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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-04-03Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] France committed to helping Albania and resolving Kosova issue-Albanian Prime Minister meets French Defence Minister-TIRANE, April 2 (ATA)-A meeting between Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano and French Defence Minister Alain Richard in Paris on Thursday highlighted France's commitment to provide technical assistance to Albania and make everything possible to avoid a Bosnia-like tragedy in Kosova. Richard said that France highly evaluates the Albanian government's stand as a moderator in the region, the spokesman of the prime minister says. "We are aware of the difficulties you are encountering as regards the opposition's efforts to radicalize the public opinion in Albania and Kosova, but we are also convinced of the marginalization of these groupings," said Richard. Nano said that in case the arms embargo does not yield results, then sanctions against former-Yugoslavia should be reconsidered and a wider mandate of the UNPREDEP peace-keeping forces in Macedonia would be considered the right thing. "My aim is that Albania becomes capable of defending itself, increasing contacts and alliances with the allied countries and organisations, " said Nano. Richard said that France will help Albanian cadets get schooling in its military academies. Nano also had a meeting with the Secretary General of the French Socialist party, Franchois Hollande. It stressed that prejudices against the former communist past of the left throughout the East have already been overcome. "The relations of the Albanian Socialist party with the union of the European Socialist parties will keep up with the relations to be established between Albania and the European Union," said Hollande. Nano said that the Socialist Party has reexamined its entire programme, adapting it to the standards of the European left. He conducted a meeting at the French Foreign Trade Centre in Paris also attended by businessmen working with Albania and others who have recently shown special interest in investments in Albania. Nano invited the French businessmen to come to Albania and cooperate in various fields, such as construction, transportation, electric energy, mines, telecommunications and other fields, irrespective of the tense situation in the North of the Balkans. He pointed to concrete projects and the need to create foreign private banks which will support foreign investments in Albania. Nano also held a meeting with financiers, bankers, reporters and political analysts at "Prince de Galles" in Paris, where he made a portray of the favourable situation created in Albania, thanks to changes in judiciary, stabilisation of the public order situation, and new economic indices. Referring to the national strategic and long-term orientation, Nano said that "if the previous government arbitrarily integrated Albania into the Islamic Conference, the current coalition in power has oriented Albania towards European options, beginning with the Franco-phony and its close attachment to the European and international organisations." /s.s/s.sh/mima/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] Kofi Annan expresses readiness to resolve Kosova issueTIRANA, April 2 (ATA)-The U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has expressed his and his organisation's commitment to resolving the Kosova issue.Annan addresses a letter to the President of the Republic, Rexhep Meidani, in response to a letter sent by the latter on March 5 regarding the deteriorating situation in Kosova. "Thank you very much for your letter dated 5 March 1998 conveying your deep concern about the developments in Kosova. I am also grateful for the kind sentiments which you expressed about our efforts to peacefully resolve the Iraqi crisis. I fully share your concerns about the deteriorating situation in Kosova. Recent developments there have only confirmed our fears. I have always been prepared to use my good offices in connection with this and other peace and security matters. However, I am mindful that in this particular instance, there are a number of capable actors, including the Contact Group and regional organisations such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which are taking the lead to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis. As Your Excellency is undoubtedly aware, the Security Council is now seized of the issue, pursuant to the conclusions of the Contact Group meeting which was held in London on 9 March. At the same time, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, is actively engaged in the process in the framework of her responsibilities. I remain hopeful that a solution will be found to the Kosova crisis. However, permit me to reiterate my willingness to assist should this be useful". /s.s/das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] Commitments to expand Albania-Russia economic cooperationTIRANA, April 2 (ATA)-Albanian deputy Prime Minister Bashkim Fino and deputy Finance Minister of the Russian federation Aleksei Kudrin met on Thursday and stressed the intensification of bilateral economic relations.Fino praised the performance of the two delegations in the proceedings of the Albanian-Russian Joint Commission's third session on trade, economic and technical-scientific cooperation. Kudrin said that vast possibilities exist to expand economic cooperation in the reconstruction of the existing industrial enterprises, in energy, water system, air and road transportation and other fields. "I am familiarised with the objectives of your government and consider them ambitious," said Kudrin. Kudrin headed the Russian delegation, which took part in the