursement of funds for the programmes can be interrupted, suspended or cancelled if the Commission suspects or detects cases of irregularities or fraud including corrupt practices. Finally, financial corrections can take place in case irregularities are found during the regular ex-post controls.
For agricultural funds, Member States are obliged to have accredited and efficient paying agencies to ensure the sound management and control of agricultural expenditure. Secondly, Member States are also required to operate an integrated administrative and Control system (IACS), for the direct payments to farmers and parts of rural development expenditures, in order to avoid for example fraudulent practices and irregular payments. Thirdly, if Member States fail to operate such control systems properly, the Commission decides ex-post on financial corrections through the annual financial controls. Finally, if the Commission concludes that the funds are not spent according to the rules, the Commission may suspend or temporarily reduce the payment of advances, on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to these mechanisms for agricultural funds applicable to any Member State, the Commission has introduced specific rules for Bulgaria and Romania to address the risk that their IACS will not function properly as from accession. The funds covered by IACS present around 80% of the agricultural funds and concern direct payments to farmers and rural development expenditure.
This additional mechanism gives the two countries time to complete the necessary work on a properly functioning IACS. The Commission will closely monitor the situation in 2007. In case of systemic problems with the management of EU funds, the Commission will later in 2007 decide whether to withdraw provisionally 25% of the payments covered by IACS. During the annual ex-post controls, the Commission decides whether to maintain the reduction.
What is the cooperation and verification mechanism for the judiciary and the fight against corruption?
The Commission will establish a mechanism to cooperate and verify progress within the reform of the judiciary and in the fight against corruption and organised crime after accession. This will be based on the Accession Treaty. Both Bulgaria and Romania shall report regularly on progress in addressing specific benchmarks. The first report should be submitted by 31 March 2007.
The Commission will provide internal and external expertise to cooperate and provide guidance in the reform process and to verify progress. The Commission will then report to the European Parliament and the Council by June on the progress made by both countries in addressing the benchmarks. The Commission's reports will assess whether the benchmarks have been met, need to be adjusted and may request further reports on progress if necessary. The mechanism will continue until the benchmarks have been met.
Should either country fail to address the benchmarks adequately, the Commission will apply the safeguard measures of the Accession Treaty (see above).
The Commission will adopt a Decision implementing and defining the modalities of this mechanism after consulting the Member States. It will enter into force on 1 January 2007.
More than 200.000 Albanians may be expelled from Switzerland if the country endorses the new immigration law, Tirana's dailies said. Media in Tirana say the associations of Kosovo Albanians in Switzerland are deeply concerned amid initiatives on tougher immigration and asylum laws. If the Swiss vote for the law on aliens and refugees, at least 200.000 Albanians from Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania may be forced out of the country. Kosovo Albanian associations in Switzerland called on roughly 20.000 Albanians who had acquired Swiss citizenship to oppose the revised asylum law. Several leftist parties and NGOs remained adamantly opposed to the draft-law, arguing that the law breaches human rights. Swiss government reckons that current situation in the 21st century requires new regulations concerning aliens. The current law on foreign nationals entered into effect 70 years ago.
Pristina /22/09/ 08:03 UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari is likely to propose a solution on the final status of Kosovo by the end of November 2006.
"It might happen in November, possibly even sooner", a diplomat told Reuters on Thursday, speaking under condition of anonymity.
According to the same source, the six-member "Contact Group" authorized Ahtisaari to propose a final status plan for Kosovo and to achieve a settlement by November.
UN Envoy is most likely to propose an independence status, including security guarantees for the province, the unnamed diplomat said
Reuters reported that USA and the European partners managed to soften up the position of Russia, which has been adamant in opposing the tight timeframe for bringing the process to an end.
PRISTINA – PDSRSG Steven Schook visited local leaders in Mitrovica, Istog/Istok and Klina today to urge them to work more actively with their communities at this crucial time in Kosovo’s status process.
Together with Police Commissioner Stephen Curtis and KFOR Deputy Commander Gen. Roberto Bernardini, the PDSRSG met Kosovo Serb leaders in northern Mitrovica to discuss security concerns, particularly in relation to the Austerlitz Bridge that links the northern and southern parts of the town.
The PDSRSG thanked the local leaders for their responsible leadership with regard to the latest incidents and assured them that together with KFOR, UNMIK “will come up with a responsible way forward with respect to the bridge, as to how we open it and when we open it.”
The PDSRSG then met with the Municipal Assembly President and CEO of Mitrovica and gave the following message: “I want more involvement by the local leadership in all communities. The message is very clear and very simple: enough is enough.” He stressed that the involvement of the local leadership is critical to creating the conditions necessary to re-open the bridge.
“I am tired of having the Austerlitz Bridge as the focus of incidents. I am looking for more leadership on both sides to ensure people in their communities behave so that we can get the bridge re-opened as soon as possible,” he said.
The PDSRSG also travelled to Istog/Istok municipality to visit an urban returns site there together with the municipal CEO. The PDSRSG then went to Klina for a meeting with the Municipal Assembly President. The two discussed how to maximize resources available to determine who was responsible for two recent attacks on Kosovo Serb returnees in Klina.
Following the meeting, the PDSRSG told the media: “It is a critical time in Kosovo’s history, and it is still beyond my comprehension that we have people out there, be it for monetary gain or political gain or other reasons, that commit these despicable acts that do not help Kosovo during the final status process.”
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PDSRSG stressed the importance of political leadership at this critical phase for Kosovo
GJILAN/GNJILANE – PDSRSG Steven Schook visited Gjilan/Gnjilane Municipality today where he stressed the importance of political leadership at this critical phase for Kosovo, during the meetings he had with the municipal authorities, representatives of political parties and KPS Regional and Station Commanders.
“I spent time with the regional police chief and had discussions on the recent bombings. I met also the political leadership and shared some of my concerns about these events in Gjilan/Gnjilane,” the PDSRSG said.
“I want to make it clear to both the police and to the municipal leadership that this is a very critical phase for all of Kosovo,” he said. Mr. Schook said that the increased international attention to Kosovo during the status process means that what otherwise might be local issues take on a larger importance. “There is no such thing as a municipal issue anymore,” he said.
KFOR has apprehended today seven Kosovar Albanians, suspected of involvement in anti-Serbian riots in March 2004, revealing no details on the charges.
19 Kosovar Serbs were killed, thousands were forced out of their homes, and hundreds houses, churches and monasteries were partially or fully destroyed during demonstrations that took place in March 2004.
At the same time, the international forces on Kosovo announced re-opening of the bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica, which separates the Albanian from the Serbian part of the town since the 1998/99 Kosovo war.
PRIZREN, 23 September 2006 - The challenges faced by young people in Kosovo -- including employment, education, and their position in society -- were discussed today at a conference organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the United Nations Special Representative's Multi-Ethnicity and Outreach Unit.
The Southwest Kosovo Youth Conference also helped establish direct ties between youth assemblies, youth networks and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government.
"It is very impressive to see how much the young people of Kosovo, the largest demographic group, are committed to openly discussing with government officials their concerns and challenges," said Zornitsa Popova, the Mission's Senior Democratization Officer in Prizren.
"More importantly, this conference brought together young people from different ethnic backgrounds."
Participants at the conference offered recommendations on how to address issues concerning youth in Kosovo such as education and employment. They called on authorities to do more in providing opportunities and empower them as the future leaders of Kosovo. The recommendations will be handed over to the Office of the Prime Minister, the UN Special Representative and other relevant institutions.
The OSCE Mission supports youth assemblies in 12 of Kosovo's municipalities. They represent all ethnic communities and help young people discuss issues of mutual concern and understand the functions and structure of local government, democratic procedures and principles.
Youth assemblies and networks from the municipalities of Prizren, Suhareke/Suva Reka, Dragash/Dragas, Rahovec/Orahovac, Malisheve/Malisevo, Mamusa/Mamushe/Mamusa, Gjakove/Djakovica, Kline/Klina, Peje/Pec and Istog/Istog took part in the conference.
En dag uden træning …
KOSOVO: Den danske bataljon holder soldaterne knivskarpe og oppe på tæerne!
25-09-2006 kl. 14:20
Redigeret af Jørgen Pedersen, major, presseofficer
"En dag uden træning er en dag uden mening" har en gammel idrætsinstruktør fra tiden, hvor idræt hed FUT, udtalt, mens han sammenbidt har trænet sine knæ-hoftestrækkere. Essensen i denne korte og klare sætning er blevet en af bataljonschefens faste punkter, når han holder sin ugentlige tale ved mandagsmorgenparaden.
Resultatet er heller ikke udeblevet, og selv unavngivne chefsergenter og feltpræster er blevet antruffet i falmet idrætstøj og røde kinder rundt omkring i Camp Olaf Rye.
Om kort tid skal den danske bataljon afvikle første omgang af DANCON-marchen, og derfor er marchstøvlerne blevet fundet frem, og de kosovoalbanske bjergskråninger bliver trampet flade af soldater, der forbereder deres fødder på 25 km sveddryppende gåtur.
Også i denne uge blev bataljonen velsignet med besøgende, og denne gang drejede det sig om Commanders Meeting, hvor brigadegeneral Bart havde tilsagt sine bataljonschefer til møde i Camp Olaf Rye. De franske enheder har netop roteret deres enheder, og derfor var der nye ansigter i chefgruppen.
For at ryste folk lidt sammen og skabe god dansk hygge, blev der arrangeret et par små events i form af bueskydning og petanque … sidstnævnte for som god vært at få de franske gæster til at føle sig hjemme.
Mødet havde også et rent fagligt indhold, inden gæsterne blev introduceret til en gastronomisk oplevelse i form af godt dansk smørrebrød.
KN Jacob Thorstensen fra operationssektion beretter:
Atter en uge er gået. Arbejdspresset letter så småt, og det er dejligt, men samtidigt giver det overskud til at tænke på jer derhjemme. Jeg håber, at de, som er på leave, nyder samværet med venner og familie.
Hverdagen fortsætter med patruljer i og omkring Mitrovica. Byen er sammensat af en række boligområder domineret af serbere nord for Ibar-floden og albanere syd for Ibar-floden. Man mærker tydeligt hvilken bydel, man kører i. I albansk dominerede områder vinker alle og giver V-tegnet med fingrene, mens i serbisk dominerede områder skuler man ofte mod en og der hilses sjældent.
Broen over Ibar-floden er stadig lukket og konstant bevogtet af FN-politiet efter episoden, hvor en ung albaner kastede to håndgranater mod en menneske fyldt cafe.
Derudover giver det en del ekstra arbejde, når færdselsuheld eller vådeskudsulykker indtræffer. Heldigvis er ingen kommet alvorligt til skade, og soldaten, som skød sig selv i benet, har det efter omstændighederne godt og er næsten holdt op med at halte.
Oberstløjtnant Jette Albinus og en fransk officer forsøger sig udi i bueskydningens ædle kunst. Premierløjtnant Lars Østbjerg ser med god grund lidt bekymret ud.
Oberstløjtnant Jette Albinus og en fransk officer forsøger sig udi i bueskydningens ædle kunst. Premierløjtnant Lars Østbjerg ser med god grund lidt bekymret ud.
Chefen stabskompagniet, major Jacob Vik Hansen beretter:
Så er der gået endnu en uge … fantastisk som tiden flyver af sted, når man morer sig eller bare arbejder meget.
Desværre gik jeg glip af min datter Frejas fødselsdag i søndags, hvilket både hun og jeg var lidt kede af, men så blev jeg til gengæld inviteret til 50 års fødselsdag hos seniorsergent L. K., i daglig tale FEKS (står for ForsyningsEKSpedient) nede fra reparationsdelingen. Det var vældig hyggeligt med helstegt pattegris og stor lagkage.
