Serb money laundering serious in Macedonia - Norway Ambassador says

by Sasha Uzunov

Serbian money laundering and its impact upon Macedonia is of serious concern, Norway’s Ambassador to Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia has alleged.

Ambassador Mr Arne Sannes Bjørnstad has also further alleged that Serb money laundering has permitted groups to finance opposition to the controversial name deal between Greece and Macedonia, which would remove a Greek veto over Macedonia joining both the EU and NATO.

He was asked by Team Uzunov blog the following question:

"The US State Department regards Serbian money laundering as a very serious problem both globally and locally in Eastern Europe and the Balkans including Macedonia. Some Macedonians refuse to accept this problem and dismiss it as "propaganda." What can Norway do in terms of educating Macedonians about this danger to their economy and social well being, and which would wipe away any financial gains offered by EU membership? (In other words even if Macedonia were to join the EU, extensive Serb corruption and money laundering would negate EU economic assistance)>'

The Ambassador’s response: 

"Insufficient financial transparency is a challenge in most Balkan countries. This facilitates money laundering as well as other financial crimes. It also makes it easier for external powers to gain influence by non-transparent funding of political groups or activities, covert funding of opposition to the agreement between Macedonia and Greece on the name issue in order to prevent Macedonia joining NATO and the EU being an example.”  

Ms Solza Grceva, one of the Macedonian leaders opposed to the deal, has dismissed such claims of foreign funding of name deal opponents as being the work of the country’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in his bid to tarnish all those who are against a scheduled referendum on the name deal. Ms Grceva is a former Macedonian Member of Parliament who belonged to Mr Zaev’s Social Democrats Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and is now a leading academic.

She wrote on social media - ridiculing the claim of “Russian interference” in Macedonia and pointed out that the Macedonian people were opposed to losing their name and identity:

"Грција протерала двајца руски дипломати и забранила влез на уште двајца, кои наводно се мешале во договорот со Македонија.

На тоа Заев дал изјава во Брисел дека нашите протести за името, пази он знаел, дека се организирани од Русија.

“Zoran Zaev, the Macedonian prime minister, speaking at the Nato summit in Brussels, indicated he knew Russia was behind some of the protests outside his own parliament, but he said his country was not going to seek conflict"- The Guardian

Човеков не знае дека каменот му доаѓа од блиску. Од народов кој не може да смисли промена на име и идентитет! Не, он знае. Само лупа тоа што овие сакаат да го чујат.

Be that as it may, what remains certain is Serbian money laundering as well as the Kosovar Albanian narco mafia pose a serious problem to Macedonia’s economic stability, regardless if it joins the EU or not.

A TEAM UZUNOV blog investigation has revealed the extensive involvement of the United States via USAID in shaping Macedonia’s domestic and foreign policies. see link here

BAFFLING - what has remained puzzling is the staunchest supporters of the name deal with Greece, EU and NATO membership for Macedonia have steadfastly refused to protest against Serb money laundering in Macedonia, which is alleged to be the conduit of “foreign funding” namely Russian money - to finance protests in Macedonia against NATO membership.

Not one protest has been held outside the Serb Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia. It throws into doubt the whole claim of “foreign meddling.” Instead no explanation is given as to why there are no protests - only evasion and nasty insults.

Serbia has indicated that it will not be joining NATO. It remains inexplicable why Macedonian activists who support NATO membership for Macedonia are reluctant to protest against Serbian money laundering...

Recently, Mr Aleksej Demjanski, a US based Macedonian “anti corruption” campaigner dismissed attempts by TEAM UZUNOV blog to scrutinise Serb money laundering in Macedonia as “propaganda.”

