ALBANIA AND UNO

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 August 1946, Page 8

ALBANIA AND UNO

MEMBERSHIP OPPOSED BY

GREECE

“NOT PEACE LOVING” NEW YORK, August 5. . Russia and Poland supported Albania’s application for membership of the United Nations at a private meeting of the Membership Committee, but the Greek Ambassador to the United States (Mr. Demeramis) said that Albania could not qualify as a. peace-loving State. He submitted a long memorandum which the committee will consider later.

The British and American delegates said they had open minds on the question, but quoted a number of facts which they said should be considered before the application was granted. These included Albania’s failure to give assurances that she would recognise treaties with the United States signed before the war, afi'd the alleged firing on British warships by Albanian batteries, and other similar incidents. The committee appointed a subcommittee comprising Australia, Egypt and Poland, to draft a list of questions to which factual answers will be requested from the interested Governments.

The Greek memorandum strongly opposed Albania’s appliaction. It urged a postponement and declared that otherwise the peace and security of the Balkans would be at stake and Greece’s position in the United Narions made extremely difficult.