Det har ikke været en uge uden problemer, idet det har været nødvendigt at sende en af mine soldater hjem til Danmark. Det er s.. lidt surt at skulle i gang med det allerede.
Vores løbetur på 22 km sidste lørdag gik fint, men var dog meget øm i nakken efterfølgende, og vi blev enige om at det nok var lige at overdrive det lidt, og derfor vil vi fremover kun løbe 17 km.
Vores nye mand på forsyningskammeret, Frode, er faldet godt ind i resten af vores lille kommandosektion. Han har vist sig både at kunne mange nyttige ting som at spille fodbold, hockey og dart. Vores weekendhygge består ofte af et par spil dart, hvor de fire faste, Svend-Erik, Peter, Frode og jeg, skiftes til at vinde, og det eneste, der mangler, er måske nok lige, at taberen kan afregne sin gæld.
Vores leave periode er for alvor startet hernede, hvilket betyder, at der er lidt færre til at løse de samme opgaver. Men det bliver jo også snart min tur.
Kompagniet har holdt sit første teambuilding-arrangement. Ingeniørerne var de første, der skulle afholde et arrangement med et antal øvelser og afsluttende fælles spisning. En arrangementsform jeg vil gennemføre en gang pr. måned. Det blev en stor succes. Ingeniørerne vandt selvfølgelig, det var jo dem der havde lavet disciplinerne.
Vi var igennem flytning af vand med bagskovlen på en rendegraver, bueskydning, savning med skørsav og sømtræf. Ikke alle var lige velegnede i alle discipliner. Mit hold blev nummer tre.
Dette på trods af min NK Jeppes manglende evner med søm og hammer, han blev klar nummer sidst og pralede efterfølgende af, at hans far har et tømmerfirma i Kolding, hvor han har hjulpet som dreng. Det ville jeg nok ikke have råbt så højt om. Så gik det bedre med Peter og jeg på Skørsaven. Vi var helt gode!
I går var Jeppe og jeg ude at køre. Vi kørte en tur til Camp Bondsteel. Den største amerikanske lejr uden for staterne. Jeg besøgte den også sidste gang, jeg var her. Det er stadig et imponerende stykke arbejde, der er lagt der. Der er ikke sparet på noget som helst.
Maden i det overdimensionerede cafeteria var typisk amerikansk, og det er ikke underligt, at amerikanske soldater fylder godt i landskabet.
En lang uge er ved at være slut. I næste uge får vi et hav af besøg hjemmefra, blandt andet cheferne for det kommende hold. Rart at vide der er tænkt på nogen, der kommer og overtager butikken i februar.
September 28, 2006
The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu received today in a meeting in the Presidency, the Head of the Socialist Movement for Integration, Ilir Meta, The topics of the talks were the electoral reform and political developments in the country.
September 26, 2006
The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu received today in the afternoon in a meeting, the United States Secretary of Defence, Donald H. Rumsfeld and the delegation accompanying him.
President Moisiu expressed in this meeting the gratitude for the great assistance that the United States has given to Albania in the democratization processes and especially for the support to reform our Armed Forces in the framework of fulfilling the main objective to be integrated into NATO’ structures. The Head of state pointed out some of the important steps taken by the Albanian Army in this direction by underlining the fact that the full membership of Albania in the North Atlantic Alliance is first of all the good will of the entire Albanian people.
Then President Moisiu praised the contribution of United States troops to preserve peace and stability in the Balkans and the United States and international factor’s role for the solution of the final status of Kosova. The Head of state re-iterated the position of the Albanian state that the just solution would be a sovereign and independent Kosova that respects the minorities’ rights, lives in peace and harmony with its neighbours and is integrated in the European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
The United States Secretary of Defence, Donald H. Rumsfeld, while emphasizing that the United States welcomes the enlargement of the Alliance, also stressed that it will continue the constructive cooperation with the Albanian state to fulfil the objective of Albanian’s full membership in NATO.
September 24, 2006
The President of the Republic, during the stay in the United States visited the Albanian community of Detroit where he took part during a very heartfelt and celebratory atmosphere, in the inauguration ceremony of the statue of our National Hero, Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg and also in the Holy Mass of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Albanian Saint Paul Church.
During the visit in the Albanian Church of Saint Paul, President Moisiu was received by the Archbishop of Detroit, Cardinal Adam Maida and the priest of the Albanian Church, Father Anton Kçira and thousands of believers and Albanian inhabitants of the area. A mass was held in honor of the remarkable events led by Cardinal Maida. Then, President Moisiu and Cardinal Maida, at the presence of thousands of Albanian nationals and the local United States authorities, inaugurated the statue of Skanderbeg which was sculpted by Kreshnik Xhiku.
During the ceremony held on this occasion, President Moisiu evoked the époque of Skanderbeg and his historical contribution. Mr. Moisiu stressed that it is the responsibility of present generations to learn from the wisdom, the messages of unity and the defense that Skanderbeg did to national interests. President Moisiu also highly praised the contribution of the Albanian community in Detroit, Michigan in preserving and developing the precious national and cultural values. This event was followed by an artistic show and the President had the opportunity to meet and talk with some hundreds of participating Albanians.
During the day, the Head of the Albanian state paid a visit also to the Albanian Teqe in Detroit where he met and talk with the Bektashi Albanian believers coming from different United States cities. The Albanian community hosted a celebratory reception to honor President Moisiu in which took part eight hundred Albanians from Albania proper, Kosova and Montenegro who have come from Michigan and other neighboring states. Various speakers and representatives of the community highly praised in their addresses the role and contribution of President Moisiu in exercising his constitutional duty as the Head of state, his commitment to defend the national interests and the continuous care for the Albanian communities throughout the world.
President Moisiu himself, at his address in front of the attendees expressed once again his praise for our national and historical values and also demanded from the Albanians wherever they might be to work incessantly and stay away from any political or viewpoint division for the prosperity and progress of the homeland. President Moisiu expressed his full conviction on the European future of Albania and independence of Kosova and also invited the Albanian community in Detroit and other US cities to invest in Albania.
President Moisiu also received and discussed with various groups of the Albanian community in the United States: with scholars, historians, artists and other personalities from Albanian regions, who through their work have been able to create a positive image for our homeland and are helping incessantly in dealing with problems related to the Albanian issue in the region.
A new project was signed on 22 September 2006 in the offices of the Vlora Regional Council, who requested assistance from the United Nations in Albania to better implement the Vlora Regional Development Strategy (RDS). UNDP supported all 12 regions of Albania with the preparation of development strategies during 2004 and 2005, and together with other UN agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA) has been supporting regional councils to establish a DevInfo system as a tool for progress monitoring and reporting. Fier was the first region to complete this exercise in 2005 and Kukes and Vlora have followed in 2006. This initiative is also expected to expand to other regions next year.
The project will support the Vlora Regional Council to establish a mechanism for data collection at the regional level. This will enable the Regional Council to measure the regional indicators on a regular basis and monitor the progress made in the implementation of the Regional Development Strategy.
The Regional Council will also be equipped with practical Information Technology (IT) tools and methodologies for storing and processing regional data and producing Progress Reports on the Regional Development Strategy.
At the end of the process, the Regional Council will produce an RDS monitoring report that can be used for further planning and implementation of development initiatives in the region. The Regional Council will coordinate all the activities in the region while UN agencies will provide constant technical support.
The Director of the Vlora Health Department said that the data would help to prioritize the work of the department, by helping to understand their current services, and how to improve them.
A specialist working in the Vlora Regional Development Department, Ms. Aferdite Ducka said that use of the DevInfo software would help to identify where the poverty is, so that those families living in extreme poverty can be helped.
This new initiative helps to build the capacities of the Regional Council to use DevInfo in order to monitor progress of the Regional Development Strategy. The Monitoring reports also serve as a feedback mechanism for further updating the Vlora Strategy.
Another initiative related to DevInfo is the Integrated Planning System (IPS), which will ensure that regional development plans are linked to the state budget, so that the development needs prioritized by the regions can be achieved. UNDP is implementing the first stage of the IPS that will include helping the government to decide how to link strategies to medium-term budget planning, with the overall purpose of reducing development disparities.
The next step is a workshop that will give a fully detailed description of the development software. More information on DevInfo can be found at www.devinfo.org and the software is also available in the Albanian language.
For more information, please contact Roland Koxhaj at roland.koxhaj@lgp-undp.org.al
27/9/2006
Dear Mr. Djukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro
Dear Ministers,
Ambassadors,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is indeed a great honor and special pleasure to address this distinguished audience today and to welcome every one of you in Albania.
Mr. Secretary, your presence here today is a clear indication of the support and commitment of the US Government and President Bush to our efforts for peace, democracy and integration. We are really very thankful.
Ten years have passed since the March of 1996, when we together here in Tirana launched the process of the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial. This, was our common answer to the new security challenges that our region faced after the fall of the iron curtain, namely the war, ethnic cleansing and massive exodus of the population caused by policies of nationalistic dictatorships, but also our common answer to the new threats associated with the cold war arsenals, weapons of mass destruction and international terrorism.
Ten years later, our region has changed more than any other. It has emerged from the age of conflicts and hostility to the age of cooperation and regional and Euro-Atlantic integration. Still, even after ten years, unresolved issues and international terrorism make the security of our region fragile.
Facing our common security challenges successfully requires close cooperation between our countries. It requires the coordination of our defense and security priorities, policies, and strategies, the exchange of information, as well as common actions based on regional multinational structures. We remain convinced that only by employing such regional approach and through a permanent and close cooperation with the USA and NATO we are going to overcome today’s global challenges.
During these ten years, the SEDM process remains one of the most successful regional processes. It has strengthened our cooperation and capacities in the field of defense and security through the promotion of good neighborly relations and joint initiatives.
Based on our common Euro-Atlantic values, we are working together to perform our duty in the global fight against terrorism, as this was expressed also with the deployment of the SEEBRIG Headcounters in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, the experiences gained through the SEDM various forums have offered us a great deal of help in reshaping and modernizing our defense sector as well as in the process of integration into NATO. This is why Albania advocates strongly for the intensification of our cooperation within the framework of SEDM.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Albania has left behind the transitional period and entered a new phase in her relations with the Euro Atlantic Community and the countries of the region. Due to the success of the reforms undertaken by the government as regards the consolidation of the rule of law, democracy and market economy, the fight with zero tolerance against organized crime and other major reforms, Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union.
The achievements in the framework of Membership Action Plan as regards political and economic reforms as well the modernization and building of a professional defense sector is turning Albania’s NATO membership into a tangible reality. We remain committed to make all efforts, undertake all reforms and pay every price in order to deserve the invitation to join NATO at the first enlargement Summit. We see NATO membership as the most secure future for Albania and her citizens.
Thank you for your attention.
DEFENSE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, right, speaks at the Southeastern Europe Defense Ministerial press conference in Tirana, Albania, Sept. 27, 2006. Rumsfeld is visiting Albania to recognize and encourage its continuing efforts to join NATO and to thank its troops for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Defense Dept. photo by James M. Bowman
Gratitude, Discussions to Highlight Rumsfeld’s Albania Visit
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
TIRANA, Albania, Sept. 26, 2006 – Albanian soldiers will remain in Iraq until the job is done, the country’s defense minister promised Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld here today.
With plans to thank Albanian leaders for their support in the global war on terror and to meet with defense ministers from southeastern European nations, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here this afternoon after a brief visit to Montenegro.