Ms Ivana Jordanovska who has pushed long and hard for Macedonia to join both NATO and the EU, called for EU sanctions to be placed against Macedonia’s President George Ivanov but refused to call for sanctions to be placed against Serbia’s President Alexander Vucic, who has been alleged by that country’s ex Foreign Minister Vuk “the Wolfman” Jeremic” as being heavily involved in money laundering in Macedonia with former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Another anti corruption campaigner in Macedonia, Pavle Bogoevski, a Serb and the face of the Colour Revolution, also revealed that he too doesn’t protest against the shenanigans of Vucic.

see link here

NORWAY AMBASSADOR TO INVESTIGATE ALBANIAN NAZI STATUES

Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, 

Mr Arne Sannes Bjørnstad photo credit: Diplomacy and Commerce- link here

by Sasha Uzunov

Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, Mr Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, says he was unaware of World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues installed in Macedonia by leading Albanian politicians and will further investigate.

“I will try to give short answers to your questions, but let me also thank you for bringing to my attention the statues mentioned,” said. “To answer your questions: I was not aware of this, and will in due course take this up with relevant political leaders.”

Team Uzunov blog questions:

1. Ambassador, Norway was a victim of brutal Nazi occupation during WWII are you aware about the building of Albanian Nazi statues in Macedonia by Albanian politicians?

2. What measure can Norway take to convince Albanian politicians in Macedonia that Nazi statues are an insulting gesture to Macedonians, Jews and even anti fascist Albanians?

Over the past decade leading Albanian politicians in Macedonia, including Ali Ahmeti, a terrorist turned politician, have built controversial statues to World War II Albanian Nazi collaborators such as Xhem Hasa also known as Xhem Gostivar.

In comparison Nazi statues are banned in Germany.

Hasa was the leader of a Nazi quisling militia known as the Balli Kombetar which terrorised ethnic Macedonians in western Macedonia in the pursuit of a racially pure Greater Albania, which backed by Fascist Italy and later by Nazi Germany.

Ahmeti started a war in Macedonia in 2001 - invoking the fascist ideology of the Balli Kombetar.


Thas there been silence from successive Macedonian governments, as well as various US Ambassadors, EU mandarins over the rise of extremist Albanian nationalist ideology in Macedonia which invokes the likes of Xhem Hasa.

The Balli Kombetar was set up by Fascist Italy and later taken over by Nazi Germany. The Balli Kombetar’s objective was a Greater Albania, involving the ethnic cleansing of Macedonians in western Macedonia. Albanians who opposed the Balli Kombetar also fell victim.

In 2006, a statue to Xhem Hasa was unveiled in his village of birth, Sminica, near the Macedonian town of Gostivar.

In 2015, with much fanfare and nationalist hysteria whipped up against the ‘evil Slavs” - the Macedonians, the ethnic Albanian Mayor of Gostivar Nevzat Bejat unveiled a statue of Aqif Krosi Recani, another WWII Balli Kombetar commander in Macedonia, in the village of Recan.

Both times there was silence from various activists. Would the building of a statue to Hermann Goering or Heinrich Himmler in modern day Germany be tolerated? First and foremost, most Germans wouldn’t even consider the idea to begin with.

The Albanian political bloc in Macedonia has largely supported these Balli Kombetar statues - which then raises question marks over whether its agenda for increased ‘Albanian rights’ in Macedonia is genuine or not? It’s unheard of genuine activists invoking fascists. Genuine activists would be citing Nelson Mandela or the Dalai Lama.

The Albanian Bloc in Macedonia is staunchly pro US and there is a reluctance to go against such allies, the Kosovo Liberation Army’s offshoot in Macedonia, the NLA, which started a war in 2001 in Macedonia.

The objective then was to take territory for a Greater Albania much like the Balli Kombetar during World War II. When the Macedonian security forces thwarted the plan, despite getting off on the back foot militarily, the Western media narrative, in support of the US, changed from grabbing territory to “human rights activism.” Albanian leaders such as Ali Ahmeti, Talat Xhaferi and so on went from being terrorists to “legitimate” political players - in the form of the political party DUI - in Macedonia, courtesy of a 2008 amnesty law introduced by the Macedonian government, no doubt strong armed by the US in the background. The interesting thing is a European Court of Human Rights ruling has laid down that war crimes cannot be “pardoned” or “amnestied” yet no Macedonian court is willing to launch an indictment of Ahmeti or any of the KLA leaders in Macedonia.

