Greek plan for Reconstruction of Balkans starts in Albania
Anastas Angjeli Albanian Finance and Economy Minister and Yannis Zafeiropoulos vice minister of Greek National Economy did singe a governmental common protocol of cooperation recently in Tirana. "In the European developing and integration process, our country do consider Greece a strategic partner," said Angjeli after this official meeting.
According to the above common official protocol the two neighboring countries will cooperate in the mineral, energetic, telecommunication, agricultural, health, education, custom, tourism and other sectors, which means at all fields of today economical Albania!
"Greek Government as a result of economical policies applied in continuance has provided, for the first time and after 35 years, at its budget a considerable sum of Euros 500 millions for Balkan regional developing" declared, Yannis Zafeiropoulos vice minister of Greek National Economy, at a press conference maintained after the above mentioned ceremony in Tirana.
According to Zafeiropoulos with a "Plan for Reconstruction of Balkans", Greece intend to help Balkan countries for reconstruction and Albania - because of having concrete projects in difference with other respective countries - will be the start of this project profiting immediately Euro 50 millions for a period of five years!
According to different analysts this great program seems, at the best case, a virtual reality concerning only with propaganda. While, Greece with Euro 50 Millions wants to cover most of Albania's economical fields, the Stability Pact, donated by World Bank, European Bank for Reconstructions and Development, United States of America, Canada, Italy, Belgium and others (out of the total fund of 2.4 billion Euro) with Euro 350 millions have decided to cover only seven projects related specifically into bad maintained and damaged infrastructures of Albania!
"The Drachmas 20 billions Greek loan, signed and supposed to be given from Greek Government to Albania since 3 - 4 years ago, would be circulated in a faster way" declared Yannis Zafeiropoulos during the Common Albanian Greek Commission Session 8 maintained at the same visit of this Greek delegation headed by Vice minister of Greek National Economy in Tirana!
According to data published by Albanian Finance and Economy Ministry till of this Session 8 of AGC there are implemented of this above mentioned Greek Loan, as a grant only Drachmas 2 Billions for year 1998 Albania state budget support and, Drachmas 3 Billions for Albania State Bank balance; while of the Drachmas 5 billions loans dedicated to the development of small & medium enterprises, there are implemented only Drachmas 1,1 Billions.
More or less there are implemented in four years only 25% of the total loan. Nevertheless, Zafeiropoulos declared that Drachmas 500 Millions of the other Drachmas 5 Billions Greek loan signed respectively 4 years ago and dedicated to construction of inhabitation, of the persons who have lost their homes to last Pyramidal Financial Schemes bankruptcy, would start soon !
Not too mach later Bodo Hombach the Special Stability Pact Coordinator for Eastern Europe during a visit made in Tirana stated that Albania's projects are being implemented as scheduled. Hombach, declaring that in the one-year period, the preparatory period had been brought to an end successfully, launched a quicker pace for stability pact projects too.
Sokol Nako the Albanian Minister of Transport acquainted to the Special Coordinator with the progress made so far in the projects under work at present in Albania. Translated in concrete ciphers this means that the Stability Pact Donors Conference has advanced promises for Albania in the framework of a "Quick Start" phase: 350 million Euros allocated to Albania or projects shared by Albania. These are limited to only seven projects for Albania or 20% of the total number of the projects approved by SP for the region equal with 10% of the total value of the stability pact projects.
In concrete words Albania's project on behalf of stability pact "Quick Start" scheduled to start there are Road projects: Lushnje- Fier (Euro 15 Millions), Fier- Vlorė (Euro 23 Millions), Tepelene - Gjirokastra (Euro 26 Millions), Elbasan- Librazhd (Euro 16.1 Millions), Durrės - Kukes or Albania - Kosovo axis (USD 14.46 Millions), Water Supply net (Euro 27 Millions) and Inter-Conn. Study (Euro 1 Millions) and others.
But in spite of the not yet fulfilled first Greek promised financial projects in favor of neighboring Albania, Greece, on behalf of the new Plan for Reconstruction of Balkans, by Yannis Zafeiropoulos vice minister of Greek National Economy launched the start of two other new agreements equal with a loan of Drachmas 1,5 Billions each, on Health and Education respective field!