“Let me declare here, Mr. Secretary, that the Albanian armed forces will stay on the side of the American armed forces in Iraq until the mission will be over,” Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu said at a ceremony honoring Albanian troops and their families. “We want to be real partners of the American armed forces.”
Contingents of Albanian commandos serve in six-month rotations in Mosul, Iraq, as part of the multinational force.
Despite being one of Europe’s poorest nations, Albania has supported the global war on terror. Pentagon Press Secretary Eric Ruff told reporters traveling with Rumsfeld that an expression of gratitude to Albania’s leaders was most assuredly on the defense secretary’s agenda here.
“We very much appreciate the fact that the Albanians already have forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the secretary will certainly be expressing his thanks about that,” he said.
At today’s ceremony, Rumsfeld said the United States values its partnership with Albania. “And we are certainly equally grateful to the troops who serve in Iraq and help to defend freedom,” he added.
Rumsfeld noted that the question is always present as to why young men and women should serve far from home. “I’ve been asked that question in many countries,” the secretary said, pointing out that 42 nations participate in the coalition in Afghanistan and 34 countries are part of the effort in Iraq. “They’ve all sent their finest to help in the war against terrorism,” he said.
Rumsfeld recalled being asked by a journalist in South Korea “who clearly was too young to remember the Korean War” why her nation’s young people should go all the way across the world to Iraq and Afghanistan and risk their lives.
“I pointed out to her that unless many young men and women 50 years ago had been willing to go all the way across the world to Korea and help defend freedom there, she would not be free today,” the secretary said.
Addressing the Albanian servicemembers in attendance, Rumsfeld said they would look back years from now and be proud of what they and their country did in the war on terror.
He also addressed their families directly, including three young girls in their school uniforms. “Families also sacrifice,” he said. “And I know that the minister knows it; I know it; the people in government know it; and you are appreciated for the sacrifices that you make.”
Rumsfeld capped the ceremony by presenting a Global War on Terrorism Medallion to the Albanian armed forces, represented by Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Pellumb Quazimi.
After the ceremony, Rumsfeld met with Albania’s president, prime minister and defense minister. Tomorrow, Rumsfeld will hold individual and collective meetings as part of the 11th Southeastern European Defense Ministerial conference, a gathering in which he’s participated twice before.
The SEDM meetings will give participating nations a chance to continue ongoing discussions about strategic partnerships and various issues involving NATO and NATO involvement, Ruff said.
In a pre-trip briefing in Washington last week, a senior defense official said the next steps for Balkan integration into the European community will be on the agenda, as well as discussions reviewing the deployment earlier this year to Afghanistan of the “SEEBRIG” – a seven nation Southeastern European Brigade made up of troops from the seven SEDM nations: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey.
Albania is working toward greater Euro-Atlantic integration and full membership in NATO and the European Union. In March 2004, Albania and the United States signed a supplementary agreement to the Partnership for Peace status of forces agreement, which defines the status of American military troops in Albania.
Albanian troops are part of the international stabilization forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Albania was one of only four nations to contribute troops to the combat phase of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and it provides logistical assistance to Kosovo Force troops.
Honorable Mr. Chairman,
Honorable Ministers,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors,
Generals, Admirals,
& Defense Attachés,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There are many the good reasons and significant achievements that bring us together today, on this 10th anniversary of SEDM:
-Successful accomplishment of SEEBRIG’s first mission,
-Enhanced cooperation with other international bodies, especially NATO
-Improved capacities, and enlargement of SEDM with new members, values and dimensions
We are especially happy to welcome Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia and Serbia, with the observer status to the SEDM family. We are all confident that their participation will bring new dimensions and values to this successful process.
I believe you will agree with me when I say that nothing great or good was ever achieved without a modest, but ambitious, start; and SEDM is a vivid proof of it. In the Balkans we say if you plant good seeds today you can achieve a great harvest tomorrow.
In just ten years, SEDM has developed from a Balkan region forum to a positive contributor to world peace and security. During this period, each of us has taken steps to promote understanding and we have developed a positive climate of cooperation in a region long divided by disputes and disagreements of the past.
Nowadays, we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of a SEDM, which contributes to democracy, peace and security, even to remote corners of the world; and most importantly, a SEDM that is willing and determined to continue to assist the efforts of the international community in overcoming modern challenges and protecting universal values, peace and democracy.
HQ SEEBRIG’s successful first mission is certainly a sign of regional maturity; a symbol of collective will to fight against terrorism and provide stability, proof of unique capabilities we each can offer, but also a test for what we can achieve and what we have to make better.
Lessons learned from this recent mission are a valuable asset for SEDM nations. The experience gained provides the foundation for future improvements and reduction of obstacles that arose during the various phases of the last mission.
We must make certain that necessary changes and corrections are carried out before SEEBRIG undertakes its next Operation.
This mission was a great opportunity and privilege for non-NATO SEDM members, because for the first time, our forces were a direct part of NATO’s operations and we were each able to benefit directly from Allied professionalism and expertise on the ground.
I am confident that lessons learned from this unique experience will be fully applied by our nations and our partners.
Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Guests,
Albania is pleased to note that during its SEDM-CC & PMSC Chairmanship all agreed objectives have been met.
- SEDM has successfully cooperated with the world’s greatest military alliance, NATO, while SEEBRIG has successfully undertaken and accomplished its first military mission.
- Thus, SEDM has continued to be an important initiative in promoting the integration of NATO-aspiring countries and we believe that SEDM nations should continue to support the integration of our countries in the Euro-Atlantic structures.
- We believe SEEBRIG’s first mission was a good start, but it is just a start, and as such we should continue to develop our military capabilities and improve our capacities, at the agreed level, for future operational missions.
- SEDM has been a promoter of cooperation among its member nations and various international bodies. We believe SEDM should continue to promote regional cooperation and enhance cooperation with the Black Sea Initiative, Southeastern Europe Stability Pact, and others, on issues of common interest.
- SEDM has enhanced the level of political and inter-governmental cooperation of all SEDM member nations, through its various projects and activities. We deem SEDM members and Chairmanships of current projects should continue to focus on the practical value and substance of the projects, while exploring ways to enhance their effectiveness. Albania has proposed and offered to chair a new project on Military Education Cooperation [SEMEC], if members recognize its relevance and approve of it.
- During the Albanian Chairmanship, SEDM has reiterated its Open Door Policy, increasingly growing and extending its borders, because we believe this is the path that benefits and enriches us all.
As both the Host of this Meeting and Albanian Minister of Defense, I am pleased and honored to see You all in this room.
This birthday party provides each of us a special gift.
The gift is friendship.
In SEDM we believe in the proverb:
“Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends”.
The upcoming Riga Summit is quite an important moment for NATO and its transformation process, But it is also important for the aspiring nations assembled here in this room.
In this context, we ask from our friends, the NATO member SEDM countries to acknowledge the progress of the aspirants, especially the A3 countries, by envisioning the next enlargement Summit as the opportunity for issuing expansion invitations.
U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Stephen Cristina and Deputy General Director of State Police for Operational Management Ahmet Haxhiaj congratulated 19 Albanian police officers who completed a two-week anti-terrorism course on "Crime Scene Investigations" under the auspices of the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
The course covered topics such as techniques in securing crime scenes, evidence gathering, vehicle screenings, and post-bomb blast investigations. The 19 Albanian police officers chosen for the course come from police stations around the country.
This kind of assistance helps build trust and a strong working relationship between the U.S. Embassy and Albanian police. The training was part of the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (ATAP), which was established in 1983, and has trained and assisted over 48,000 foreign security and law enforcement officials in 141 countries.
19 Shtator 2006
The Conference on “The struggle against corruption,organized crime and illegal trafficking” started its proceedings At the “International Hotel” The Conference on “The struggle against corruption,organized crime and illegal trafficing “,started its proceedings, an iniciative of the Europian Centre for Security Studies “George C. Marshall”, in cooperation with the Ministry od Defence and The Ministry of Interior.
The main objectives of this Conference are:The analysis of the present situation in the South eastern Europe; examining the connections among the corruption, the organized crime, the illegal trade and border security;examining the necessary harmonziation of the norms and 3 International Protocols and the future proposals as well.
The working procedures of the conference will consists of five panels, where sessions of the group work will be attended. The participants will be activly included in the discussion of the group work, in order to analyse the present situation and giving future suggestions.
The Prime Minister of Albania Mr. Sali Berisha, the Minister of Defence Mr. Fatmir Mediu, the Minister of Interior Mr. Sokol Olldashi and the American Ambassador in Albania Marcie Rice, were invited at the opening of the Conference.
The Head of the “George C. Marshall” Centre, Dr. John P. Rose, thanked the participants and particularly the honored guests for the support given to the inicative for organizing this Conference, in order to fullfill its mission.
In his greeting speech, the Prime Minister thanked “George c. Marshall” Centre, as the organizer of this meeting, evaluating its issue as an urgent need, very imortant for Albania.
Later on he made the participants aware of the work of the Government in the struggle against corruption, organized crime and illegal trafficking, paying attention to each of them.
“The corruption is like cancer.If an effort against it, is weakened, it will grasp and suffocate you. Thus, an aggressive and permanent attitude must be kept ,- Mr. Berisha pointed out.
The Albanian Government efforts in its struggle against corruption and organized crime are at its top. There are concrete facts of the undertaken operations, that led to taking to court incriminated persons.
The Prime Minister also stressed that“ Although the struggle against them needs time and hard work, we are determined to face them, and the tolerance will be zero”.
During the speech, attention was paid to the work and efforts of the Government in its struggle against illegal trafficking.
Although there is much more to do in this aspect, the achieved results speak about adeviation of the course of trafficking.
The Prime Minister evaluated the positive results of the Armed Forces in the progress of integration towards NATO membership, paying attention to the contribution that our country has given and will give to support the struggle against terrrorism and its participation in the peacekeeping missions.
Later on the Minister of Defence Mr. Fatmir Mediu took the floor. He emphasized the fact that: “International terrorism, organized crime, illegal trafficking,and corruption as side effects of globalism,together with the weapon arsenal remained from the Cold War, are identified as great dangers of Albania, our region and more. Stressing each of them in a specific way, he pointed out that: “ These four dangers that not only Albania, but also the regional countries, especially those of Adriatic-3, are experiencing, are interconnected.It is not possible to think of one without considering the others, as a result our efforts should be organized to face the force and the corrupted level, that time and again displays epidemic forms”.
Further on, the Minister was concentrated on the future responsibilities and duties of the MOD in the field of security and collective stability.
In this context, the countries of A3 have already coordinated their actions. They are working together regarding information exchange, the best checking of the borders, the coordination of the actions for the interruption of trafficking roads,etc. “ At the same time, of great importance are the efforts to find the instruments and new ways out to coordinate the work of the police to that of the Armed Forces, already widespread experiences in many NATO countries, -stressed Mr Mediu.
AF are directly involved in the struggle against terrorism in Iraq and Afganistan as well as are on the verge of the active participation in operations“Active Endeauvor” of NATO, organized in the Mediteranian Sea in the struggle against terrorism, trafficking, smuggling.
At the end of his speech the Minister stressed that: “The struggle against the organized crime, corruption and illegal trafficking, is not very easy. But I am optimistic, because I think that stability, security and progress will reign in our region, by means of democracy, integrity and legal state”.
The meeting continued with the speech of the Minister of Interior Sokol Olldashi, who stressed that “ the organization of this conference is a good occasion for solving the common issues we have”. Summerising the work of the government agency and its subordinate structures, he pointed out two main aspects: the staff personnel and the structure completion. Both of them are interrelated and can’t be thought separately. After the end of the first session, the conference continued its work in groups, according to its respective panels.