commission's session. Also attending the meeting were the deputy Finance Minister Adriana Berberi, who headed the Albanian delegation to the commission's session, and the ambassadors of both countries. /s.sh/mima/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] Build up of Serbian forces in Drenice and regions bordering AlbaniaPRISHTINE, April 2 (ATA)-ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports:Kosova continues to be under the Serbian forces' crackdown and terror, especially Drenice and the regions bordering Albania. The reinforcement of the Serbian forces continued also today in Drenice, especially on a hilly area between Skenderaj and Laushe. From the positions and fortifications of an iron siege, which is lasting for more than one month, Serbian heavy arms and snipers continue to be aimed at large areas and sporadic shelling continued also during the last 24 hours. Reports available from Mitrovice says that three military planes of the Serbian army flew over this city and in the direction of Drenice this afternoon, at around 16.30. At the same time police forces, backed by various vehicles and armaments, have left Mitrovice for Skenderaj. The Kosova Information Centre this afternoon reported this afternoon on Serbian army and police reinforcements along the border line with Albania, at Qafe e Morines, as well as on a tight police control in Ponoshac and Junik in the regions of the Gjakova and Decan communes. Sources of the LDK from Gjakova report that shots were fired from the yard of the Serbian police station in Ponoshac yesterday afternoon. /la/mima/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] Works on Kakavije-Gjirokaster motorway to begin on July 1GJIROKASTER, April 2 (ATA)-By H. Cani, Works on the Kakavije- Gjirokaster (south of Albania) motorway begin on July 1 of this year, the chairman of the Gjirokaster district council, Jani Dako, told ATA.The motorway will be 28 km long and will be built by Greek company "Sarandopulos", and the several million dollar worth of fund (each km requires around $1 million) has been released by the International Monetary Fund for Development. /s.sh/pas/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] Dinghyload of illegal emigrants blocked before leaving for ItalyKAVAJE, April 3 (ATA)-By S. Gjordeni, A dinghy with some 20 Albanian emigrants on board was blocked by the police of Kavaje town (Middle Albania), in cooperation with Italian border guards, on Thursday evening, while it was preparing to set sail for Italy, sources of the Kavaje police station Commissariat told ATA.The dinghy operators, facing the police control, were on the run along with the illegal emigrants. According to the sources the dinghy belongs to citizen Met Gjoci from Kavaja. /s.s/mima/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] Foreign troops and Albanian legislators By Enton AbilekajTIRANA, April 2 (ATA)-The Albanian opposition has turned its objection to the presence of Greek soldiers in Albania into an action. The Democratic Party's objection was raised in parliament on Wednesday by one of its exponents, Azem Hajdari.Hajdari's call against a Greek presence in Albania found nothing but silence on the part of the government coalition parties, represented by the Socialist Party. The Democratic party's coldness towards the southern neighbours is old. Trials opened in Tirana in 1994 against Albanian citizens of Greek nationality and against the Albanian Autocephalous church to be headed by His Holiness, Iannulatos. The several-year-long problems diminished with a tactful but not complete withdrawal by the Albanians. However, the freezing of the relations continued for a long time and only when the power changed the official Athens declared "the climax of the relations with Albania". In fact, the great opening of the new government brought admiration from outside, but also several problems with the legislation. One of the sharp points of the legislation is sanctioning by Constitution of the foreign forces, presence in Albania. The Albanian constitutional package neither hinders nor allows the presence of the non-Albanian military forces in the Albanian territory. Their arrival in lawless Albania one year ago was realised through an emergency law of parliament and a political formula, that would create the possibility to compensate for the lack of the State. Besides the Greek soldiers, Albania also expects the arrival of the U.N. or NATO troops at its borders. /pas/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] Serbian reinforcements in Drenice threaten massacre - insecurity in GjakovePRISHTINE, April 3 (ATA)-Serbian forces have been built up in the Skenderaj commune, Drenice. They fire guns at the time when there are no foreign reporters."This threatens a fresh massacre," Fadil Geci, leader of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) in Laushe, told the Kosova Centre of Information. Rakinice, Gllodenice and other villages are living through a very difficult situation due to shortages of food and medicine. In the meantime, according to the LDK information section in Gjakove, the situation in this commune is becoming increasingly unsafe, due to reinforcements of the Serbian army-police forces along the border, precisely in Qafe e Morine. The same situation also prevails at the entrance of Junik. Reports from the LDK information commission in Gjilan say that Serbian armed civilians were spotted at the centre of Gjilan yesterday morning. /p.ta/mima/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] Foreign Minister to present new structure of diplomatic embassiesTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: Albania's Foreign Minister Paskal Milo will inform next week the foreign parliamentary commission on a new structure of