Plot "Silver drachma" - A sick plan to get Greece out of the euro following the downfall of Karamanlis - MUST READ

The evidence that was presented by Supreme Court investigator against Corruption Dimitri Foukas can only be described as shocking and something that can only be found in spy movies. Foukas, who has been investigating the wire tapping case that occurred during Costas Karamanlis' rule as well as the assassination attempt against the former prime minister, in a clear and documented way, shows us how the US government worked to overthrow the Karamanlis government, as well as the dark and sinister role that close associates of George Papandreou played to materialize this plot (otherwise known as  "Pythia 1").

Aside from the major plot "Pythia1" which aimed to destabilise Greece politically, socially and especially financially, and just before wrapping up his investigation, the Supreme Court investigator suddenly stumbled upon yet another plot. According to what is presented in his inquiry, he apparently discovered that there was an organized effort from a group of unnamed people to remove Greece from the eurozone!

Before presenting the evidence, HellasFrappe wants to note that Foukas has been investigating the wiretapping case as well as the "Pythia1" plot, that concern preparatory acts of treason during Karamanlis' rule. Both cases, were merged into a grand investigation in 2013, and now that they have reached their completion will be submitted to the Supreme Council's Appeals Court where the judiciary will decide what further course of action to take. The investigation is featured in a multi-page document that shockingly also reveals a plan for a new national currency, or "silver drachma", in 2012, and which once again stars Alex Rondos, one of George Papandreou's closest associates. The case also links powerful personalities, secret service agents in Greece and in the US, (agents who suddenly disappeared), confidential reports and Wikileaks cables.

(If you wish to find out more about Alex Rondos then we propose that you click on one of the links below.)

Back to our story, the plot to remove Greece from the Eurozone was surprisingly discovered when Foukas was monitoring the telephone calls that were made by Alex Rondos -a man who had reportedly known about the plan to destabilise Greece as noted in previous reports on HellasFrappe-. During this period, the name of a Mexican businessman (silver mine owner) suddenly surfaced. According to what was noted, the name of Julio Salinas Price surfaced, a man who had once also acted as an economics advisor to the Mexican government.

Foukas' report claims that Rondos came into contact with Salinas Price in 2012 when Papadimos was in power, (just a little after George Papandreou resigned as premier). The purpose, according to the evidence, was to promote Greece's exit from the eurozone and then introduce a new national currency (that the military news site defencenet -which revealed the story- calls "silver drachma"). The plot, according to Foukas, foresaw the introduction of a new currency with an estimated value that would have been twice the annual GDP, capped at 20% of silver value, and which would have been supplied by Price.

With all this new information in hand, Foukas then began to investigate Price's visit (s) to Greece as well as the contacts the the Mexican businessman made in Athens. He even seized incriminating evidence on these visits after conducting a search at a private home from an unnamed source. The military news site defencenet claims that it knows the name of this individual but reserves the right to keep his/her identity confidential -for the time being- because the investigation is still ongoing. Nonetheless, it is reported that 70 billion Euros would have been issued towards the issuance of this new currency, to which consultancy fees and brokers' fees would have also been added.

The Supreme Court Investigator has already began criminal proceedings against all the unidentified individuals involved in this new sinister plot, and the possible actions that followed or proceeded this act and that aimed at lobbying and forcing the Greek government at the time to alter policies that concern Greek international affairs.

It should be clarified, that these actions also include the assassination attempt (s) against Costas Karamanlis as well. Those who have followed this story on HellasFrappe in previous posts know that Foukas' investigation discovered that the perpetrators behind this grand plan worked feverishly to end Greece's political and economic rapprochement with Russia in the areas of energy, and the supply of military equipment and procurement.

(Karamanlis who had made the first opening to Russia with the aim of making Greece and international energy hub, was not well-liked by the West because of these political choices. HellasFrappe has presented a plethora of articles that prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that George Papandreou's rise to power was well planned by the West so that all the agreements that were signed during Karamanlis' rule could be dissolved. If one examines Foukas' report they will discover that there is even a paragraph dedicated to the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline as well as the controversial South stream pipeline, These two references alone prove the motive behind the unjust downfall of Karamanlis.)

Foukas also featured Wikileaks cables and the testimony of key witnesses in his report proving that when Karamanlis and Vladimir Putin decided to move ahead with the pipeline projects, the US government made a decision to dissolve these agreements as soon as possible (and obviously get rid of the Karamanlis government).

The above information is corroborated by fact sheets from the Greek secret services (EYP) and testimony from an agent with the  codename "ΘΣ 13".

According to the judicial report -which we once again repeat was featured on the military web site defencenet on Friday- the US began to reveal its support for the TAP pipeline after 2009. This was confirmed in Victor Resti's testimony, who after meeting with the US president in May 2012, began to promote the US' position -which was in favor of the TAP pipeline- to the Greek leadership. The result was a gradual abandonment of the Russian pipeline projects that were signed by Karamanlis, and a commitment from the Greek side -or the then Papandreou government- to favor the TAP pipeline instead. At the same time, the purchase and supply of military equipment from Russia was also abandoned.

According to Foukas, on 26.03.2014 a former agent from EYP contacted his office requesting an extraordinary meeting. At the meeting, which took place the very same day, the Greek agent conveyed a message to Foukas that was passed on to him by a member of the US intelligence service demanding that the mega investigation -into Karamanlis' assassination and Greece's destabilisation- be stopped right away, because Greek-US relations were once again on track and the case was preventing their further development.

Foukas of course did not stop the investigation and continued on feverishly and as such also discovered this new plot.

In his inquiry he talks about the wire-tapping scandal revealing that specialized phones were used to monitor dozens of politicians, members of the government and dozens of others, including Costas Karamanlis. According to what he discovered, the wire-tapping occurred from August 2004 until March 2005 by an American agent with the code name William B. The phones that were used in this operation were apparently purchased in the area of Piraeus by William B's wife with the name Petros Markou. When one of the four phone lines were being investigated by Foukas, it was discovered that the telephone connection was activated by another device with subscriber information linked to the American Embassy. When the case was brought to light, William B suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from Greece.

The inquiry -supported by Wikileaks cables- also reveals that during Karamanlis' rule there were officials at the National Intelligence service that were leaking information -breaching state secrets- because they were not in favor -or political fans- of the leadership. As it turned out in 2005 some of these intelligence officers -who had access to top secret information-, removed confidential state documents without any authorization and passed them on to the then MEP for the PASOK party Michalis Karchimakis -another very close associate of George Papandreou-. Reference - defencenet

What is the Pythia1 Plan - according to previous posts from HF:

The Pythia1 plan had four main points: The assassination plot against Karamanlis had as its objective to postpone and/or cancel his government’s decision to move ahead with an energy policy that would make Greece a fair player in the global energy market, while it was part of a larger plan that was set to totally destabilize the country’s economic and political system.

