25.7.2007 by admin.

New Albanian president sworn in

25/07/2007

A political impasse that threatened to push Albania into early elections has ended, and the country has a new head of state.

(AP, AFP, Xinhua - 24/07/07; Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Portuguese EU Presidency - 23/07/07; Reuters, AP - 20/07/07)

Albanian President Bamir Topi (left) was sworn into office on Tuesday (July 24th). [Gent Shkullaku]

Bamir Topi was sworn in as president of Albania on Tuesday (July 24th). He pledged to work for the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

Along with Croatia and Macedonia, Albania is hoping to be invited to join NATO in 2008. It signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU last year, thus completing a major first step on its path towards eventual membership in the 27-nation bloc.

“Nowadays, everything needs to change as we are coping with new historic challenges wanted by the Albanian people,” Topi said as he took the oath at a ceremony Tuesday evening. The event began with a special plenary session of the country’s 140-seat parliament and continued at Tirana’s Palace of Brigades.

A 50-year-old biologist and researcher who once served as agriculture minister, Topi is deputy leader of Albania’s ruling Democratic Party. He has been elected a member of parliament three times since the end of communism in 1991, and is considered a moderate.

Recent polls suggest he is the most popular figure in politics, according to the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

Topi replaces Alfred Moisiu, whose five-year term expired on Tuesday.

Topi was elected on Friday with the support of 85 of the 91 lawmakers attending the voting session. Three previous ballots failed to produce a winner, as none of the presidential candidates managed to receive the constitutionally required minimum of 84 votes. In the third round of voting on July 15th, Topi won 50 votes, while his leftist opponent Neritan Ceka gained 32.

On Friday, seven opposition MPs ignored a boycott called by the Socialist Party, thus helping to end a political impasse that was pushing the country towards early elections.

Reiterating their support for Albania’s EU bid, the Union’s foreign ministers welcomed on Monday the successful conclusion of the elections process and urged “all political forces to work together in moving forward with the reforms needed”.

Topi, whose post vests him with power over the judiciary and the armed forces, has promised to restore the political balance and to promote institutional reform.

“I pledge to bring balance to the Albanian political climate and modernise our institutions to make sure we live up to the challenge of joining the EU and NATO,” Reuters quoted him as telling lawmakers Friday………………….

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2007/07/25/feature-01 

Geschrieben in Balkan (Englisch), Balkan | Keine Kommentare »

25.7.2007 by CrniLabudovi.

Former Soldiers of the  United States Atlantic Battalion Ready to Defend
Kosova  Again
Tuesday- July 17, 2007
New York

Veterans of the Atlantic Battalion from the US who joined  the Kosova
Liberation Army (KLA) in 1999 that fought alongside US and NATO  forces to liberate
Kosova and stop the ethnic cleansing by the Serbian forces  gathered in New
York to express their deep concern with recent developments  regarding the
resolution of Kosova’s status.
The former soldiers of the  Atlantic Battalion voiced outrage with the
international community’s continued delays in recognizing Kosova’s independence
in the face of Russia’s threat of veto in the UN Security Council. Ex-
fighters stressed that Russia’s intransigence and threat of using a veto to  preclude
the UN Security Council from recognizing independence of Kosova pose a
serious danger for peace, stability and the prospect of democracy in the  Balkans.
“Russia is using Kosova as a back door to dictating  European policy and
gaining leverage with countries that are afraid of Russia to  recognize Kosova’s
inevitable independence,“- said Uk Lushi, spokesperson for  the Atlantic
Battalion during the Liberation War in 1999. “European countries  need to preserve
their unity and present a clear platform for an immediate  recognition of Kosova
’s independence, or risk the renewal of conflicts in the  Balkans that will
render EU’s foreign policy and decision making power  useless.”- Mr. Lushi
stated.
Ex- soldiers of Atlantic Battalion voiced unconditional  support for the
Veterans of KLA Association in Prishtina and their readiness to  defend Kosova’s
independence and freedom at any cost. “We want the world to know  that we are
prepared to make the same sacrifice a million times over in  protection of
life, liberty, and democracy for all citizens of Kosova,” said  Frank Idrizi,
commander of the Atlantic Battalion during the Kosova war. “The  United States and
Kosova Liberation Army stood for the same values and  principles… Fighting
for the KLA was fighting for human rights, Kosova’s freedom  and American
values. We cherish those privileges under American democracy every  day but not for
one second do we stop thinking about the struggle of our people  to enjoy
those freedoms just like Americans.” – Mr. Idrizi  added.
Arber Muriqi, one of the  soldiers present at the meeting, emphasized that
any return to the negotiating  table or denying Kosova’s immediate independence
under any other framework seeks  to throw dust in the eyes of Kosova’s
citizens who have staged a patient path to  promised independence for a very long
time. “The international community needs  to be well aware that a delayed
strategy, renewed negotiations, or any other  form of compromise with Serbia would
increase the risk for turmoil in the entire  Balkans substantially, as that
certainly would open Pandora’s Box with regard to  the future of Albanians in
Macedonia, Presheva Valley, Montenegro and Greece,”-  Mr. Muriqi added.
Labinot  Baraliu, a former KLA soldier who migrated to New York after the
war, remarked,  “Albanians have made many painful concessions in the interest of
peace and  stability when accepting an international compromise that forced
them to live in  significant numbers in six separate, neighboring countries,
even after the fall  of communism. The international community and especially the
EU should not take  for granted the assumption that this status quo will
remain in place after  cheating Kosova out of its right to freedom and
self-determination,”-Mr. Baraliu  concluded.
A letter was sent to the  Parliament of Kosova demanding the representatives
of the people proclaim the  independence of Kosova without delay. The letter
conveyed the commitment of  all "Atlantic" soldiers to defend Kosova and its
independence.
The attendees of the  meeting called upon the United States government to
seek a solution outside the  United Nations if Russia persists in blocking
Security Council and honor the  pledge that President Bush gave during a historic
visit to Albania June 11 when  he said: "At some point in time  - sooner rather
than later - you've got to say -enough is enough. Kosovo is  independent.”
Albanian
Ish-ushtaret e Batalionit Atlantiku nga SHBA-te te  gatshem te mbrojne
perseri Kosoven