Albanian diplomatic embassies."There are countries where the embassies are not necessary, because they can be covered by the embassies of other countries, but on the other hand, there are embassies in countries like Germany, Italy, Greece, which should be favoured, also taking into consideration the large number of Albanian emigrants who work there," the chairman of the foreign parliamentary commission, Sabri Godo, told ATA on Friday. He added that Milo has made a study on this restructure, which will be presented in the commission by next week. Godo also expressed the concern that the Foreign Ministry does not give regular information to the embassies regarding the political developments in Albania. "The Ministry and the embassies are a bit detached from one another. The closer cooperation among them is necessary to have more efficacity," said Godo, adding that even this problem will be discussed in the meeting of the commission with the Foreign Minister. The commission has also planned to summon after 10 days also the State Secretary for the Euro-Atlantic Integration, Maqo Lakrori, to inform on the current progress of Albania's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. /s.s/mima/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] Event of Ura Vajgurore, cooked up by DP politicians, says BrahoTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - By K. Kostreci: One of the members of the parliamentary investigation commission on last year's riots declared Friday that the current politicians of the Democratic Party have cooked up the event of Ura Vajgurore, where in June 1997, armed persons shot on a minibus and an armoured police vehicle causing the death of three policemen and a civilian.The socialist member of the commission, Spartak Braho, told ATA on Wednesday that he could not give the names of the persons involved in this event due to the investigating secret. "There is a connection between the criminals who shot on the policemen in Ura Vajgurore and the persons who were involved in the conflict with the police in Milot. May be the ties are older: the same persons have been also involved in the event of April 2, 1991," said Braho. In February of this year, the deputy of the Democratic Party, Azem Hajdari, together with several persons who escorted him, had a conflict with the police. The immunity of Hajdari has been lifted to open way to investigations. In April 2, 1991, four people were killed in Shkoder during a demonstration. The circumstances of their murder have been not uncovered yet. Based on the documents, taken from the archives of the Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry and SHIK, as well as testimonies collected by the commission in Vlore, Permet, Berat and Ura Vajgurore, Braho accused directly the military state structures of stirring up the riots. "The military structures of the state of Berisha, the army, SHIK and the military police, the reservists and militants have participated in the military attacks against the population in South by causing innocent victims," said Braho. He added that these operations aggravated the situation and forced the population to seize weapons for self-defence. /s.sh/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] Conflict in Kosova should be resolved soonTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - The restoration and consolidation of peace and stability in Southeastern Europe as a foundation stone on which the pan- European cooperation will be built was the theme discussed in the first meeting of the Royaumont process for the Stability and Good Neighbourliness with the countries of Southeastern Europe. This meeting was held on April 1 in Athens under the direction of Great Britain, as the rotating head of the European Union, as well as of the coordinator of this process, Mr. Roumeliotis.The participants in this meeting put forward among others the conflict in Kosova and asked its solution as soon as possible through dialogue and cooperation of the parties interested and international bodies already engaged. The Royaumont process will contribute to the restoration of peace and stability in the region, both through frequent meetings with defined topics of Non Government Organizations (NGO-s) and through annual institutionalized meetings with representatives of governments of member countries. Attending this meeting was also an Albanian delegation, headed by the director of the department of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, Ferit Hoxha. The Albanian representative pointed out the concrete engagement of the Albanian government to restore stability in the country, and to give its contribution for the progress of the Royaumont program through the spirit of cooperation. The document, drafted at the end of the meeting, underlined that the cooperation is the promoter of this initiative. In this document it is asked the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to normalize the relations with respective subjects in this federation. /s.sh/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] Unclear acts of Union for Democracy regarding Constitutional Commission, says GodoTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: The co-chairman of the Commission for drafting a new constitution, Sabri Godo, considered incomprehensible the situation created after the approval in parliament of the three representatives from the parties of Union for Democracy in the Constitutional Commission."The acts of these representatives are unclear. They are both inside and outside the commission," said Godo, referring to the fact that on one hand three parties of Union for Democracy have defined their representatives in the Constitutional Commission, approved by Parliament, while on the other one they have