First Phase:  Political instability. During Karamanlis' run as Prime Minister, the political climate in Greece began to crumble and the mainstream media (which some hint was bought out to do so) suddenly began broadcasting stories suggesting that the government of Karamanlis was accepting kickbacks or was involved in money laundering in the Monastery of Vatopedi case. The news began to tarnish the image of Karamanlis’ Cabinet, while the aim was to strike at the core… Karamanlis himself so that he could lose his credibility with the people. It worked. After months and months of propaganda, the people turned their back on Karamanlis, his political career was totally tarnished, and he lost the elections to George Papandreou in October 2009.

Second Phase: Economic unrest: This was achieved with various methods that even included the various kidnappings of several prominent businessmen, throwing the business community in a panic.

Third Phase: Social instability. This was implemented with various forms of social unrest, including terrorist acts.

Fourth Phase: Weaken Foreign Policy. Karamanlis’ foreign policy began to suddenly show signs of weakening and Greece began to suddenly lose ground with its allies.

For more please read...

OPINION - Does The Papandreou +Rondos +Lazzard +Sorros Alliance = The Rothchilds? You Bet It Does!
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2013/11/opinion-does-papandreou-rondos-lazzard.html

Arrest Warrent Against Head of KYP... In Assassination Attempt Against Karamanlis
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2015/02/arrest-warrent-against-head-of-kyp-in.html

PASOK MP Implicated In Karamanlis Wire-Tapping Case - Breached State Secrets
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2013/11/pasok-mp-implicated-in-karamanlis-wire.html

RealNews Report Says Greek-Americans & NSA Behind Spy Network Against Costas Karamanlis
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2013/11/realnews-report-says-greek-americans.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Supreme Court To Merge Cases Of Wire-Tapping, Pythia Plan,Assassination Plot Against Karamanlis Into ONE
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2013/02/special-report-supreme-court-to-merge.html

Case on Suspicious Death of Vodafone Employee Associated to Greek Wire-tapping Scandal Re-opens
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2012/04/case-on-suspicious-death-of-vodafone.html

PART l - Plot to assassinate Costas Karamanlis revealed (VIDEO)
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/06/plot-to-assassinate-kostas-karamanlis.html

PART II – Plot to assassinate Costas Karamanlis revealed (VIDEO)
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/06/part-ii-plot-to-assassinate-kostas.html

PART III - Authorities launch formal investigation into assassination plot against Karamanlis
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/08/authorities-launch-formal-investigation.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Prosecution Wraps Up Investigation Into Assassination Attempt Of Karamanlis
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/03/special-report-prosecution-wraps-up.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Either You Leave, Or We Kill You - (Karamanlis) A Hostage For 242 Days
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/12/special-report-either-you-leave-or-we.html

Makeleio Show Explores Papandreou and SYRIZA Role In Downfall of Karamanlis (VIDEO)
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/12/makeleio-show-explores-papandreou-and.html

Was Mossad, MI6 & CIA Behind Assassination Plot Of Karamanlis?
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/03/was-mossad-mi6-cia-behind-assassination.html

Ambassador Threatens Greek MP Over Energy Policy - Connected To Karamanlis Assassination Plot
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/01/ambassador-threatens-greek-mp-over.html

Does Papandreou agree with Rondos’ views about sharing the Aegean with Turkey?
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/10/does-papandreou-agree-with-rondos-views.html

Epikaira article confirms that Papandreou was in secret talks with US + Israel over natural gas + oil
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/08/epikaira-article-confirms-that.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Classified documents reveal US energy coup & Papandreou's retreat on FYROM
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/10/special-report-classified-documents.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Does Papandreou work on behalf of Greek or US interests? (VIDEOS)
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2011/10/special-report-does-papandreou-work-on.html
References: HellasFrappe, AMNA, enikos, www.kontranews.gr

Gov't calls on Greek embassies & consulates to return unallocated funds - NOT GOOD

Dozens of Greek embassies and consulates were apparently instructed on Friday to return any unallocated funds they have, via the tax services, a report from To Vima said. The report, quoting an official government document, claims that the overseas diplomatic authorities are called upon to return any unallocated funds and revenue from consular acts (such as issuing visas, proxies, etc) via the tax services.

The document, which To Vima claims it has, specifies that diplomatic authorities must return any unused funds that were intended for stationary, cleaning products etc for the next two months. The same report even notes that the collection of these funds has already begun and although a number of embassies and consulates generate considerable revenue from issuing tourist visas, there are no provisions to fund them, which may affect their operation.

Diplomats of course are quite concerned since this unprecedented government request has never happened before.

Editor's Note - The story is also dominating most Greek news portals.

Reference: To Vima

US ambassador Intervenes Following Tsipras' Interview On enikos.gr

A recent statement by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on notorious November 17 terrorist Savvas Xiros apparently caused the intervention of US Ambassador to Athens David Pearce.

It should be recalled that on Monday night and while speaking on enikos.gr and journalist Nikos Chatzinikolaou, Tsipras denied that the law abolishing high security prisons, which included a provision which would allow convicted terrorist Savvas Xiros to serve the rest of his multiple life sentence from his home, has affected the relations between Greece and the U.S.

Asked whether the law which was approved by Parliament and prompted the angry reaction of the U.S. government was a mistake which could affect Greek negotiations, he said:

     "This friction, the intense disagreement [with the U.S.] which took place has not influenced the negotiations." During the interview Tsipras said Greece had been convicted by the European Court of Human Rights for detaining Xiros who is severely disabled.

Following Tsipras statement, and while replying to a tweet by Financial Times journalist Peter Spiegel, who uploaded the relevant video, Pearce said that ‘Xiros should not set foot out of prison before his sentences are served’.

Read background to this article and watch the interview (with English translation) on enikos by clicking HERE

Source: enikos.gr

Who Insists on Going to the Moscow Parade Despite Western Criticism?

Filip Kovacevic (BoilingFrogsPost) - Recently, the president of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman made news around the world when he publicly confronted the US ambassador to the Czech Republic Andrew Schapiro about the ambassador's statement that Zeman's attendance of the Victory Day parade in Moscow would be "awkward". "I can’t imagine the Czech ambassador in Washington would give advice to the American president where to travel,” Zeman said. “I won’t let any ambassador have a say about my foreign travels.” And, then, in order to make concrete his displeasure at the attempted interference, he added that Schapiro "has the door to the castle [Zeman's presidential residence] closed".[1]

This made Zeman an instant celebrity among those in Europe who believe that the US-NATO military build-up, coupled with the strengthening of the anti-Russian geopolitical discourse, might have serious repercussions for the European political and economic stability and peace. This, however, is nothing new for Zeman as he has voiced similar opinions in the past as well. For instance, he was one of the first EU high-level politicians to take a stand against the imposition of the sanctions against Russia.[2] For this reason, he became a target of the smear campaign by several pro-US political parties and organizations and was even pelted with eggs and symbolically shown the red card by the protesters during the public commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in November 2014.[3]

It appears, however, that the pressure this time around was so overwhelming that Zeman was forced to change his plans. It could easily be that he was blackmailed in some way as one could see the collective glee of pro-NATO political forces after Zeman backed down from his earlier decision.[4] Obviously, the US-NATO Empire could not tolerate such an open defiance against its imperial interests and was willing to use all the means at its disposal to have its isolation of Russia stick. And, so, the latest news is that Zeman will be in Moscow on the day of the parade, but will not be actually attending it.[5]

In contrast to Zeman, many of his Balkan colleagues did not even put up the fight to defend their countries' sovereign foreign policy decision making. There are only a very few exceptions. In my opinion, the examination of who is and who is not going to the Victory Day parade in Moscow provides a good litmus test of the extent to which the US-NATO Empire exercises a firm control over the ruling political elites in the Balkans. In this analysis, I will look at the political dynamic with regards to this issue in each country of the region.

