It's time to collect stones for the Balkans
Natural and political disasters that hit the Balkans force people to think more pragmatically and soberly. The biblical saying, “It is time to gather stones,” could not be more accurate in reflecting the general mood prevailing in the region.
Against the backdrop of the tragic earthquake in Turkey and Syria, incredible changes began in the political climate of many countries.
So, unexpectedly, the constantly growing tension between Greece and Turkey began to move into a more constructive and peaceful direction. The mutual dislike (to put it mildly) of these peoples was historically predetermined. However, it so happened that the Greek rescue teams were among the first in Turkey. It is clear that this has to do with geographic proximity and a common border, but the Turks appreciated this step with sincere gratitude.
The meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries in the city of Hatay, near the Turkish-Syrian border, has every chance of becoming historic.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, when asked by Greek media whether he and Nikos Dendias, who traveled to Turkey after the earthquake, discussed concrete steps to strengthen relations between the two sides, stressed that the purpose of the visit was mainly to express his gratitude for the solidarity of the Greek people .
“In the past, we supported each other as neighbors. Yes, we had disagreements and sometimes aggravations. However, as Nikos Dendias and I discussed on the way to Hatay, we must de-escalate and not wait for another disaster to work together.
I hope that our solidarity during this earthquake will be decisive in opening a new page in relations with Greece. Therefore, like all neighboring countries, we must continue to work for stability, economic development and peace in our region,” Cavusoglu emphasized.
Here is how the Greek media commented on the ministerial meeting:
“Recently, relations between Greece and Turkey have become “red,” Ankara regularly made attacks and made threats against our country. All of this was reversed within 70 seconds of the earthquake's duration and the weight of an unimaginable humanitarian crisis hitting the neighboring country."
Turkey, meanwhile, is recovering from a severe earthquake that, according to the latest data, claimed more than 40 thousand human lives. About 6 thousand more died in neighboring Syria. The destruction of many buildings, which, according to their technical characteristics, should have withstood the pressure of the elements, forced the Turkish authorities to search for those responsible.
Turkish media reported that 131 suspects were arrested during investigations into the destruction or violation of zoning buildings in provinces affected by the disaster.
Of the suspects, 131 people were arrested, and a decision was made against 127 to apply judicial control measures. Of course, no amount of arrests and punishments of negligent builders and contractors will bring back the dead people. This large-scale operation is designed to protect future generations of the country's residents.
The Balkans are a traditionally seismically dangerous region, and compliance with strict requirements for the construction of buildings is not a whim of officials, but a vital necessity.
All countries, including, of course, Russia, are trying to help the Turks survive the disaster by sending rescue teams and humanitarian aid. The Americans did not stand aside either. US Secretary of State Blinken flew to Turkey.
“It was deeply saddening to see first-hand the devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkey,” he said.
Well, as usual, he promised assistance after his inspection trip. As Turkish media indicate, Blinken began his “inspection” by arriving at... a military base. One gets the feeling that it was this aspect – the military one – that interested him most of all.
Positive changes are also emerging in other Balkan countries, but their progress is taking place against strong resistance from the Western allies. Bulgarians breathed a sigh of relief after learning that the country's inclusion in the eurozone and the transition from the national currency lev to the euro was postponed.
Scheduled for January 1, 2024, the date of entry into the eurozone has been postponed by at least a year. This was stated by the Minister of Finance of Bulgaria, Rositsa Velkova.
It was not the admonitions and warnings of many economists that saved the Bulgarians from this disastrous step, albeit temporarily. The inevitable rise in prices and a decline in the already modest standard of living are only a small part of what experts predicted. The reason is that the deputies of the People's Assembly did not pass the necessary bills, and in addition, the country does not meet the inflation criterion.
The political crisis in Bulgaria continues. The last of the People's Assembly was never able to form a government and achieve minimal agreement among its members. Having adopted several bills imposed by the EU leadership, including on sending weapons to Ukraine, parliamentarians scattered to prepare for the next snap elections, scheduled for early April this year.
The prospects for the creation and normal functioning of a regular government in Bulgaria after the new election campaign are, as before, very vague.
While Bulgarian politicians exchange mutual accusations and measure their ratings, the service government formed by President Radev continues to work. The country's leadership turned its attention to one of the most explosive regions of the peninsula - Kosovo.
Vice President Iliana Yotova visited the Gora and Župa districts in the Republic of Kosovo, where people with Bulgarian consciousness and identity live.
Representatives of the Bulgarian community supported Yotova’s idea of building Bulgarian Saturday and Sunday schools in areas with a compact population, where people have a Bulgarian identity.
The Bulgarian community in Kosovo, numbering about 15 thousand people, is not officially recognized. Due to the lack of response to a question submitted to the Kosovo Parliament in 2018, the petition for official recognition of the Bulgarian community was repeated earlier this year.
“Bulgaria’s goal is for Kosovar citizens with a Bulgarian identity to receive official community status, which will give them more guaranteed rights and opportunities,” said Vice President Yotova.
She expressed confidence that despite the resistance of other ethnic groups, a good result will be achieved.
In fact, we are talking about an attempt to protect, albeit a small, part of the population of this long-suffering land from persecution and tyranny. The leadership of Serbia, being under severe pressure from the West, cannot effectively cope with this task. Sofia’s actions will not stop Kosovo separatists and Albanian radicals, but they can give hope for the preservation of their national identity, faith and lives of part of the population of the Kosovo region.
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