Anders Breivik

NORWAY AND MACEDONIA:

The alarming parallels between Norwegian neo Nazi extremist and mass murder Anders Breivik and Albanian extremist Ali Ahmeti.

Both are supporters of neo Nazi ideology and both have a history of mental illness and both have either killed or directed others to kill for their ideology. The exception being Ahmeti is not in prison but protected by the West. Breivik murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011. Ahmeti started a short lived war in Macedonia in 2001 resulting in over 250 deaths, many wounded, injured.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia was told: (- link here)

"from 1993 to 2002 Mr. Ahmeti received a 100 per cent invalidity allowance from the Swiss authorities because he suffered from a severe case of schizophrenia paranoia.”

Ali Ahmeti (centre) with US Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily (right).

ALI AHMETI ECHOING BALLI KOMBETAR FASCIST IDEOLOGY OF ETHNIC CLEANSING - in 2001 he started a war in Macedonia which lead to the deaths of many innocent people, police and soldiers.

- From the book, The Coming Balkan Caliphate by Chris Deliso: Ahmeti told a western journalist in March 2001, quote: “our aim is solely to remove [Macedonian] Slav forces from territory which is historically Albanian.”

One of Ahmeti’s commanders: “like all wars, ours was for territory- not because of some human rights problems.”

PRESPA AGREEMENT - underpinned by hypocrisy & racism

GUEST COLUMNIST Chris Popov writes for Team Uzunov blog

Supporters of the name deal write to The Guardian newspaper - see link here

Preface comment by Sasha Uzunov - TEAM UZUNOV blog editor

The "North Macedonia name deal" signed by Greece and Macedonia on 17 June - in reality formulated by the US despite the play acting - is an attempt to erase Macedonian identity off the face of the earth.

Putting aside the Kabuki theatre / pantomime in Athens, Greece loses nothing in the deal; in fact makes no concessions but Macedonia loses: the right to its own history, giving up its concern for ethnic Macedonians in Greece who are denied their rights ; and above all giving up its sovereignty by allowing Greece extraordinary powers to prosecute those who might be accused of "anti Hellenic" rhetoric, something unheard off.

What underpins the agreement is US foreign policy and geo strategic needs - that is to put the Balkans finally to bed under US hegemony. Macedonian identity poses a "problem" for Washington - especially to its NATO allies Greece, Bulgaria and Albania. Therefore the path of least resistance is to bully Macedonia.

To highlight the hypocrisy there is the deliberate silence of the US/EU/NATO of World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues built recently in Macedonia by "mainstream" ethnic Albanian politicians and former KLA terrorists from the 2001 war in Macedonia. In contrast, Germany - the birthplace of Nazism - has no Nazi statues. see link here 

WHITE FACE?

Add to this the latent racism of the West. As a cruel joke towards native ethnic Macedonians, the US has groomed a Serb chauvinist and a former Slobodan Milosevic sympathiser who pretends to be a Macedonian “anti nationalist,” the current Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska who cynically jumped on the EU bandwagon sometime ago. see link here

Back in the 1940s and even unto the 1960s you had white Hollywood actors playing Asians, African Americans and so on. Who could forget John Wayne playing Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan on the big screen...
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GUEST COLUMNIST reacts to a letter in The Guardian newspaper supporting the name deal: 

Dr Risto “Chris” Popov - retired Australian public servant with the federal immigration department and long time Australian-Macedonian human rights activist - see links here and here 

The characterisation by the signatories of those Macedonians who oppose this agreement as “hardliners and extremists” is not only highly offensive, but completely inaccurate and irrational. [see link here] What they are asking Macedonians, not only in the Republic of Macedonia, but in all parts of ethnographic Macedonia, to do is to relinquish their most basic human, political and cultural rights, including those to self-identification and self-determination; something that the signatories themselves would not even dream of suggesting to the peoples of the countries that they are citizens of.