said they will not take part in the commission until the requests of this grouping are fulfilled. Only the representative of Legality Movement Party has participated in one of the meetings of the Commission, meanwhile that the Christian Democratic Party will be represented by its chairman Zef Bushati, while the Democratic Union Party by the chairman Remzi Ndreu. According to Godo, even the Social Democratic Union Party will soon present in parliament the proposal for its representative in the commission. The grouping Union for Democracy is made up the Democratic Party, Legality Movement Party, Christian Democratic Party, Social Democratic Union Party and the Democratic Union Party. The parties of the political grouping Union for democracy presented several days ago some requests as condition for participation in the commission. /s.sh/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] Union for Democracy to clarify requests for Constitutional Commission, says GjinushiTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: The requests of Union for Democracy on the composition of the Constitutional Commission have reached the presidency of the People's Assembly, but they will not be examined if they are not explained.Albania's Parliament Speaker Skender Gjinushi told ATA on Friday that the document signed by the chairman of the Democratic Party parliamentary group, Genc Pollo and the representative of the Center Right Group, Guri Durollari, has arrived, "but everything is unclear." The parties of Union for Democracy have asked the reexamination of Constitutional Commission composition; they have asked that one of the co- chairmen be from the opposition, and not to have a co-chairman coming from the executive. One of the co-chairmen of the commission, Sabri Godo, is representative of the Republican Party. Godo himself has not rejected the idea of discussing the requests of the Union for Democracy grouping, but in an institutional way. /s.sh/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] Co-chairmen of Constitution Commission agree to set up a senateTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: One of the co-chairmen of the Commission for drafting a new constitution, Sabri Godo, confirmed Friday that there are thoughts in this commission to change the law-making structure in Albania, concretely to set up a senate."These thoughts, which will be discussed later, have been also supported by me and the other co-chairman, Arben Imami," Godo told ATA, adding that the establishment of a senate would prevent any parliamentary majority to approve all laws it wants. The establishment of a senate would lead to a parliament made up of two houses, from where the Upper House, the Senate, will examine the laws passed by the Lower House, that of deputies. /s.sh/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] Serbian military jets flying over borderlands in DecanPRISHTINA, April 3 (ATA) - By B. Jashari: In the borderlands of Kosova with Albania even today have continued the movements and deployments of the Serbian forces. Also, in these areas, last night, two Serbian jet- planes have launched flights. The movements of the Serbian forces are always more intensive in Ponoshec, towards the border point of Qafe Morina and Junik. /p.ta/das/mt/Albanian Telegraphic Agency[16] Referendum of Belgrade aims at blocking solution of Kosova issuePRISHTINA, April 3 (ATA) - By B. Jashari: The President of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova, considered harmful the manoeuvres of the Yugoslav President, Milosevic, regarding the Serbian referendum, at a time when weapons speak in Kosova. The request of Milosevic for the Serbian referendum "is not serious and aims to block the solution of the Kosova issue at an international level," President Rugova told a news conference, held Friday in Prishtina."The stand of the international community is for the presence of a third party, authorized in the negotiations of Kosova with the Yugoslav party," said Rugova, underlining that the Serbian referendum "is an opposition of Belgrade against the international community." He added that "Our stand is that the negotiations between Prishtina and Belgrade should be held with the help and mediation of a third party and that the best solution for Kosova is an independent and neutral Kosova, with all the guarantees for the Serbs of Kosova, and an international protectorate in the transitional stage." Rugova hailed the approval of the resolution of the UN Security Council and considered it "an important step of the U.N. for the solution of the Kosova question." Responding to the questions of journalists regarding the embargo of weapons and the group of the armed Albanians in Kosova, Rugova said that "I have no information about any kind of such group. Perhaps there are small groups of frustrated people, but they might have been encouraged by the Serbian secret services to have a pretext for causing massacres, as it happened in Drenice." /p.ta/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[17] Draft-law "On border police" to be approved in Parliament soonTIRANA, April 3 (ATA) - By K. Kostreci: The government has prepared a draft-law on the border police, which will be examined soon in the parliamentary commission of order and SHIK.The chairman of this commission, Luan Hajdaraga, told ATA on Friday that this law "On border police" is necessary to stop the illegal traffics of any kind, also including that of weapons. Hajdaraga explains that through this law, the border police are detached as a separate structure, depended by the Interior Ministry. /das/mt/ From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ataAlbanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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