Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

Takeaways from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Western Balkans

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Rafaela Prifti/

Bypartisan legislation to enhance United States Policy toward the Western Balkans was reintroduced in Congress on May 18th ahead of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on the region. Here are a few takeaways from the day.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, and Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi renewed their bipartisan legislation with original co-sponsorship from Democratic Senators Cardin, Van Hollen of Maryland and Durbin of Illinois. The bill titled the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act aims to increase stability through economic development in the region by promoting initiatives on infrastructure, trade and anti-corruption, and by shoring up the commitment to the US partners in the region, legislators said.

The sponsors of the renewed legislation underlined the importance of the Balkan partnerships in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This bill will move us in the right direction and hold accountable those who threaten peace in the still volatile region of the Western Balkans,” said Senator Cardin.

In his remarks, Senator Durbin invoked the high cost of the war that ravaged the Balkans in the late 90s where the US-led alliance stepped in firmly to restore peace and be a factor of stability to this day. “As Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine continues, we must not forget the hard-won peace in the Balkans, which suffered terrible violence after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The United States and our allies contributed greatly to ending that horrific conflict, and this legislation reaffirms our commitment to seeing a stable future for the region—one squarely rooted in the West.”

Following the introduction of the bill, the Senate hearing on Western Balkans included the testimonies of Senior adviser at the US State Department, Derek Chollet and Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar.

At the hearing, the chairman Senator Bob Menendez presented the current situation in the region and the sharp contrast between Kosova – a democratic country, and Serbia – an authoritarian state backed by organized crime. Despite Kosova’s reaffirmed orientation towards the EU and US, the pressure is mounting on its representatives to accept the Association as per agreements, while Serbia continues to violate the agreed terms of the same meetings, such as opposing Kosova’s membership in the Council of Europe and encouraging the boycott of municipal elections by the Serbian minority.

Deputy Assistant Secretary and envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said that the major obstacle to enduring peace and prosperity in the Western Balkans is the fraught relationship between Kosovo and Serbia. In his testimony, Mr. Escobar briefly spoke of the February and March agreements focusing on two main sticking points, namely the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities and the Missing Persons.

“I see no guarantee that the Association of Serbian Municipalities will not become another Republika Srpska, which would make Kosova a dysfunctional state, like Bosnia. I asked the same question to Mr. Escobar a year ago and did not receive a satisfactory answer,” said Senator Menendez.

Mr. Escobar’s explanation that “the Association Agreement is an international obligation accepted by Kosova 10 years ago” fell flat and unconvincing given that Kosova’s Constitutional Court has declared it unconstitutional.

During the questioning Mr. Escobar was not responsive on how to square Serbia demands for the rights of its minority in Kosova in light of the heavy handed purging by Serbian authorities of ethnic Albanians in Presheva Valley.

Both officials emphasized the harmful Russian influence in Serbia and the importance of neutralizing it by bringing the country closer to the Euro-Atlantic community.

Mr. Escobar tried to make a point that the protracted and fruitless rounds of dialogue between Kosova and Serbia have played into Russia’s hand. “For far too long, failure to make progress has allowed Russia to play a spoiler role against Serbia’s strategic goal of European integration.”

Notably neither Mr. Escobar nor Counselor Derek Chollet mentioned the mutual recognition of Kosova and Serbia. Instead, in his testimony Mr. Chollet repeated some of the ‘commitments’ such as establishing the Association, protecting religious sites and the countries recognizing each other’s documents and national symbols.

Mr. Chollet and Mr. Escobar tried to “both-side” the blame for the lack of progress in the EU led talks. It was Senator Menendez who outlined the focus of the US policy on the issue. “Seeking a fair and lasting solution, not some temporary solution that favors one side. Our goal should be a final agreement based on mutual recognition, nothing else”, concluded Senator Menendez.

Both Mr. Escobar and Mr. Chollet spoke strongly in support of furthering the European integration of Albania and North Macedonia.

With regard to security and the dangers Albania saw in 2022 due to its collapse, Mr. Escobar said that the US is making a considerable investment towards protecting against cyber threats. “Iran’s devastating cyberattacks on Albania last year underscored that we must continue to assist allies and partners in the region to strengthen their security. The United States has committed approximately $50 million in cybersecurity assistance to Albania’s civilian and military sectors – one of our largest cyber support contributions to any individual country to date.”

It is worth-noting that the Albanian-American Civic League led by former Congressman Joe DioGuardi, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, Balkan expert and their supporters stay active in pressing the important issues that matter to Albanians.

Illyrian World – a book that tries to restore Ancient History. Is there still time?

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Rafaela Prifti/

Illyrian World – Architecture, Rituals, Gods and Religion is a new book by Professor Dr. Apollon Baçe (2022) recently being promoted in Tirana, Albania. The publication which is regarded as an important work on Proto-Illyrian and Illyrian periods of archaeology by one of the leading archaeologists of Albania is supported by Albania’s Academy of Sciences.

