Compact version |
|
Monday, 23 December 2024 | ||
|
Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-12-15Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] WE WILL MAKE EVERYTHING FOR A SUCCESS TO YOUR VISIT - British Premier hails visit of Albanian Premier to London -TIRANE, DEC 15 (ATA) - British Premier Tony Blair hailed the visit of Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano to the United Kingdom which started on December 14, 1997.Right after his arrival in London, PM Nano had a message of the British PM, Blair, wishing him welcome to the United Kingdom. "I know that Mr Robin Cook will have an extensive discussion with You on December 15 but I would like to tell you that what have impressed me are the beginnings of the work of your government. We welcome your efforts to develop a national understanding for the future of Albania. I hope that You will work with the opposition to construct genuine institutions for all the parties," says the message of the British PM. He highlights the main objectives of the Albanian Government such as the restitution of law and order conformed to European standards of the human rights and voices his satisfaction that the United Kingdom is making its contribution to the training of Albanian police. "The agreement you reached with the IMF is an important step forward in the resuscitation of economic welfare. Its implementation will demand the adoption of bold decisions but the international community will support You in undertaking the necessary actions. As you know, the United Kingdom will take the chairmanship of the European Union next January. During our presidency we shall work to put into life the agreement of cooperation between Albania and the European Union. We in Britain have been very attentively following the sense of responsibility with which you have treated the regional questions. I hope that your visit will also create another possibility in further fostering trade relations between us. I know that a number of British companies are interested in realising investments in Albania in a near future. I regret that other commitments do not allow me to meet you over Your visit. I hope, nevertheless, You will consider as fruitful your visit here this week. We will make everything we can in the near future to meet You," says the message of the British Premier, Blair. pas/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] GREAT INVESTMENTS ON TIRANE-DURRES ROADTIRANE, DEC 15 (ATA) - P Shuteriqi: Scores of investments have been and are being made in Tirane-Durres road by various productive and service groups or firms, local and foreign, or based on joint capital.During the past years, scores of companies with foreign capital are having their economic and trade activity such as "Coca Cola," Kato Aromatic" in the municipality of Vore, "Benz-Mercedez," "Opel," "Akuila Likuori," etc. The foreign firms are now taking interest in powerful sectors of the infrastructure such as the reconstruction of the international airport of Rinas, continuation of the Tirane-Durres highway, as part of the 8th international corridor, the completion of the electro-irrigation and water supplying project of Boville, etc. "According to our plans and studies this zone will have an industry without pollution," stresses the director of Town-Planning at the district council, Rudolf Shllaku. For the future, the urban study of an area of 17 hectares has been completed and designed for considerable investments with the aim of preserving the ecology and the perspectives for the coordination of the productive activity and trade character. kled/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] MASKED PEOPLE IN PUKE KILL TWO POLICEMENPUKE, DEC 15 (ATA) - By M Malja: Two policemen of the Puke district commissariat, Pashk Vasia, 40, and the driver Gjelosh Hasa, 41, were killed on Sunday afternoon by a group of armed and masked people.The event took place on December 14, at 5 p.m. in Shpal village of Mirdite district, Northern Albania, sources of the commissariat say. According to reports, the police car was hit by the armed group who looted passengers on Shpal-Fushe Arrez road, and as a result the policeman and the driver were shot dead. During the past two months, two groups of ill-doers have been seized and are under penal prosecution. ssh/pas/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] ALBANIA'S PRESIDENT TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO SAN MARINOTIRANE, DEC 15 (ATA) - At the invitation of Regent Captains of San Marino, Luiggi Mazza and Marino Zanoti, Albania's President Rexhep Meidani will pay an official several-hour visit to this country today.According to the President's press and information office, a topic of that talks will be the encouraging of bilateral cooperation, especially development of cultural relations and