ALBANIAN NAZI STATUES - message passed to Berlin via Canberra?

by Sasha Uzunov

Germany’s Ambassador to Australia Dr Anna Prinz has given an undertaking to pass on grave concerns to Berlin from the Australian Macedonian community over controversial World War II Albanian Nazi statues installed over the last decade in Macedonia by that country’s mainstream ethnic Albanian political parties.

An official statement from Ms Silke Mahler, Germany Embassy spokeswoman:

“On behalf of the Ambassador I would like to thank you for your email. We have passed that on to our colleagues responsible for these issues."

TEAM UZUNOV blog began an investigation into these statues - including one of Xhem Hasa (below), an Albanian nationalist who was a commander of a Nazi quisling militia, known as the Balli Kombetar, in Macedonia during World War II. The Balli Kombetar was a disparate group which included some who actively participated in the Holocaust.

According to British academic, author and Oxford University Professor, James Pettifer, Xhem Hasa (also known under the nom de guerre of Gostivari) was Fascist Italy and later Nazi Germany’s main ally in western Macedonia during World War II.

TEAM UZUNOV blog contacted Ambassador Prinz after the German Deputy Ambassador in Macedonia had acknowledged the existence of these statues in Macedonia - in particular the Gostivar region in the west of the country - and gave a bland undertaking to take action:

“Let me assure you that Germany intensively faces up to its past and particularly the history of National Socialism [Nazism].

“Germany therefore supports several initiatives and promotes a wide-ranging dialogue related to these issues, also in the countries of the Western Balkans.

We will continue to foster this important culture of remembrance in the future.”  - see link here

Nothing concrete as such as happened in Macedonia. Instead there has been a deliberate silence.

TABOO SUBJECT? Political expediency?

The issue remains taboo for the simple fact of political expediency. The Albanian political bloc in Macedonia, which is responsible for these statues, is a staunch ally of the West, namely the US, and discussing these statues does not present a positive image of both Washington and its Albanian allies. The most obvious question is how can people purporting to be campaigning for “human rights” and “Euro-Atlantic values” in Macedonia evoke Nazi collaborators as heroes and build statues to them? Moreover, the Albanian political bloc supports Macedonia changing its name because of Greek nationalist demands. Greece itself has issues with rising neo Nazism, namely the extremist group Golden Dawn. Likewise, Ataka in Bulgaria.

It is an interesting juxtaposition but there are no Nazi statues in Germany, which was the birthplace of Nazism.

US Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr Jess Baily 

The US Ambassadors to Macedonia and Kosovo respectively have declined to comment or even acknowledge the existence of these Albanian Nazi statues. see link here

Australia’s Ambassador to Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, Mrs Julia Feeney has expressed her concerns over these statues as well as the drift in Europe to extremism. - see link here

Macedonia’s Embassy in Australia was contacted for a response over Australian Macedonian concerns over the Albanian Nazi statues but as yet no statement has been forthcoming. - see link here

Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dr Bujar Osmani (above left in photo), from one of the Albanian nationalist parties responsible for erecting the Nazi statues, has also not responded. see link here

France’s Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr Christian Thimonier (photo on the left) issued a statement where he did not want to comment just yet. That was nearly two months ago ! - see link here

MACEDONIAN EMBASSY KICKS QUESTIONS UPSTAIRS

Ms Greta Stanoevska, Charge d’affaires, Macedonian Embassy in Canberra, Australia. Photo source SBS radio - see link

Team Uzunov blog got in contact with the Macedonian Embassy, in particular Ms Greta Stanoevska, the Charge d’Affaires, the temporary Ambassador, with a series of questions about events in Macedonia. An email was sent to her on 4 June 2018 - three days before she gave an interview for Australian state broadcaster SBS radio.

She has declined to comment on the questions in detail other than giving an undertaking that they have been forwarded - kicked upstairs - to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Skopje, capital of Macedonia, for an official response.

TEAM UZUNOV blog has had difficulty in the past with both the previous Gruevski and now Zaev governments of Macedonia in getting responses to questions.
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Ms Stanoevska: “For me these are hypothetical questions. From my point of view- non politically-- may not be correct [the questions posed].”

Team Uzunov blog response: “There are Albanian Nazi statues in Macedonia, that’s not hypothetical. There’s a statue of Xhem Hasa [World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator] Nazi statue in Gostivar. It’s not a point of view, Xhem Hasa was a Nazi collaborator.

Ms Stanoevska: “You would like officially a [response] that’s understandable....”

Team Uzunov: “Yeah, there are no Nazi statues in Germany. It’s unusual to have Nazi statues in Europe....thank you for your time.”


