The Greek Prime Minister is attempting the soft annexation of “Northern Epirus” Official Athens is seeking an artificial increase in the Greek minority in Albania page 2

ALEKSANDËR ÇIPA Cold “winds” are blowing from official Athens toward the Albanian capital. In the Greek media and press in recent days, headlines have returned that are, to some extent, even amoral, and in which a chill is plainly evident—a chill that has reasons for not being made public officially. Nevertheless, diplomatic appearances betray the concealment of this reality. In the final ten days of the year, while the official communications agenda was full enough to throw a “blanket” over this fact, it was also sufficient to reflect Greek dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, the incident of administrative cynicism involving the Albanian Minister of Public Order’s seized “Benz” at Kapshtica was passed over lightly. In Athens, behind the “scenes” of official courtesy, the chill was followed by an unusual silence in the local press and media about the Meta–Simitis meeting. Logically, the dispatch of the Greek military charter plane to Rinas to transport the Albanian delegation, which lacked even minimal travel comfort, cannot be regarded as administrative carelessness! But beyond this appearance, Prime Minister Meta himself was highly revealing when he officially learned the fact that: “Greece is Albania’s second strategic partner.” This official confirmation of Albania’s new diplomatic strategy now constitutes a point of friction, and will remain so into 2000 in Albania’s relations with its southern neighbour. Nevertheless, this time the Albanian “YES” is far from the Greek “YES.” Against this backdrop, in Athens Prime Minister Meta found the entire representation of the political unity of the Greek minority (namely, OMONIA head Dule and PBDNJ’s Melo), whose arrival at the same time was justified as a coincidence. But since, in the “face-to-face” Meta–Simitis meeting, he raised the issue of Greek schools in Himara, the “minority delegation” in Athens knew how to give the Greek prime minister a “nail” which, in the familiar manner of the saying, was to be “Nastradin’s.” But the reason the Greek claim to regional initiatives has resurfaced within the framework of this Pact should be taken as an indication that Greek dissatisfaction over the loss of “guardianships” cannot be concealed. Prime Minister Meta, in the name of Albanian diplomacy, has confirmed that Albania’s priority for Italy is no longer a promised reality, but a formalized commitment. Given the strategy imposed by the peninsula’s new geopolitical map, it is natural that our diplomacy cannot retain the complex it has acquired (in reaching the present moment) as a result of permission from Greek associations or quasi-state instruments. The meeting during this visit at the “Grand Bretania” between Prime Minister Meta and the US ambassador in Athens, Nikolas Bërns, cannot be dismissed without its due significance either. The “suit” in which the Albanian prime minister presented himself in Athens this time is no different from before. In Prime Minister Meta’s vocabulary, in his dialogue with his counterpart Simitis, the phrase “national strategy” was often mentioned, behind which lies the platform for the claim to extend the “Pact’s investments” into the upper part of this strategy. Against this backdrop of developments and trends in regional diplomacy, official Tirana has ample reason, as well as newly acquired courage, to respect the boldness of abandoning the diplomatic slogans used until now. A reflection of this may also be found in the statement made two days ago by Deputy Foreign Minister Blushi, who, as never before, stated in an official capacity that “Albanian diplomacy in 2000 will be more aggressive.”

Pages 24–25 Tomorrow in the newspaper “Koha Jonë” you will read: Why does Foreign Minister Milo not defend the dignity of Public Order Minister Poçi, whom the Greeks made get off at Kapshicë? Why does the Greek press mock the Albanian Minister of Public Order after Prime Minister Meta’s visit? Or was it because Meta’s visit challenged Greek pride and treachery?!

Special feature, pages 8–9