Speech by the Prime Minister Berisha before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

3/10/2006

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would first like to warmly greet President van Der Linden, General Secretary Davis and all you members of the Parliamentary Assembly for allowing me the opportunity to address you today. I am indeed honored by the occasion.

I also feel immensely indebted to you and the Council of Europe for the continuous support to Albania. Council of Europe was the first international institution I visited in 1992, only a few weeks after I was elected President of Albania, asking your assistance for our project of building a democratic society based on the rule of law, upon the ruins of the most Orwellian dictatorship Europe had known. Since then the Council of Europe has always been by our side.

I am deeply moved and proud to speak before you, all dear friends with whom I have had the opportunity and the privilege to debate and defend the democratic values and principles we hold in common. This enriching experience inspired and empowered me to lead the efforts of the Albanian citizens to vote out one of the most kleptocratic regimes of modern times, which was installed in Albania.

Ladies and gentlemen

I believe in your memory still linger on images of past unpleasant events and unhappy news about my country. I stand before you today to assure you that Albania has buried those events in its past and is swiftly moving forward toward a new and European reality.

Last year, overcoming the autocracy of country’s kleptocratic regime, Albanians succeeded to produce a peaceful rotation of power. They voted in scores to tear down the wall of corruption, organized crime and poverty which was thrusting them away from the democratic world. The Council of Europe Resolution on Elections in Albania and its monitoring of last year’s elections were a valuable encouragement and assistance to all Albanian voters.

My Government took office pledging to restore the rule of law - an the essential condition for guaranteeing fundamental rights of citizens – fight with zero tolerance organized crime, uproot the kletpocratic system, and consolidate democratic institutions, as the foundation of all other reforms.

A year ago, more then two thirds of all court decisions were not enforced, while the index of law enforcement in the country was amongst the lowest in the world. Since then, firm and fair application of law, enforcement of all court decisions and abrogation of hundreds of unlawful decisions, have made law prevail throughout the country.

During past years, Albanians suffered more than many other people from organized crime, which due to its symbiosis and collusion with politicians and public officials in all levels of government, become so powerful that was practically the real power behind government decisions, thus managing to make Albania a major trafficking territory.

Facing such reality, we adopted only one stand: zero tolerance towards crime. A year later, I am happy to inform you that thanks to the courage and high professionalism of our police forces and other law enforcement agencies and with the excellent cooperation of law and police agencies in other countries, more than 33 major criminal groups and organizations have been cracked down; hundreds of their members and all their bosses have been brought to justice, while their assets worth millions of euros have been seized and confiscated.

In a drive to curb criminal trafficking, the parliament enacted a three year ban from our waters on speed boats, which were widely used for drug and human trafficking.

As result of these efforts, according to the International Center for Fight Against Organized Crime based in Bucharest, drug trafficking routes have moved outside Albania.

Albania is today a safe country and it is widely perceived as such. The fact that during the summer 30 percent more foreign tourists visited Albania is a clear indication of this new reality.

In past years, corruption in Albania developed into a kleptocratic system. According to international reports bribing and illegal payments that Albanian citizens and businesses paid to officials in exchange for the very services and rights they were entitled to have freely were estimated at around 1.2 billion euros. Country’s customs and justice system were amongst the more corrupted in the world, while the state capture was a wide phenomenon.

Fight against corruption - the cancer that weakened and drained the body and the soul of my nation – has been another major priority for the Albanian Government. We have initiated thorough energetic measures to overcome corruption. As part of these measures:

• we adopted a small government structure and put the government on diet, thus replacing the large and beefed up administration we found;

• we instituted new administrative and ethical standards aiming to prevent use of public money for private benefits;

• we decreased by 40 percent all administrative expenses, most of which saved by simply ending the mismanagement and abusive use of public funds by the administration;

• we amended the law on the conflict of interest. While previous administration was built on the conflict of interest, today there are no reported cases of such conflict by any public servant or official;

• we amended the law on public procurement. As result, 92 percent of goods and services are procured through open bidding compared to a mere 25 percent a year ago.

• Parliament approved a law on whistle blowers and denouncers of corruption, which offers them special protection under law and rewards them with 6 percent of the recovered funds.

