Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 96-11-29

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] SUDDEN TURN IN THE TRIAL "BOMB-MAN"

[02] CONGRESS OF LEGALITY MOVEMENT PARTY ENDS PROCEEDINGS

[03] SIX KILOS OF NARCOTIC PLANTS INTERCEPTED

[04] PRES REWIEV

[05] FROM THE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA TO THERECEPTION ON OCCASION OF ALBANIA'S NATIONAL DAY

[06] FIFA DOES NOT RECOGNISE CHANGES IN ALBANIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION

[07] FOREIGN POLICY OF ALBANIA IS A SUCCESS - Starova

[01] SUDDEN TURN IN THE TRIAL "BOMB-MAN"

"Five more witnesses should be interrogated so that the investigation be complete," he said.

On April 19, 1996, Ilir Buza from Fushe Kruja, threatened that he would blast a hand grenade in front of the presidency to kill himself if he would not be given the chance to meet the president in the moment when the President of Italy Oscar Luigi Scalfaro was coming out of the Presidency during a visit to Albania at that time. After 45 minutes, Buza was disarmed by rapid police.

The next session to hear the witnesses will be held on November 29, 1996. kled/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] CONGRESS OF LEGALITY MOVEMENT PARTY ENDS PROCEEDINGS

Guro Durollari was reelected chairman of the Legality Movement Party (LMP) by 248 votes for and two invalid ballots.

Although a day before, Kurt Kola, Chairman of the Former Politically Prosecuted Association had asked the acceptance of his candidature for chairman, it was not taken into consideration by the commission set up on the purpose of approving the candidatures.

The 13th Congress of the LMP started last week with 263 participants.

At the beginning of the third session, the secretary verified the mandates in order to avoid the group led by Kurt Kola. Last week, this group caused a confusion which brought about the annulment of this session. Later on, a commission set up from the participants in the congress led the voting process.

"I will get engaged with all my forces, that the LMP give its own contribution for the integration of Albania into the European development," said Durollari right after his reelection.

His monarchist Legality Movement Party won in the local elections of October 20 only one commune and 0.67 per cent of the votes, but in alliance with the National Front (Balli Kombetar) won Shkodra municipality. /kled/mt/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] SIX KILOS OF NARCOTIC PLANTS INTERCEPTED

The official of the customs house found in the woman's bag, travelling with 2 children, 3 packages of cannabis sativa, 2 kilos each. The leaves of cannabis sativa were pressed.

The woman, who denied at the very beginning that the packages were hers, confessed later that other people had given her to transport them.

The criminal police of Durresi is conducting investigations to uncover the mystery of the "strange" packages. /kei/mt/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] PRES REWIEV

"Honor to those who contributed to Albania," writes Zeri i Popullit. In the feature "Actualities" the paper publishes an article entitled "Silence about Oct. 20 manipulations continues." "Will IMF stands change?" writes the paper in its economic page. "During all the transition years, IMF has 'observed' completely the Albanian economy," writes the paper.

"Tritan Shehu expels Azem Hajdari," writes Republika. "According to a DP source, the decision is taken by Mr Shehu because Azem Hajdari is not sticking to the Democratic Party," writes the paper. "Constructions massacre the infrastructure," writes the paper in another article.

Under the title "Balli Kombetar is taking its merited place in the Albanian policy," the newspaper Balli i Kombit carries a declaration of the party National Council. "The Albanian right wing towards its consolidation" is another article of this paper.

Sindikalisti has an article under the title "Support for the working people and no to Mafia leaders."

Rilindja writes under the headline "Celebrations on the Flag Day in Albania, Kosova, Diaspora and Albanian Embassies in the world," carries an article "A celebration for all Albanians."

"U.N. adopts a resolution on Kosova presented by Albania," writes the paper under the title "Dramatic discriminating situation in Kosova."

"Discharge of Hajdari from the National Council shows that his possible divorce with the DP is very near, while DP makes once more clear all the doubts for the use of Azem Hajdari", Albania writes under the title: "Second 'post' removed from Hajdari". "Albania honours the martyrs" is another article of this paper.

"Fists in the king's congress," writes Koha Jone about yesterday's congress of the Legality Movement Party. "Police calm monarchists. 15 branches consider the congress illegitimate," writes the paper.

In the feature "Opinion" the Dita Informacion carries an article entitled "Nation-Politics-Politicians." "INSIG towards privatization" is another article of this paper.

"DP rage: Hajdari out of the party," writes Gazeta Shqiptare. "Prosecutor's office starts investigation for Valer Xheka," the paper runs further on. "Italian police detained a group of people which had for more than one year transported narcotics from Albania to Italy," writes the paper under the title "Organization of heroin dissolved." kled/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] FROM THE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA TO THERECEPTION ON OCCASION OF ALBANIA'S NATIONAL DAY

"Re-founding of the Albanian nation in 1912 was not a donation or a desire or will of conjunctures, but a fruit of the titanic efforts by scores of thousands of Albanians in the vigorous uprisings at the beginning of this century, cradle of which was Kosova and other Albanian territories, " said Berisha. He stressed that the Albanian state of 1912 did not start its political life as a sudden phenomenon but as a heir to the legitimate state of Arberia, as a direct heir to the state of Scanderbeg. President Berisha added that on November 28, the Albanian nation recalls with profound veneration also the National Liberation War.

