Czechs and Poles expressed rancor and relief Thursday that President Barack Obama had pulled out of plans for a U.S. missile defense shield — reflecting deep divisions over a proposal that some feared would make them a target for terrorists. NATO's new chief hailed the move as "a positive step" and a Russian analyst said Obama's decision will increase the chances that Russia will cooperate more closely with the United States in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program. Ex-leaders in the Czech Republic and Poland bristled at Obama's reversal, saying it reinforced a growing impression that Washington no longer views the region as indispensable to U.S. and European security interests. Yet many ordinary citizens who had been skeptical of the shield's benefits expressed relief that the system wouldn't be built on their soil. "It is a big victory for the Czech Republic. We are happy that we will be able to continue to live in our beautiful country without the presence of foreign soldiers." The U.S. plan had deeply angered Russia, which expressed outrage that missiles would be stationed so close to its borders, and many Czechs and Poles felt caught in the middle of escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Russia's foreign minister will hold a one-on-one meeting with the new head of NATO during the United Nations General Assembly session in New York on September 24, Russia's envoy to the alliance said. Sergei Lavrov's meeting with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who became NATO's secretary general last month, "has been coordinated, and the time confirmed. It will take place on the afternoon of September 24 in New York," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti. The discussions will focus on "issues relating to the development of initiatives by the new NATO secretary general concerning Russia, and also, perhaps, the issue of a visit by Rasmussen to Moscow," the envoy said, adding the timeframe of the visit has yet to be agreed. Rasmussen will hold an un-scheduled meeting later today with Rogozin in Brussels. After taking office on August 3, the new NATO chief said improving relations with Russia, which collapsed after the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, is a top priority for the alliance. "Clearly, Moscow is studying with great interests all recent statements by Rasmussen," Rogozin said.
A Boardman clergyman is hoping state lawmakers will take a symbolic stand against persecution of Eastern Orthodox Christians by the Turkish government. “In Turkey, one is not allowed to express his religious freedom,” said the Rev. Thomas M. Constantine, from St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Church, Glenwood Avenue. “One cannot wear a cross or any other religious symbols. A clergyman must wear secular clothes and is not allowed to celebrate freely. Many Christians in Turkey must worship secretly.” Father Constantine testified Tuesday in Columbus before the Senate’s state and local government affairs committee in support of a resolution offered by Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd. Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 urges Turkish officials to “respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Eastern Orthodox Church,” which has existed in Istanbul since the mid-1400s. The church has some 300 million members worldwide. But the Turkish government does not acknowledge the church’s international status and has confiscated its properties and taxed a church hospital. “Over the years, the government of Turkey has pared away at the institutional presence of the Patriarchate, including closing down the Halki Seminary, the only school of theology in the country for training Orthodox clergy,” said Thomas Kasulis, a professor of cultural studies at Ohio State University and former head of the American Society for the Study of Religion. He added, “This is clearly a violation of the kinds of religious freedoms we would expect of a nation known to be a loyal ally of the United States and an important representative democracy in the region.” Father Constantine said there have been increased physical attacks on Christians in the country, as well. “Hand grenades, cluster bombs, gasoline bombs have been thrown into the Patriarchate compound, which have damaged the buildings and injured some people,” he said. “The Turkish government has not taken any decisive action to stop these attacks.” Schiavoni’s resolution is a symbolic gesture, offering the state’s official opinion of the matter. “It is our prayer the persecution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate cease, as well as the persecution to all the Christians,” Father Constantine said. “We pray that there will be religious freedom in Turkey. The passage of this resolution is a major step in that direction.”
President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias said on Thursday that the Turkish side had shifted its stance on the issue of executive powers, in the context of negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem, adding that the new revised proposals on governance would be sent to experts for further consideration. Speaking on his return to the Presidential Palace from his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, President Christofias said ''We had a tete-a-tete meeting. It was short because I will be departing for Brussels. We have decided that the proposals given by the two sides on the issue of governance, the new revised proposals, will be sent to the experts for further processing. We will hold two meetings per week and will see if we can arrange more.'' Asked if the new proposals bring the two sides closer together, President Christofias said ''the proposals are, in any case, improved,'' adding that ''there is a shift by the Turkish side on the issue of the executive powers.'' To a comment that there have been suggestions at the talks that the president and the vice-president should be elected by the senate, of a reunited Cyprus, President Christofias said ''we have our views, which we will discuss, in any case, and of course our reservations. We have a different view. We want the President and the Vice-President to be elected by the people."
Macedonia withdrew from the Balkan Badminton Championship in Greece in a protest of host's blackmail related to Macedonia's name, Makfax news agency reported. Greek town of Polikastro hosts the Balkan Badminton Championship for youths under 19, which brings together young players of Balkan nations. Six Macedonian players, accompanied by two coaches, were to take part in the event. Macedonia's badminton players, angry that they were told by the host to remove the name "Macedonia" from their national dress, withdrew on the eve of the tournament Thursday in protest at the host's improper conduct. Greece, the host country, offered Macedonian players to wear T-shirts with FYROM reference. Macedonia has been admitted to the World Badminton Federation by the name FYR of Macedonia. The country has been admitted to the European Badminton Federation by the name Macedonian Badminton Federation.
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said on Sept. 16 that the official list of countries that will take part in the debate on the legality of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo before the Hague-based International Court of Justice has not been unveiled yet, adding that unconfirmed reports indicate that all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council will participate. "What we can confirm unofficially is that all five permanent U.N. Security Council members will take part in the debate, for the first time in history, just as this is the first ever debate on the legality of unilaterally declared secession," Jeremic said after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Belgrade. Sept. 15 was the last day for applying for the public debate before the ICJ, which will start on Dec. 1. In the first stage of the process, written statements were submitted by 36 U.N. members and the Pristina authorities, which have a special status, as Kosovo is not a U.N. member. In the second stage, 14 states submitted comments on other countries' statements. The Pristina authorities also have the right to orally elaborate their petition and respond to the arguments of secession opponents. In August 2008, Serbia sent the U.N. a resolution calling on the General Assembly to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s dept. of external relations has been on a first official visit to the Vatican this week. Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev, a renowned theologian, church historian and composer, is to meet with Pope Benedict on Friday at Castelgandolfo. He’s also spent the past two days holding talks with top Vatican officials, including the secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the head of the Pontifical council for Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper to talk about Catholic-Orthodox relations. “Bishop Illarion said from the very beginning that the pontificate of Benedict XVI was very important for them because Pope Benedict XVI is highly regarded by the Russian Orthodox Church for his moral positions, because he does not take into account political correctness and also they hold him in high esteem. My most important impression is that we have improved very much our relations in the last years. We spoke about several points, firstly about dialogue with all of the Orthodox Churches together which will take place in some weeks now in Cyprus, and the Russian Orthodox delegation wants to return to the discussion table they have resolved the problem of Estonia which was between Constantinople and Moscow. We are looking forward to the discussion on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium in the universal Church, which will be the issue in Cyprus. Then we spoke about our bilateral relations were the proposal was also made to form a kind of bishops conference on a European level”.