- QUESTIONS TO MS STANOEVSKA, MACEDONIAN EMBASSY, AUSTRALIA 

Question 1. Are you aware that serious allegations have been raised with the office of Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Mr Peter Dutton, over concerns that Macedonia, in particular the Macedonian government has colluded with the Greek government , in “interfering’ in the local Macedonian community -which the vast majority are in opposition to the Macedonian government’s willingness to change the country’s name in order to satisfy Greek demands? see link here

Question 2. Are you aware that the Australian Ambassador to Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, Mrs Julia Feeney, has expressed alarm over World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues recently built in Macedonia by the Albanian political bloc? Doesn’t this harm Macedonia’s international image, considering Nazi statues are banned in Germany, by allowing Albanian neo fascism to remain unchecked ? see link here -

Question 3. The current Macedonian Prime Minister Mr Zoran Zaev has drawn very close to Bulgarian Prime Minister Book Borissov and his government. Are you aware that PM Borissov’s government is a coalition government which includes extremist Bulgarian Neo nazi party Ataka? Is it appropriate for Macedonian leaders to be associating with Bulgarian extremists?

Question 4. Is it appropriate for Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Mr Nikola Dimitrov to be associating with Serbian cultural hegemonist and media commentator Borjan Jovanovski, who attacks Macedonian identity and also has vandalised a portrait of Macedonia’s President Mr George Ivanov but paradoxically refuses to protest against Serb President Alexander Vucic and against Serb nationalism and corruption links in Macedonia? Doesn’t this send the wrong message to the Macedonian community in Australia? see links here and here

Question 5. Can you confirm the following for me - is Macedonia’s Interior Minister Mr Oliver Spasosvski of Serbian background? (is his mother a Serb from the Macedonian town of Kumanovo?)

FRENCH AMBASSADOR SAYS “NON” COMMENT FOR NOW

by Sasha Uzunov

Every year France commemorates the Victory in Europe Day (May 8), the defeat of Nazi Germany, and the D-Day landings at Normandy, June 6, but the country’s Ambassador to Macedonia, Monsieur Christian Thimonier has declined to condemn let alone comment on World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues in Macedonia that have been built in recent times by the Albanian political bloc, a key western ally.

One of the WWII Albanian Nazi statues in Macedonia. The figure is Xhem Hasa, a leader of the quisling militia, the Balli Kombetar. see links here and here 

The Ambassador also declined to comment on other issues such as name change of Macedonia - at the behest of Greece - the concerning behaviour of Macedonia’s Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska, the poor treatment of ethnic Macedonians in Greece and Bulgaria, bilingualism - elevating Albanian into the second official language of Macedonia, and security issues. The questions are published below in full: 

BAD TIMING?

The questions were put to the Mr Thimonier over 6 weeks ago and a response was delivered on April 25, from a media spokesman, Mr Vlado Ralpovski:

"We would like to inform you that we have taken due note of your questions, however we cannot answer them for now. We will get back to you at a more appropriate time. Thank you for your understanding.”

On June 3, France decorated Macedonia’s Defence Minister Sekerinska, of Serb background but firmly pro West, with a high state award, Commandeur de l’Ordre National du mérite (Commander of the National Order of Merit)- disregarding concerns over her chauvinistic behaviour towards native ethnic Macedonians. Photo below: Ambassador Thimonier on the right looks on.

In 2016 Sekerinska was pictured throwing a paintball at a Macedonian statue during the Colour Revolution. - see link here about the Colour Revolution and Canvas. She supports changing Macedonia’s name and identity in order to unfreeze Greek blocking of Macedonia’s application to join NATO and the European Union. However, she has never protested against Serbian nationalism outside the Serb Embassy in Macedonia, including the infamous 1999 attack on the US Embassy in downtown Skopje, the Macedonian capital, by extremists linked to the then Milosevic regime of Serbia. This inconsistent behaviour has angered ethnic Macedonians, who say they are being deliberately targeted under the pretext of “anti nationalism” to satisfy Greek interests.

QUESTIONS TO AMBASSADOR THIMONIER:

Preface:

Ambassador Thimonier, I wanted to draw your attention to matters in Macedonia. A number of prominent Serbs in Macedonia - journalist & “human rights activist” Borjan Jovanovski, Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska, Skopje city suburban Mayor Sasa Bogdanovic, Colour Revolutionary Pavle Bogoevski, and a host of others have attacked native ethnic Macedonian identity as well as Macedonian statues but have paradoxically never protested against Serb nationalism or “interference” in Macedonia.

This has raised concerns amongst Macedonians of deliberate chauvinism, favouritism by the above named individuals who are alleged to be hiding their true motives behind “anti nationalism.”

Mr Jovanovski stubbornly and angrily refuses to protest outside the Serb embassy in Skopje, Macedonia.

link: http://teamuzunovmedia.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/macedonia-serb-spy-saga-is-there-more.html?m=1

Mr Bogoevski, has admitted, that he too, doesn’t protest against Serb nationalism.

ink: http://reporter.mk/nashi-faci/bogoevski-do-dachik-daj-mi-eden-dokaz-de/

Mr Bogdanovic has invoked Serb nationalist icon Gavrilo Princip and has began to demolish Macedonian monuments in Skopje, the capital.

QUESTIONS:

Question 1: Ambassador, will you monitor closely events in Macedonia and give an assurance to native ethnic Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia that they will be given equal treatment?

