Slovakia Will Support Croatia's Bid for NATO and EU Membership

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Slovakia will support the legitimate effort of Croatia to become a member of the European Union and NATO as soon as possible, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Dubrovnik on Saturday. He was attending the “Croatian Summit 2007: Europe’s New South” international conference, held on Friday and Saturday in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He described the political and social development of Slovakia as a possible example for countries of the western Balkans of successful integration into the democratic community. He reiterated that this region belongs among priorities of Slovakia's foreign policy.
The Slovak prime minister attended the event at the invitation of his Croatian partner Ivo Sanader with the aim to support Croatia's bid for NATO and EU membership. He stated that the Slovak government would always support further enlargement of the EU, whereby particularly with regard to the region of the Balkans, EU membership is a guarantee for stability. He said he is convinced that had these countries been members of the EU, they would have been able to avoid many problems.
Alongside the event, prime ministers of Slovakia and Croatia held bilateral talks during which according to Mr. Fico they evaluated the fulfillment of tasks they took on during the recent visit of Mr. Sanader to Slovakia and concluded that no open issues exist between both countries.
Prime Minister Fico met in Dubrovnik with Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, Daniel Fried. Mr. Fico said they discussed "standard questions", such as the inclusion of Slovakia into the U.S. visa waiver program. "I have not noticed any shift and I am afraid that no shift would come in this respect," he said and added that canceling the visa duty for citizens of Slovakia wanting to travel to the United States is only the subject of verbal statements that are not accompanied by practical steps.
As to the future status of the southern Serbian province of Kosovo, Premier Fico said that as long as the UN Security Council does not adopt a resolution that respects the interests of Kosovo and Serbia, and even when someone would play with the idea of unilateral recognition of Kosovo's independence, such recognition cannot be expected from the government of Slovakia.

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Folkmoot USA has received plenty of praise since its inception 23 years ago, but perhaps its most significant claim is being North Carolina’s official international folk festival.

The recognition, which was introduced by Sen. Joe Sam Queen of Waynesville and later adopted into law by the North Carolina General Assembly on July 10, 2003, gives the festival a certain status that helps its organizers earn respect, apply for grants, and stay connected with international folk festivals around the world.

“It’s great to be able to have that claim,” said Jamye Cooper, Folkmoot’s executive director. “It gives us an awful lot of credibility.”

It shows that state leaders believe in the festival as an arts organization with tourism and educational benefits, Cooper said. The designation also sets the festival apart from others when it comes time to apply for local and state funding, Cooper added.

Since Folkmoot started as a “meeting of the people” in 1984 — a year that coincided with North Carolina’s 400th birthday — more than 200 groups from 100 countries have participated in the annual two-week festival in July that celebrates world culture through the sharing of folk music and dance.

And with tourism being one of the state’s hottest industries bringing in 45 million visitors who spend more than $15 billion annually, Folkmoot certainly adds its share of the summer tourism dollars to Western North Carolina — to the tune of about $4 million according to one study conducted several years ago. The two-week run of the festival means more of a chance to reach tourists, and that, in turn, means a bigger economic impact locally, according to Scotty Ellis, director of Haywood County’s Tourism Development Authority.

“It’s got a great following of folks,” Ellis said. “It’s the longest festival we have.”

There are certainly other international festivals in the state — a Latino festival in Durham and a Greek festival in Asheville, for example — but Folkmoot is different.

“We differ because our groups come from the countries they represent,” Cooper said.

Folkmoot belongs to the Paris-based International Council of Folklore Festival Organizations and Traditional Arts, or CIOFF. CIOFF represents more than 90 countries and is in formal relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization known as UNESCO. Membership in CIOFF not only helps to broaden the scope of Folkmoot’s vision by networking with other folk festivals around the world and helping to promote peace and the exchange of cultures, it also gives Folkmoot organizers a huge support system for sharing ideas among counterparts and finding performance groups in other countries. CIOFF sets guidelines to maintain the quality and authenticity of international folk festivals and performing groups.

Jamye Cooper serves as a co-chair of the U.S. membership committee for CIOFF, and long-time Folkmoot board member and volunteer Rolf Kaufman of Waynesville serves as the North American representative for CIOFF. Kaufman also formerly served as chairman of the finance commission and treasurer for CIOFF.

Each fall, CIOFF holds conferences where folk festival representatives can meet and exchange ideas. Last year’s world conference was in Bulgaria. This fall, it will be in Mexico. There are only a handful of CIOFF-certified festivals in the United States. Others include Dollywood in Tennessee, which has its Festival of Nations, and Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo. Cooper is helping officials in Oxford, Miss., start a CIOFF festival called the Yocona International Folk Festival.

All but three of the groups coming to this year’s Folkmoot festival have some connection to CIOFF, according to Kaufman, and a majority of the groups that come each year usually have an association with CIOFF. This relationship becomes especially useful when Folkmoot has a group that cancels at the last minute. When that happened this year, Folkmoot officials were able to book the Kayumanggi Philippine Performing Arts group from Winnipeg, Canada, after seeing them at a CIOFF conference earlier this year, Kaufman explained. In another case, this year’s group from Croatia was set to attend an event that was cancelled, so it contacted Folkmoot and worked out performance dates that happened to be in perfect timing with Folkmoot. Having CIOFF connections paid off once again.

During one CIOFF conference, Cooper had an informative conversation with a representative from England about setting up educational workshops, so Cooper brought the idea to Folkmoot, incorporating more public workshops during the festival. In recent years, these workshops have included French lace making and a drumming workshop with a Togo drummer. This year’s workshops will include dance workshops with the visiting groups from Peru, Hawaii, Mexico, Russia and Puerto Rico. In addition, participants will get a hands-on introduction to the musical instruments and native costumes of these performers.