Our fight against corruption, smuggling and fiscal evasion has given significant and encouraging results. Thus:

• revenues from tax collection have increased by 24 percent from the forecast, which allowed us to have a supplementary budget in June;

• cost of procurement has decreased by 25 percent for the same goods or services as before.

• as I mentioned before, the administrative expenses of the public administration have decreased by 40 percent.

• bribing has also declined significantly.

Corruption is a cancer for the society. We have given a firm blow to the klecptocratic system we inherited and are continuing our efforts with zero tolerance for uprooting completely this harmful phenomenon.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Creating a favorable business climate and making Albania the most attractive country for foreign investments is our Government’s main objective in the economic domain.

To this end, alongside our efforts to restore and consolidate the rule of law, we have embarked on a truly fiscal revolution. Our goal is to implement a flat-tax, at the lowest rate in Europe. So far, we have considerably lowered all taxes. According to the KPMG ranking, in 2006, Albania was the country with the highest percentage rate of tax reduction in the world.

In addition to fiscal measures, we lowered 33-35 percent the price of electricity for business; cut in half the cost of business registration and reduced the time required for business registration from 42 days to only 8 days.

A thorough deregulatory reform aiming to widely liberalize the licensing and administrative business procedures is underway.

Last but not least, the Government has launched a new initiative - Albania 1 Euro. From now on, investors from your countries can enter Albania paying only 1 euro at the border; register their business paying 1 euro, or rent for 1 Euro for 99 years the land necessary for investment in productive activities. Mines, hydropower plants, railways will be given out to investors for 1 Euro. A full range of other services will also be offered with the price of 1 Euro.

I would like to use this opportunity to kindly ask you to encourage investors in your countries to consider the opportunities and potentials that Albania offers. Albania 1 Euro is our promise to them.

In cooperation with the Council of Europe, Government has also embarked in meaningful reforms in the field of decentralization, education and other sectors, such as property reform and information technology. “Albania in the age of internet” is our new effort to boost the IT penetration in the Albanian society.

As a result of all our round reforms our economy is performing well, is growing. This year we expect to have a significant growth estimated at least 6 percent.

By the end of this year, Albania will hold local elections. The government is determined to take all the measures and make every effort to ensure that these elections are free and fair. I would like to ask the Assembly to monitor our elections.

Ladies and gentlemen,

On 12 June 2006, Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union. Ratification of this Agreement by the European Parliament, in the beginning of last month, was the ultimate recognition of Albania’s western vocation and the common values that Albania shares with your nations. At the same time, it was the very appreciation of all 25 EU countries for the reforms undertaken by the government that I chair, and in general the appreciation for Albania’s overall peaceful transformation during the past 14 years.

During this period, Albania has changed from the most totalitarian communist country of coerced atheism and hyper-collectivisation into a country with consolidated political pluralism, remarkable religious pluralism and tolerance, with a flourishing private sector that counts for more than 80 percent of the country’s total production and with an income per capita that has increased more than 11 times in 14 years.

Albanians marked these achievements due to their great and unwavering efforts, but also due to their generosity and exceptional solidarity. In this endeavours they greatly benefited by the overall assistance of your governments, your nations and the taxpayers of your countries. The assistance and the support of the Council of Europe has played a great role to this end, and we remain always grateful to you.

Seizing this opportunity, I would to reassure you that for my government the Stabilization and Association Agreement is the most significant contract of my nation with the member states of the European Union that constitutes the roadmap for Albania’s full integration in the EU. It is for this significance that I kindly ask you to positively persuade your parliaments to ratify it as soon as possible.

For 14 years Albania has build and retained an excellent and loyal partnership with NATO and the USA. Our armed forces are undergoing a deep transformation which aims to build a modern and professional army. Our soldiers are serving alongside NATO units in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Afghanistan and, in coalition with the United States, in Iraq.

My government is determined to take all necessary reforms and pay every price to deserve the invitation to join NATO in the first enlargement summit. Albania’s membership in NATO is the most secure future for Albania and her citizens. The support of your governments and your parliaments to this process would always be highly valued and appreciated by my nation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The tragedies, wars and cruel dictatorships that the people of the Balkans experienced during the later part of the last century did not extinguish their aspirations to freedom, human dignity and integration into the EU and NATO. In a matter of few years, the Balkans leaped from the age of violent confrontations, wars, ethnic cleansing and blind nationalisms, paralleled only from those of East Africa, into the age of friendly political, economic and military cooperation and of irreversible regional and European integration.