Minister Mustafaj met with his serbian homologue Drashkovic
During the days of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly of UN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mustafaj met with the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Drashkovic.
Minister Drashkovic explained Belgrade’ stance, that no compromise can be expected concerning Kosovo’s independence. He predicted turmoil developments in the region, if Serbia is imposed such a decision.
Time of violence in the region is over, Mustafaj said.” I am convinced that Serbia has drown conclusion of its bitter experience of the near past. Nevertheless, Albania will be an active part of the international community and will be against any use of violence in the region. On this occasion, Minister Mustafaj assured his Serbian counterpart, that Albania is against borders change and is seriously preparing to extend relations of good neighborhood with independent Kosovo, likewise those with Montenegro and Macedonia, in service of peace and common economic development, fulfilling the conditions and standards for the European and Euro Atlantic integration.
Minister Mustafaj expressed his conviction that Belgrade will provide it’s contribution on the negotiations on final status of Kosovo conclude by the end of this year, throughout the mandate of President Ahtisaari and this status would be independence thus paving the way to the building of an independent and democratic Kosovo, where all its citizens, mainly the Serbian minority enjoy all their rights. Minister Mustafaj expressed his belief that the democratic attitude Serbia showed in case of the admittance of independence referendum result in Montenegro, will be reiterated in conclusion of the negotiations on Kosovo’s status.
TIRANA/VIENNA, 28 September 2006 - The OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, and the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Pavel Vacek, welcomed today the creation of the Albanian Council on Media Ethics.
On 27 September, the Association of Professional Journalists, the Journalists' League, the Forum of Free Media, and the Union of Journalists signed an agreement to establish the Council and commit to respect a revised Code of Ethics.
"Such instruments of self-regulation as press councils and codes of ethics are very well suited to increase professionalism in the media, while preserving editorial independence," said Miklos Haraszti.
"As they are used by the media and in the interest of the media, their level of acceptance should be high. It is important to create these instruments of self-regulation with an inclusive approach. I am pleased to see this happen in Albania."
The Council on Media Ethics will comprise seven recognized public figures and serve as an ethics coach and a non-official court on disputes between the public and media.
Ambassador Pavel Vacek added: "The OSCE Presence supported this initiative of the media community from the very beginning. The Council is a very useful body that will help further develop the ethical and professional standards of the Albanian media. We will continue to work with the Council in the future."
TROPOJA, Aug. 15 – The house, or the ‘tower,’ belonging to the Haklaj family in Kerrnaja village in Tropoja was burnt Monday evening and only its walls remained afterward. There were no people living in it. The Haklaj tower was considered to be centuries old. Police said they had identified no suspect in the crime but the Haklaj family members have put the finger on five names. Aishe Haklaj mentioned names of another family which she said were the most possible suspects. Aishe is the only Haklaj daughter who may move freely. Her sister Zylfie and brother Hamdi are at large. Aishe complained about the police reaction to the news saying they had not behaved in a professional way. The tower was not inhabited as it has earlier been the place of many other attacks.
A police officer was found with 75 kg marijuana in his vehicle
23.09.2006
Within the framework of the under code name operation “Anti-Trafficking in Balkan” started some days ago the police forces of the commissariat of Tepelena in co-operation with those of the anti-drug sector to Police Directorate in Gjirokaster have undertaken other successful operations. On 22.9.2006 at night they seized the quantity of 75 kg marijuana and apprehended the person who was bearing it.
Police officers had set up the patrol at « Bridge of Lekli » near Tepelena and controlled and found that in the baggage of the car of the type “Mercedes Benz” with the plate TR 8502 E, driven by Bujar Licollari there were 75 kg narcotic substances of the type marijuana.
The quantity of the drug was put in 65 packages and according to the Police Licollari was taking it to Leskovik. After the controls and investigations were carried out it was found that Bujar Licollari, born in 1972, resident in Yzberisht of Tiranës is police officers in the Police Commissariat of the Objects in Tirana.
AKSIONI CIVIL
Dear Citizens,
Hundreds of intellectuals have decided to give birth to the Civil Action and protest tomorrow (Friday, September 29, 2006) at 12.00, in front of the Ministry of Public Affairs, to defend the democracy in Albania.
Everyone’s rights and freedom are being systematically attacked by the present government and the Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who is arrogantly mining the essential values of our society, thus endangering our democracy more then ever.
We will protest tomorrow in front of the Ministry of Public Affairs in Tirana, the institution that generated the ‘Albatrosgate’ scandal, with the belief that political blackmails against the institution of the President of the Republic is intolerable. No citizen will have any freedom if this is denied to the principal citizen of our country.
You will find no political attachments within the Civil Action, no connection whatsoever with any political party. The Civil Action is an urgent civic reaction.
At whatever time the arrogance of politics attacks democracy and the citizens remain lethargic, we will always be showing our deep concern. Democracy is in danger. This is why the Civil Action was born, and will protest at any time, without consideration whether Sali Berisha or anyone else is causing democracy to die out.
We will never have rule of law if we lack the right to criticize those in power.
We know one can live without being a citizen…but we will not forsake our rights! That is why citizenship needs to be reclaimed!
Civil Action
Minister Mustafaj met with his serbian homologue Drashkovic
During the days of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly of UN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mustafaj met with the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Drashkovic.
Minister Drashkovic explained Belgrade’ stance, that no compromise can be expected concerning Kosovo’s independence. He predicted turmoil developments in the region, if Serbia is imposed such a decision.
Time of violence in the region is over, Mustafaj said.” I am convinced that Serbia has drown conclusion of its bitter experience of the near past. Nevertheless, Albania will be an active part of the international community and will be against any use of violence in the region. On this occasion, Minister Mustafaj assured his Serbian counterpart, that Albania is against borders change and is seriously preparing to extend relations of good neighborhood with independent Kosovo, likewise those with Montenegro and Macedonia, in service of peace and common economic development, fulfilling the conditions and standards for the European and Euro Atlantic integration.
Minister Mustafaj expressed his conviction that Belgrade will provide it’s contribution on the negotiations on final status of Kosovo conclude by the end of this year, throughout the mandate of President Ahtisaari and this status would be independence thus paving the way to the building of an independent and democratic Kosovo, where all its citizens, mainly the Serbian minority enjoy all their rights. Minister Mustafaj expressed his belief that the democratic attitude Serbia showed in case of the admittance of independence referendum result in Montenegro, will be reiterated in conclusion of the negotiations on Kosovo’s status.
New constitution to confirm historical and legal fact that Kosovo is part of Serbia
Belgrade, Sept 27, 2006 - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that at this moment it is most important that Serbia gets a new constitution as soon as possible since it is not part of a larger state any longer, but an independent state which must have a constitution.
At a special academy occasioned by the celebration of the 165th anniversary of the Belgrade Faculty of Law, Kostunica pointed out that a new constitution is needed because of one thing more - to confirm once more clearly and unambiguously, in capital letters, the historical, legal, spiritual and cultural fact that Kosovo-Metohija is an integral part of Serbia.
With the adoption of the new constitution, Serbia would confirm that it remains devoted to the respect for international law and basic principles which are the foundation of international order, Kostunica added.
Speaking about the jubilee celebrated by the Faculty of Law, the Serbian Prime Minister said that the institution celebrates 165 years of glorious, honourable and great existence.
That is 165 years of action and mission which the Faculty of Law has performed in Serbian society and culture. That mission can be seen in the legal order which is real, law graduates who have been educated there, institutions that existed, and first of all, great names which the Faculty of Law has given to the Serbian science, Kostunica explained.
He added that the Faculty's jubilee comes almost at the same time as the celebration of two centuries of the modern Serbian state.
Kostunica said that in the past, the Faculty of Law was a "seed plot for other faculties around the country" because it did not have enough space to accept all professors who started to give lectures at other faculties that were being created in Serbia and former Yugoslavia.
Dean of the Faculty Mirko Vasiljevic said that the institution supports Serbia's accession into the European Union and accepts the rules and guidelines of the Bologna Declaration.
The formal academy was attended by Serbian Minister of Education and Sport Slobodan Vuksanovic, Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic, Director of the Security and Intelligence Agency Rade Bulatovic, rectors and representatives of many foreign universities, as well as academicians, distinguished lawyers and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
Event Date: 09/22/2006 Petrit from Manchester, New Hampshire writes:
I'm an Albanian from Kosovo and also a U.S. citizen. Will the United States recognize Kosovo as an independent country by the end of this year? Thank you.
Ambassador Polt:
Petrit, thank you for your question. The United States and its partners in the Contact Group (Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia) have long said that a solution to the future status of Kosovo should be based on compromise and dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The negotiation process is ongoing, and I believe that constructive dialogue can lead to a solution that will work towards ensuring a prosperous and bright future for all of the people of Kosovo and of the region. The United States would like to see such a solution by the end of this year.
Kemal from Grand Rapids, Michigan writes:
Mr. Ambassador: What specific challenges does Serbia face now that even Montenegro declared its independence and where do you see the country [Serbia] in five years taking into consideration current political situation)? Thank you.
Ambassador Polt:
Kemal, you are asking a question that many Serbian citizens are also asking themselves. The peaceful, democratic and transparent manner in which the referendum on Montenegro's independence was carried out was a positive signal for Serbia and its image. As Serbia faces the immediate challenges of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the ongoing negotiations on the future status of Kosovo, I have urged the country's leaders to keep in focus what is of greatest importance to their own people – the economy. Time after time, Serbians have told me that their highest priority is a secure job that will allow them to feed and educate their children. If Serbia keeps that priority in mind, five years from now the people of this country will be able to respond with a decisive "yes" to the question "are you better off today than five years ago?'.
Linda from Newbury writes:
My 3rd and 4th grade GT students want to know where Serbia is and what their population is?
Ambassador Polt:
Linda, my greetings to you and your students. Lots of very good information on Serbia can be found on the internet, and I encourage your students to learn more about this beautiful country and its warm and welcoming people. Serbia is located in South East Europe, and shares borders with Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, as well as Kosovo which is currently under the administration of the United Nations. According to the Serbian government's website (www.srbija.sr.gov.yu), Serbia's population at its last census in 2002 was 7,498,001, the majority of whom are ethnic Serbs however Serbia also has 37 other ethnic groups, including ethnic Albanians, ethnic Hungarians and Roma.
I would also like your students to know that we work very hard in Serbia to help Serbian students here learn about the United States. In the next year, we will send hundreds of young people to schools across the U.S. where they will study in local high schools and universities and learn all about the United States and our culture. Some will even live with American families! It is this kind of cross-cultural exchange that inspires cooperation among people around the world – whether they are 3rd and 4th graders, or Ambassadors and Presidents.
Joseph from Charlotte, North Carolina writes:
I am a retired federal agent, and am wondering how well trained the police are there.
Ambassador Polt:
Joseph, thank you for your question and your service to our country. Our Embassy in Belgrade enjoys excellent cooperation with Serbia's police and Ministry of Interior. Serbia's law enforcement community has some solid skills that can nevertheless benefit from contact and cooperation with law enforcement officials from the rest of Europe and the United States. We provide training for Serbian law enforcement officers by experts from the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, and other U.S. law enforcement agencies on issues such as combating transnational terrorism and organized crime. Of course, a culture of law cannot exist without legislative support. We are also working very closely with Serbia's prosecutors, judges and courts. Training by U.S. experts addresses witness protection, case management, combating corruption, and many other issues. For even more information on this, please visit our Embassy's website at: http://belgrade.usembassy.gov/
Sam from Boston Massachusetts writes:
Will the US recognize the right of self-determination for the people of Kosovo by allowing and observing a free and democratic referendum by the people of Kosovo on the final status issue?
