NOBEL PRIZE COMMITTEE- No comment on Macedonia PM Zaev Albanian Nazi statue controversy

by Sasha Uzunov

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee, which awards annually the highly prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, has declined to comment over whether Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has been nominated for the award and over his controversial “defence” of World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues.

A statement from Gro M. Nevstad, a spokesperson for the Norwegian based committee:

“Please note that it is not up to the Norwegian Nobel Committee to decide who shall be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. As a matter of principle, the Norwegian Nobel Committee never comments upon who has been nominated. This information is confidential…”

Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zaev, whose coalition government includes Albanian nationalist party DUI, during a media conference in August 2018 “defended” a controversial statue of WWII Albanian Nazi collaborator Xhem Hasa Gostivari, which was built post 2001 war in Macedonia by Albanian politicians.

Strong rumours have circulated in Macedonia that PM Zaev together with his Greek counterpart  Alexis Tsipras will be nominated for the Peace Prize for the Prespa Agreement, which will see Macedonia give up its name and identity in order to enter the EU and NATO.

Greece has blocked Macedonia’s entry into both organisations.

On 30 September 2018 a referendum in Macedonia to accept the Prespa Agreement failed after a successful boycott campaign. But later machinations in the Macedonian Parliament saw the constitution “opened up” for changes as part of the Prespa Agreement signed with Greece. In effect, erasing Macedonian identity to satisfy Greek nationalist demands.

PM Zaev’s defence of the Xhem Hasa Gostivari statue  has raised enormous concern and anger amongst Macedonians whose family were the victims of Nazi occupation during World War II.

According to British military accounts, Gostivari (his statue -pictured below- in Simnica, Macedonia) was a proven collaborator for Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in Western Macedonia during World War II. see link 

 

The Nobel Peace Prize committee is based in Norway.

In July 2018 the  Norwegian Ambassador to Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Mr Arne Sannes Bjørnstad was made aware of the concerns about Albanian Nazi statues in Macedonia- see link