2006 is an historical year for the peoples of the Balkans. They are today more united then ever in their European project.

Two important countries of the region, Rumania and Bulgaria, will become members of the European Union on the 1st of January, 2007. Croatia has opened its membership negotiations with the EU. Macedonia was given the status of EU candidate. Albania signed its Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU. The SAA negotiations were opened with Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Republic of Montenegro proclaimed its independence. Kosovo is moving towards finalization of its status as a free and democratic European country.

A few months ago I visited Kosovo. With great pleasure I witnessed there that no other country has changed more than Kosovo in the past 7 years. Out of the scorches and ashes of hundred of thousands of burnt houses in its towns and villages, from the rivers of tears, enormous human sufferings and blood, out of the mass graves, the citizens of Kosovo rose like phoenix. With the precious help, generosity and extraordinary solidarity from your nations and governments, they built anew hundred of thousands homes, schools, kindergartens. They held fair and free elections. They built, with the assistance of the best western expertise, efficient democratic institutions and established the rule of law.

I was particularly gratified to witness in my meetings with the common people from all ethnic origins and their political and religious leaders their firm will and enthusiastic efforts to built a European Kosovo, where all citizens are equal before the law. I was witness to the commitment and determination of the Albanian majority to forgive, but not forget, to respect and guarantee the freedoms of all the minorities and Serbs in particular, to respect their religious and cultural heritages and their languages.

Ladies and gentlemen

In the past century, Kosovo was the very heart of the Balkans crisis. I believe that a fair and just solution of the Kosovo issues, in respect of the will of the Kosovo people, is closely linked to the stability of Albania, but also other neighbors – Macedonia and Montenegro – as well as the stability of the region.

Regrettably, despite of all the changes that have occurred in Belgrade after the fall of the Milosevic regime and despite of all fundamental differences between the current Serbian leadership and yesterdays Serb communist nomenclature, still the ghost of the freater Serbia persists to be there and lack of realism still dominates Belgrade’s stand towards Kosovo.

As a witness to the Balkans developments during the last two decades, I would like to point your attention to the fact that there are no essential differences between the position adopted in the Serbian constitution in the 1980s and the present Serbian constitutional scenario of 2006. I would also like to remind you of the fact that in the years 1991-1995, Belgrade’s only option on the Kosovo issue was its partition drawing up maps that they changed every three months. Still today, in 2006, partition of Kosovo remains Belgrade’s only option for the solution of this crucial question of the Balkans.

Yet, I am deeply convinced that changing the existing international borders in the Balkans bears the danger of awakening the old conflicts with severe consequences for the region. Furthermore, more than 90 percent of Kosovo’s population is Albanian, to whom Kosovo has been their home since the very beginning of time. Fancying its partition with the aim of creating a pure ethnic country, in a region where such homogeneous countries do not exist, would not only unhelpful, but also dangerous.

Ladies and gentlemen

Albania has adopted and maintains a realistic stand for the solution of the final status of Kosovo. We have fully supported the mission of President Ahtisari and the Contact Group.

We believe that the final status of Kosovo must guarantee the rights and freedoms of the Serbs and all other minorities in that country; it must guarantee full and effective implementation of the decentralization process in compliance with the European Chart on the Local and Regional Authorities; it should ensure full respect for cultural and religious heritage; it should endorse the expressed will of the Kosovo people for independence.

I think that the independence of Kosovo is essential to its economic and social development and crucial for its stability and the stability of the entire region. The independence of Kosovo will provide a permanent answer to the fluidity of the Albanian factor in the Balkans. This is why, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro share similar views with regard to the final status of Kosovo.

Furthermore, I believe that the independence of Kosovo would contribute to the stability of Serbia, as well, as it will help Serbia to depart from its past, marginalize its radical forces, speed up its demilitarization, thus helping Serbia to integrate in the Euro-Atlantic institutions and catch the future this country deserves.

Nonetheless, due to the absence of realism in Belgrade, an agreement between Pristina and Belgrade seems illusive. That is why I believe that a the only alternative remaining is an imposed agreement, as has always been the case with all important agreements in the history of the Balkans during the past 150 years.