Ambassador Polt:
Hello Sam. I see you are from Boston, one of the birthplaces of American democracy. My staff and I work very hard to inspire democracy in Serbia and throughout the region. Together with other members of the international community and in a process currently led by a United Nations negotiator, we plan to bring authorities in Belgrade and Pristina in Kosovo together to find a solution to the future status of Kosovo. Our main emphasis will continue to be on people's lives in Kosovo and elsewhere in Serbia, specifically their ability to live with freedom, democracy and economic security, rather than on the drawing of borders.
Joshua from Havelock, North Carolina writes:
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
I have been interested in the former Yugoslavia for about a decade. Now that Montenegro has decided to go their own way, can the U.S. trust Serbia given its record in things such as the hunt for Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic plus Kosovo? Thanks for your time.
Ambassador Polt:
Joshua, you raise an important issue. Trust is the basis of any relationship, including a diplomatic relationship between two countries. We work very hard with the people and the leaders of Serbia to deepen this trust and to build a common future as partners in the Euro-Atlantic community. Mladic and all other indicted war criminals must be arrested and must face justice if Serbia is to be a true partner of the United States and a full member of a Europe whole, free and at peace.
Scott from Chelmsford, Massachusetts writes:
Mr. Ambassador - good day. With the end of the state union between Serbia and Montenegro, will the U.S. formally open an Embassy in Montenegro or will the Embassy in Belgrade represent the U.S. interests in Montenegro? Thank you.
Ambassador Polt:
Scott, following Montenegro's independence referendum, the United States formally recognized the Republic of Montenegro as a sovereign and independent state. The United States is considering Montenegro’s proposal to begin a process of establishing diplomatic relations. The final decision will be made by the President of the United States, but I see no obstacle in the way of our establishing full friendly relations with Montenegro. Our office in the capital city of Podgorica currently represents U.S. interests in Montenegro. Our Embassy in Belgrade is no longer responsible for U.S. - Montenegro ties.
You might also be interested to know that we recently purchased land in Belgrade to build a new U.S. Embassy compound. This four-five year venture will establish a modern and efficient diplomatic platform for U.S. interests in Serbia and throughout the region as well as a safe and secure work environment for the American and Serbian staff of our Embassy.
Oliver from Washington, DC writes:
Is Serbia interested in joining the EU? If so, what steps have they taken towards that goal? Has the US offered any assistance to them?
Also, what are the Serbian sentiments regarding Montenegro's independence?
Ambassador Polt:
Thank you for your thoughtful questions, Oliver. The Serbian people do want to join the European Union and become a strong and stable partner in the international community. Since the overthrow of the Milosevic regime in October 2000, many positive steps have been taken by the country and its leadership to reach that goal. Unfortunately, Serbia's recent past is still a heavy burden to bear, and one of the most important issues, the capture and transfer of Bosnian Serb war criminals Ratko Mladic and other indicted war criminals to the International Court at the Hague, remains unresolved. Until those actions are taken, Serbia will not be able to take its rightful place among its European neighbors. The United States Government contines to provide assistance to the people of Serbia in the areas of economic development and strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law. We are also supporting youth and other people-to-people exchanges and the reform of Serbia's military. U.S. assistance over the past six years has totalled several hundred millions of dollars!
With regard to your second question, however individual Serbians may feel about the independence of Montenegro, it is clear that as a whole, the people and government of Serbia have accepted the wishes of the Montenegrin people to be an independent state. I fully expect relations between Serbia and Montenegro to continue to be friendly and in fact to grow even closer as both countries move in the direction of European integration.
Matt from Australia writes:
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
Greetings. I'd like to know how you are specifically addressing the global rise in so-called anti-Americanism? As a U.S. citizen with extensive travel experience currently studying abroad, over the last few years I have experienced punctuated hostility and skepticism toward the U.S. government and populace generally. This was not apparent in my experience in those same countries in 2000, or previous. Please address specific actions the State Department is undertaking in this regard and also present any advice you would offer to U.S. citizens living abroad as to how to act as ambassadors for the United States. Thank you for your service.
Ambassador Polt:
Matt, thanks for your comments and questions and your willingness to make a difference on behalf of our country. As you know, the world's political landscape has changed greatly in past years, and certainly the United States, as well as many other countries, have faced tremendous challenges as well as opportunities during that time. The end of the Cold War freed so many peoples around the globe, particularly in Europe, but the global terrorist threat now endangers lives in nearly equal measure. The United States is committed to meeting these challenges and to taking advantages of opportunities to encourage the spread of freedom, tolerance, and democracy. That brings us into conflict with those who oppose a free world and sometimes leads to differences of opinion with even our friends and allies. Despite occasional differences in approach, our focus and that of our friends around the world is towards a commitment to work together.
I am aware of the skepticism with which some segments of the European public, for example, regard United States policy. But great friends can also have strong disagreements without questioning the foundation of the friendship. According to a German Marshall Fund poll released last September, an enormous majority of the European public -- 74 percent -- supports joint European-American action to advance democracy in the world. In fact, we work together every day to fight the global war on terrorism, prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, to combat disease, to fight corruption, and to stop organized crime. For instance, for years the United States has helped support the South East European Cooperative Initiative, which serves as the mechanism for many European countries to share information and mount anti-crime operations. We have also worked closely with Austria during its EU Presidency this year to build on its desire to make more progress in the fight against organized crime and corruption, especially here in the Balkans. We will continue to pursue our government's public diplomacy strategy of "Engage, Exchange, Educate and Empower." Although every one of them is critical to helping people to better understand who we are as Americans, our exchange policy has been regarded as the single most successful public diplomacy initiative of the past 50 years. .
As you pointed out, Americans living abroad like you are some of our most important Cultural Ambassadors, exchanging ideas with people in your host country every day. My only advice to you would be to continue to share your views openly and without being defensive. Don't shy away from criticism, but meet it head on in a forthright manner. Point out that we are a diverse nation, used to building consensus, unafraid of changing our position if need be, but equally determined to follow through on difficult issues, despite opposition. Finally, I would suggest you tell our friends and critics around the world that we welcome an open exchange of views and differing opinions, but that we are most troubled when our friends don't just question our actions, but our motives. Our country is second to none in our commitment to the noblest values of mankind. Although we are only human in our actions, after 230 years of championing these values, we certainly don't deserve to be questioned as to our intent.
Milan from Belgrade, Serbia writes:
Your Excellency, please express your opinion about economy and investment climate in Serbia
Best regards.
Ambassador Polt:
you very much for writing Milan! You are addressing what I consider to be the number one issue in Serbia today. As an avowed optimist on Serbia's future, I believe that the economy and investment climate in Serbia continues to improve every day. American investors clearly agree, since, as you might know, the United States is the largest foreign investor in Serbia. American companies continue to look for opportunities to invest in this country, particularly as many state-owned Serbian companies undergo the difficult process of privatization. Many challenges remain. In order to continue to make Serbia a more competitive and attractive place to do business, the country's leadership must continue to unreservedly embrace the free market and take aggressive steps to fight corruption and assure a strong legal environment. Focus on these priority issues for Serbia will bring positive results for the economy and the people of your country.
Cathy from Illinois writes:
My daughter is traveling to Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia in October with a college group. Is it safe for her to travel freely?
Ambassador Polt:
Cathy, thanks very much for your question -- and the short answer is yes it is, but like anywhere in the world today it's necessary to take some routine precautions. This region of the world is a fascinating and even exotic one, with lots to offer the traveler. Serbia, for one, is so far relatively new to American tourists! This allows you to explore a beautiful country without the usual crowds. The people of Serbia are very welcoming to all visitors and a warm and hospitable people. Your daughter and her group will have fun in her travels. I do urge the group to go on the State Department's travel website for further information and routine cautions about all the countries your daughter and her friends plan to see: http://travel.state.gov
Maja from Belgrade, Serbia writes:
New U.S. Embassy in Belgrade is about to be built - and you promised 300 to 500 new work posts. In what directions will cooperation between the two countries develop? Does this mean promotion of cultural/educational relations? Although my visa is valid for 3 years, I would still like to go to the States without having to apply for one, so when (if ever) is this going to take place?
Ambassador Polt:
Maja, I thank you for your question, as it allows me to talk about the extensive cultural and educational relationship that already exists between Serbia and the U.S. I am very pleased that we are now on the path to construct our new Embassy in Belgrade. It will not only give an economic boost to the city, but more importantly, stand as a symbol of the importance of our relationship The people-to-people relationship between our two countries is one of the most important elements of our ties. We are constantly working to improve and expand exchanges among Serbians and Americans. Last year we inaugurated a new high school exchange program that sends students from all across Serbia to places far and wide in America. It was a resounding success. This year we are sending about 90 students, and hope to send even more in the next few years. We also plan to launch an undergraduate college student program, with similar aspirations. I would also like to start a U.S. Peace Corps program in Serbia that would bring hundreds of American young people as volunteers to work with and help people in your country.
In addition, our cultural programs in Serbia are as vibrant and diverse as our country is. The following is just a sample of some of the things we are doing over the next few weeks: we are supporting the two-week stay of a highly-acclaimed Broadway choreographer so that he can work with the dance company of the Terazije Theater as they prepare for the Serbian premiere of the hit Broadway play "Chicago;" we are bringing to Serbia six noted American writers (also of very diverse backgrounds and experiences), who will be participating in the 51st annual Belgrade International Book Fair, during which the United States is also the "host country;" and we will also be hosting grand openings of two American Corners, one in Subotica and one at the Dom Omladine in Belgrade, during which several renowned American jazz and rock groups will perform. There are many more things coming up this year, which we hope will only continue to lay the groundwork for further cooperation!
Your last question is a bit more complicated. I too look forward to a time when visa rules can be further relaxed and even eliminated. The pace of such changes will depend on the pace of economic development in Serbia and the improvement in the standard of living that we are working to help you achieve. As we keep working together to achieve these goals, I am sure you will notice an increase in your ability to travel to the United States.
STATEMENT OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
Podgorica, 11 September 2006 – Following the invitation by the authorities of the Republic of Montenegro to observe the 10 September 2006 parliamentary elections, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) in the Republic of Montenegro on 9 August 2006. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM joined efforts with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to form an International Election Observation Mission (IEOM).
Mr. João Soares (Portugal), Vice President of the OSCE PA and Member of the Parliament of Portugal, Head of the OSCE PA delegation, was appointed by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office as the Special Coordinator of the OSCE’s Short-Term Observation Mission. Mr. Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco), Vice President of the PACE and Member of the Parliament of Monaco, led the Delegation of the PACE. Mr. Jørgen Grunnet (Denmark) heads the OSCE/ODIHR EOM.
The IEOM assessed compliance of the electoral process with OSCE Commitments and Council of Europe standards for democratic elections, and domestic legislation. Although local elections were conducted simultaneously with parliamentary elections in most of the Montenegrin municipalities, the IEOM monitored these elections only to the extent that they had an impact on the conduct of parliamentary elections.
This statement of preliminary findings and conclusions is delivered prior to the completion of the election process, including the announcement of final results and the expiry of legal deadlines for hearing possible complaints and appeals. A conclusive assessment of the entire election will depend, in part, on the conduct of the remaining phases of the process. The OSCE/ODIHR will publish a comprehensive final report approximately two months after completion of the elections. The PACE delegation will present its report to the Plenary Session of the Assembly in October 2006. The OSCE and the Council of Europe stand ready to assist the authorities and civil society of the Republic of Montenegro to further improve the electoral process.
