The great expectations in Albania for the arrival of American President George W. Bush, in Tirana on June 10, has been rewarded. The reaction of political forces, the opinions of analysts, on the whole, the shadow of Kosovo.

The good news

On 24 April, the White House announced that President of the United States, George W. Bush was on a visit to Tirana on 10 June. Unanimous the reaction of political forces and Albanian media, which have defined the Great Coming “a historic event”: Bush is the first US president to have visited Albania, crowning a series of distinguished American visits that the end of communism in then .

The opening dances touched the Secretary of State James Baker, accepted in 1991 by a euphoric crowd assiepata up from the capital. Followed former presidents (Jimmy Carter and Bush the Father) and the Secretaries of State (Madleine Albright and Colin Powell), while sfumò the visit by Bill Clinton, scheduled for 1999 - a “package” which aroused sum disappointment.

The day after the Great announced, it appeared to Tirana former NATO chief Wesley Clark, this time as a counsellor in the Canadian economic “Bankers Petroleum Ltd..” Which took in granting the oil wells of Patos, in southern Italy. Clark met President of the Republic Alfred Moisiu, the President of the Council Sali Berisha and former premier Fatos Nano. On this occasion, Moisiu said that “the United States is the main ally of Albania and Albania will always stand by them”, while Bush’s visit “is a reconfirmation of wonderful relations between Albania and the United States, an event deeply symbolic: a superpower interest relations with a small country like ours, demonstrating the high value of American democracy, the source of inspiration of our time “.

“Vergin servant of praise…” the joy of Berisha

Even more sviolinante the Presidency Council, whose communiqué called on June 10 “a blessed day and long awaited by all Albanians. Berisha said he was grateful that “the United States has always protected the rights and freedoms of the Albanians” and, recalling the beginnings of national history, has denounced the “racist plans aimed to further fragmentation of the Albanian state, thwarted by one of greatest American President Wilson.

Berisha Father thanked Bush for “having stopped Miloševi?, Saddam Balkans, in Kosovo in 1992,” ensuring that “the Albanian-Kosovar dream of an independent state is supported by the administration of George W. Bush “. We promise that “Albania and the Albanians will be alongside the United States in every circumstance”, the premier has finally described Bush’s visit as “an undeniable approval for the reforms implemented by the government, aimed at NATO integration and EU “.

The Cabinet government has even packed a television spot welcome the US president - images of meetings between American diplomats and Albanian politicians, with the grand finale message Berisha. The US Embassy has clarified however that Bush will be in Albania “for all Albanians” move that the press left interprets as “a bacchettata the Albanian leaders, who have tried to profit politically from the visit.

A symbolic date

According to the official ladder, Bush has landed in Tirana after attending G8 Heiligendamm, Germany, and his European tour has touched the Czech Republic, Poland, Rome and the Vatican, ending in the Balkans with Albania and Bulgaria. In the Land of the Eagles, as well as meet with the head of state and of government, Bush has called the prime ministers of Croatia and Macedonia within the framework of the summit “Adriatic 3. The United States have expressed support Atlantic accession of the three Balkan countries, plus Georgia and Ukraine - and Albania awaits with great anxiety the moment, scheduled for 2008.

This is the official reason for the stop in Tirana Bush, but analysts are Albanians there. Also because Bush has chosen to own land in Albania on June 10, a symbolic day in the local calendar: June 10, 1878 came the League of Prizren, the first Albanian nationalist movement; June 10, 1999, at the end of the NATO bombing on Ex - Yugoslavia, the resolution was drafted in 1244 of Serb troops began to withdraw from Kosovo, and June 10, 2003 Kosovar President Ibrahim Rugova spoke at the European Parliament in Brussels. Because Bush has chosen June 10, 2007 for the first visit by an American president in Albania?

The opinions of analysts and the shadow of Kosovo

From right to left, analysts have pointed out two factors that have motivated the Great Coming, in the first place the outcome of the issue of Kosovo, from all listed as an “imminent independence” that the Bush visit would verruta to endorse. Secondly, the “recognition of commitment in the fight against terrorism”, given the participation Albanian missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

All agree, therefore, that “the support to Kosovo is one of the real reasons for the visit and that” the fact that Bush is precisely Tirana and nowhere else expresses strong support for the Albanians, especially those of Kosovo, to be honest with Arben Vata, chief of TV “Top Channel”.