At the same time, I remain deeply convinced that Albanians and Serbs must follow in the great tradition of the European nations and start a new chapter of good and friendly neighborhood and cooperation to the benefit of our common European future.

PM Berisha og Undervisningsminister Genc Pollo har deltaget i et arrangement om modernisering af uddannelserne. Man vil satse på liberalisering og autonomi:




Kryeministri Berisha merr pjesë në Tryezën; “Liberalizimi i shkollave të larta, cilësia e studimeve, autonomia dhe përgjegjësia e qeverisjes”.


Flykapring. En Tyrkisk statsborger, Hakan Ekinci, 28, kaprede tirsdag 061003 et fly, der skulle flyve fra Lufthavnen i Rinas uden for Tirana i Albanien [Mother Teresa Airport] til Ankara. Ekinci tvang flyet til at lande i Brindisi, Italien, hvor alle ombordværende blev løsladt. Det viste sig at han var ubevæbnet. Ekinci's opholdstilladelse var udløbet og han havde fået afslag på asyl i Albanien, og han regnede med at blive anholdt, hvis han vendte tilbage til Tyrkiet, fordi han havde unddraget sig værnepligten. Ekinci har søgt om asyl i Italien og bedt om Pavens hjælp hertil. Ifølge nogle presseoplysninger hævder Ekinci at han er kristen - og har gået i kirke i de sidste ca. 8 år - og at han derfor ikke kan gøre tjeneste i en muslimsk hær; muligvis har han søgt at skrive til Paven om dette for en måneds tid siden.

De Albanske Myndigheder og mange Politikere har været stærkt alarmerede over hændelsen og Rinas Lufthavn har været lukket nogle timer; alt tyder på at der ikke var tale om en terroraktion, men om en individuel aktion med et personligt sigte.

Allerede før kapringen var det planlagt at Paven skulle besøge i Tyrkiet - formentlig i slutningen af November / begyndelsen af December.


Forlaget »Tiderne Skifter« har udgivet Ismail Kadaré's »Efterfølgeren«, der handler om Mehmet Shehu's død for ca. 25 år siden.

Shehu var Premierminister, men kom - formodes det - uoverens med den reelle leder af Albanien, Enver Hoxha, der (så vidt man kan formode) lod ham myrde. Forlaget skriver:

Efterfølgeren blev han kaldt – manden der var udvalgt til at efterfølge den magtfulde albanske diktator. Men kort før han skulle overtage magten, finder man ham død i sit eget hjem. Spekulationerne starter, rygterne svirrer. Det brændende spørgsmål er – er det selvmord eller blev han myrdet?

Ismail Kararé sætter spørgsmålstegn ved menneskets evne til at tage beslutninger ansigt til ansigt ansigt med tyranniet og den personificerede ondskab. Efterfølgeren er både en historisk roman – baseret på virkelige hændelser – en drømmeagtig psykologisk fortælling og en formidabel politisk krimi fuld af magi.

Mehmet Shehu – manden alle var sikre skulle efterfølge den skrantende diktator Enver Hoxha – dør under mærkelige omstændigheder. Forvirring blander sig med stigende politisk uro og spænding. Efterspillet efter mordet – eller selvmordet? – bliver fortalt gennem en række af stemmer, der flettes sammen: Efterfølgerens datter, Efterfølgerens efterfølger: indenrigsministeren, den magtfulde leder selv, samt mange flere.

Oversat af Gerd Have / Omslag: Mikkel Henssel - Sideantal: 134 - Pris: 225,- kr. - Udgivelsesår: 2006 - 1. udgave - ISBN: 8779732038

Nærmere om bogen vil følge i næste nr. Se artikel om Kadaré - med forskelligt baggrundsmateriale - på: http://bjoerna.net/Kadare/2006.htm.


»Small Diary of Borders«. Den Albansk-fødte Gazmend Kapplani har udgivet en bog i Grækenland. 'Apart from being a successful journalist and writer, he has also studied at Athens University, where he wrote his doctorate on the image of Albanians in the Greek press and of Greeks in the Albanian press'. Kathimerini indleder omtalen således:

‘Humor with a cargo of tragedy’

Gazmend Kapllani on his ‘Small Diary of Borders,’ which grew from an essay into a novel

Gazmend Kapllani’s book ‘Small Diary of Borders’ has just been published by Livanis. The author has columns in the Ta Nea daily newspaper and Athens Voice weekly. ‘The three strands - the academia side, journalism and literature - all enrich each other,’ says Kapllani.