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
The 10 September parliamentary elections in the Republic of Montenegro were the first after the proclamation of independence. The process was largely in line with OSCE Commitments and Council of Europe standards for democratic elections, although a number of reappearing challenges remain to be addressed.
In an inclusive process, the Republican Election Commission (REC) registered all candidate lists which had been submitted. Five parties, six coalitions and one group of citizens, across the political spectrum, contested these elections, providing voters with a wide choice.
The elections were called at short notice which had an impact on the election campaign. The funding of the election campaign from the State budget was contentious. The campaign was overall calm, orderly and low-key, and influenced by the recent referendum on state-status and its outcome. The tone was moderate despite a few instances of inflammatory exchanges, however, the campaign climate deteriorated during the last days before the elections.
Parties complained that municipal and Republic authorities put undue pressure on voters and candidates. For example, the police questioned the leader of the Movement for Changes and raided – under a court order – several homes in Tuzi and detained two candidates from the Albanian Alternative list on the eve of the elections. Allegations of vote buying, one of which was substantiated, cast a shadow over the campaign environment.
A wide and diverse range of media provided voters with sufficient information about the contestants and their campaign activities. However, broadcast media, including public television, concentrated their coverage on the ruling parties and the Government. Contrary to existing legislation, including the Law on the Election of Councilors and Representatives (the Election Law), public Radio-Television Montenegro (RTCG) allocated free airtime proportionally rather than equally. Newspapers offered a variety of views and provided more information than the broadcast media.
The legal framework provides an adequate basis for the conduct of elections. However, contrary to international standards, the Election Law was amended after the elections were called. Some of the amendments include limitations to the rights of free speech and expression.
The mandate allocation system does not provide for a fully transparent process as it requires that only half of the seats won by a party or coalition are allocated according to the order of the candidates’ names on its electoral list, while the party is free to allocate the remaining seats to any other candidate appearing on its list. Although this has repeatedly been brought to the attention of the authorities and political parties by past OSCE/ODIHR EOMs, this provision has not been removed from the law.
Contestants in the elections were entitled to representation on election-administration bodies at all levels. While the REC operated in a generally open and transparent manner, it took several contentious decisions, particularly regarding the remuneration of party-appointed Polling Board members and printing of ballots. The voter register was overall accurate and proved far less controversial than in previous elections.
Several national minority parties participated in the elections, either separately or in coalitions. Issues of inter-ethnic relations were largely absent from the campaign, with the notable exception of the Serb List, which based its campaign on calls for the defense of Serbs’ rights. Representation of the Albanian minority was ensured through a special system for the election of five MPs in areas where Albanian voters reside. Women remained significantly underrepresented as candidates; only 14.6 per cent of all candidates were women, less than in the 2002 elections.
Some 98 per cent of IEOM observation reports assessed voting as “good” or “very good”, with isolated cases of procedural irregularities. Measures to safeguard the integrity of the vote were implemented largely in accordance with the law, although some problems were identified. Group voting was reported from a relatively high 8 per cent of polling stations visited. The vote count was assessed less positively (92 per cent “good” or “very good”) and procedural irregularities were frequently noted. The election-day process could benefit from further training of Polling Board members.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to observe the 5 July parliamentary elections, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) on 30 May. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM assessed the parliamentary elections in line with the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document and other international standards for democratic elections. On election day, the OSCE/ODIHR EOM joined efforts with a delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to form the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM).
While the 5 July 2006 parliamentary elections largely met OSCE commitments for democratic elections, instances of violence and intimidation during the first half of the campaign, and a number of cases of serious irregularities on election day, cast a shadow over an otherwise generally well-administered election held in a competitive environment.
The State Election Commission (SEC) approved, in an inclusive process, all candidate lists presented by 31 parties and coalitions and two groups of voters. Contestants were able to present their views, and the media provided voters with diverse information. This resulted in a competitive environment and a broad choice of political alternatives for the electorate, including within ethnic communities. However, isolated serious violations of the law observed on election day in some parts of the country undermined the universality and equality of the vote.
These elections were held under a new Election Code, which consolidates election-related legislation and provides a more consistent basis for the conduct of elections. The Code includes a number of OSCE/ODIHR recommendations from previous elections. At the same time, the Election Code remains vague in certain aspects, and some provisions are contradictory. Provisions regulating campaign financing are weak, and possibilities for the relevant authorities to audit campaign funding and expenditures remain limited. Amendments to the Criminal Code adopted in June 2006 provide for stricter sanctions for election-related criminal offences.
Under the new Election Code, the SEC, Municipal Election Commissions (MECs) and Election Boards (EBs) were newly appointed. The SEC is now a full-time professional body supported by a permanent secretariat. MEC and EB members were drawn from among civil servants, rather than nominated by political parties. The composition of MECs and EBs had to meet certain criteria regarding gender and representation of national minorities. The numerous criteria that had to be met proved difficult to implement, and consequently, some 3,000 civil servants had to serve on MECs and EBs away from their home precinct. For the most part, the SEC and MECs conducted election preparations in an
This report is also available in Macedonian. However, the English version remains the only official document.
effective and collegial manner, respecting legal deadlines. However, the training of MEC and EB members was conducted late and in an inconsistent manner, and many EBs received the EB manual only the day before election day.
The first half of the election campaign was overshadowed by numerous violent incidents, including attacks on campaign offices, fights among party activists, and non-fatal shooting incidents. Most of these incidents occurred in the north-west of the country and involved the ethnic-Albanian parties Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) and the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA). Some parties complained to the OSCE/ODIHR EOM that their campaign activities in certain areas had been hindered as a result of violence or intimidation. Allegations made by political parties about pressure on voters, intimidation, abuse of administrative resources, and possible election-day fraud were indicative of a widespread lack of confidence in the election process and a high level of mistrust among the parties.
Most national minorities were represented in the elections by one or more parties. Ethnic communities were represented in the election administration, and election material, including ballots, was printed in their languages in municipalities where they make up a sizeable part of the population. However, some smaller communities, in particular the Roma, remain marginalized and vulnerable to electoral malpractices, including vote buying, intimidation, and threats of loss of employment or social benefits. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM directly observed several such cases. Some Roma also remain disenfranchised due to a lack of civil registration and proper identity documents.
Women were well-represented on election-administration bodies and on candidate lists, as a result of provisions in the new Election Code. The share of women in the new Parliament increased from 21 to 27.5 per cent.
The broadcast and print media generally provided voters with diverse and sufficient information and a variety of political views, allowing them to make an informed choice. However, OSCE/ODIHR EOM media monitoring showed that before the start of the official campaign period, media covered Government activities at length. During the campaign period, the public broadcaster Macedonian Television, in its Macedonian and Albanian-language channels, gave extensive coverage to parties in the ruling coalition. The coverage of some private broadcasters highlighted conflicts of interest caused by political activities of their owners.
Complaints and appeals mechanisms remain weak. Almost half of the first-instance courts contacted by the OSCE/ODIHR EOM were not aware of their important role in resolving election-related complaints and protecting candidate rights. After election day, the SEC rejected all 45 complaints received by political parties, in most cases citing lack of, or insufficient, evidence. However, the SEC chose not to inspect election material even in cases where notes in the official protocols supported a complaint. The SEC annulled the results in two precincts where voting was interrupted for more than three hours, as required by the Election Code. In response to appeals, the Supreme Court annulled the results in another 28 precincts.
Election day took place in a generally calm environment and was conducted in an orderly manner in most of the country, and IEOM observers assessed the performance of EBs positively in the vast majority of polling stations. However, isolated cases of serious irregularities were reported from a number of municipalities, in particular Bogovinje, Brvenica, Koc'ani, Radoviš, Struga, Studenic'ani, Štip, Tearce, Zajas, and Želino. They included cases of ballot-box stuffing, vote buying, theft of ballots and other election material, and instances of tension and intimidation, including by groups of armed persons. Group and proxy voting, which effectively disenfranchise women in particular, were widespread. Voting procedures were not always followed, including important safeguards against multiple voting, such as marking voters with invisible ink, checking for ink and voters signing the voter list.
The situation deteriorated during the vote count, which was assessed much more negatively. One in seven IEOM observer teams characterized the count as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’. Serious irregularities were noted in 7 per cent of counts observed, and major procedural problems or omissions in 12 per cent. Key procedures were often not followed, including important safeguards against irregularities. The handover of election materials and tabulation of results at the MEC level was generally conducted in line with the law and assessed positively. The SEC announced preliminary results quickly, including by polling station.
Around 4,500 domestic non-partisan observers, in particular from the Citizens’ Association MOST, contributed to the transparency of the election process. Authorized party representatives were present in almost all polling stations and most MECs visited by IEOM observers on election day. Police were observed to play generally a positive role on election day, maintaining or restoring order when necessary.
On 19 July, voting was re-run in 29 of the 30 polling stations where the results had been invalidated by the SEC or the Supreme Court. One polling station was not re-run because it could not affect the overall results of the election district. Although the OSCE/ODIHR did not observe the re-runs, observers from the local international community noted a number of irregularities. One polling station was annulled by the SEC where the voting had been suspended for more than three hours. Following the re-runs, the SEC rejected all ten complaints filed, and the Supreme Court upheld nine of the ten SEC decisions on appeal. No further re-runs were held.
The OSCE/ODIHR stands ready to co-operate with the authorities to address concerns raised in this report and follow-up on the recommendations offered below.
International community supports the Macedonian position of marking of the border with Kosovo as being a technical to be a technical issue that should be closed without further negotiations.
Commission Chairman Janko Nikolovski opens the Workshop
SKOPJE, 28 September 2006 - Two handbooks with guidelines on access to public information and the responsibilities and rights of officials were presented in Skopje today to mark Right to Know Day.
The publications were produced by the local NGO Pro-Media in co-operation with the National Commission on Access to Information and supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.
"The benefits of free access to information are obvious: a more responsible media, an active civil society involved in decision making, transparency in governance, and a reduction of corruption, all of which will result in increased public trust in government and state institutions," said Ambassador Carlos Pais, Head of the OSCE Mission.
Klime Babunski, President of Pro-Media and one of the authors of the handbooks, said: "Our country has come a long way in terms of protecting the right of any person to know. We have already adopted the Law on Access to Information and established a National Commission on Access to Information."
Janko Nikolovski, the President of the National Commission on Access to Information, added: "Implementing the law is a lengthy process, but I am confident that these publications will be a useful guide for officials and for any citizen seeking information."
Right to Know Day is celebrated in several countries on 28 September each year. It marks the right of individual access to information held by public bodies and the benefits of transparent, accessible government.
From August 28-September 1, the U.S. Embassy in Skopje was pleased to host William G. Ferroggiaro, a Washington, DC-based writer and consultant with more than 15 years experience in the field of freedom of information. Engaged through the Department of State’s Office of International Information Programs, Mr. Ferroggiaro traveled to Skopje to participate in a Training Workshop with the Macedonian Commission for Free Access to Public Information.
The four-day workshop brought together with Mr. Ferroggiaro experts from the local Macedonian non-governmental organization “ProMedia” for in-depth discussions with Commission members about freedom of information and laws that govern access to public information. On September 1, the Macedonian Law on Free Access to Public Information goes into effect, and the workshop was designed to provide Commission members with insight into the Macedonian law and the functioning of similar laws and systems of access to information in other countries.