According to the director of TV “News Hour”, Alfred Peza, “Bush’s visit will help to correct 95 years of injustice, namely the division of Albanians and their territories”. And Mimoza Dervishi of the newspaper “Shqip” “finally Albania also has its weight in the question of Kosovo, whereas before we were powerless against half of our martyr.”

In mid-May, the Croatian TV HRT1 had even announced that Bush was also Priština, “to establish the recognition of Kosovo by the Americans”, denied news dall’USA Office of Priština.

The malicious ”

Some analysts point out that behind the visit of the US president could also hide another reason. Arian Çani notes from columns “Mapo” that “Bush wants to demonstrate to the whole world that a Muslim country like Albania can be a great friend of the USA“.

In the same opinion Erion Veliaj, head of the powerful NGO “Mjaft”: “Albania is a country very pro, but it is also a Muslim country and an event like this is taken on the US media, because today there are very few Islamic countries lovers of ‘America. Given the decline in popularity of Bush, this event could impress an audience tired of the war in Iraq. ”

This is the idea that seems to circulate in the left Albanian, especially in the Socialist Party (PS) leader reformed by Edi Rama, within which “Mjaft” are taking a weight visibly growing. The organization is close to the Institute for Open Society, a billionaire philanthropist George Soros-who, on the eve of the 2004 presidential USA, called the removal of Bush as “the key objective of his life” and gave 23 million dollars to Groups working to defeat it.

The lack of sympathy for Bush by the left Albanian can be summed up in a satirical gag strip “Fiks Fare”, “Top Channel”, where the conductor is the question: “But who invited Bush in Albania? I do not know that here, those who come without invitation, the table is empty? “.

Large decorations and maximum security

Immediately upon receipt of the tidings, Berisha has actively devoted to the work of the house, the restructuring of the Council Presidency to the villa where Bush had lunch with Berisha, with Macedonian premier Nikola Gruevski and the Croatian Ivo Sanader. The costs are top-secret, but it is estimated that five times when Bush was in Albania cost the country around one million euros. The working group premier has assigned the highest importance to decorations: Tirana and across the street from the Presidency of the Republic has been welcomed by a flurry of Albanian and American flags and myriad billboards declamanti: “Welcome President Bush!” .

Mobilitate 15,000 units armed Albanians, the President was escorted by more than 500 American military, which the Albanian Parliament has allowed to use force if necessary - the Ministry of Defence has admitted that it could not guarantee the security of the host. The left has accused Berisha of “having sold the State” and “lying when he said that the country is safe.”

Unfortunately, in mid-May 10 grams of dynamite were exploded in a bar next at the U.S. Embassy, causing hurt, but the month ended with the discovery of rudimentary devices near the Embassy and the US Presidency of the Republic, two faculty university. And while the Albanian secret service mark narrow foundations of Islamic charities, the Muslim Community has expressed its welcome to Bush. Unique voice openly opposed to the visit is the tiny Communist Party (PK), which intends to protest against “the worst terrorist of the world”. Instead, as analysts Arben Muka and Hamdi Jupe ensure that “there will be anti-American demonstrations as happens in countries with more advanced and more developed democracies.”

The Albania Bush: “a beautiful coast, a story interesting, Muslim people who live in peace”

And the direct question George W. Bush, what do you think of all this? In the given to the Albanian TV “Vizion Plus”, the President explained that he came in Albania “that the Albanians understand that America knows that exist and that are making difficult choices to cement a free society,” adding “be was impressed by the Albanian leadership, which shares the same values of the United States and believes in certain freedom. ”

Regarding NATO accession, Bush urged Albania to “work hard to meet the standards required by the Atlantic partners”, and reiterated the full support of the US plan to Ahtisaari on Kosovo, while establishing “difficult” talks with Putin. And finally, the question “what comes to mind when you hear the word Albania“, Bush replied: “a beautiful coast, a story interesting and Muslim people living in peace”.

“People Muslim who lives in peace” seems that the “evil” had understood everything.