A career archaeologist – Prof. Apollon Baçe – has previously written extensively as an author and co-author on the subject including Albania’s history of archaeology as well as various scholarly studies on specific sites. He is an accomplished member of the Academy, who in addition to his outstanding education and training in the field, has been part of numerous expeditions in and around Albania. However, Prof. Baçe says that for this book, he took the risk of veering away from the academic application opting in favor of an approachable style for all readers. This is very important, in his view, especially when dealing with long-held beliefs grounded on questionable scientific data propagated by Serb and Greek pseudoscience.

In order to make archaeological facts available and accessible to many, Prof. Baçe has presented the Illyrian World in a digestive format and in the English language for a wider readership. He cites all the sources and academic arguments in the footnotes. Also the excerpts from the ancient texts and authors are included in the notes along with his own translations that are meant to “put the record straight” says Prof. Baçe. Part of the issue, he believes, in dealing with a false record of ancient archaeology, more specifically Epirus versus Illyria are mechanical translations that have passed down as truths over time instead of undergoing critical reviewing by scholars.

Driven by the desire of an archaeologist to separate findings from fiction, the author says that while “the interpretation of facts is mine, the facts are not”. Indeed the book argues that the term used to identify a whole period, namely the Hellenistic period (323-31 BC) is itself speculative. “The architecture of this blending was not a result of an evolutionary process but of a violent intrusion which cut all classical totems and taboos. Rigid classical structures were replaced with flexible structures and the coldness of the heroic was replaced with human warmth. All this created an atmosphere that Germans classify “Experimentierfreude”, [4] experimenting because of the curiosity and joy of the successful attempt. Hence, Hellenistic architecture is by no means the decadence of “ideals and dignity”, but the next gem of the architectural world heritage.”

At its core, the data revealed through explorations of ancient cities, layouts, fortifications, merchant routes, etc. presented and viewed through an interdisciplinary approach supports the position of Professor Baçe that the Illyrian society was, inherently and by comparison to the Greek or Roman civilizations, an advanced world.

Prof. Dr. Apollon Baçe’s book Illyrian World covers periods of ancient European history by presenting evidence in support of a vastly rich Illyrian heritage and in doing so draws a more outlined link between the present, past and future of Albanians.

Switzerland Lifts Visa Requirements for Kosova citizens

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Rafaela Prifti/

The Federal Council of Switzerland announced the lifting of the visa requirements for Kosova citizens. The move follows the decisions by the European Parliament and the European Council on the liberalization of visas for Kosovars.

Beginning on January 1, 2024, Kosovars do not need a visa for short-term stays in Switzerland, states the press release. The statement continues “Kosovo has met all the conditions for visas related to security, border controls and migration. For this reason, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have approved the regulation on April 19, 2023 that exempts Kosovars from the requirement to obtain a visa for a short stay of a maximum of 90 days.”

While a biometric passport is required for entry, Kosova citizens will no longer need a visa to go to Switzerland for a short term stay, as part of the EU Council passing regulation on Kosova on April 19.

The amendment to the Ordinance on Entry and Visa Issuance goes into effect on January 1, 2024. It clarifies that Kosova citizens that qualify for employment will have to meet certain requirements provided that “no equivalent workers can be found in the Swiss labor market or in the EU/EFTA countries.”

According to data published by Schengen Visa Info, it is estimated that around 200,000 Kosovars live in Switzerland representing one of the largest group of foreigners in the country at the present time.

Once the visa liberalization takes effect the Kosova passport will be positively affected in terms of a higher ranking in the Visa Guide Passport Index. Currently, Kosovar passport holders can travel without a visa to nine countries and with no passport to five, while a visa is required for entry to 152 countries, according to the agency.

It’s about Love for Albina and Familja Kelmendi at Eurovision 2023

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Rafaela Prifti/

The new singing family in Europe are the Kelmendis. Selected to represent Albania at Eurovision 2023, Albina & Familja Kelmendi performed the song Duje on stage after wining the public vote at Festivali i Këngës. The gifted vocalist Albina grew up in a house of professional musicians in Peja, where she was born. The love of music was passed down from her parents Albana and Bujar to the children Albin, Vesa, Sidorela and Albina. At 16, she reached the finals of “The Voice of Albania” in 2014 and has been winning in song contests across Europe. Albina has performed with her family in their own band. She has released her debut album “Nana loke” in April 2022.

Albina performed alongside her parents and siblings in the second semi-final on May 11 in Liverpool. The song written by Eriona Rushiti and composed by Enis Mullak, the duo that collaborated previously in the song “Ktheju tokës”, the Albanian entry for Eurovision 2019.

Albania made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2004. Anjeza Shahini’s “The Image of You” reached 4th place in the semifinals and landed in a respectable 7th place at the grand final. Since then Albania has reached the grand final nine times. In 2012 Rona Nishliu’s song “Suus” finished the contest in fifth place reaching the top 5 for the first time.