The so-called Prespa Agreement ( in reality a dictate imposed by Greece, USA, NATO and the EU) explicitly obliterates Macedonia's name for all purposes, (remember that the name is our identity), transforms Macedonia’s name from an ethnic/national descriptor into a geographical one, attacks the idea that the Macedonian language is a distinct language in its own right by insisting that it be denoted as a "south Slavic" language in order to promote the myth that there is a "Greek-Macedonian" linguistic heritage and requires North Macedonia to recognise the "Hellenic" character of Aegean Macedonia, while Greece is under no such obligation to recognise Macedonian history, culture and heritage. It does not require Greece to encourage respect for anything Macedonian (or "North Macedonian") in terms of use of terminology, will lead to Macedonian historical textbooks being revised in accordance with Greek historical revisionism and to the Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia being explicitly renounced by "North Macedonia" via constitutional revision.

In addition, there will be pressure on non-state bodies and organisations (for example those promoting recognition of the rights of ethnic Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia, that 51% of ethnographic Macedonian annexed by Greece in 1912-13) to desist from using “irredentist" terminology (for example, defending the human rights of the large ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece),Greek names for Macedonian towns and cities and landmarks in Aegean Macedonia will have to be used officially- all the names of these towns and cities were changed after that part of Macedonia was annexed by Greece in 1913 along with the personal names and surnames of ethnic Macedonians who remained in Greece- and possibly by ordinary citizens of "North Macedonia" and the Kutlesh flag and all symbols associated with it will be banned in state institutions and their use by private individuals will be "discouraged".

The agreement foresees the development of a joint History commission whereby so-called differences regarding interpretations of historical events and educational materials will be discussed. What this means in reality is that Macedonian history books will be revised to reflect a Greek view of Macedonia’s history and given that Greece holds the whip hand in that EU/NATO entry for Macedonia depends on it meeting Greek demands, then it is clear that such text books will reflect a Greek point of view which does not recognise the existence of a distinct Macedonia nation, ethnic group , language or identity anywhere in our Balkan homeland, which includes not only the Republic of Macedonia, but those parts of ethnographic Macedonia now within the borders of Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo and Serbia. 

There are many more offensive and insulting Orwellian clauses which will severely restrict freedom of speech in the Republic of Macedonia by limiting discussion of topics deemed irredentist or offensive by Greece; namely, mentioning or talking about the existence of a Macedonian minority in Greece and their total lack of basic human rights. This is simply obliteration and the beginning of a process of cultural genocide of the Macedonian people. However, there are many hurdles to pass and until such time that it is ratified by both countries, the name remains Republic of Macedonia.

The quisling Zaev government which was installed by the West to change Macedonia's name and get it into NATO is facing strong internal resistance -demonstrations, civil disobedience - and the sooner it falls the better. And remember this very important maxim; a country which does not respect itself by surrendering its most valuable and fundamental human rights can hardly expect to have its social and political rights respected by others. So if one is making a morally and politically unjustifiable deal –i.e. trading away one’s rights to a name and the identity and cultural issues which flow from that for the illusory economic and other so-called benefits of EU/NATO membership- rest assured that not only is that “deal” totally unacceptable, but bound to end in even more economic hardship for the ordinary people of Macedonia, as opposed to its comprador and subservient ruling class. The only thing that will be achieved by such a Faustian pact is the rapid depopulation of Macedonia by even greater emigration in the unlikely event that it gains membership of the EU; that is if the EU is still in existence in 15 years which is how long it may take for Macedonia to be admitted.

This is why this shameful agreement must not be allowed to stand and any referendum, whether consultative or binding, boycotted en masse so that the message is sent loud and clear to the Zaev regime that the Macedonian people roundly reject and delegitimize any attempt to even consider any change of our historical, centuries-old and rightful name. A large majority of ethnic Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia oppose any such name change. I suggest that your readers read the text of the Agreement carefully to uncover the horror that awaits Macedonia should it be implemented. No self-respecting government would accept the dictates contained in this document.