acceleration of investments in the economic field. President Meidani and the delegation he leads is expected to have meetings with local authorities in Montova of Lombardia. President Meidani will also have a meeting in the Chamber of Commerce of Mantova with investors in the field of tourism, agriculture, trade and data-basing. The most important meeting will be that with the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Lombardia, the largest grouping of traders in Europe. Together with the President, present in this meeting will also be a group of Albanian businessmen. The Albanian President will be accompanied by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Arta Dade. ake/pas/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] QUAKE TREMORS IN ALBANIATIRANE, DEC 15 (ATA) - Today at 11.56 a.m. (local time) the Seismological Institute of the Academy of Sciences has recorded quake tremors measured 3.5. degree on Richter scale.The preliminary epicentre is located in the zone of Tropoja, Northern Albania, near Bajram Curri town. The tremors are measured 4.5 degrees in the town of Bajram Curri and nearby villages. No damages are reported. Other weaker quake tremors have also been measured in this zone. pas/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] LEK TENDS STABILISATIONTIRANE, DEC.15 (ATA)-By L. Thanasi, Follows the average foreign currency exchange rate against the Lek on December 15 and 14, 1997:Currency DEC. 15 DEC. 14 USD 148.75 148.50 DM 83.90 84.20 ITL(1000) 84.76 84.80 GRD(100) 53.16 53.40 SFR 102.71 103.20 /pas/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] POLICE FORCES INTERCEPT 150 KG OF CANNABIS SATIVASARANDE, DEC. 15 (ATA)- By Sh. Hajno, Police forces of Sarande, Southern Albania, last night detained a person from the Gjashte village of this district who was transporting 150 kg. cannabis sativa by a truck with Vlore number plate.The police found an automatic rifle in Oliver Guga's house. But while detained in the spaces of the Sarande commissariat, Guga managed to escape through an window. The truck was stolen the previous day in Himare, in the Ionian coast, 50 kms north of Sarande. pas/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] BRIDGES OF COOPERATION SET UP BETWEEN DURRES AND VELZ (AUSTRIA)DURRES, DEC. 15 (ATA) - By S. Gjordeni: A meeting was held Monday in the town hall of Durres between the businessmen of Durres and a delegation from the town of Velz (Austria), headed by the deputy of the Land of the Upper Austria and manager of "DELTA" company, Volfgang Matzinger.The Austrian party voiced the readiness not only to establish sister- like relations between Durres and Velz, but also to lay the foundations of a wider cooperation with Albanian entrepreneurs. They undertook training of several businessmen from Durres in Austria. On February 25, a delegation of the town hall of Durres, with entrepreneurs of this city, will visit Velz to make concrete the fields of cooperation between both cities. /s.sh/pas/mt/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] NEW STAFF OF POLICE COMMISSARIAT PRESENTED IN SARANDESARANDE, DEC. 15 (ATA) - By Sh. Hajno: The new staff of the police commissariat was presented Monday in the town of Sarande.The chief of this commissariat was appointed Ardian Resuli, former specialist of anti-drugs in the special forces of the Interior Ministry, chief of order Iliaz Labi, former officer in the police commissariat of Gjirokaster, while chief of the criminal police was named Ilir Ngresi, former officer in the police directorate of Berat. The presentation of the new staff was made by the director of the criminal police in the Interior Ministry, Fatmir Hakani. The frequent changes of the police staffs in this district have been dictated by the needs to improve the work of the police in this district, which has had problems recently not only regarding order but also regarding the traffic of drugs, aliens and smuggling. /pas/mt/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] INSTITUTIONAL CRISIS DEEPENS IN ALBANIATIRANA, DEC. 15 (ATA) - By A. Hasani: The institutional crisis continues to go deeper in Albania, mainly after the news conference of the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Rustem Gjata, held Monday in Tirana.In a detailed report of the activity of the Constitutional Court, he declared that some 736 requests have been examined during the five years of the establishment of this institution, with an average of 134 cases per year. He specified the indictments brought by the political forces and said that the court will not go beyond its competencies in any case. Asked about what would he do if parliament would dissolve the Constitutional Court, Gjata, after saying that this is a legal right of the People's Assembly, declared that he would go to the offices of social insurances. He added that