“Not everybody wants to sit and watch,” Cooper said, acknowledging the need for more audience participation during Folkmoot. “The opportunity is there, so let’s take advantage of it.”

The net effect of being a prestigious international festival comes down to bringing the world a little closer, Kaufman said. For at least two weeks out of the year, people in Western North Carolina who may never get the chance to visit South Korea or the Ivory Coast or Peru have the opportunity to meet people from these countries and learn about their cultures.

That’s why Kaufman doesn’t mind spending his own money to travel to CIOFF conferences and volunteer countless hours as he has with Folkmoot since 1984.

“It’s very rewarding to me,” he said. “I don’t play golf, so this is my hobby.”

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Robin North, who is part of the Centre for Transport Studies in the Department of Civil Engineering, and his friend Bojan Slavujevic will leave Hyde Park on 21 July and hope to arrive in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, by the 19 August.

Robin and Bojan will travel over 10,000 milesDriving a 20 year old Suzuki 4x4, their aim is to travel efficiently. "We bought the car on eBay," explains Robin. "We have been working on finding ways of reducing the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of the vehicle." He added: "We have also been building systems to cook food and distill water using the sun and waste energy from the car." In addition they plan to recycle water from the exhaust to maintain and wash the vehicle.

The team is supporting two charities, Hope and Homes for Children, (HHC) and Mercy Corps Mongolia (MCM). HHC helps disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe and Africa and MCM helps rural communities and families remain independent and self-sufficient. Once in Mongolia the team will donate the vehicle to MCM where it will be given to a Mongolian family or auctioned to raise more money.

The rally will take Robin and Bojan through 17 different countries including France, Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. "We are planning on driving 400 miles a day with a maximum speed of 50mph," explains Robin.

But what will be their biggest challenge? "Living in a small confined space with one other person will be a big test for both of us," commented Robin, "also I hope we don’t break the car and that we make it there in one piece!"

The team have received sponsorship from SJ-UK (UK Suzuki Specialists), who are helping them with the vehicle preparation; Quinton Hazell Automotive, who are providing a full spares package; Maplin Electronics, who have provided a Solar panel; and Viking Signs, who are providing the vehicle signage.

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Croatia's government offered its backing Monday to a request for a former general to be released from detention at a U.N. tribunal while awaiting trial on war crimes charges.

Gen. Ante Gotovina is charged with orchestrating the killing of 150 Serbs and the expulsion of at least 150,000 others during Zagreb's 1995 offensive to recapture lands seized by rebel Serbs during the war in the former Yugoslavia.

Gotovina's lawyer, Luka Misetic, has said he will ask The Hague, Netherlands-based U.N. tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to release Gotovina, whose trial is not expected to begin before sometime next year.

He said it was unfair to keep Gotovina in prison for such a period of time before his trial opens. The fugitive was arrested in the Canary Islands, Spain, in late 2005. He has since been jailed in The Hague.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader told reporters that when Gotovina's defense issues the request, he will recommend that the government offer guarantees that the former general would be returned to the tribunal when his trial begins.

Such guarantees normally involve requiring that a suspect regularly check in with local police and ensuring he does not travel abroad.

Gotovina's chances of provisional release are slim, however, because he was a fugitive for four years before his arrest. The tribunal has issued provisional releases, but only for suspects who surrendered voluntarily.

The Croatian government was for years accused of sheltering Gotovina, and so its guarantee may not carry substantial weight. It was Croatian intelligence that located him in 2005 and tipped off the U.N. court, leading to his arrest.

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flyglobespan introduces four more routes as second aircraft arrives at Durham Tees Valley

Nice, Menorca, Pula (Croatia) and Jersey have now commenced

After a successful summer launch in March 2007, award winning airline, flyglobespan is further enhancing its strong portfolio of destinations at Durham Tees Valley Airport with the addition of four new routes.

From this Saturday (30th June 2007), the web-based airline will base a second aircraft at the airport and will fly to Jersey, Menorca (Mahon), Nice and Pula (Croatia).

In addition and following strong demand for Mediterranean destinations, three of the five routes already operating from Durham Tees Valley will increase in frequency. Alicante and Palma will increase to a daily service and Ibiza will operate twice a week, whilst Malaga will continue to operate five times a week and Faro twice a week.

The addition of the new services this summer takes the number of flyglobespan destinations served from Durham Tees Valley to nine, giving north east travellers a fantastic choice of scheduled flights to some of Europe’s most popular destinations at fantastically low prices.

Prices start at only £29.99 one way, including taxes and are on sale now.

flyglobespan chairman Tom Dalrymple says “I am very pleased that we have been able to grow our Durham Tees Valley operation so quickly.

“Our airline has a commitment to bring low fare travel directly to our customers’ local airports but when the operation is as strong as ours is from Durham Tees Valley, there are other benefits.

“Basing a second aircraft at the airport, will significantly increase the employment opportunities we are bringing to the area as well as widen the holiday choices on offer.

“We look to continue to expand our presence at Durham Tees Valley.”

Hugh Lang, managing director, Durham Tees Valley Airport comments “This commitment by flyglobespan to introduce a second aircraft at Durham Tees Valley is wonderful news.

“This is a significant development for the airport and the region and in particular the travelling public of the North East giving them a greater choice for holidays and short breaks.

“Both the airport and airline are thrilled with the number of bookings so far and the response the destinations have stimulated from the North East market.”

To celebrate the arrival of the second aircraft, Durham Tees Valley Airport is offering flyglobespan passenger’s half price car parking. The promotion offers a 50% reduction on the ‘Gate Price’ at Durham Tees Valley Airport. This offer is applicable to bookings made up to and including 15th July 2007 only and is only bookable on the flyglobespan website,