Question 2: Are you concerned with the rise of neo Albanian fascism and extremism in Macedonia? Albanian politicians have over the past decade or so built a number of controversial statues to Albanian World War II Nazi collaborators in Macedonia. The issue has been brought to the attention of the German Deputy Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr Marco Acquatacci, who has given a statement. However, the US remains silent on the issue.

link: http://teamuzunovmedia.blogspot.com.au/2017/12/germany-responds-to-albanian-nazi.html?m=1

Question 3: Is it fair for Greece and Bulgaria to blackmail Macedonia to give up its identity as a "trade off" to join the European Union? Is it too big a price?

Question 4: The EU has largely not pressured Greece or Bulgaria to give basic human rights to ethnic Macedonians in those EU member states but has pressured Macedonia over ethnic Albanian rights which in reality surpass local Balkan and international standards. What are your thoughts on this blatant contradiction?

Question 5: In 2008 the US Embassy in Macedonia warned about introducing formal bi-lingualism in the country implying it would lead to the disintegration of Macedonia. France has a large Arab minority but French still remains the sole official language of France. What are your thoughts on the issue of bilingualism in Macedonia?

Question 6: does France assist the Macedonian police and military with any kind of training? For example counter-terrorism?

UK AMBASSADOR READIES FOR OWN “MAKEXIT”

Caption: Tea for three - Her Majesty’s British Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr Charles Garrett (centre), preparing for his own Makexit after his posting finished soon. Pictured with him are prominent supporters of Macedonia’s “Colour Revolution” - leading Serb media pundit Borjan Jovanovski on the right of photo and Vlatko Vasilj on the left. Source: Twitter, November 2015. more on the Colour Revolution at this link

by Sasha Uzunov

The United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr Charles Garrett, is busy reading his own Makexit, that is finishing his term and leaving Macedonia, that he has been unable to respond to questions about Macedonia put to him by TEAM UZUNOV blog.

Mr Garrett leaves behind a country on the threshold of changing its identity and an uncertain future, as controversial name negotiations with Greece reach their epilogue. Greece has opposed the use of the name of Macedonia, since the country declared its independence from then Yugoslavia in 1991. It has blocked EU and NATO membership unless Macedonia changes its name - in essence blackmail, extortion.

Ms Biljana Radeva, a spokeswoman for Ambassador Garrett, issued this statement:

“I would like to inform you that unfortunately due to the absence from Post of the ambassador in the past weeks and his busy agenda ahead of his departure, we will not be able to provide answers to your questions for the interview.”

SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: questions that were put to UK Ambassador Garrett

Question 1: What do you make of the fact that no pro US / pro NATO rallies have been held in Macedonia? Nor any protests outside the Russian Embassy?

Question 2: in over 20 odd years not one protest has ever been held outside the Serb Embassy in Macedonia -over Serbian nationalism ie the 1999 US Embassy attack in Macedonia by Serb extremists and links to recent local corruption - by Macedonian and Serb “civic” activists in Macedonia [ie Colour Revolution]. Yet many of these people are staunchly pro US and Pro NATO - but hold the exact same chauvinistic views towards native ethnic Macedonians held by some Serb nationalists in Belgrade who hate the US, NATO and the EU.

What do you make of this contradiction, paradox? Does it not undermine public support for NATO in Macedonia?  Even the US Embassy in Macedonia has not denied the Serb chauvinism of some of its supporters. See link here: 

Question 3: Serbia is the former colonial ruling power in Macedonia - from 1912 to 1941 - is it not culturally insensitive for people of Serb background in Macedonia to attack Macedonian statues? [An analogy would be say white South Africans attacking native Black African statues]

Question 4: Are you concerned with the rise of neo Albanian fascism and extremism in Macedonia? Albanian politicians have over the past decade or so built a number of controversial statues to Albanian World War II Nazi collaborators in Macedonia. The issue has been brought to the attention of the German Deputy Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr Marco Acquatacci, who has given a statement. However, the US remains silent on the issue. link: 

Question 5: Is it fair for Greece and Bulgaria to blackmail Macedonia to give up its identity as a "trade off" to join the European Union? Is it too big a price?

Question 6: The EU has largely not pressured Greece or Bulgaria to give basic human rights to ethnic Macedonians in those EU member states but has pressured Macedonia over ethnic Albanian rights which in reality surpass local Balkan and international standards. What are your thoughts on this blatant contradiction?

Question 7: In 2008 the US Embassy in Macedonia warned about introducing formal bi-bilingualism in the country implying it would lead to the disintegration of Macedonia. What are your thoughts on the issue of bilingualism in Macedonia?

Question 8: The United Kingdom is leaving the EU, is it not a contradiction for the UK to be pressuring Macedonia to change its name in order to get into the EU?

Question 9: Australia is a close ally of the US and UK but is not a member of NATO. Couldn't Macedonia have a comprehensive military treaty or pact with the US which would keep it within the western alliance but without having to give up its identity to join NATO? A kind of win-win compromise for all concerned...

Question 10: another option is for Macedonia to apply to join the (British) Commonwealth like say Rwanda, a former French/Belgian colony, in order to come under the Western umbrella without surrendering its identity. Your thoughts about this idea?