Greek Economic expansion in Balkan
Balkan history, because of Anglo-Saxon regional preference and tradition, has always made a favorable exception with Greece! This mentioned geopolitical phenomenon has been dominative with the end of the first and second world wars, by which respectively, Greece won its independence and bigger territories (London Conference of Ambassadors 1912 - 1913, which left Albanian Ēamėria territories under Greece) and took part in western bloc countries (European Union & North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
With coming of new political and economical era in East Europe (1990 - 2000), as a result of such geopolitical and historical development, the recent respective Balkan regional fragile democracies, except Greek one, after long terrible decades of communism, beyond political challenges to face to, found also difficult and poor economy standing in their countries.
In the meanwhile, the historical well chanced Balkan's country, at the same time the poorest member of the European Union, Greece has appreciated this change of communist system to fragile democracies and profited from changing of centralized economical system to free economical ones in Balkan.
There are about USD 3,4 billions, equal to 60% of Greek investments dedicated for abroad, invested in the last 10 years in Balkan, according to the article Greek economical Expansion in Balkans written by Nikolaj Stajkov, Plamen Radkov, Teodora Vasileva e Viktorija Davidova and published on 5th December 2000 by Alternativna Informativna Mreza (Alternative Information Network).
Greece with speciphic laws, which have granted 60-70 of private projects dedicated in Balkans and headed by Greek investors who decided to invest the other 30-40% part of the projects in countries of the region, especially in meridian ones. Such policy followed in these last 10 years has brought about 3.500 Greek societies involved in the Balkan countries.
According to different representative of Greek Government, because of some significant number of the above-mentioned private societies, which there are registered as non-Greek ones in countries in question, these investments can be bigger! To the other hand such investments, towards about 50 millions of consummators of the region (included Bulgaria for geographic vicinities) of countries with GDP 10 time lower than Greece, achieve superior levels of investments implemented for the same period into Greece it self.
According to data published by Greek Industrial Federation these investments are concentrated in telecommunication, financial sector, groceries industry, metallurgic and construction materials and risk of such investments in these countries is reducing gradually.
The above-mentioned sectors there are part of so called key sectors and they are fundamentally important to Greece, which does not have other developed mechanic, electronic and chemistry industry. State enterprises head this Greek economical expansion, in effect: the well-known Greek Telecommunication State Enterprise (OTE) and its operator mobile Kosmote (USD 1 - 1,5 Billions) is at the highest involvement, private enterprise of telecommunication "Intrakom", Hellenic Petroleum", cementer "Titan Cement" and other like these.
According to press resources OTE intends to found an affiliated "OTE International", which will be occupied of telecommunication out of Greece. The OTE, beyond shareholder of the Serbian telecom & Romanian one, have demonstrated interests in privatization of operators of Albania and Macedonia telecom.
On May 2000 at its fourth anniversary, Albanian Mobile Communications (AMC) has the announced finalization of privatization proceedings for this strategic enterprise. Top bidders were the Greek company Cosmote with the Norwegian company Telenor International, which offered USD 85.6 million. AMC's services cover only 25 - 40 per cent of Albania's territory, but AMC cooperates with 60 foreign telecommunications companies and its clients can use their mobile phones in 39 countries
According to a report, released in March 2000 by American Centre for Strategic Studies, Albania and Macedonia do have ambivalent approach in front of Greece. According to the same report to one hand, these two countries well come the Greek diplomatic support and Greek investments in their own issues, but at to other hand, they do fear a Greek economical control by investments and Greek participation in the privatization process, as well a Greek political domination.
Such typical Balkan's fears (approach) stereotype of a typical regional inferiorism, anyhow unfounded (not rational) there are evident also in other east countries i.e. Polonium and Czech Republics in front of Germany, but Balkan history and recent situation to the other side do represents a tricky and serious competition between Greece and Turkey!
According to the above-mentioned article of AIM Greek economical Expansion in Balkans the Greek economy involving in Balkans do face a serious competition of Turkish one in Balkans. To the other hand this Greek Turkish economical competition in Balkan is leaded respectively by state's enterprises, as a result it normally brinks politics rivalry in center of two countries, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members in ever conflictual approach of interests.