By Vivienne Nilan - Kathimerini English Edition

I started out to write an essay, but my heroes took on a life of their own,” is Gazmend Kapllani’s disarming explanation of how his “Small Diary of Borders” changed genres. “In that sense,” he continues, “it is a novel, not a work of sociology, and I wanted it to be read and accepted, or rejected, as such.”

Given the writer’s background (he was born in Albania), his subject - the crossing of borders real and imagined but in particular the mass crossings from Albania into Greece in the early 1990s - and the fact that he has written the book in Greek, it is not surprising that extra-literary concerns sometimes dominate the response to his work.

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SERBIEN


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


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


Kosovo / Kosóva: Serbia will never accept usurpation of its territory, siger PM Kostunica: Kosovo vil altid være en del af Serbien. Kostunica fremhæver støtten fra Rusland og Kina; dvs. han forsøger at binde dem til - i Sikkerhedsrådet - ikke at acceptere at Kosovo bliver selvstændig.

Belgrade, Oct 5, 2006 - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica called on Serbian citizens today to go to the referendum in great numbers and vote for the new constitution, thus giving legal grounds to their state and affirming that Kosovo will forever be part of Serbia.

Kostunica told the Tanjug news agency that this year October 5 coincides with the efforts of the entire country to achieve a great state and national goal, and that is to get a new constitution of Serbia.

Kostunica said that it is very important that citizens support the new constitution because that would show to everyone that Serbia confirms with its internal law the highest principles of international law, first of all the principle of inviolability of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the existing states.

To put it simply, Serbia will never accept the usurpation of its territory, the Serbian Prime Minister said.

He called on everyone who thinks differently to listen well to what the people will say at the referendum and added that they can be sure that the voice of the people will be the law for this and every other government of Serbia.

Kostunica stressed that both the government and the citizens of Serbia highly praise the support we receive now when we fight the decisive battle to keep Kosovo-Metohija.

We will not forget the support we receive from our friends around the world. When I say this, I refer to almost daily support we receive from Russia and its president Putin, the principled support from China, as well as the support expressed by neighbouring countries and countries in the region, Kostunica said.

That support is especially important because it is based on the firm respect for the principles of international law and order and the respect for justice and democratic values, the Prime Minister concluded.

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MONTENEGRO


Præsidentvalg 030611: Filip Vujanovic blev valgt. Forrige Parlamentsvalg 021020, seneste 060910.

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

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MAKEDONIEN

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

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

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

Præsidentvalg i Maj 2004: Branko Crvenkovski - hidtidig PM - blev valgt (efter Boris Trajkovski som omkom ved en flyulykke). Parlamentsvalg fandt sted 020915. Der kan henvises til flg. OSCE/ODIHR-oversigtsside: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/field_activities/skopje2002/. Seneste Parlamentsvalg fandt sted i Juli 2006: Den hidtidige Regering led nederlag. Der kan henvises til: http://www.osce.org/item/19800.html og http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2006/07/19801_en.pdf

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



SRSG commends bilateral cooperation between Pristina and Skopje

PRISTINA – The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Joachim Rücker today visited Skopje where he had separate meetings with President Branko Crvenkovski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Miloshoski and President of DPA Arben Xhaferi. He also met leaders of the opposition, former Prime Minister and President of SDSM Vlado Buchkovski and President of DUI Ali Ahmeti.

The SRSG discussed with his interlocutors issues of mutual interest to Pristina and Skopje, the current situation in Kosovo and the need to settle Kosovo’s status as early as possible in the interest of regional stability. In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Gruevski, the SRSG commended the excellent bilateral cooperation achieved between Pristina and Skopje over the past years. “I think this is an example of the good neighbourly relations that Kosovo is developing within the region,” he said, “We have quite a number of bilateral agreements and there is more to come in important areas of cooperation.”

The SRSG said: “We also talked about the status process with regard to Kosovo and we agreed on the necessity to keep the momentum in the status process. In this regard I stressed that we continue to be guided by the commitment of the Contact Group as expressed on 20 September in New York that everything possible would be done to find a solution by the end of the year.”