he and the members of the Constitutional Court he heads have been attacked by several government officials, thus forcing him to sue in the prosecutor's office the Chairman of the Commission on Transparency of pyramid schemes, Farudin Arapi, Minister of Institutional Reform Arben Imami and Parliament Speaker Skender Gjinushi. Further on, in a personal statement, he said that "I consider 'constitutional coup' the stands and arbitrary acts of the executive and law-making bodies against the Constitutional Court." The deadline of rotation, voted by two thirds of the parliament, ends on December 20. /a.ke/kei/mt/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] BERISHA TELLS HISTORY OF CORRIDOR EIGHTTIRANA, DEC 15 (ATA) - By Aurel Simoni: Leader of the Democratic party (DP) told a news conference on Monday midday that when he was the president of the Republic he had insisted on Bulgaria being a center of the corridor eight.Former president said that the history of the corridor eight started at 1992 under the supervision of the United States and then of the European Union. He added that Albania had asked that Sofia be a center of the corridor to avoid some political misunderstandings at that time. Berisha said that the Bulgarian Socialists welcomed this and in 1995 the U.S. president (Bill) Clinton had secured a fund from the U.S. Congress to open offices in Sofia. "On the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, presidents of Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey and I signed an agreement on the corridor eight (under the supervision of the than General Secretary Boutros Boutros Ghali) which envisaged a railway and highway," Berisha said. Former president Berisha accused Greece of opposing the initiative of corridor eight because it wanted the corridor passed through Igumenice what meant, according to Berisha, that Durres which could have been the most important port lost its role. "The Bulgarian Socialist government tried to sabotage unscrupulously the corridor and hindered the activity of the installed unit in Sofia," Berisha said. ake/kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CANNOT VIOLATE CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE - GjinushiTIRANA, DEC. 15 (ATA) - By A. Keko: "The Constitutional Court cannot violate the constitutional laws in any circumstance. Its mandate, according to the main Constitutional Provisions, is to guarantee the protection and invulnerability of these laws," the Albanian Parliament Speaker, Skender Gjinushi, told the OSCE ambassador in Tirana, Daan Evert, during a meeting held on Monday.Evert was interested in the conflict between the Constitutional Court and Parliament. While, with regard to the problem of rotation, Gjinushi pointed out that "the rotation is forced by the constitutional laws, and as long as the time, defined by the members of the Constitutional Court, has been fulfilled, any other interpretation of the law is misinterpretation." Speaker Gjinushi stressed the resolution of Parliament to make the country with constitution, "as the best guarantee to have political stability." /a.ke/kei/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] ALBANIAN PREMIER MEETS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF BRITISH COMPANIESTIRANA, DEC 15 (ATA) - Albanian prime minister Fatos Nano started a visit in London, Great Britain, early on Monday meeting dozens of representatives of British and international companies and consortiums interested in investing in Albania, Information and Media Department at the Council of Ministers said.The meeting was organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in London, Confederation of British Industry, Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of British Consultants. Norman Uding, who presided the meeting, said Albania has overcome the crisis, which gripped Albania at the beginning of the year and now needs international support and the British one to reconstruct its economy. Nano said that the market is increasingly becoming efficacious, the first projects have started and the first results of the financial reform are positive and pave the way for important investments in Albania. Prime Minister Nano said that curbing inflation and budget deficit for this year signals hopes for a growth of economic development, GDP, which is foreseen to increase some 10 percent next year. Nano said that the strategy of privatisation, which will be approved soon in Albania offers optimum conditions for investments. Ylli Bufi, Minister of Public Economy and Privatisation, said that privatisation is not the government's aim, but an instrument towards economic stability through increase of market and competition efficiency. Ministry Bufi said that any sector can be privatised and is opened to foreign capital. ake/kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] NAVY DEFENCE FORCES RESUME OPERATIONTIRANA, DEC 15 (ATA) - By Th.Thanasi:, V.