The European Union on Wednesday displayed its deep split over Kosovo's status as the breakaway province celebrated the second anniversary of its independence from Serbia. Ulrike Lunacek, the European parliament's rapporteur on Kosovo, called for the five EU nations yet to recognise it to do so saying "is high time to focus all efforts to ensure the future" of the tiny Balkan territory. However that call was swiftly rejected by Spain which is one of the five and currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. "It is not a question of European recognition in general terms, these are decisions for member states to take individually. Spain does not recognise Kosovo and has said that's not going to change," a Spanish EU presidency spokesperson said. Spain is backed in its stance by Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia, either in solidarity with Serbia or over concerns that it could create a precedent for their own separatist areas. That divided position "is rendering a coherent European policy towards Kosovo... almost impossible," said Lunacek. The Spanish EU presidency spokesperson argued that there was plenty of very important EU consensus on Kosovo. "There is the EULEX mission which is supported by everybody, and also the process of economic support and the development of the links with the European Union," she said. The some 3,000-strong mission to bring the justice system, police and customs up to European standards took over from the United Nations, which administered Kosovo after the 1999 war. Kosovo unilaterally split from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and its independence has been recognised so far by 65 countries, including the United States as well as the majority of EU countries. Serbia opposes Kosovo's independence, considering the territory as its southern province. It backs and finances the region's parallel administrative, educational and judicial system in areas with a Serb majority.
II. B92 - Greece won't recognize Kosovo
Greek Ambassador Dimosthenis Stoidis has denied that his country would recognize the unilateral declaration of independence made by Kosovo's Albanians. The top Greek diplomatic envoy in Belgrade was reacting to a recent statement coming from Skender Hyseni, appointed by the government in Priština to be its foreign minister. "It isn't clear to me what the source of Hyseni's information is, or his precise statements. Greece's stable, principled stance on the issue is known," Stoidis said in an interview for Vienna's Der Standard newspaper. He also said that Greek PM George Papandreou recently confirmed this position in his meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadić. Papandreou was in Belgrade in early January when he said that the complex issue of Kosovo should be solved based on the UN Charter and respect of international law.
III. GREEKREPORTER - FYROMacedonia Threatens Australia
Macedonia threatened to vote against the candidacy of Australia for a seat in the UN Security Council if the Rudd Government does not take action against the Premier of South Australia, Mike Runn. The Skopje government is allegedly deeply troubled by Mike Runn which has accused Macedonia of “theft of Greek history and Greek culture. The Ambassador of Macedonia to Australia, Peter Stogianovski, said he would [not] seek an explanation but an apology. “It will depend on what Canberra tells us as to whether will vote in favour of the nomination of Australia for a seat in the UN Security Council,” said Mr Stogianovski. Mr Runn is however adamant. “I believe what I say and will not apologize,” he said. A day earlier Mr. Runn said: “I will speak about the Greek origin of Macedonia and nobody is going to stop me because it’s something I believe.” Mr. Runn, has for years, supported the Greek position on Macedonia and Cyprus in every possible way, causing anger to residents of Australia from Turkey and Macedonia. He recently accused the president of FYROM as “instigator of problems in the most dangerous way."
IV. YNET - Israel not planning war with Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday his country is not planning a war with Iran and that Tehran's concerns over such a conflict are the result of the threat of additional international sanctions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday he believes Israel or its allies are considering a military strike against his country, which has thus far failed to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful. "We are not planning any wars," Netanyahu said, speaking in Moscow after meetings urging Russian officials to approve tougher sanctions against Iran.Israel has been at the forefront of calling for crippling sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear program. Israel, like the US and much of the international community, believes Iran's program is aimed at developing a nuclear bomb, which Iran denies. While Israel says it hopes diplomacy will resolve the nuclear standoff, it has not ruled out military action and Iran has frequently mentioned it could suffer a military strike from Israel or its allies. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Netanyahu denied this, saying the international community was getting closer in agreement over slapping tough sanctions on Iran, which was making the Islamic regime nervous. In Tehran, Ahmadinejad said Israel is "seeking to start a war next spring or summer, although their decision is not final yet," without saying where he got that information. Netanyahu dismissed that talk as "manipulations."
V. RIANOVOSTI - Russia, Abkhazia sign deal to build Russian base
Russia and Abkhazia signed a deal on Wednesday to establish a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic. The deal was signed during Kremlin talks between Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh, who arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The base is designed "to protect Abkhazia's sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups," the document said. The agreement was signed for a term of 49 years with a possible extension. Russia recognized the republic on the Black Sea in August 2008 after a five-day war to repel an assault by U.S. ally Georgia on another breakaway region, South Ossetia. Georgia fiercely criticized the plans for the base in Abkhazia which it considers part of its territory. Russia's military buildup in the region since the armed conflict has also been condemned by the West.
VI. INTERFAX - Patriarch Kirill hopes Russia and Greece to jointly protect Orthodox values from modern day threats
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia pointed out to the importance of Russia-Greece spiritual dialogue and their joint protection of Orthodox basis of their cultures. “In the epoch of globalization all of us should bother to preserve values and characteristic features of this (Orthodox – IF) civilization. It suggests strengthening cooperation among Orthodox countries,” Patriarch Kirill said at his meeting with Greek Prime Minister Jorgos Papandreou in patriarchal residence in the Chisty Lane in Moscow. He noted that even in the Soviet Union, where “authorities were very far from the Church,” “Orthodox factor” played a very important role in interstate relations as the Orthodox Church both in Greece and Russia defined “system of people’s values, cultural profile of our nations.” According to the Patriarch, the Russian Church “approves” of the recent Greek authorities’ refusal to remove icons from courtrooms and cancel oath on the Gospels. The Patriarch recalled the Strasbourg Court decision to ban crucifix in Italian schools and expressed his concerns with the fact that many European countries ruled out Christian values from social sphere.
Priest Antonio Perdomo, rector of Saint George the Great Martyr Church, Pharr, TX, arrived in Haiti on the first weekend of February to consult with Orthodox Christian communities and ecumenical partners with regard to ongoing assistance and short and long term needs of those who survived the January 12 earthquake there. Father Antonio was accompanied by Mark Ohanian, senior program coordinator for International Orthodox Christian Charities. He will work with the IOCC team to support of the efforts of Orthodox partners in Haiti, where there are an estimated 3,000 Orthodox Christians. IOCC is currently providing food and hygiene items to 350 Orthodox faithful in six parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia [ROCOR] in Haiti with the support of a $10,000 grant from the ROCOR "Fund for Assistance." Born in the Dominican Republic, Father Antonio is a native Spanish speaker and a member of IOCC's Frontline, a volunteer network of highly trained, credentialed and experienced emergency response personnel. Mr. Ohanian, the team leader who managed recovery and reconstruction projects for IOCC in Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a disaster response veteran who grew up in Lebanon during the war and speaks French. Nearly $1.7 million in assistance has been provided by IOCC in the month since the earthquake ravaged much of Haiti's capital and environs. Medicines, medical equipment, water purification and sanitation equipment, tents, hygiene kits, shelter materials, fuel, food, blankets, jerry cans for water and mattresses have been shipped and distributed throughout Haiti in cooperation with ACT Alliance members and Orthodox Christian and other partners. IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA] and a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy. To help the victims of disasters around the world, including those in Haiti, log on to www.iocc.org.