Greek - Turkish economic and military rivalry
For Greece and Turkey the geo-strategic and economic importance of Balkans is vital as they have hosted major economic assistance and numerous state & private facilities, which at last provide the capability for a their strong presence in the region and, as well in Albania.
Albania is a country with 3,5 Millions of habitants and about 60-65 % there are of the Muslim religion, but to the other hand, Greece there is too much nearer than Turkey to Albania and these phenomenon's do make of this last country, in need of assistance, a very cooperator of both rival and NATO's allied members.
Greek and Turkish companies, private and state's ones, do compete every day in today economic and political Albania. (Also to the other Balkan's countries) The main competition there is concentrated to infrastructures tenders organized by Albanian Government: i.e.: Greek Sarantopoulos company and Turkish Be- Ha- Se company, which do cover most of the reconstructures of Albania's roads.
Very recently VadaphonePanahone International Holdings BV and Flintur Holdings BV (respectively with important Greek and Turkish shareholders: "Panafon SA"; "Turckell SA") did compete by the same cipher of money (USD 25 Millions) for buying the second Mobile Communication operator in Albania. At the second phase of bidder VPIH. BV offered USD 38.1Millions leaving behind "Rumeli Telekom Albania" of which 30% shareholder is the second mobile operator in Turkey "Telsim Mobile" with USD 32.525 Millions and, FH.BV with USD 25,350 Millions, but this is not all...
The traditional and increasing rivalry between the Greece and Turkey is, in effect, rapidly promoted by different interests both in Cyprus and in Balkans, make of this conflictual difference, between the two NATO's members, an unsinkable air-carrier at the countries in fragile equilibrium of the region.
"We do not need too much military preparation against the Albania's enemies," declared last month, with sarcasm for 45 years of Communist bunkerized Albania, Ilir Meta the young Albania's Prime Minister, during a visit in the reconstruction works, by Albanian military solders, on a road in south!
At the end of the last Albanian year 1997 crisis (financial pyramidal schemes bankruptcy) the NATO multinational forces left Albania, both Greek and Turkish countries by agreements with Albanian Socialist Government left in force speciphic military units in the Albania's different territories.
Fatos Nano then Albanian Socialist Government after two month of power signed in August 1997 a protocol of assistance and cooperation between Albania and Greece, by which been landed, for military assistance to Albania's Military Stand, a Greek Military Force in Tirana.
Not too much later, by respective Albanian and Turkish Defense Ministries there was signed another agreement, by which there was sanctioned that a Turkish Military Force, sponsored by Turkish Defense Ministry, would reconstruct the famous and strategic Albanian Military Base of "Pash Aliman" in Vlorė city.
According to article Shower of Billions For Armaments published by "Nova Makedonija", 17 October 1998 written by Trajko Mircevski, Greece Council for National Defense (KISEA) has approved a program of military armament, by which Greece would buy, for a period of 15 years, Drachmas 4.000 Billions (equal to about USD 17 Billions) different kind of vanguard of army.
"With the program of the new military system, our country will be totally covered by an antiair structure" has declared Jorgos Simitis the Greek Prime Minister in relation with this Greek military program, but Tzohazopoulos the Greek Defense Minister has added that with implementing of this program Greece will have a new strategic position in the region!
This program, called by different analysts the Greece century's purchasing, do include: USA missile Patriot (Drachmas 350 Billions), HOK Missile System (Drachmas 34 Billions) USA 45 Military Airplanes and 4 war navies (Drachmas 240 Billions), 21 TOP-M1 of 32 Missilistic system will be bought from Russia (Drachmas 140 Billions), 11 French Antiair systems designated for Navy and Aviation Forces (Drachmas 60 Billions) and some Canada's airplanes (Drachmas 135 Billions) and others
According to the same article Pangalos the Foreign minister has remembered His homologues of the respective seller countries that the big dealing has considered the position these countries do have in front of Greek Turkish relation.
Last year's developments are particularly significant as first they indicate a picture of the EU's and NATO's "new order" in the Balkans, but beyond this mostly subjective political data, there is only one objective and clear data: Greece and Turkey there are between the biggest purchasing powers of the armaments in the world!
PS: Drachmas 1 = about USD 269 - 270