This year’s 37 entrants were narrowed down to the finalist field in Liverpool, the city hosting the event for Ukraine, which won the contest last year but is still fighting Russia’s invasion. Inside the arena the contest had gathered about 6,000 fans inside the arena and tens of thousands more at a Eurovision fan zone at Liverpool’s docks and at big-screen events across the U.K. The global television audience has been estimated at 160 million. Some of the favorites included Swedish singer Loreen, winner of 2012 Eurovision, Finland’s performer and other standout acts.

Eurovision’s famously complex system of jury and public votes determine the winner. The finale was shown Saturday on members of the European Broadcasting Union and on the Eurovision YouTube channel while in the United States, it was on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.

Founded in 1956, Eurovision is regarded as a European cultural institution.

Gjendja në Kufi, Kërkesat për Azili Politik pas Pandemisë

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Rafaela Prifti/

Shtetet e Bashkuara po vendosin kufizime të reja për të penguar hyrjen e padokumentuar të emigrantëve në vijën kufitare jugore duke krijuar një proces të ri të kërkesës për azil politik në formë elektronike. Gjatë vitete të pandemisë, duke nisur nga muaji mars 2020, u aktivizua ligji 42  (miratuar në vitin 1944) sipas të cilit kufizimet për hyrjen e emigrantëve bëhen në emër të mbrojtjes së shëndetit të popullsisë. 

Në mesnatë Ligji 42 u bë i paefektshëm. Dhoma e Përfaqësuesve miratoi kufizime të reja për azilantët. Përpara hyrjes në fuqi të tij, emigrantët që kalonin kufirin ilegalisht, kërkonin azil dhe lejoheshin të hynin nga Meksika në Shtetet e Bashkuara. Pasi futeshin në sistem dilnin dhe prisnin të kalonte çështja në procedurën e sistemit të emigracionit. Me hyrjen në fuqi të ligjit 42, emigrantëve ju mohohej e drejta e azilit. Sipas të dhënave të zyrtarëve, gjatë kësaj kohe, emigrantëve ju është refuzuar hyrja 2.8 milionë herë. Përjashtimi ishin fëmijët e pashoqëruar. Megjithatë për ata që arrinin ta kapërcenin kufirin nuk kishte pasoja. 

Administrata Biden provoi t’a shfuqizonte ligjin 42 por gjykata nuk e lejoi. Me heqjen e masave mbrojtëse të COVID-it në janar, u njoftua se edhe kufizimet në kufi do eliminohen. Për shumë vite Kongresi nuk ka miratuar asnjë lloj reforme të emigracionit. Administrata ka njoftuar se tashmë do të ketë pasoja për kalim të paligjshëm dhe se shkelësve përveçse do t’ju ndalohet hyrja për 5 vjet, mund të jenë edhe subjekt i procedurave gjyqësore. Gjithashtu administrata nuk konsideron rastet e azilantëve që nuk kanë kërkuar azil në vendet nga kanë kaluar ose nuk e kanë bërë kërkesën në formë elektronike që në fillim. 

Grupet për mbrotjen e të drejtave të emigrantëve i kanë kundërshtuar këto rregulla, të ngjashme me atë të administratës së mëparshme dhe të papranuara nga gjykata. 

Zyrtarët amerikanë njoftojnë se do pranojnë deri në 30,000 në muaj nga Venezuela, Nikaragua, Haiti dhe Kuba, në rast se plotësojnë kushtet e mëposhtme: kanë paraqitur kërkesën në formë elektronike, vijnë me aeroplan dhe kanë një sponsor. Përndryshe, rojet dhe nëpunësit e emigracionit do t’i kthejne në kufirin me Meksikën. Autoritetet deklarojnë se do pranojnë 100,000 në Shtetet e Bashkuara nga Guatemala, Hondurasi, Salvadori që kanë familjarë këtu dhe kanë mbushur formularin elektronik. Edhe emigrantëve nga vende të tjera ju kërkohet të plotësojnë formularin në aplikacion. 740 individë lejohen në aplikacion për ditë. Ky numër është rritur në 1,000 në ditë. Zyrtarët thanë se do hapin 100 qendra rajonale në vende si Kolumbia dhe Guatemala për të vlerësuar çdo kërkesë ku individët mund të kërkojnë vendbanim në vende të tjera si Kanada dhe Spanjë. 

Për familjet, rregullat parashikojnë që kryefamiljari të mbajë një mjet monitorues, të ketë orë policore 11 me 5 dhe emigracioni do të vendosë brenda 30 ditëve nëse familja mund të qëndrojë apo do kthehet mbrapsht. Ky proces aktualisht vazhdon me vite. 

Stacionet apo pikat kufitare nuk kanë kapacitete të mjaftueshme për dydje të mëdha. Si rezultat, rojet në disa pika ku ka shumicë me njerëz ose qëndrime shumë të gjata kanë liruar një pjesë të emigrantëve që janë grumbulluar në kufi. 

Burimi: njoftime zyrtare, AP news