"With your bravery, courage, determination, resistance and manliness, through a struggle which was known throughout Europe and in which thousands of brave partisans laid down their lives, you liberated the country and ranked it on the side of the world antifascist coalition," Berisha addressed the protagonists of this war and their relatives. Berisha added that, unfortunately, dictator Enver Hoxha imposed on the victory and sacrifice of the partisans one of the savagest dictatorships that the Albanian nation has ever known throughout its history.

"We are celebrating freely here today our National Day, but unfortunately, two million Albanians in Kosova are still the last Europeans suffering and experiencing violence, savage oppression and discrimination by the Great Serb occupation," said Berisha. He added that the peaceful way is the best and the most reliable way for the correct solution to the Kosova question.

At the end of his address, President Berisha invited the Albanians wherever they are and the Albanian political forces, to join their minds and energies to consolidate the rule of law and the market economy in Albania, and to solve correctly the Albanian national question. ake/pas/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] FIFA DOES NOT RECOGNISE CHANGES IN ALBANIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION

FIFA reported that AFF did not recognise these changes.

The ban puts Albania's World Cup group nine qualifying match against Northern Ireland on December 14 in jeopardy.

"I think FIFA has taken this decision because it may be badly informed by the leaders of the Albanian football, or to be more precisely by the Secretary General of the AFF, Eduard Dervishi", told Albania paper the State Secretary for Sports, Marjeta Zace.

Dervishi, also interviewed by Albania paper, denies to have influenced FIFA in taking the decision. Asked whether he had had contacts with FIFA, Dervishi said that "they (FIFA representatives) have asked to have contacts with us".

Zace said that Dervishi has urged the Executive Committee of Albanian Football Federation to make violations. She mentioned the problems raised in the federation during previous periods beginning with corruption and the acts of violence manifested in our national championships."

In a news conference Thursday Dervishi said that the only wayout is the withdrawal of Zace.

AFF has indefinitely postponed the convening of its Assembly which had also to make the new elections.

"This is a right entitled to AFF by the Albanian law on sports and both FIFA's and UEFA's representatives, when they came here for consultations with us, saw that there was not any interference (by the Albanian state,)" said Zace in the interview.

Zace said she will ask further explanations from FIFA regarding the issue. eva/kei/mt/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] FOREIGN POLICY OF ALBANIA IS A SUCCESS - Starova

This period has been a real proof of the euroatlantic orientation of Albania, said Starova. Above sources describe the free movement of the citizens, membership of Albania in the Council of Europe, its active participation in the Partnership for Peace Initiative and the insisting work by Albania to fully integrate into NATO as factors which have served integration.

Analysts appreciate the role of Albania in the internationalization of the Kosova issue, whose 90 per cent of the population is Albania. (In the last two years, the U.N. approved two resolutions for Kosova sponsored by Albania. Whereas as the latest step is the approval by the third Committee of the U.N General Assembly of another resolution. Albania has also demanded the establishment of an EU office in Kosova.)

Various agreements have been signed in the last years with EU because the integration into EU structures have been of priority for Albania. (Now Albania is on the verge of signing an agreement of association with EU.) But Albania also is a member of the Central Europe Initiative active member in the context of OSCE, and supports the regional integrating drives. For these reasons, the Albanian deputy foreign minister (in this post since 1992) is of the opinion that the multilateral diplomatic activity of Albania in the past years has been successful.

In the mean time, diplomatic circles also mention the bilateral relations as a serious effort by Albania to accelerate the initiated integration process. Official sources show that in the bilateral aspect, Albania has conducted meetings and made visits at presidential, government and parliamentary levels with representatives of about 50 countries of the world, (U.S., Germany, Italy, France, Britain, Japan, China, etc.)

Analysts say that Albanian foreign policy has attached priority to the U.S. To the favourable winds and good climate among the countries must have served some important visits: those of former presidents Bush and Carter to Albania, the visit of Albanian President Berisha to the U.S. last year, his meetings with President Clinton and members of his cabinet. The U.S. has granted Albania the status of the most favoured nation. On the other hand, Albanian politicians accept that in the national aspect, the U.S. role as a strategic ally of the Albanians in the solution of the national question has assumed important and irreplacable importance.

"Now Albania is not unknown for European political and diplomatic circles, but an appreciated partner in talks," said Starova further on referring to the relations of Albania with the countries of Europe. Political and economic relations with the states of Europe have also been extended, such as with Italy, Germany, Greece, Austria, Denmark, France (President Berisha will soon pay a visit there at the invitation of President Chirac) England, etc.

(Italy and Germany have been the main donators of Albania during the period of transition.) Treates of friendship have been signed with France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Romania and Belgium.

For the Balkan region, Albania has made clear its policy, pro peace and regional understanding with the neighbouring countries," said Starova. In the spring of 1996, Albania was the host country of the balkan Defence Ministers Meeting. An Albanian peace-keeping unit has been formed and is now operating in the structure of the IFOR mission in Zadar, Croatia.

Bilateral relations with Greece are considered by analysts as good and there is a clear tendency of further extending and consolidating them. With regard to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania has been one of the first countries to officially recognize it. It also stick to the opinion that normalization and improvement of the relations with Serbia and Montenegro will depend on the steps of Belgrade for the application of the Dayton Accord and the Belgrade's efforts for a peaceful solution to the Kosova question.

It seems that the road of the past Albanian foreign policy has been long and sometimes unknown.

Sometimes debates and even polemics have been made. Anyhow, the diplomats seem to share the same opinion on an important point: the direction of the Albanian foreign policy in the future: towards the extension of the bilateral relations attaching priority to the EU relations, further sensitization of the international opinion and organizations about the Kosova question, important reforms in the diplomatic structures, said Starova in conclusion. xh/k

From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article