Greece

The prime minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras visited Moscow last week (April 8 and 9) and, notwithstanding the vocal opposition from the Obama administration and several US-controlled EU politicians, has signed important agreements to deepen and expand economic cooperation between Greece and Russia.[6] Needless to say, the issue of Tsipras's coming to Moscow again for the Victory Day parade created a lot of controversy. There were even some reports in the US mainstream media that he would not go. However, Tsipras dispelled all these rumors during the meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin and made clear that he would be in Moscow on May 9.[7]

Serbia

In addition to Tsipras, there is only one more Balkan leader that has explicitly said that he would attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow. That is the president of Serbia Tomislav Nikolić. Just like Zeman, Nikolić was publicly lectured by various EU politicians to reverse his decision. During a visit to Belgrade in March 2015, the head of the European Parliament delegation Eduard Kukan for instance said that Nikolić "should not attend the milary parade in Moscow on May 9".[8] Nikolić replied that it was "rude to offer the advice to somebody who did not ask for any" and stated that it was "in vain" to try to put pressure on him to go against the interests and opinions of the vast majority of the Serbian people.[9]

At this point, it appears that not only will Nikolić attend the parade, but also a Serbian military unit will march together with the Russian troops in what is called "the parade of victors".[10] This will no doubt expose Serbia to even bigger pressures and threats from the US-NATO Empire.

The recent statement of the Albanian prime minister Edi Rama (Albania is a member of NATO and probably the most US-controlled state in the Balkans) should be seen from this perspective. In an interview for a Kosovo TV station, Rama said that if the EU did not enable the union of Albania and Kosovo within its framework, they will unite in another way.[11] There is some controversy about the exact translation of Rama's statement,[12] but the implicit meaning is unmistakable: Albanians in Albania and Albanians in Kosovo should be politically united in the near future. This geopolitical narrative may lead to a serious destabilization of the Balkans in the coming years.

It is indicative of the geopolitical stakes that Rama's statement was condemned by both the EU[13] and Russia,[14] though the Serbian foreign minister Ivica Dačić complained that the reaction of Brussels was "lukewarm".[15] It is interesting that the European Parliament member Kukan, who earlier criticized Nikolić's decision to attend the Moscow parade, stated that he did not like Rama's statement and that it made him "nervous".[16] In my opinion, by saying this, he was in fact trying to cover up his own deep involvement in the US-NATO strategy to punish Serbia for disobedience. But, in order to make sure that he is not misinterpreted by his "Euro-Atlantic" mentors, Kukan in the same interview explicitly condemned the Serbian policy of military neutrality.

Montenegro

With regards to the Victory Day parade in Moscow, the position of the ruling coalition in Montenegro has been especially tragicomic, even burlesque. It is no secret of course that this coalition of corrupt politicians is publicly supported by the imperial foreign policy establishment in Washington and covertly by the CIA, whose officials have allegedly interfered in the Montenegrin election process.[17] Still, the rationale offered for the cancellation of the trip to Moscow represents a shameless attempt at the infantilization of the Montenegrin public.

Namely, in March 2015, the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov included the president of Montenegro Filip Vujanović (the figure of compromised political legitimacy elected in the rigged presidential elections in April 2013)[18] in the list of those heads of states who confirmed their presence in Moscow on May 9.[19] The same was later repeated by the Russian ambassador to Montenegro Andrey Nesterenko who expressed his astonishment at the reversal, considering that the Russian embassy received an official acceptance letter from the president's cabinet at an earlier time.[20]

However, in the first week of April 2015, Vujanović announced that he was not going to Moscow after all as "it would not be natural for the president to ignore the commemoration in his own country because of his attendence of the parade in Moscow".[21] He hid behind an alleged request of the Montenegrin WWII Veterans' organization to organize the commemoration in Montenegro as well. That this is a made-up excuse is shown by the fact that Yugoslavia, one of the victors in WWII, celebrated the Victory Day not on May 9, but on May 15 when the fascist troops and their collaborators finally surrendered. This means that if the WWII veterans wanted to organize an authentic commemoration, this should have been done on May 15, not on May 9 and therefore Vujanović's presence in both places would be made possible. However, as is clear, this anti-Russian move (in addition to being a serious diplomatic faux pas) was yet another episode of the Montenegrin political puppet theater directed by the forces of the US-NATO Empire.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

The high-level officials of Bosnia-Herzegovina were also on Lavrov's March list of the attendees. He specifically mentioned not only "the president of the Serb Republic (Republika Srpska) within the B-H", but also referred to other officials, including those from the other entity making up the country (the Muslim-Croat Federation).[22] However, at this point of time, there is no confirmation that anybody else, except the president of the Serb Republic Milorad Dodik, will come to Moscow.[23] This fits with the geopolitical narrative that divides Bosnia into the two spheres of influence, which is imposed by the US-NATO Empire and which in the long-run threatens to destabilize the functioning of the country's institutions.

FYROM

Even though the presence of Georgi Ivanov, the president of FYROM, was also announced by Lavrov, I seriously doubt that he will attend in the end. So far, there are no official announcements, but I expect that some excuse will soon be found, perhaps one along the lines used by the Montenegrin officials and equally unconvincing. The ruling political elites of both Montenegro and FYROM have been willing puppets of the US-NATO agenda in the Balkans and certain policy decisions have been closely coordinated, such as for instance the momentous decision to recognize Kosovo as an independent state on October 9, 2008.[24] The blurring between the two countries in the minds of some high-level US officials sometimes reaches comic proportions. For instance, during the speech on his visit to Montenegro in May 2011 (on which the Montenegrin government spent $200,000 of taxpayers' money), former US president Bill Clinton  spoke of the "breathtaking beauty" of FYROM.[25]

Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania

The heads of state and government of these countries, firmly integrated into the US-NATO Empire, have all stated that they would not attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow.[26] This is not to say that in these countries, there are no political forces which oppose NATO and demand the dissolution of that geopolitically expansionist military alliance. As I have written in my previous BFP analyses, the presidential candidate in Croatia, Ivan Vilibor Sinčić, advocated a clear anti-NATO political agenda during the presidential elections in December 2014 and received more than 16% of the total vote.[27] At this time, Sinčić and his political organization "Živi zid" are preparing for the parliamentary elections to be held sometime during this year.[28]  The political movements, sharing the similar anti-war perspective, are also active in Slovenia and Bulgaria. I expect that within the next year or two (unless there is a wide-scale European war) the number of their supporters will double and the US-NATO Empire in the Balkans will not be as hegemonic as it is at this time.