Asked about the demarcation of the border between Kosovo and FYR Macedonia, the SRSG said, “All stakeholders agree that this will be solved in the context of the status settlement.”

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GRÆKENLAND

Seneste Parlamentsvalg 040307.

»Small Diary of Borders«. Den Albansk-fødte Gazmend Kapplani har udgivet en bog i Grækenland. 'Apart from being a successful journalist and writer, he has also studied at Athens University, where he wrote his doctorate on the image of Albanians in the Greek press and of Greeks in the Albanian press'. Kathimerini indleder omtalen således:

‘Humor with a cargo of tragedy’

Gazmend Kapllani on his ‘Small Diary of Borders,’ which grew from an essay into a novel

Gazmend Kapllani’s book ‘Small Diary of Borders’ has just been published by Livanis. The author has columns in the Ta Nea daily newspaper and Athens Voice weekly. ‘The three strands - the academia side, journalism and literature - all enrich each other,’ says Kapllani.

By Vivienne Nilan - Kathimerini English Edition

I started out to write an essay, but my heroes took on a life of their own,” is Gazmend Kapllani’s disarming explanation of how his “Small Diary of Borders” changed genres. “In that sense,” he continues, “it is a novel, not a work of sociology, and I wanted it to be read and accepted, or rejected, as such.”

Given the writer’s background (he was born in Albania), his subject - the crossing of borders real and imagined but in particular the mass crossings from Albania into Greece in the early 1990s - and the fact that he has written the book in Greek, it is not surprising that extra-literary concerns sometimes dominate the response to his work.

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TYRKIET


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


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


Flykapring. En Tyrkisk statsborger, Hakan Ekinci, 28, kaprede tirsdag 061003 et fly, der skulle flyve fra Lufthavnen i Rinas uden for Tirana i Albanien [Mother Teresa Airport] til Ankara. Ekinci tvang flyet til at lande i Brindisi, Italien, hvor alle ombordværende blev løsladt. Det viste sig at han var ubevæbnet. Ekinci's opholdstilladelse var udløbet og han havde fået afslag på asyl i Albanien, og han regnede med at blive anholdt, hvis han vendte tilbage til Tyrkiet, fordi han havde unddraget sig værnepligten. Ekinci har søgt om asyl i Italien og bedt om Pavens hjælp hertil. Ifølge nogle presseoplysninger hævder Ekinci at han er kristen - og har gået i kirke i de sidste ca. 8 år - og at han derfor ikke kan gøre tjeneste i en muslimsk hær; muligvis har han søgt at skrive til Paven om dette for en måneds tid siden.

De Albanske Myndigheder og mange Politikere har været stærkt alarmerede over hændelsen og Rinas Lufthavn har været lukket nogle timer; alt tyder på at der ikke var tale om en terroraktion, men om en individuel aktion med et personligt sigte.

Allerede før kapringen var det planlagt at Paven skulle besøge i Tyrkiet - formentlig i slutningen af November / begyndelsen af December.

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LANDE UDEN FOR BALKAN OG ØSTLIGE MIDDELHAV. NATO-LANDE


ITALIEN


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


Flykapring. En Tyrkisk statsborger, Hakan Ekinci, 28, kaprede tirsdag 061003 et fly, der skulle flyve fra Lufthavnen i Rinas uden for Tirana i Albanien [Mother Teresa Airport] til Ankara. Ekinci tvang flyet til at lande i Brindisi, Italien, hvor alle ombordværende blev løsladt. Det viste sig at han var ubevæbnet. Ekinci's opholdstilladelse var udløbet og han havde fået afslag på asyl i Albanien, og han regnede med at blive anholdt, hvis han vendte tilbage til Tyrkiet, fordi han havde unddraget sig værnepligten. Ekinci har søgt om asyl i Italien og bedt om Pavens hjælp hertil. Ifølge nogle presseoplysninger hævder Ekinci at han er kristen - og har gået i kirke i de sidste ca. 8 år - og at han derfor ikke kan gøre tjeneste i en muslimsk hær; muligvis har han søgt at skrive til Paven om dette for en måneds tid siden.

De Albanske Myndigheder og mange Politikere har været stærkt alarmerede over hændelsen og Rinas Lufthavn har været lukket nogle timer; alt tyder på at der ikke var tale om en terroraktion, men om en individuel aktion med et personligt sigte.

