ALBANIAN-GREECE: AFTER THE BUSES WERE TAKEN HOSTAGE

AIM TIRANA, 20 JULY, 1999

Albania and Greece are retorting with the "hostages" language. Like in no other country in the world the kidnapping of buses is applied instead of the rhetoric, first by an Albanian and later on by a Greek, which shook public opinions on both countries.

The passengers of a bus in Northern Greece being taken hostage by an armed Albanian immigrant, at a time when in the neighbouring country had started the expulsion campaign of Albanian emigrants in the name of the war against criminality, stirred up a storm in Greek media and public opinion. It was the second case within a month when an Albanian emigrant had taken hostage a Greek bus.

Athens newspapers accused the governement as being incapable of protecting its citizens, who feel threatened by an augmenting wave of crimes, on which illegal Albanian emigrants are being blamed. "Once again an Albanian drags on the government", was the headline of the daily well-known "Eleftheros Typos". Greek foreign minister, George Papandreu called on its compatriots to differentiate between Albania and Albanian criminals.

Meanwhile Albanian opinion emotionally charged as a result of the expulsions and ill-treatment of emigrants in some cases, reiterated their demands on the Albanian government to press more hard on Greek government to halt the wave of expulsion. Koha Jone newspaper the largest Albanian daily, referring to the Trojan horse symbol, considered the kidnapping of the bus "by an ill-treated Albanian emigrants with its documents torn apart by the Greek police", as a game of the Greek secret services in order to justify the expulsion of Albanian emigrants from Greece.

Meantime, on the same day Greek police shot dead the Albanian hostage taker by saving the eight remaining Greek passengers. A Greek armed with a shotgun took hostage and terrorised 38 passengers, who were travelling by bus from Fier town (Albania) to Greece. He escorted them at a police precinct and demanded from the police to send them back. After he was detained at a Greek police precinct for some hours, the Greek farmer was set free. The event nearly passed unnoticed by Greek press, but some voices considered this "as an patriot who took revenge for his compatriots". Albania, one of the daily newspapers in Albania, the next day had the headline: "Greece, terror and racism towards Albanians".

The kidnapping of buses showed that the tension between two countries is being mounted. In fact, since the summer of 1997 the relationship between two countries had made steps ahead, sidelining the zigzags since the early '90 up to present.

The 1997 spring uprising, which toppled the former president Sali Berisha, was the last confrontation between Tirana and Athens. Berisha who never visited Greece considered the armed uprising as a fruit of Greek intelligence services. While fresh released from prison former Socialist party chairman, Fatos Nano had started his election campaign, precisely in Athens, among thousands of Albanians emigrants, promising them to work as legal emigrants.

Since then the relationships between two countries were more then better. Up to the day when NATO dropped the first bombs on Serbia, on March 24.

The slight rift between Tirana and Athens noticed during the NATO's bombardment on Serbia was passing without big flaws in their relationships. The official Greece, though Serbs traditional ally, the anti-NATO and aome times even anti-Albanian manifestations that flared up in Athens , considered as the reaction of the public, reiterating continuously that the stance of Simitis' cabinet was in accordance with that of the allies . This attitude was translated to the Albanians : If not allies, at least not enemies.

Probably everything would have remained within this definition, when in Albania suddenly hundred of phones were ringing. "They are rounding us up, with and without necessary working papers. They are sending us back to Albania'. Alarming voices of thousands of Albanian immigrants working in Greece for nearly eight years now, were testifying that in the neighbouring country the coded operation "Broomstick' has suddenly started.

What had happened, why this operation started again? Hostages of the policy followed by the two countries, Albanian emigrants suffer whenever the relations between Tirana and Athens aggravate. Used with this kind of logic, people rightly ask: What has happened this time, why is Greece expelling them ?

Greek broomstick which has started since three weeks now is being justified by Greek government as a war against criminality in general and not as "witch haunting" against the Albanian refugees. Meanwhile hundreds of Greek police, who are escorting Albanian immigrants towards Albanian border are telling them : "Go and Clinton or NATO can provide work for you".

Since the start of conflict in Kosovo, the gap between Greek official stand and Greek public opinion is going deeper day in day out: the government is trying not to deviate from the European parameters, which they are obliged to respect ; while Greek society, starting with the indipended press, non-governmental organisations and people have been mentally and spiritually anti-NATO and anti- Americans.

In a way Albanian emigrants are victims of the clash between these "two Greek realities". The ruling Greek socialists, though they tried to be in between their people and the international stand in relation with the kosovo crisis, paid soon the political tribute. They lost three constituencies in the last European parliamentarian elections . And election for Greek parliament are looming.

Naturally, not only the Greek press, but also senior officials have noticed what they called "Albania's foreign minister courage in the heart of Athens" during the last visit of Milo in Greece capital.

The end of war in Kosovo, has ranked Albania on the victorious side and has opened great development possibilities in the framework of vital project expected to commence in the region. Above all, de facto, Albania is now a geographical space, where 2 million Albanians of Kosovo are encompassed as well. The open and quick affinity of Albania with NATO and especially with the USA, at a time when Tirana economically is under the domination of Greek drachmas and Greek goods, can't pass without problems.

Albanian Premier, Pandeli Majko, now more than ever is stressing on the 8 corridor (Durres·Shkup-Sofje-Varna) and on the close economic coperation with Macedonia and Montenegro. The Albanian northern border is almost opened. Goods are freely passing from Albania to Kosovo and vice versa. Albanian currency "lek" is being used in Kosovo. A new market is emerging.

It is the time when all Balkan countries are anxious to know "the centre" in this new geopolitical and economic reality . This concept is considered as somewhat old and is being talked about of South-east Europe.

This new reality, where Albania is being converted in an important partner for all Balkan countries, is being somewhat digested with difficulties by Southern neighbour and especially by their media. Greek government being under constant pressure by this opinion, nevertheless has to adopt in this situation created after the war in Kosovo. AIM Tirana

ARMAND SHKULLAKU _