E marte- 17 korrik 2007
Nju Jork

Universtiy of Buffalo

Geschrieben in Balkan (Englisch), Balkan | 2 Kommentare »

25.7.2007 by admin.

EDITORIAL/LETTERS TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007
	The Future of Kosovo
	To the Editor : Re “U.S. Diplomat Hints at Delay for Kosovo Independence” (news article, July 9): Delaying the resolution of Kosovo’s final status until next year is not just a “setback for Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership.” The credibility of the United States is on the line. The December 2006 deadline set by Washington and Brussels for resolving Kosovo’s final status was abandoned when Belgrade persuaded the West to wait for the results of Serbia’s national elections in January. For America and Europe to propose now that the status quo must still be maintained in the hope that Moscow will drop its support for Belgrade’s opposition to Kosovo’s independence is beyond the pale. Russia has been threatening to exercise its veto in the United Nations Security Council since the NATO air strikes against Serbia ended eight years ago. Until the United States stands up to Russia, the European Union will remain divided, and Kosovo’s status will not be resolved. And until Kosovo becomes independent, like Serbia and the other juridical units of the former Yugoslavia, peace and stability in the Balkans will remain elusive. SHIRLEY CLOYES DIOGUARDI Ossining, N. Y., July 11, 2007 The writer is the Balkan affairs adviser to the Albanian American Civic League.

<http://www.empoweredbuilder.net/aacl/330/13924/photos/logo1[1].gif>

Dear Friend,

Attached is the letter that I published in The New York Times on July 17
about the resolution of Kosova’s final status.  Please click here for
the English version
<http://www.empoweredclient.com/aacl/email_blast/nyt/index.html>  and
here for the Albanian
<http://www.empoweredclient.com/aacl/email_blast/nyt/index_alb.htm> .

[Ketu eshte bashkangjitur letra rreth rezolutes per statusin final te
Kosoves, e cila eshte publikuar ne New York Times me 17 Korik.  Kliko
ketu per shqip
<http://www.empoweredclient.com/aacl/email_blast/nyt/index_alb.htm> .]

Sincerely,

Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi
Balkan Affairs Adviser

To unsubscribe click here.
<http://www.empoweredbuilder.net/application/capture/capture_categories.
asp?sent=4287&rec=9871120&cid=358001&categoryid=block&link=blockconf.htm
l>

AACL | P.O. Box 70 | Ossining | NY | 10562

<http://www.empoweredbuilder.net//application/capture/webbc.asp?sent=428
7&rec=9871120&>

<http://www.empoweredbuilder.net/aacl/330/13924/photos/logo1[1].gif>

Dear Friend,

It has become clear over the past few weeks that the unconditional
independence of Kosova, for which our Civic League has been fighting for
seventeen years, is by no means assured.  In the weeks ahead, we will be
working with the leaders of foreign policy in the U.S. Congress to
insure that the international community does not prolong the status quo
in an effort to placate Russia and Serbia.  We will also be working to
prevent the signing of a final status agreement that would turn Kosova
into a failed state like Bosnia is today–one with a weak central
government and strong local entities that Belgrade can manipulate.

Our success depends on our ability to combat the ongoing anti-Albanian
propaganda campaign waged by the Serbian lobby and its surrogates in the
press and in parliaments around the world.  But we can’t do this without
your help.  If you are not a member of the Civic League and would like
to become one, this is the time to visit our website at www.aacl.com
<http://www.aacl.com/>  and to make arrangements to mail or pay on-line
your annual membership fee by clicking here
<http://blog.aacl.com/aacl-membership-application/> .  If you are
already a member, please consider giving an extra gift this summer.

The Albanian American Civic League is a wholly volunteer operation.  And
so any donation that you make goes directly to the pursuit of
independence for Kosova, equality for all Albanians in Southeast Europe,
and lasting peace and stability in the region.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Joe DioGuardi           Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi
President                 Balkan Affairs Adviser

P.S.  The attached video click here
<http://www.veoh.com/videos/v3717649wNwYMxF?searchId=1300549814826701007
&rank=0>  clearly demonstrates that the work of our Civic League has
been effective.

AACL | P.O. Box 70 | Ossining | NY | 10562

<http://www.empoweredbuilder.net//application/capture/webbc.asp?sent=423
2&rec=9779271&>

Geschrieben in Balkan (Englisch) | Keine Kommentare »