Allerede før kapringen var det planlagt at Paven skulle besøge i Tyrkiet - formentlig i slutningen af November / begyndelsen af December.

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USA

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ENGLAND

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TYSKLAND

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FRANKRIG

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DANMARK (NORGE, SVERIGE)


Det onde blod. DR2's »Udefra« sendte tirsdag 06104 en Fransk TV-udsendelse om livet i nogle Albanske og Serbiske landsbyer i Kosóva/Kosovo, se ovenfor.


Forlaget »Tiderne Skifter« har udgivet Ismail Kadaré's »Efterfølgeren«, der handler om Mehmet Shehu's død for ca. 25 år siden.

Shehu var Premierminister, men kom - formodes det - uoverens med den reelle leder af Albanien, Enver Hoxha, der (så vidt man kan formode) lod ham myrde. Forlaget skriver:

Efterfølgeren blev han kaldt – manden der var udvalgt til at efterfølge den magtfulde albanske diktator. Men kort før han skulle overtage magten, finder man ham død i sit eget hjem. Spekulationerne starter, rygterne svirrer. Det brændende spørgsmål er – er det selvmord eller blev han myrdet?

Ismail Kararé sætter spørgsmålstegn ved menneskets evne til at tage beslutninger ansigt til ansigt ansigt med tyranniet og den personificerede ondskab. Efterfølgeren er både en historisk roman – baseret på virkelige hændelser – en drømmeagtig psykologisk fortælling og en formidabel politisk krimi fuld af magi.

Mehmet Shehu – manden alle var sikre skulle efterfølge den skrantende diktator Enver Hoxha – dør under mærkelige omstændigheder. Forvirring blander sig med stigende politisk uro og spænding. Efterspillet efter mordet – eller selvmordet? – bliver fortalt gennem en række af stemmer, der flettes sammen: Efterfølgerens datter, Efterfølgerens efterfølger: indenrigsministeren, den magtfulde leder selv, samt mange flere.

Oversat af Gerd Have / Omslag: Mikkel Henssel - Sideantal: 134 - Pris: 225,- kr. - Udgivelsesår: 2006 - 1. udgave - ISBN: 8779732038

Nærmere om bogen vil følge i næste nr. Se artikel om Kadaré - med forskelligt baggrundsmateriale - på: http://bjoerna.net/Kadare/2006.htm.


ICTY oplyser at tidl. Jugoslavisk Viceadmiral Miodrag Jokic skal afsone 7 års fængsel i Danmark:

Miodrag Jokic, a former Yugoslav naval commander who pleaded guilty to crimes committed during the 1991 attack on Dubrovnik, was today transferred to Denmark to serve his seven year prison term.

Jokic was convicted for crimes committed by soldiers under his command during the attack on 6 December 1991. On that day, they shelled the Old Town of southern Croatian city, listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. As a result, two civilians were killed and three were wounded, six buildings were destroyed in their entirety and many more buildings suffered damage. Institutions dedicated to religion, charity, education, and the arts and sciences, and historic monuments and works of art and science were damaged or destroyed.

Jokic, the Commander of the 9th Military Naval Sector (VPS) of the Yugoslav Navy, was sentenced for the unlawful attack on civilians within the Old Town of Dubrovnik, for the murder of two persons in the course of the attack, and for the cruel treatment, by wounding, of three others in the course of the same attack. He was convicted also for devastation not justified by military necessity and for unlawful attack on civilian objects. Finally, he was convicted for destruction or wilful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity, and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments and works of art and science.

In a statement he read in court, Jokic stated he had a moral and personal obligation to accept responsibility and to ask forgiveness for the acts of his subordinates:

"The fact that these lives were lost in the area for which I was responsible will remain etched in my consciousness for the rest of my life. I am ready to bow before all the victims of this conflict, regardless of the side they were on, with the dignity of a soldier".

He went on to say:

"Furthermore, although I had already done that in the course of the shelling itself over the radio, and afterwards I did it again in person, I feel the obligation to express my deepest sympathy to the families of those who were killed and wounded and the citizens of Dubrovnik for the pain and all the damage that was caused to them by the unit under my command".