The author Filip Kovacevic, is a Boiling Frogs Post contributing analyst, a geopolitical author, university professor and the chairman of the Movement for Neutrality of Montenegro. He received his BA and PhD in political science in the US and was a visiting professor at St. Petersburg State University in Russia for two years. He is the author of seven books, dozens of academic articles. He has been invited to lecture throughout the EU, Balkans, ex-USSR and the US. He currently resides in San Francisco, and can be contacted at fk1917@yahoo.com

NOTES

• [1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/05/czech-president-bans-us-ambassador-prague-castle
• [2] http://praguepost.com/eu-news/42701-zeman-appears-on-russian-tv-to-blast-sanctions
• [3] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30086495
• [4] http://www.voanews.com/content/czech-pm-sobotka-says-president-zeman-overreacted-to-us-envoy-schapiro-comments/2710293.html
• [5] http://news.yahoo.com/czech-leader-skip-military-parade-during-moscow-trip-184404657.html
• [6] http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/04/08/tsipras-putin-sign-new-trade-deal-and-renew-greece-russia-relations/
• [7] http://sputniknews.com/columnists/20150409/1020681869.html
• [8] http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2015&mm=03&dd=20&nav_id=93555
• [9] http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2015&mm=03&dd=20&nav_id=93557
• [10] http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/politika/1510902-nikolic-odlucio-vojska-srbije-ucestvuje-na-vojnoj-paradi-u-moskvi
• [11] http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/archive/news/latest/500/500.html?id=26942719
• [12] http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/sta-je-stvarno-rama-rekao/26943085.html
• [13] http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Politika/549611/EU-o-Rami-Provokacije-su-neprihvatljive
• [14] http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/politika/aktuelno.289.html % 3A543690-Moskva-osudila-izjave-Rame-o-ujedinjenju-Albanije-i-Kosova
• [15] http://www.palo.rs/svet-jugoistocna-evropa/mlaka-reakcija-brisela-na-provokaciju-iz-tirane/1016612/
• [16] http://www.tanjug.rs/novosti/173745/kukan--ne-dopadaju-mi-se-ramine-izjave.htm
• [17] http://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/ambasada-sad-popov-nije-agent-cia-vec-sekretar-105835
• [18] http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/638813-lekic-izbori-u-cg-su-pokradeni-dokazacemo; http://www.cdm.me/politika/lekic-vujanovic-je-formalni-i-lazni-predsjednik
• [19] http://tass.ru/en/russia/783263
• [20] http://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/nesterenko-vujanovic-je-prvo-rekao-da-ce-doci-u-moskvu-828080
• [21] http://www.tanjug.rs/novosti/173327/nesterenko--vujanovic-prvo-potvrdio-dolazak--iznenadjen-sam.htm
• [22] http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/planeta.299.html:538966-Lavrov-Nikolic-i-Dodik-na-Paradi-pobede-u-Moskvi
• [23] http://www.rtvbn.com/337436/Dodik-i-Nikolic-na-Paradi-pobjede-9-maja-u-Moskvi
• [24]http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/11/Region/21052/I+Makedonija+ priznala+nezavisnost+Kosova.html
• [25] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0HgPSdolo
• [26] http://report.az/en/other-countries/bulgarian-president-will-not-participate-in-victory-parade-in-moscow/; http://www.balkaneu.com/croatian-president-attend-military-parade-moscow/
• [27] http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2015/01/29/bfp-exclusive-the-balkans-elections-update-croatia-greece/
• [28] http://www.24sata.hr/politika/lesar-parlamentarni-izbori-su-moguci-vec-17-svibnja-2015-406988

Kammenos: Greece Could Become Mediator Between Russia, NATO

Greece could become a mediator in helping Russia mend its strained relations with NATO, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos told Sputnik Wednesday.

     "Greece could play this role, and we would do our best. Although we are a small country, we actually have a cultural heritage and respect from both countries to play this role," Kammenos said.

The minister added that Greece had strong ties with Russia while also being a member state in both NATO and the European Union.

NATO accuses Russia of meddling in the ongoing armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, a claim the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Moscow has repeatedly expressed its concerns over NATO's growing presence in Eastern Europe near the Russian border.

Read more: Sputnik

Greek Defense Analyst - Greece Might Allow Russia to Use its Military Bases

In an interview for Russia's RIA Novosti, Greek defense analyst Ilias Iliopoulos noted that in the interests of closer military-technical cooperation with Russia, Greece could allow the country to use of its military bases, and that this possibility may well be discussed during the Greek Defense Minister's visit to Moscow later this week.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos is set to arrive in Moscow for a two day visit starting Wednesday. The visit will include a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian experts believe that Kammenos's meeting with his Russian counterpart might include the provision of spare parts for Russian weapons systems, including the S-300 air defense system, Kornet anti-tank missiles, and Zubr-class hovercraft. Last December, the Greek Defense Ministry signed contracts with Russia on the purchase of spare parts for the Top-M1 and Osa-AKM mobile air defense systems.

Iliopoulos, a lecturer at Greece's National Defense School, welcomes Kammenos's visit, noting that in a time of growing tensions between Russia and the West, "contacts, visits, and communication between members of the European Union and NATO with Russia can help to reduce tensions."

The analyst recalls that the event, which "has great political and symbolic significance," comes on the heels of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' "historic" visit to Moscow last week.

     "The Tsipras visit held a great political importance. As for defense matters and Kammenos's visit, I believe that Greece must do everything it can to move closer to Russia on issues of defense, defense policy, technology, cooperation and defense diplomacy. Greece, as you know, is the only NATO country to which several advanced Russian defense systems were exported several years ago. The country's air defense is very largely based on Russian systems."

Iliopoulos believes that Kammenos may attempt to reach an agreement with Russia on the technical maintenance and modernization of the Russian weapons systems Greece possesses. The analyst notes that "this must be done urgently. These systems presently have serious issues, and not because of [any error from] the Russian side, but because the previous government simply used them and, under Western pressure, underestimated the importance of maintenance and modernization."

The defense expert also believes that while Greece's options are presently limited by the economic crisis, the country should do everything it can to avoid "closing this window [on defense cooperation with Russia] for good. On the contrary, the Greek side must bear in mind that Russian defense systems are Greece's best and most reliable option. And not only technically, but politically as well."

Regarding Russia's possible use of Greek military bases, Iliopoulos is optimistic.

     "And why not? 25 years have passed since the fall of communism. We must discuss seriously, rationally, and realistically the issue of Greece providing Russia with an opportunity to use Greek ground, sea and air bases, on the Aegean Sea and in the Dodecanese Islands, as well as the Ionian Sea and Corfu, the seven islands liberated by Admiral Fyodor Ushakov [during the Second World War]."

The expert notes that such an agreement would not break any of Greece's agreements with NATO, or any other international treaties.

     "No international statute prohibits the cooperation of two countries."

In fact, Iliopoulos notes, Russian-Greek defense cooperation would assist in the maintenance of global stability, including the fight against terrorism and Islamic extremism in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East.

     "I do not think that anyone in the West would have a problem with this," the expert notes.

Ilias Iliopoulos is a lecturer at Greece's National Defense School, the country's highest defense educational institution, and a former analyst at the Greek Ministry of Defense. He is also the former Chair of the Political and Strategic Studies Department at the Baltic Defense College in Tartu, Estonia.

Read more: sputniknews.com

Issue of Cyprus, economy & energy to top Anastasiades' talks in Athens

The developments on the Cyprus issue, as well as economic and energy issues will dominate the talks that Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will have in Athens, where he will pay an official visit on Friday. According to Cyprus government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides, Anastasiades is planning to brief Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the developments in the Cyprus issue and the imminent resumption of talks. Christodoulides said that the Greek Cypriot side is more than ready for the third phase of the negotiations.

Christodoulides said that there will also be talks on economic issues, including Nicosia's request for the lifting of the 26 percent tax, imposed by the Greek government on imports of goods and services. The spokesman said that according to the indications so far, Athens will respond positively to the request. Energy issues will also be discussed while the two sides will decide upon their next steps.

On his part, Tsipras is expected to brief Anastasiades on the progress of the negotiations that Athens is having with the institutions of the European Union.

ANA-MPA

Tsipras talks about the restart to Greek-Russian relations

The ties between Greece and Russia can be upgraded to a new level and Greece can become a bridge between the West and Russia, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told the TASS news agency in an interview on Tuesday, ahead of his scheduled visit to Moscow and his meeting with President Vladimir Putin on April 8.

     "We can have a substantial cooperation that will allow Greece to export its agricultural goods to the Russian Federation," Tsipras stressed.
     "You know that over the past years a blow was dealt to these relations as the previous governments in my country had not done what they could have done to avoid this senseless sanctions policy, in my opinion, amid tensions in Ukraine," he added.

     "The result of this is the embargo also on the Greek agricultural goods what has seriously damaged the Greek economy," the Greek PM noted.
His visit to Moscow aims at restarting Greek-Russian relations as "it will give the opportunity to set a new basis" for them.

According to the prime minister, Greek-Russian relations have great development prospects, especially in energy and tourism. He said that apart from the highly significant meetings with President Putin, his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev and the Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia Kirill "I will also have the opportunity to give a lecture in one of the central universities of Moscow," which highlights "the possibility for exchanges and cooperation on an education level between Greek and Russian universities, which is also a very important aspect of consolidating our mutual relations."

Referring to the issue of sanctions, he made it clear that Greece does not back the West’s sanctions against Russia and reminded that as soon as he took office he received a message from European Council President Donald Tusk "who almost took for granted Greece’s position in favor of sanctions. "I called him and also (EU foreign policy chief) Federica Mogherini and told them:

     "Don’t think that Greece’s position is pretty much a given, the situation has changed and now there is another government in Greece. And now you should ask us before you take the decisions," he said.
     "We do not agree with sanctions. I believe that this is a road to nowhere. I support the point of view that there is a need for a dialogue and diplomacy, we should sit down at the negotiating table and find the solutions to major problems," he said.

The Greek premier stressed that the economic war is a "dead-end policy." "I’m for diplomacy," Tsipras said.

     "I believe reaching the Minsk agreements is an important achievement. I think every effort should be made to stop tensions in Ukraine," he added.

Tsipras said during his first participation in the EU summit on March 19-20 in Brussels he told the prime ministers and heads of states:

Reporter: "Tell me how do you imagine the new security architecture in Europe? Do you see it with Russia on the opposite side or with Russia in the process of a dialogue and mutual understanding?" "I received no answer from many of them,"

Tsipras said.

      "In my understanding, the answer is clear: the new European security architecture should also include Russia."

ANA/MPA - TASS

Russia Cannot Exempt Greece From Food Embargo

Greece is not going to be excluded from the embargo imposed by Russia on its farm production, but other forms of cooperation could be discussed, including the supply with Greek raw materials of food-sector joint ventures on Russian soil, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. His comments come after the Greek government asked Russia to lift sanctions on supplies of “key agricultural production” such as peaches, strawberries and oranges that are being left to rot due to a lack of a market.

     "There are quite straightforward rues of the World Trade Organization, and Russia, as a WTO member, cannot choose. We cannot impose sanctions against EU member states and selectively lift sanctions on one of the countries," he told newspaper Izvestia.

However, in this case direct deliveries of agricultural products can be substituted by "imports of raw materials with an investment in Russia-based food processing facilities," Peskov said.

Earlier in February President Putin said Moscow would be able to cooperate with Hungarian agriculture despite sanctions and added that the establishment of joint ventures will help avoid the difficulties caused by Russian countermeasures against Western sanctions.

References: RT, enikos

Moscow rules out any financial help to Greece

Russia apparently does not have enough budgetary funds to provide financial support to Greece, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said on Tuesday.

     "As of today, I rule this out [financial aid to Greece], because such funds are not stipulated in the federal budget law," Storchak told journalists.

On February 10, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that Russia would consider providing financial aid to Greece if Athens asked Moscow to. However, earlier in the month his Greek counterpart Yanis Varoufakis said that Greece would not request financial assistance from Russia.

Sputnik

SYRIΖΑ Το Respect Energy & Defence Contracts Made Between Karamanlis & Putin

The Greek foreign ministry posted a photo of the meeting between Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday where geopolitics, energy and defence were the choice topics for discussion. The meeting in Moscow was initiated by Russia when Lavrov sent a telegram to Kotzias and the invitation came after the new Greek government spoke out against further anti-Russia sanctions. The topics of discussion included energy, Russia's assessment of the situation in Ukraine and possible ways to settle the conflict peacefully, cooperation in defence, transport and finance.

A report on the military news site defencenet claims that the Greek Foreign Minister assured his Russian counterpart that the government will observe all the agreements that were made by the former government under Costas Karamanlis, referring of course to the massive defense and energy deals that were made while the latter was in power between 2004-2009.

Lavrov's response was immediate: "We have kept our word, we welcome the government's decision to reactivate the agreements. We will prepare new agreements." At the same time, Lavrov said that Russia would examine a request for economic aid by Greece, if such a request was made.

Speaking at a joint news conference later on, Lavrov said Russia appreciated the "constructive" position of Greece in ties between Moscow and the European Union, which has imposed several waves of sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. The Russian FM said that the two ministers agreed that there could only be a political situation to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 5,000 people.

On his part, Kotzias said he hoped there would be a "significant" agreement at talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk later on Wednesday and mentioned the issue of ethnic Greeks living in eastern Ukraine.

The minister said over 100,000 ethnic Greeks live in eastern Ukraine and he will make it a priority to give them assistance. "We have a special problem with Ukraine. As you know, in Mariupol and other parts of eastern Ukraine there are about 100,000 people of Greek origin and we are trying to do everything possible to help them," Kotzias said.

It should be reiterated that former premier Costas Karamanlis had signed intergovernmental agreements with Russia for the purchase of TDMA BMP-3 which will dramatically upgrade the capabilities of Greece's armed forces they protect personnel with immeasurable firepower.

Speaking about fire-power, Greek philosopher and historian Ilias Iliopoulos told RIA Novosti that Russian arms are more reliable and effective during crises since they cannot be switched off by manufacturers of weapons systems produced in the US and sold overseas. In the article he notes that Greece will only benefit from shunning US weapons in favor of more reliable Russian arms to allow the country to meet its national security needs.

     "What should I think when buying US weapons if they can be switched off during crisis? This is a waste of money," Iliopoulos said.
     "Think about Saddam Hussein, who bought French weapons, including air defense systems and radars. At the critical moment all that electronics was switched off remotely via a satellite," Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the Russian National Defense magazine, told Sputnik Turkey.
     "Just like French weapons, US arms … can be remotely shut down. This is reality," he emphasized.

Although Greece's new government is mainly focused on finding a way to help the country’s ailing economy to recover, Yannis Mandalidis, editor-in-chief of the Lambrakis Press Group, told Sputnik Turkey that Athens is promoting greater cooperation with Russia.

     "Greece’s new government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, will seek closer ties with Russia. Hence, military cooperation with Moscow will come to the fore in the future," he said.
     "Greece will have an edge over its adversaries since they will not be familiar with Russian weapons," Mandalidis added. 

(Editor's Note: Although HellasFrappe has rallied hard for Karamanlis, and everyone who regularly reads HellasFrappe knows that the editor of the blog is a HUGE fan of this former prime minister, we are somehow not convinced by SYRIZA's sudden love story with Russia. We cannot get the picture of Alexis Tsipras and some of George Papandreou's buddies at the Soros-backed Brookings Institute out of our minds. Certainly we applaud this development, if true, but we are not about to count our chickens before they hatch and recommend that our readers soak up all the information with a grain of salt as well. Why? Our instinct tells us that it is just a show... or dust in the eyes of all of those who are against Russia, meaning the US and the EU, so that Greece can have better ammo at the ongoing negotiations in Brussels. Besides, we believe that diplomacy that secures energy and defence deals is not really publicized on news sites and the social networks... We could be wrong, things are very hazy at the moment, but we will wait and see what happens. Stay tuned Frappers.)

Referenes:
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150211/1018111141.html
http://www.defencenet.gr/defence/item/%CE%BD%CE%B
http://www.defencenet.gr/defence/item/%CE%AD%CE

Tsipras Meets With OECD Sec. Gen. (VIDEO)

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday morning met visiting OECD secretary general Angel Gurria. Following the meeting and while addressing the press, Tsipras said that the government aims to make the reforms that the others did not dare to do so, adding "we do not have dependencies."

The Greek PM said that the cooperation with the OECD is going to be on the reform agenda of the government, with a progressive sign, based on, as he said, "the popular mandate and the programme we announced in the Parliament."

On his part, Gurria allowed it to be understood that he did not decide to visit Athens to show Greece what to do, but because the OECD works in the field of reforms. He said that the OECD can advise the government about what other countries do in similar situations, in order to provide the best solutions for Greek citizens.

He said that as an OECD member, the OECD is wants to work with Greece for Greece, while he stressed that the benefits of growth should be directed at the majority of Greeks and not the few.

Greek Call To End Violence in Ukraine - Protect Diaspora

Alternate Minister of Defence Kostas Isichos called for an immediate end to the "continuously escalating violence" in Ukraine, announcing that there are plans for Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias to visit Moscow, Kiev and possibly Mariupol, where the presence of Ukrainians of Greek origin is strong.

In an interview on ERT-OPEN radio on Saturday, he said that the Ukrainian government is held hostage by Euro-Atlantic rationales adding, however, that the Franco-German initiative can have positive aspects if military operations cease, even temporarily, particularly in the region around Mariupol where there are an estimated 100,000 Ukrainians of Greek origin.

Referring to the stepping up of EU sanctions on Russia which, in turn, responds with increased countermeasures against the EU, he said that it is an extremely dangerous path, adding that Greece supports efforts for rapprochement between the two sides.

Commenting on the relations between Turkey and Israel, he underlined that Greece should not only keep a balance but, at the same time, it should be a pillar of stability and peace for the two sides and the greater region.

On the relations between Greece and Cyprus, he said that very close cooperation between the two countries is emerging as regards their strategy aimed at disengaging or easing as much as possible the increased supervision sought by the partners, in order for both countries to be on an economic growth path. He clarified that there are big differences between the two countries, both economic and geopolitical, and as regards the agreements with the partners but despite this, the governments of Greece and Cyprus will cooperate closely on the level of summit meetings where they can join forces on many issues.

Referring to the fight against the jihadists and what Greece will do if the United States requested its assistance, he said that Greece will examine very carefully its role in the fight against the jihadists which is a necessary process by all countries. On the demands that could be made by the United States in the fight against the jihadists, he observed that "it is the international community, many countries, who are interested in fighting against this plague. Therefore, our cooperation with all the countries, in the West and in the East, against this threat is a very important factor."

ANA-MPA

Panos Kammenos: "NATO relations will continue as before"

Greece's new government remains committed to its NATO role despite its desire to build close ties with Russia, which has worried its allies, Defence Minister Panos Kammenos told AFP on Wednesday.

Following his first meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and on the eve of a gathering of the alliance's defence ministers, Kammenos played down concerns that Athens could go soft on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

     "We spoke a lot about relations between the alliance and Greece; I assured them that relations will continue as before," Kammenos said in an interview at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
     "We will continue our cooperation on a political level and also on a military level."

There were concerns when Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras last week protested against an EU statement threatening further sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. Asked about such fears, Kammenos replied:

     "We have seen these reports in recent days all around the world but Greece will continue to be a member of Europe and NATO, that's for sure."
However, he insisted that Greece would maintain its ties with Russia too:
     "Of course Greece has political relations with Russia. These relations are not hidden, these are open relations and we will continue to have those relations."
     "The majority of Greek agricultural production is exported to Russia and now with the sanctions that has really affected farmers," he said.
     "Also we have (Russian) military equipment, we discussed that with the secretary general. We will continue to source spare parts so that we are able to keep this equipment, which will remain within NATO."

Source: AFP

Obama Congradulates Tsipras While Nuland Approves of Greek-Russia Relations (????)

U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday to personally congratulate Greece's new premier on his election victory. During the conversation, the US president told Tsipras that Washington will support the Greek government's efforts to end austerity policies. Obama also said that this support will also be expressed in action, through cooperation between the U.S. Treasury and the Greek finance ministry, noting that the US would support growth policies and employment.

The U.S. President noted that Europe must break free of austerity policies, as the U.S. had done, and adopt a strong agenda for growth.

He advised Tsipras to get some rest now that the election campaign was over, saying that he would need his strength for what lay ahead, with Tsipras replying that "this is difficult, due to the circumstances".

Obama expressed certainty that he will also manage to get some rest and told Tsipras: "I started young as well and now my hair has turned grey".

One day earlier, US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Victoria Nuland spoke at an event hosted by the Brookings Institute, entitled “Unity in Challenging Times: Building on Transatlantic Resolve”. After congratulating the Greek people and government, Nuland stated that as NATO allies, the US was looking forward to cooperating with Greece and Cyprus in combating terrorism.

She also underlined that the sacrifices made by the Greek people were not in vain and that the Greek economy would continue to receive support. She also commented that there was “no problem” in Greece developing closer ties with Russia (?????????), arguing that the previous government helped exchange messages between the two superpowers.

Regarding the naming dispute with FYROM, Nuland expressed her hope that talks would resume and that a solution including the term “Macedonia” will eventually be found, as the prolongation of tension may be detrimental to FYROM, the Balkans and Greece itself.

(ANA-MPA, ProtoThema, To Vima, enikos)

Greek Foreign Ministry on Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued the following announcement on the 70-year anniversary since the liberation of Auschwitz.

     "Today, on its National Memorial Day for the Greek Jewish Heroes and Martyrs of the Holocaust, Greece is standing against forgetfulness and joining its voice with the conscience of humankind, honoring the millions of innocent victims of the Holocaust.
     The Greek people pay homage to the thousands of their compatriots, Greek Jews, who fell victim to Nazi barbarity.
     The Greek state attaches the greatest importance to the categorical condemnation of anti-Semitism and Nazism activities. It considers denial of the Holocaust to be flagrantly repugnant and expresses the certainty that neo-Nazi elements, which are attempting to undermine Democracy and the rule of law, will be marginalized from Greek society, the vast majority of which denounces hatred, anti-Semitism and intolerance.
     The Greek state systematically and consistently assists in the international efforts towards respect for the memory of the Holocaust and towards the combating of anti-Semitism."

PROVOCATION: Greece Slams Attack by Albanian Ultranationalists on Minority Greeks

Greece’s Ambassador to Tirana sent a demarche to the Albanian Foreign Ministry, asking that Albanian authorities condemn the incidents that unfolded in Dervitsani (which is predominantly populated by a strong Greek minority). The violent incidents in Dervitsani occurred after the recent football match between Serbia and Albania, which ended prematurely when clashes broke out between players and fans when a flag of “Greater Albania” appeared in the stadium.

The ultranationalists apparently terrorized villagers, torched their cars and smashed storefronts, while they threatened that they would burn all the "Christians”.

The Greek-language media in Albania said that those responsible for the attack were from Lazarati village. In fact Himara.gr reported that some villagers were wounded, others fired warning shots in the air and the church bells tolled in alarm as the intruders wreaked havoc.

The Greek Ambassador also requested that all the necessary measures be taken to find, arrest and bring all those who carried out the attack to justice, while he noted that measures should be adopted in order to protect the Greek minority (especially ahead of the October 28th national celebration).

Finally, Rokanas conveyed Greece’s concern at similar attacks that he said target the Greek minority, and thus pose an obstacle to Albania’s European perspective.

In Memory to The Greek Jews who Participated in the Auschwitz Revolt

On 7 October 1944, having learned that the SS was going to liquidate much of the squad, the members of the Sonderkommando, including Greeks, rose in revolt, setting fire to a crematorium and attacking SS guards with hammers, axes and stones

Auschwitz, after liberation in 1945 (Photo: German Federal Archives, image 175-04413) Auschwitz, after liberation in 1945 (Photo: German Federal Archives, image 175-04413) Tuesday marked the 70th anniversary of a revolt by Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau, in which 60 Greek Jews are believed to have participated and died.

The 1944 uprising was led by members of the Sonderkommando, so-called “special units” comprised predominantly of Jewish inmates whose tasks included the disposal of bodies who had been murdered by the Nazis in the gas chambers of the extermination camp.

Sonderkommando members received special treatment and privileges in return for these compulsory duties. But because they had direct knowledge of the genocide being committed in the camp, they faced certain death as the Nazis followed a policy of gassing special unit members every four months and replacing them with new arrivals to the camps.

The revolt on 7 October 1944 was launched by Sonderkommando members who were aware that their deaths were being scheduled. A few weeks before, some 200 of their number had been tricked into going to the gas chambers, where they were murdered. This left the remaining Sonderkommando teams even more anxious about their fate.

Plans were set in train to smuggle gunpowder from a munitions factory that the SS operated within the Auschwitz complex to the Sonderkommandos, who worked at the crematoria. Using this gunpowder, Sonderkommando leaders hoped to destroy the gas chambers and crematoria, spark the uprising, and escape in the direction of the advancing Soviet army.

Iosif Barouch, a Greek army officer from Ioannina, is believed to have led the Greek Jews during the revolt Iosif Barouch, a Greek army officer from Ioannina, is believed to have led the Greek Jews during the revolt “On October 7, 1944, having learned that the SS was going to liquidate much of the squad, the members of the Sonderkommando at Crematorium IV rose in revolt. Setting fire to the crematorium, they attacked the SS guards with hammers, axes, and stones. Seeing the flames rising over the building as a signal for the camp uprising, those of the Sonderkommando at Crematorium II went into action, killing a Kapo and several SS men. Several hundred prisoners escaped from Birkenau, almost all of whom were caught and killed by the SS. Later that day, an additional 200 prisoners who took part in the revolt were executed,” says the US Holocaust Memorial Museum article on the uprising.

In total, some 451 Sonderkommandos were killed by Nazis on the day of the rebellion, including several who briefly escaped from the death camp.

A 2009 publication by the Greek foreign ministry, entitled Greeks in Auschwitz-Birkenau, claims that 300 Greeks participated in the uprising, 26 of whom survived. The publication (which I reviewed here) names of 60 Greek Jews said to have been killed in the uprising.

Accompanying the publication, which is somewhat problematic, was a DVD entitled The Revolt of the Greek Jews, which is the only documentary to date to have been produced on Greek Jewish participation in the revolt.

In all, 67,000 of Greece’s Jewish citizens, or 86 percent of the prewar community, lost their lives in the Holocaust, most of them at Auschwitz.

Author: Damian Mac Con Uladh
* Source: Greeks in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Athens: Papazisis, 1999, pp. 152-3. This publication seems to have anglicised many names, so the Josephs are most likely Iosifs etc
  

Greece Slams Reports on FYROM Dispute - Russia Vetos Addition of FYROM in NATO

There is definitely something brewing with the ongoing FYROM name dispute and once again -believe it or not- it all ties to geopolitics, natural gas pipelines and dirty games by Western war mongers (example: Kissinger and Soros). For Greece, the dispute is over FYROM's use of the name "Macedonia" which we all know implies territorial claims (and expansionist plans) in our northern region with the same name, for Moscow the issue is totally geopolitical and for FYROM (as we all will soon learn) it is not about identity but more about which gas pipelines pass through its borders.

Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday slammed recent reports regarding the ongoing negotiations in the FYROM name dispute, and once again reiterated our country’s position of a composite name with a geographical qualifier. In a statement, the Ministry argued that such a composite name would be used erga omnes, domestically and internationally, and should include a geographical qualifier before the word “Macedonia”, rather than “Democracy”.

At the same time the Ministry underlined that the current, temporary name by which FYROM was inducted in the UN in 1993 includes epithets prior to the term “Republic”, rather than “Macedonia”. It adds that the temporary name is not used erga omnes, but only in international organizations, treaties and meetings, rather than in the FYROM’s interior (this also includes the bilateral relations with other countries which have recognized FYROM’s so-called constitutional name.)

The Greek Ministry also said that the present situation is in violation of international law and must be addressed.

In a lively twist of events, and for the first time in history, Russia officially declared that it was against the expansion of NATO into the Balkans and especially in FYROM! This stance goes against the Western recognition of FYROM as well as vindicates the position that was adopted by the previous government of Costas Karamanlis when he openly vetoed FYROM's entrance to NATO in the face of George Bush Jr. at the Bucharest Summit in 2008.

In fact Russia made it clear that NATO cannot expand its influence in the Balkans as well as Eastern Europe "otherwise there will be a corresponding expansion of Russia and its allies in other areas, such as Transnistria in Moldova, Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, and then in Russian regions now belonging to Ukraine Administrative such as Kharkiv, Kherson and the Odessa."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview that a possible expansion of NATO in countries such as Bosnia, FUROM and Montenegro would be "challenge", while he underlined that Moscow opposes any expansion of NATO to all the former communist countries in eastern and southeastern Europe.

(It should be reminded that Montenegro, FYROM and Bosnia seek to join the Western military alliance, following the steps of Albania and Croatia who joined in 2009).  

Asked about the integration of the three countries into NATO, Lavrov told the Bosnian "Dnevni Avaz" newspaper that:

     "With regard to the expansion of NATO, I think the error is a challenge."
     "It is, somehow, an irresponsible policy that undermines the determination to create a system of equal and common security in Europe, equality for everyone regardless of whether a country is a member of that or of any other coalition."

Lavrov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to make an official visit to Serbia in mid-October on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the release of the Yugoslav Partisans and the Soviet army from Nazi occupation.

From all the nations from the former Yugoslavia, only Serbia is Russia's closest ally, and obviously it does not seek NATO membership.

(It is more than clear that Russia is determined to put an end to American expansion designs in the Balkans, and is striking against all this Western imperialism by encircling the US and making corresponding moves in Latin America.)

But this might not be as easy as it sounds.

The West is determined to pull through on Kissinger's and Soros' plans in the Balkans and believe it or not folks the issue of FYROM is not about a nation of people who seek a name for their nation, but more about a nation that seeks to become an energy hub for various gas pipelines to Europe!

Sounds too far-fetched?

Well... It's not.

At the weekend, and on the sidelines of the 69th UN General Assembly, a meeting was held between Greece's Minister of Foreign Affiars Evangelos Venizelos and his FYROM counterpart Popovski. As revealed by various press reports, discussions centered mostly on energy matters. In fact it was reported that Popovski asked Venizelos to confirm that Greece was positively disposed to linking the TransAdriatic Pipeline (TAP) to FYROM's gas network.

The reports said that Venizelos replied that everything he told FYROM Premier Nikola Gruevski during his visit to Skopje (in the framework of Greece's EU presidency) continues to apply and that the two countries can proceed irrespective of the outstanding dispute over the name, adding that meetings must be held between the respective energy ministers in both countries to discuss the technical details.

(Question: What did he discuss with Gruevski? And can we really trust Venizelos who we all know has never supported Greece's positions and especially those that were adopted by the Karamanlis administration.)

Later on, and prompted by Popovski's statements to the media, the Greek foreign ministry issued an announcement rejecting his suggestion that the Greek side does not see the resolution of the name issue as a priority.

(Notice how FYROM cunningly uses the so called dispute over the name to pressure Greece into what it really wants? Clearly it does not care about the name, but getting a piece of the geopolitical-pipeline pie.)

In its announcement, the Greek foreign ministry stressed that:

     "Responding to a relevant question from Mr. Poposki, Mr. Venizelos confirmed the Greek position - which he had set out during his visit to Skopje this past March, as the President of the Council of the EU - in favor of the construction of an inter connector pipeline between the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), in Greece, and FYROM. This inter connector pipeline strengthens the dynamic and importance of the TAP and offers the neighbouring country an alternative source of natural gas supply. 

(It is more than evident what FYROM's intentions are. As you can see, the issue of the name is more of a geopolitical matter rather than about a nation of desperate people who simply want a name for their country! Let us not forget that if that was the case then they would have adopted Vardar as their name, since the nation was recognized as such until Tito. This elementary rhetoric was used by some buffoons who work with war-mongers such as Soros and Kissinger and who still till this day believe that they can shift borders in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and anywhere else in the world as easily as hauling laundry up the stairs. Obviously they were surprised over the patriotism of Greeks who until today have been fighting Western imperialism in this name dispute by themselves. Luckily for us, Russia is also against this now, for her intent and reasons, but at least we have another voice that can support us on our historical rights. We all know \that FYROM has expansionist plans in our northern region because the imperialists who have been supporting the name "Macedonia" need a port to do their dirty work in the rest of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. That is why we see maps continually being drawn up by some whacked out pseudo nationalists in FYROM that include our very own region of Macedonia. Another reasons why Moscow is against this, is because these maps also include the area of Mont Athos - which we all know is dominated by Russian Orthodox monasteries.)

Read more about Soros' plans in the Balkans and Eastern Europe

George Soros, Eastern Europe, The Balkans, FYROM And The Spread of a New World Order
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/04/george-soros-eastern-europe-balkans.html

SOROS STRIKES AGAIN - Skopje Irredentist Claims - Says 700,000 FYROManians Living in Greece
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/04/soros-strikes-again-skopje-irredentist.html

Rothschild & Soros ' Octopus Over the Balkans - Yugoslavia had to be divided
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/03/rothschild-soros-octopus-over-balkans.html

First Agreements for Hydrocarbons Survey & Mining Finally Signed

Three contracts were signed on Tuesday at the Ministry of Environment regarding the location and mining of oil and natural gas in the areas of Ioannina, the Western Gulf of Patra and Katakolo. The contracts, according to local press reports, are going to be effective as soon as they are ratified in the Greek Parliament.

Present at the signing were Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Minister of Environment Yannis Maniatis.

The contract in Ioannina was signed with the Energean Oil and Gas / Petra Petroleum group, the contract for Katakolo was signed with Energean Oil and Gas / Trajan Oil & Gas Ltd, while in the Gulf of Patra, the deal was sealed with the Hellenic Petroleume / Edison / Petroceltic group.

All the aforementioned companies have committed to investing a minimum of 60 million Euros, while estimations regarding the volume of hydrocarbons in the three areas suggest that there could be up to 300 million barrels of oil.

The government estimates that it will collect up to 18 billion dollars over 30 years.