Çarçani: The defence of naval territory by the Albanian navy force is equal to that of territorial, Sabit Brokaj, Defence Minister told a ceremony organised on Monday marking the resuming of operation of Navy forces in Bisht Palle, Durres.Brokaj said that the operation of the Navy forces after the March - April 1997 unrest is a direct contribution to reorganise the Albanian army according to the NATO structures. "Albania's territorial waters will not serve as roads to illegal traffic and contraband but a source of life, asset, culture and bridge of progress," Brokaj said. Beniamino Andreata, Italian minister of Defence, said that Italy is proud to promote military cooperation with Albania. "It will soon help rehabilitate the navy base of Vlora," Andreata said. We are interested in allowing no state to dominate on the other in the Balkan peninsula, but all should find peace, understanding and cooperation, the Italian Defence minister said. The Albanian navy commemorates the 72nd anniversary on December 25 this year. The Navy district of Durres in Bisht Palle was created in October 1995. The Bisht Palle district is reconstructed within two months with a fund worth 4 million leks by the state budget and other donors' aid. s.sh/kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] EXPERTS OF PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN ATHENS INVESTIGATE IN CONSULATE OF GJIROKASTERGJIROKATER, DEC. 15 (ATA) - By H. Cani: For two consecutive days, in the headquarters of the Greek consulate in Gjirokaster, Southern Albania, an attorney and two Greek investigation experts of the economic crimes, carried out investigation regarding the documentation and the procedures of giving visas for the Albanian citizens who go to Greece.The group from the prosecutor's office of Athens went to the Greek diplomatic headquarters, after the accusation published in the press of Athens for the existence of a traffic of selling and buying the visas that this consulate gives to Albanians, reported sources close to experts, who left Gjirokaster on Monday. In this investigating process is also included the familiarization with the documentation for those citizens who have visas by not respecting the criteria of being inside the territory that this diplomatic headquarter has under its jurisdiction. Also, sources of the Consulate report that the General Consul of Greece in Gjirokaster, Nikos Kaqucis, is currently in Athens, called by the Greek Foreign Ministry. /a.ke/kei/mt/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[16] "WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU" - Robin CookTIRANA, DEC. 15 (ATA) - "We will continue to support you," the British Foreign Minister, Robin Cook, told the Albanian Prime Minister, Fatos Nano, during a meeting held Monday in London."Not only Great Britain, but the whole European Union is very impressed by the reforms of the Albanian government, which should be encouraged," said Cook. Nano and Cook exchanged thoughts regarding the bilateral cooperation, mainly after January when Great Britain will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union, PM spokesman reports. Cook said that the British government considered the meeting of Nano with Milosevic, held in Crete, as a very possitive step and added that his government will continue to exert pressure on Serbs, who should respect all the rights of Albanians in Kosova, beginning with the education agreement as soon as possible, to arrive further on to the status of autonomy. Premier Nano, on his side, said that the Albanians are all trying to find a common formula for their national question, but in this direction, the international community should start focusing more in the region of the Balkans. /s.s/kei/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[17] PARLIAMENT PASSES ECONOMIC LAWTIRANA, DEC 15 (ATA) - By A. Hasani: Albanian parliament passed later on Monday a law on sticking revenue stamps on tobaccos and alcoholic drinks.It also approved a change on the customs code according to which the income from penalties and confiscation goods was divided fifty fifty both to the state budget and bodies, which have confiscated and imposed penalties. Deputies agreed to hold a meeting in order to prevent misinterpretation and abuse of a constitutional law on rotating system, which should be done by the Constitutional Court. Muhamet Bela, deputy from Kukes, urged the government to resolve problems existing in Albania's border areas with the Northern neighbour, Yugoslavia, through dialogue, problems which have claimed the lives of people due to the lack of border crossing points in this area. ake/kei/ak/ From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ataAlbanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |