Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-04-27

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Investments on a beer factory resume

[02] Albanian writer concerned on Gjirokastra

[03] Norway ambassador presents credentials to Albania president

[04] Five-member family to obtain 60 percent of economic aid

[05] USD quoted at 156,4 Leks on Monday

[06] Some 33% of owned land is hired in cash

[07] There are no Kosova refugees in Tropoja

[08] Army spokesman says no border incident

[09] Fehmi Abdiu elected head of Constitutional Court

[10] Albanian political parties do not leave aside squabbling in face of Kosova issue

[11] New ministers to be voted in Parliament on Wednesday

[12] Serbian operations in suburbs of Decan, Gjakova and Drenica continue

[13] Albanian Foreign Minister on coming Contact Group meeting

[14] Albania's President meets with Norway's Foreign Minister

[15] Milo regards compromise as only way to resolve crisis in Kosova

[01] Investments on a beer factory resume

The investments will be done in two phases. The first phase is expected to employ 70 workers from the city who will be specialised for two months in Skopje. The second phase, according to the Macedonian representative Radko Capikovska, will mark the end of factory construction and other workers will be employed. ake/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Albanian writer concerned on Gjirokastra

Kadare, sometime candidate for Nobel prize in literature, was briefed about the situation in Gjirokastra, Southern Albania, by Ylli Asllani, the city mayor, in a meeting in writer's residence in Tirana.

The concern for the continuous destruction of the ancient city with precious architectonic values could not be only a concern for the residents but also for the whole Albanian world, Kadare said.

Kadare said that it was necessary to maintain and rehabilitate museum parts of the city.

"I assured him that the development and programming office close to the town hall are preparing a wide research material called "UNESCO file".

The local municipality council has declared Kadare's house "Culture monument". ake/das/ak/

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[03] Norway ambassador presents credentials to Albania president

Albania Foreign Minister Paskal Milo attended the ceremony. ake/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Five-member family to obtain 60 percent of economic aid

The economic aid is to a minimum level for families having up to five members at the present moment when a price hike is recorded.

Traditional four-member families represent 25 percent of the families, which receive economic aid.

During 1993-1997, some 15.5 percent of the Albanian families have profited complete or partial economic aid. The aid fund for this year is increased 1.57 times in comparison to 1997, despite efforts to engage people in public works.

It is the state budget that has provided the economic aid.

The fund worth 7,440 million Leks provided by the state for 1998 is thought to ease in some way the poverty of the families which profit the economic aid.

Projects to employ skilled persons of these families in public works, particularly in rehabilitating roads and water supply lines are approved. /ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] USD quoted at 156,4 Leks on Monday

Monday exchange rates

Currency Savings Bank Informal market

USD 156,4 lek 159,5 lek DM 86,8 lek 88,7 ITL (1000) 86, lek 89,7 GRD (100) 49,4 lek 50 SFR 104,3 lek 105,4 /ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Some 33% of owned land is hired in cash

In general, the phenomenon of leasehold is widely spread. A part of farmers prefers to lease their land not only in cash but also in clearing, instead of working themselves.

According to the Albanian Center for Economic Research, this phenomenon is predominant in the field zones where there are noted some 64.3% of the cases of leasehold, in the hilly zones there are some 28.6% of the cases of leasehold and in mountainous zones there are some 7.1% cases.

The phenomenon of leasehold has come because of the emigration of the most part of youths living in villages.

The tariffs of payment for dynym (one tenth of a hectare) are different both between zones and inside them, or even within a commune. They vary from 1000 leks to 5000 leks for dynym. From the data, it comes out that 50 per cent of the communes use only a tariff of leasehold. /mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] There are no Kosova refugees in Tropoja

According to him, special persons may have illegally passed the border and perhaps they were sheltered at their relatives, but there is no coming of refugees.

The vicinity with the border and blood relations with the inhabitants beyond the border have favoured these illegal passes of the border, but they have been limited. Many Kosova people have passed the border recently due to the increase of the Serbian violence and terror against the inhabitants of the Kosovar villages near the border, and this has been considered as an arrival of refugees. Many newspapers have covered this fact recently, speaking of a number of 1000 refugees in Bajram Curi, which was rejected by the official bodies of this zone. /a.ke/das/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Army spokesman says no border incident

"Observation groups along the border line are closely following the movements of the Serb forces on the other side of the border where reinforcements have been deployed 150 meters from the Albanian state border, " Azem Perllaku, spokesman of the Second Infantry Division in Kukes, said to ATA.

"However, the situation is not alarming," he said adding that the army was not at the ready. "There were no military reinforcements of the army from the center Albania and no reservists have been mobilised as the dailies said on Sunday."

Trainings continue in military units to face any possible situation.

The same source said that situation was more critical in the region of Bajram Curri, where Serbian forces had approached the border with reinforcements and heavy armaments.

"So far, there have been no incidents in the border between the states, what rejected the Serbs' claims for the involvement of the Albanian side, which they use as an alibi for the terror exerted against the Albanian population in Kosova," Perllaku said. ake/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Fehmi Abdiu elected head of Constitutional Court

The spokesman of this court told ATA that the Constitutional Court elected Fehmi Abdiu as head of the Constitutional Court by six votes for and three against.

Abdiu, SP deputy and so far head of the parliament's law commission, replaces Rustem Gjata, who was dismissed from office by the People's Assembly in March of this year, following a request by the Figures' Scrutiny Commission. /s.s/mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Albanian political parties do not leave aside squabbling in face of Kosova issue

Although the two major parties, the Socialist and the Democratic parties, as well as the representatives of the other parties shared the view that the Contact Group takes urgent decisions to resolve the Kosova issue, including very tough sanctions on Serbia and deployment of international forces in Kosova and the Albanian territory, a joint resolution on this major issue was still impossible to be reached.

A cause for this was the interference of the DP participants, who asked from the round table to condemn the Nano-Milosevic meeting in Crete which, they said, preceded the current event in Kosova. /mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] New ministers to be voted in Parliament on Wednesday

On the same day the Parliament will elect the new chairmen of some parliamentary commissions, namely of Public Order and National Information Service SHIK, of Economy and Laws. /s.sh./mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Serbian operations in suburbs of Decan, Gjakova and Drenica continue

The Vokshi region has been the target of the attacks, according to reports from Decan. For more than four hours (from 01.00 until 05.00) the Serbian artillery incessantly attacked the Stergu of Vokshi and the Hulaj village.

Military planes flew towards these regions, nearly 10 kilometers from the Kosova border with Albania, at around 03.00 and at about 06.00 helicopters were also spotted which later returned in the direction of Gjakova.

These flights were renewed at 13.00, while reinforcements continue to be sent to this region. Shootings have been heard today also in the direction of Baballoq and Gramacel.

The situation has been grave today also in the region of Dushkaja and Reke e Keqe in Gjakova. Serbian army, police and paramilitary forces and armoured vehicles have been concentrated this afternoon around the Cermjan village while Suka e Cermjanit has been incessantly attacked.

The Gjakova city is almost blocked by the Serbian army-police presence and Prishtine bus stations reported today that there will be no bus service for Gjakova.

Three corpses were brought to the Gjakova morgue today and they are thought to be Albanians killed in today's assaults of the Serbian forces in the Vokshi region.

Serbian forces operations continue also in Drenice. Attacks were renewed today against Araceva, Kopiliqi, Buroja, Vojniku and a number of other villages.

According to Albanian sources from these areas, at least seven Albanians have been injured and over 20 houses have been destroyed over the last three days. /p.ta/mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Albanian Foreign Minister on coming Contact Group meeting

"There are splits even between the Contact Group countries," said Milo in his report before deputies. There are three smaller groups within the Contact Group, the first consisting of the U.S. and the Great Britain, the second of France and Germany and the third consisting of Russia, the least close to our option."

"Efforts are underway for a unity within the Contact Group," said Milo.

"The status of Kosova will not be determined in the Wednesday talks," said Mr Milo, adding that "it will be decided through bilateral negotiations."

"Various envoys of the Group will go to various Balkan countries these days to gather the necessary information; also today we asked the foreign ministers of the Contact Group countries to respect the decisions they themselves have previously adopted on the question of Kosova," said Milo.

"The influx of Kosovars to Albania, or their forcing to flee on the other side of the border is detrimental to all, because in this way the aims for cleansed areas will be realised," said Albanian Minister.

"With regard to the KLA, we have been warned in the official talks of the diaspora, the American one in particular," said the minister.

"We shall send two representatives in the Wednesday meeting, not to take part in talks, because we do not have that status, but to have a direct contact with the political directors of the foreign ministries of the Contact Group," said Milo.

With regard to this issue, the Albanian ministers of Public Order and Defence reported in a closed-door parliamentary session. /s.sh./xh/

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[14] Albania's President meets with Norway's Foreign Minister

Highlighting the role of OSCE for the rehabilitation of Albanian institutions, Meidani also spoke of the contribution of that organization to the social aspect through the realization of many important projects.

Referring to the situation in Kosove, Mr Meidani said that it is rather serious and grave due to the military and police presence and the arming of Serbian civilians.

"The mentality of strength and not that of cooperation reflected by Belgrade demands first of all an international presence in Kosove before the situation worsens to such an extend as to urge even greater energies," President Meidani told the Foreign Minister of Norway two days before the meeting of the Contact Group.

Meidani also said that the killing of innocent Albanians in Kosove, the strategy of ethnic cleansing and the genocide do harm even more the climate needed for the beginning of the dialogue for a new political equilibrium regarding the solution of the Kosova question in the federal framework.

During the meeting, Meidani and Volleback hailed the will for a continuous consolidation of the bilateral relations, says the report of the President's press and information office. /s.s./mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Milo regards compromise as only way to resolve crisis in Kosova

Volleback, who is on a two-day formal visit in Tirana, said at a meeting with Foreign Minister Paskal Milo today that the "Partnership for Peace" programme should be exploited to influence on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Kosova.

"Swift actions should be made to find and make those movements which lead to a Prishtine-Belgrade dialogue, with international mediation," said Volleback.

Compromise is the sole way to resolve the crisis in Kosova, Milo said further on.

"This compromise should be applied to open talks as well as to realise the Kosova status, which we hold would be a status as a third part of the Yugoslav Federation," said Milo.

Referring to the recent incidents triggered by Belgrade along the Albania - FRY border, Milo said that "Albania is fully engaged in the defence of its border and, in this context, it is also cooperating with specialised international organisations, such as the European Community, to monitor the border.

Both ministers also defined the priorities of bilateral cooperation in economic, social, humanitarian, juridical fields, oil industry, hydro- energetic system, agriculture and other fields.

The Albanian side asked the realisation of the $ 1.5 million donation, pledged by Norway in the donors' meeting in Brussels.

Norway is committed to restructuring the Albanian Red Cross service and rehabilitating the school system, projects estimated at around $1 million. /mima/lm/

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

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