Dr Risto Popov

SWITZERLAND WONT LOBBY ALBANIANS TO REMOVE NAZI STATUES

by Sasha Uzunov

Switzerland, which has a sizeable Albanian community from Macedonia and Kosovo, has ruled out lobbying ethnic Albanian politicians in Macedonia to remove controversial World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues but has thrown its support for a planned referendum on Macedonia changing its name in order to join NATO and the EU.

The Swiss Embassy in Macedonia would not be drawn to comment on the status of ethnic Macedonians in neighbouring Greece, Bulgaria and Albania and their lack of rights.

A statement was issued by the Swiss Embassy:

"Switzerland is one of the largest bilateral donors to Macedonia. Our long-standing support dates back to 1992, and focuses on three domains: democratic governance, employment and economic development, and infrastructure and environment. Our current portfolio does not include activities to address issues related to dealing with the past such as the one you mention. However Switzerland strongly believes in a culture of remembrance as a way to facilitate social reconciliation after conflicts, and regularly engages with the concerned countries on such issues in our bilateral exchanges.

"Switzerland is also known as the bedrock of direct democracy, reflecting the great importance that our political system places on the freedom of choice and self-determination. Our government is holding referendums on a wide range of issues on a regular basis to allow the Swiss electorate to express their opinion on decisions taken by the parliament. We can only commend the Macedonian government’s proposal and parliament’s decision to submit the question of the name change to popular vote through a referendum.”
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Over the past decade mainstream Albanian politicians in Macedonia have built statues to Xhem Hasa (aka Gostivari) and Aqif Krosi Recani, prominent leaders of the World War II Nazi quisling militia the Balli Kombetar. The Balli Kombetar was an active participant in ethnic cleansing of Macedonians in the west of the country and also collaborated in the Holocaust. - background story here 

Ali Ahmeti, an ethnic Albanian from Macedonia, spent a decade living and working in Switzerland and was reputedly on a state disability pension when he launched a Kosovo Liberation Army invasion of Macedonia in 2001, which according to the Guardian newspaper was backed by the United States. see link here

Ahmeti was transformed from being a terrorist to a mainstream politician, in fact kingmaker, in Macedonia, setting the BDI (DUI) political party. He has backed the building of the Albanian Nazi statues in Macedonia.

The Swiss Embassy would not comment if Mr Ahmeti still draws a Swiss pension.


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Media questions put to the Swiss Embassy in Macedonia:

Mr Stéphane Tomagian
Deputy head of mission at the Swiss Embassy, Macedonia

Dear Sir

I wanted to bring to your attention an issue of grave concerns to Macedonians. You may or may not be aware but in the Republic of Macedonia over the last decade or so a number of statues to World War II Albanian Nazi collaborators have been built by mainstream ethnic Albanian political parties.

The Germany Deputy Ambassador to Macedonia Herr Marco Acquaticci has responded and indicated that he would look into the matter.

see link here.

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

The Australian Ambassador to Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, Mrs Julia Feeney has also expressed concern over these statues. see link here

‪http://teamuzunovmedia.blogspot.com/2018/03/albanian-nazi-statues-australia.html‬

Questions:

1. Switzerland has remained silent over the building of Albanian Nazi statues in Macedonia. Why is that?

2. What measure will Switzerland take to convince Albanian politicians in Macedonia that Nazi statues is a grossl and insulting gesture to humanity?

3. Does Albanian politican Ali Ahmeti still receive a Swiss pension?

Other questions

4. Successive Switzerland governments have done little or nothing about the basic human rights of ethnic Macedonians in Greece, Bulgaria and Albania. Why is that?

5. The Republic of Macedonia being forced to change its name will lead to the loss of Macedonian identity. Isn't this at odds with Switzerland's' long standing support for national self determination and identity?