Mr. Ferroggiaro shared insights drawn from his extensive background. For more than ten years, he headed the Freedom of Information Project of the non-governmental National Security Archive (www.nsarchive.org), based at George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has co-authored reports on government compliance with information law and regulations, and has conducted briefings and training presentations for various United States government agencies. He has traveled abroad to consult with government and civil society on the benefits of freedom of information and on strategies for realistic implementation of laws and regulations. Prior Department of State travel includes visits to Japan, Taiwan, and India.
Funding for the workshop was provided by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.
Remarks with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis
Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Washington, DC
September 27, 2006
(3:15 p.m. EDT)
Secretary Rice welcomes the Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis to the State Department. State Department photo by Michael GrossSECRETARY RICE: I would like to welcome Foreign Minister Bokoyannis, Dora, to Washington. We had a chance to see each other in New York, at several meetings I believe, but this time we will have a chance to continue our discussions about the broad agenda but also about U.S.-Greek relations. And I just want to thank you for coming.
FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Thank you very much. It's a pleasure.
SECRETARY RICE: All right.
QUESTION: In your work on the Security Council, does Greece support sanctions against Iran?
FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Well, we must get the facts. We are waiting to see how the negotiations are going, and when we have the result then we come back and have our discussions about that.
SECRETARY RICE: I should mention, by the way, that Greece is doing a fine job as president of the Security Council and organized a really very fine meeting on the Middle East. And so thank you for that leadership.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, do you have any details about your phone conversations with Javier Solana today and are you optimistic these talks might make a breakthrough on suspension?
SECRETARY RICE: I did have an opportunity to talk with EU High Commissioner Solana this morning prior to the beginnings of his discussions, which I assume are underway although I've not heard. Obviously, if we can come out of this with an Iranian decision to suspend its enrichment and reprocessing activities completely and verifiably, then we would be on a course to negotiations and that's the course that we would all like to pursue. But of course the logic of Resolution 1696 is that the Security Council has also set up a route, a pathway toward action under Article 41, Chapter 7. But I did wish Javier Solana well and we are all awaiting the outcome of his discussions.
1:37 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you. Please be seated. It's my honor to welcome President Karzai back to the White House. Mr. President, Laura and I fondly remember your gracious hospitality when we met you in your capital. We had a chance today to reconfirm our strong commitment to work together for peace and freedom. And I'm proud of your leadership.
You've got a tough job --
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Yes --
PRESIDENT BUSH: -- and you're showing a lot of strength and character. And we're proud to call you ally and friend. I really am.
We discussed how the government is building institutions necessary for Afghans to have a secure future. We talked about how America and our international partners can continue to help.
Our allies are working on initiatives to help the Afghan people in building a free Afghanistan. And we discussed those initiatives; we discussed whether or not they could be effective, we discussed how to make them effective. We discussed our cooperation in defeating those who kill innocent life to achieve objectives, political objectives.
The Afghan people know firsthand the nature of the enemy that we face in the war on terror. After all, just yesterday, Taliban gunmen assassinated Safia Ama Jan -- cold-blooded kill -- she got killed in cold blood. She was a leader who wanted to give young girls an education in Afghanistan. She was a person who served her government. She was a person who cared deeply about the future of the country. And, Mr. President, Laura and I and the American people join you in mourning her loss.
And her loss shows the nature of this enemy we face. They have no conscience. Their objective is to create fear, and create enough violence so we withdraw and let them have their way. And that's unacceptable. It's unacceptable behavior for the free world and the civilized world to accept, Mr. President.
I know that Taliban and al Qaeda remnants and others are trying to bring down your government, because they know that as the democratic institutions take root in your country, that terrorists will not be able to control your country, or be able to use it to launch attacks on other nations. They see the threat of democratic progress.
In recent months, the Taliban and other extremists have tried to regain control, mostly in the south of Afghanistan. And so we've adjusted tactics and we're on the offense to meet the threat and to defeat the threat. Forces from dozens of nations, including every member of NATO, are supporting the democratic government of Afghanistan. The American people are providing money to help send our troops to your country, Mr. President, and so are a lot of other nations around the world. This is a multinational effort to help you succeed.
Your people have rejected extremism. Afghan forces are fighting bravely for the future of Afghanistan, and many of your forces have given their lives, and we send our deepest condolences to their families and their friends and their neighbors.
President George W. Bush offers remarks Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006, during a joint press availability in the East Room with President Hamid Karzai, of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Said the President, "The fighting in Afghanistan is part of a global struggle. Every victory in the war on terror enhances the security of free peoples everywhere." White House photo by Paul Morse The fighting in Afghanistan is part of a global struggle. Recently, British forces killed a long-time terrorist affiliated with al Qaeda named Omar Farouq. Farouq was active in Bosnia and Southeast Asia. He was captured in Indonesia, he escaped from prison in Afghanistan, he was killed hiding in Iraq. Every victory in the war on terror enhances the security of free peoples everywhere.
Mr. President, as I told you in the Oval Office, our country will stand with the free people of Afghanistan. I know there's some in your country who wonder or not -- whether or not America has got the will to do the hard work necessary to help you succeed. We have got that will, and we're proud of you as a partner.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Wonderful. Great.
PRESIDENT BUSH: We discussed our efforts to help the government deliver a better life. President Karzai said this about his aspirations -- he said he "wants to make Afghanistan a great success and an enduring example of a prosperous and democratic society."
We're helping you build effective and accountable government agencies. We discussed different agencies in your government and how best to make them accountable to the people. We're going to help you build roads. We understand that it's important for people to have access to markets. I thought our general had a pretty interesting statement -- he said, "Where the road ends, the Taliban tries to begin." The President understands that. We're helping you with a national literacy program.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Yes.
PRESIDENT BUSH: We understand that a free society is one that counts upon a educated citizenry. The more educated a populace is, the more likely it is they'll be active participants in democratic forms of government. We're helping you build schools and medical centers.
We talked about the illegal drug trade. The President gave me a very direct assessment of successes in eradicating poppies and failures in eradicating poppies. It was a realistic assessment of the conditions on the ground. And he talked about his strategy, particularly in dealing in Helmand Province. And, Mr. President, we will support you on this strategy. We understand what you understand, and that is we've got to eradicate drug trade, for the good of the people of Afghanistan.
Tomorrow, President Karzai and President Musharraf and I will have dinner. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be an interesting discussion amongst three allies, three people who are concerned about the future of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It will be a chance for us to work on how to secure the border, how we can continue to work together and share information so we can defeat extremists; how we can work together to build a future of peace and democracy in your region, Mr. President.
President Hamid Karzai, of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, responds to a reporter's question Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006, during a joint availability with President George W. Bush in the East Room of the White House. Said President Karzai, "I think it is very important that we have more dedication and more intense work with sincerity, all of us, to get rid of the problems we have around the world." White House photo by Paul Morse I thank you for coming today. I'm looking forward to our discussion tomorrow evening. Welcome back to the White House. The podium is yours.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Thank you very much, Mr. President. It's a great honor to be in your very beautiful country once again, especially during fall with all the lovely leaves around. And thank you very much for the great hospitality that you and the First Lady are always giving to your guests, especially to me. And thanks also for your visit to Afghanistan and for seeing us in our country, for seeing from close as to who we are and how we may get to a better future.
I'm very grateful, Mr. President, to you and the American people for all that you have done for Afghanistan for the last four-and-a-half years, from roads to education, to democracy, to parliament, to good governance effort, to health, and to all other good things that are happening in Afghanistan.
Mr. President, I was, the day before yesterday, in the Walter Reed Hospital. There I met wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. And there also I met a woman soldier with six boys, from 7 to 21, that she had left behind in America in order to build us a road in a mountainous part of the country in Afghanistan. There's nothing more that any nation can do for another country, to send a woman with children to Afghanistan to help. We are very grateful. I'm glad I came to know that story and I'll be repeating it to the Afghan people once I go back to Afghanistan.
We discussed today all matters that concern the two countries -- the question of the reconstruction of Afghanistan, improvement for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, the equipping of the Afghan army, the training of the Afghan army, the police in Afghanistan, and all other aspects of reconstruction. We also discussed the region around us, discussed our relations with Pakistan and the question of the joint fight that we have together against terrorism. And I am glad, Mr. President, that you are, tomorrow, hosting a dinner for me and President Musharraf. And I'm sure we'll come out of that meeting with a lot more to talk about to our nations in a very positive way for a better future.
Mr. President, we, the Afghan people, are grateful to you and the American people for all that you have done. I have things in mind to speak about, and you did that, so I'll stop short and let the questions come to us.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you. We'll have two questions a side. We'll start with Jennifer Loven.
Q Thank you, sir. Even after hearing that one of the major conclusions of the National Intelligence Estimate in April was that the Iraq war has fueled terror growth around the world, why have you continued to say that the Iraq war has made this country safer?
And to President Karzai, if I might, what do you think of President Musharraf's comments that you need to get to know your own country better when you're talking about where terror threats and the Taliban threat is coming from?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Do you want to start?
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Go ahead, please. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: I, of course, read the key judgments on the NIE. I agree with their conclusion that because of our successes against the leadership of al Qaeda, the enemy is becoming more diffuse and independent. I'm not surprised the enemy is exploiting the situation in Iraq and using it as a propaganda tool to try to recruit more people to their -- to their murderous ways.
Some people have guessed what's in the report and have concluded that going into Iraq was a mistake. I strongly disagree. I think it's naive. I think it's a mistake for people to believe that going on the offense against people that want to do harm to the American people makes us less safe. The terrorists fight us in Iraq for a reason: They want to try to stop a young democracy from developing, just like they're trying to fight another young democracy in Afghanistan. And they use it as a recruitment tool, because they understand the stakes. They understand what will happen to them when we defeat them in Iraq.
You know, to suggest that if we weren't in Iraq, we would see a rosier scenario with fewer extremists joining the radical movement requires us to ignore 20 years of experience. We weren't in Iraq when we got attacked on September the 11th. We weren't in Iraq, and thousands of fighters were trained in terror camps inside your country, Mr. President. We weren't in Iraq when they first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993. We weren't in Iraq when they bombed the Cole. We weren't in Iraq when they blew up our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. My judgment is, if we weren't in Iraq, they'd find some other excuse, because they have ambitions. They kill in order to achieve their objectives.
You know, in the past, Osama bin Laden used Somalia as an excuse for people to join his jihadist movement. In the past, they used the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was a convenient way to try to recruit people to their jihadist movement. They've used all kinds of excuses.
This government is going to do whatever it takes to protect this homeland. We're not going to let their excuses stop us from staying on the offense. The best way to protect America is defeat these killers overseas so we do not have to face them here at home. We're not going to let lies and propaganda by the enemy dictate how we win this war.
Now, you know what's interesting about the NIE -- it was a intelligence report done last April. As I understand, the conclusions -- the evidence on the conclusions reached was stopped being gathered on February -- at the end of February. And here we are, coming down the stretch in an election campaign, and it's on the front page of your newspapers. Isn't that interesting? Somebody has taken it upon themselves to leak classified information for political purposes.
I talked to John Negroponte today, the DNI. You know, I think it's a bad habit for our government to declassify every time there's a leak, because it means that it's going to be hard to get good product out of our analysts. Those of you who have been around here long enough know what I'm talking about. But once again, there's a leak out of our government, coming right down the stretch in this campaign, -- to create confusion in the minds of the American people, in my judgment, is why they leaked it.
And so we're going to -- I told the DNI to declassify this document. You can read it for yourself. We'll stop all the speculation, all the politics about somebody saying something about Iraq, somebody trying to confuse the American people about the nature of this enemy. And so John Negroponte, the DNI, is going to declassify the document as quickly as possible. He'll declassify the key judgments for you to read yourself. And he'll do so in such a way that we'll be able to protect sources and methods that our intelligence community uses. And then everybody can draw their own conclusions about what the report says.