The Trial Chamber sentenced Jokic to seven years' imprisonment and the sentence was confirmed by the Appeals Chamber.

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

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


RUSLAND

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

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KINA

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Information om »Sidste Nyt« »Sidste Nyt om Albanien, Kosóva og Makedonien« hører til et web-site om de Balkan-lande hvor der lever mange Albanere: http://bjoerna.dk/albanerne.htm. Her kan du også finde »gamle nyheder«, anmeldelser, links og en Balkan Brevkasse. »Sidste Nyt« sættes på nettet senest hver fredag morgen, hvor der sendes besked til dem der ønsker det. Bestilling / afbestilling sker ved at sende en e-mail med teksten »Nyheder udbedes« / »Nyheder afmeldes«. The framework of The Latest News from Albania, Kosóva and Macedonia is in Danish - nevertheless, the news are mostly in English. You may send information, comments and questions to: »The Latest News« [please click]. Nyheder, materiale, kommentarer og spørgsmål modtages meget gerne, både om småting og større ting. Send en e-mail. Tilsvarende hvis du opdager en fejl. Fejl vil blive rettet hurtigst muligt. »Sidste Nyt« og http://bjoerna.dk/albanerne.htm drives non-profit og uden finansiering »udefra«. Hvis du vil være med til at fiansiere udgivelsen kan du lettest gøre det ved at købe én eller flere af mine bøger. Send gerne en mail hvis der er - små eller store - tekniske problemer. Bemærkninger om EDB-sikkerhed. Du må citere hvis du angiver hovedsidens adresse: bjoerna.dk Siderne om Albanerne finder du på: bjoerna.dk/albanerne.htm

»To skridt frem? Albanien i en brydningstid« Baggrundsmateriale kan findes via: http://bjoerna.net/to-skridt-frem/#Linksamling »Albansk Almanak 2004« Almanak'en for 2004 er udkommet i december 2005. Her finder du nyhedsbrevene fra 2004 og nogle kommentarer. Bogen udgives i et sæt bestående af et hæfte (de første 77 sider) og en CD (alle 1264 sider). På CD'en også supplerende materiale - ikke mindst »1912 - Med den serbiske Armé i Makedonien« - Fritz Magnussen's beretninger v/ Palle Rossen. Se indholdsoversigt på: http://bjoerna.dk/albansk-historie/almanak-2004.htm. Se pris på: Bestillingsliste. »Albansk Almanak 2005« Almanak'en for 2005 er udkommet i april 2006. Her finder du nyhedsbrevene fra 2005 og forskelligt supplerende materiale. Bogen udgives i et sæt bestående af et hæfte (ugeoversigterne) og en CD (med ugebrevene og det supplerende materiale - i alt omkring 2.150 sider). Se pris på: Bestillingsliste.

»Albanske Studier« bd. 1-2 Kommentarer til Bjøl, Huntington, Machiavelli, Sørlander, DUPI (Humanitær Intervention), Clausewitz, Mao Zedong, Lars R. Møller, Malcolm og flere andre. Englændere på rejse i Albanien: Edward Lear, Edith Durham og Robert Carver. Bøger om slægtsfejder og blodhævn. Diskussion af Anne Knudsen's disputats om blodhævn på Korsika og af Ismail Kadare's roman »Ufuldendt april«. Baggrundsmateriale om den Sønderjyske general Christian von Holstein, der deltog i Habsburgernes felttog ind i Kosóva i 1689-90. Sidst i bogen et forsøg på en sammenfatning i form af nogle 'grundlæggende synspunkter'. Desuden en kommentar til Hans Hækkerup's »På skansen«. På CD'en supplerende materiale om traditionelle Albanske klædedragter og om Holstein. Hans bog om Kosovo er omtalt i »Albansk Almanak 2004«. Du kan downloade indholdsfortegnelsen og kommentaren til »På skansen« fra: http://bjoerna.dk/albansk-historie/studier-2002.htm Bogen findes i trykt form og på CD (som pdf-fil). Papirudgave 368 A4-sider i 2 bind. Bogen sælges som papirudgave m/ CD og som CD alene. Se pris på: Bestillingsliste. Til dig der kigger på et ældre nummer af »Sidste Nyt«. Seneste udgave af denne »annonce« kan ses på: »Sidste Nyt« (klik)