Thank you.
Q My question --
PRESIDENT BUSH: What was that question?
Q Why is that declassification not --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Because I want you to read the documents so you don't speculate about what it says. You asked me a question based upon what you thought was in the document, or at least somebody told you was in the document. And so I think, Jennifer, you'll be able to ask a more profound question when you get to look at it yourself -- (laughter) -- as opposed to relying upon gossip and somebody who may or may not have seen the document trying to classify the war in Iraq one way or the other.
I guess it's just Washington, isn't it, where, you know, we kind of -- there's no such thing as classification anymore, hardly. But, anyway, you ought to take a look at it and then you'll get to see.
You've got a two-part question.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Ma'am, before I go to remarks by my brother, President Musharraf, terrorism was hurting us way before Iraq or September 11th. The President mentioned some examples of it. These extremist forces were killing people in Afghanistan and around for years, closing schools, burning mosques, killing children, uprooting vineyards, with vine trees, grapes hanging on them, forcing populations to poverty and misery.
They came to America on September 11th, but they were attacking you before September 11th in other parts of the world. We are a witness in Afghanistan to what they are and how they can hurt. You are a witness in New York. Do you forget people jumping off the 80th floor or 70th floor when the planes hit them? Can you imagine what it will be for a man or a woman to jump off that high? Who did that? And where are they now? And how do we fight them, how do we get rid of them, other than going after them? Should we wait for them to come and kill us again? That's why we need more action around the world, in Afghanistan and elsewhere, to get them defeated -- extremism, their allies, terrorists and the like.
On the remarks of my brother, President Musharraf, Afghanistan is a country that is emerging out of so many years of war and destruction, and occupation by terrorism and misery that they've brought to us. We lost almost two generations to the lack of education. And those who were educated before that are now older. We know our problems. We have difficulties. But Afghanistan also knows where the problem is -- in extremism, in madrassas preaching hatred, preachers in the name of madrassas preaching hatred. That's what we should do together to stop.
The United States, as our ally, is helping both countries. And I think it is very important that we have more dedication and more intense work with sincerity, all of us, to get rid of the problems that we have around the world.
An Afghan press? You?
Q I'm from Voice of America. Mr. President, what is your strategy -- your new strategy to fight against terrorism, and also to deal with narcotics in Afghanistan? Thank you.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: All right. This was to me or to President Bush? Okay. Ma'am, there is no new strategy on the fight against terrorism. We are continuing the strategy that we have. We are implementing the strategy. We are moving further in that strategy. We are getting more of them. We are trying to clean the country of these elements, and the region of these elements by doing more reconstruction, by doing more search for the terrorist elements hiding around there. So the fight against terrorism will continue the way we started it.
Q Mr. President, sorry, do you think it's working now the way it's going?
PRESIDENT KARZAI: It is absolutely working. We come across difficulties as we are moving forward, and that's bound to happen. And we get over those difficulties, we resolve them, and we go to the next stage of this fight against terrorism for all the allies.
At one stage four years ago, we had a war against them to dislodge from Afghanistan, to remove them from being the government of Afghanistan. And then there were major operations against them to arrest or to chase them out. And then we began to rebuild the country, to have roads, to have schools, to have health clinics, to have education, to have all other things that people need all over the world. And now we are at a stage of bringing more stability and trying to get rid of them forever. The desire is to do that sooner. But a desire is not always what you get. So it will take time, and we must have the patience to have the time spent on getting rid of them for good.
On narcotics, it is a problem. It is an embarrassment to Afghanistan. And I told President Bush earlier in my conversation with him we feel very much embarrassed for having narcotics growing in our country. But again, it has come to Afghanistan because of years of our desperation and lack of hope for tomorrow. I know Afghan families, ma'am, who destroyed their pomegranate orchards or vineyards to replace them with poppies, because they did not know if they were going to have their children the next day, if they were going to be in their own country the next day, if they were going to be having their home standing the next day. It has become a reality because of jobs and years of misery.
We have worked on the problem. In some areas of the country, we have succeeded; in other areas of the country, we have failed, because of the circumstances, and because of our own failures. We have discussed that, and we will continue to be very steadfast. It is Afghanistan's problem, so Afghanistan is responsible for it and Afghanistan should act on it, with the help of our friends in the United States and the rest of the world.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Caren.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Former President Clinton says that your administration had no meetings on bin Laden for nine months after he left office. Is that factually accurate, and how do you respond to his charges?
PRESIDENT BUSH: You know, look, Caren, I've watched all this finger-pointing and naming of names, and all that stuff. Our objective is to secure the country. And we've had investigations, we had the 9/11 Commission, we had the look back this, we've had the look back that. The American people need to know that we spend all our time doing everything that we can to protect them. So I'm not going to comment on other comments.
But I will comment on this -- that we're on the offense against an enemy that wants to do us harm. And we must have the tools necessary to protect our country. On the one hand, if al Qaeda or al Qaeda affiliates are calling somebody in the country, we need to know why. And so Congress needs to pass that piece of legislation. If somebody has got information about a potential attack, we need to be able to ask that person some questions. And so Congress has got to pass that piece of legislation.
You can't protect America unless we give those people on the front lines of protecting this country the tools necessary to do so within the Constitution. And that's where the debate is here in the United States. There are some decent people who don't believe -- evidently don't believe we're at war, and therefore, shouldn't give the administration what is necessary to protect us.
And that goes back to Jennifer's question, you know. Does being on the offense mean we create terrorists? My judgment is the only way to defend the country is to stay on the offense. It is preposterous to think if we were to withdraw and hope for the best, things would turn out fine against this enemy. That was my point about, before we were in Iraq there were thousands being trained in Afghanistan to strike America and other places. The only way to protect this country is to stay on the offense, is to deal with threats before they fully materialize and, in the long-term, help democracy succeed, like Afghanistan and Iraq, and Lebanon and a Palestinian state.
But there's a difference of opinion. It will come clear during this campaign, where people will say, get out, leave before the job is done. And those are good, decent, patriotic people who believe that way -- I just happen to believe they're absolutely wrong. So I'm going to continue to work to protect this country. And we'll let history judge -- all the different finger-pointing and all that business. I don't have enough time to finger-point. I've got to stay -- I've got to do my job, which comes home every day in the Oval Office, and that is to protect the American people from further attack.
Now, there are some who say, well, maybe it's not going to happen. Well, they don't see what I see. All I ask is that they look at that terror plot that, along with the Brits, we helped -- helped stop -- people who were going to get on an airplane and blow up innocent lives in order to achieve political objectives. They're out there, they're mean, and they need to be brought to justice.
Q Thank you, sir. Mr. President, are you convinced, like President Bush, that the deal General Musharraf signed with the tribal leaders in Waziristan actually meant to fight Taliban?
And why are you convinced that Osama bin Laden is not in Afghanistan?
If I may, Mr. President, do you agree with the analysis from the counter chief European -- counterterrorism chief European spokesman who said today that the international support for terrorism has receded. Do you agree with that? And do you see the tension between two important allies of yours, Pakistan and Afghanistan, undermining your effort to get Osama bin Laden? Thank you.
PRESIDENT BUSH: It's a four-part question. First of all, I didn't -- what was this person a spokesman for?
Q Counterterrorism chief in Europe.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Some obscure spokesman?
Q No, actually, he has a name.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Okay, he's a got a name. (Laughter.) Well, no, I don't agree with the spokesman for the obscure organization that said that the international commitment to fighting terror is declining. It's quite the contrary, starting with the evidence that NATO has committed troops in Afghanistan. These are troops who are on the ground who are serving incredibly bravely to protect this country.
Secondly, when the Brits, along with our help, intercepted the plot to attack us, everybody started saying, they're still there. They began to realize that their hopes that the terrorist threats were going away weren't true. Since September 11th it's important for the American people to remember there have been a lot of attacks on a lot of nations by these jihadists. And some of them are al Qaeda and some of them are al Qaeda-inspired. The NIE talked about how this group of folks are becoming more dispersed. That's what I've been saying, as well. After all, look inside of Great Britain. These are people inspired by, perhaps trained by al Qaeda, but, nevertheless, plotted and planned attacks and conducted attacks in the summer of 2005, and then plotted attacks in the summer of 2006. See, they're dangerous, and the world knows that.
And so, from my perspective, intelligence-sharing is good, cooperation on the financial fronts is good, and that more and more nations are committing troops to the fight, in Afghanistan, in particular.
Now, the other question --
Q -- does this undermine efforts of getting bin Laden?
PRESIDENT BUSH: No, no, it doesn't. It's in President Karzai's interest to see bin Laden brought to justice. It is in President Musharraf's interest to see bin Laden brought to justice. Our interests coincide. It will be interesting for me to watch the body language of these two leaders to determine how tense things are.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: I'll be good. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: From my discussions with President Karzai and President Musharraf, there is an understanding that by working together it is more likely that all of us can achieve a common objectives, which are stable societies that are hopeful societies, that prevent extremists from stopping progress and denying people a hopeful world.
I know that's what President Karzai thinks and I know that's how President Musharraf thinks. And so -- I'm kind of teasing about the body language for the dinner tomorrow night, but it's going to be a good dinner and it's an important dinner.
So, to answer your question, no, what you perceive as tension is stopping us from bringing high value targets to justice. Quite the contrary, we're working as hard as ever in doing that.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: On the question of Waziristan, ma'am, President Musharraf, when he was in Kabul, explained what they had done. My initial impression was that this was a deal signed by the Taliban -- and then later I learned that they actually signed with the tribal chiefs. It will have a different meaning if it is that signed with the tribal chiefs -- that for us, for the United States, for the allies against terror.
The most important element here is item number one in this agreement, that the terrorists will not be allowed to cross over into Afghanistan to attack the coalition against terror -- that is, the international community and Afghanistan together. We will have to wait and see if that is going to be implemented exactly the way it is signed. So, from our side, it's a wait and see attitude. But, generally, we will back any move, any deal that would deny terrorism sanctuary in North Waziristan or in the tribal territories of Pakistan.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, thank you.
PRESIDENT KARZAI: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well done.
END 12:08 P.M. EDT
Earlier this month, I discussed with the American people a CIA program that has proven to be one of our most effective tools in the War on Terror. Under this program, suspected terrorists have been detained and questioned about threats against our country. Because a Supreme Court decision put the future of this program in question, I asked Congress to provide legislation to save this important tool.
Today, the House passed legislation that would allow this vital program to continue and help keep our country safe. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 addresses the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the application of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and clarifies the standards for U.S. personnel who detain and question unlawful enemy combatants. The Act also creates a comprehensive statutory structure for military commissions so that we can prosecute suspected terrorists.
I appreciate the House's commitment to strengthening our national security. I urge the Senate to act quickly to get a bill to my desk before Congress adjourns.
U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Stephen Cristina and Deputy General Director of State Police for Operational Management Ahmet Haxhiaj congratulated 19 Albanian police officers who completed a two-week anti-terrorism course on "Crime Scene Investigations" under the auspices of the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
The course covered topics such as techniques in securing crime scenes, evidence gathering, vehicle screenings, and post-bomb blast investigations. The 19 Albanian police officers chosen for the course come from police stations around the country.
This kind of assistance helps build trust and a strong working relationship between the U.S. Embassy and Albanian police. The training was part of the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (ATAP), which was established in 1983, and has trained and assisted over 48,000 foreign security and law enforcement officials in 141 countries.
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