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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-08-14Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] OSCE officials interested in activity of local governmentKORCE, Aug 13 (ATA) - By B. Fejzullai: Officials of the Tirana-based Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) office visited on Wednesday and Thursday the city of Korça, southeast of Albania, to be familiarized with the activity of the local government.Robert Pulver, OSCE official, said to ATA that they met with representatives of the local government and the political parties and the talks were focused on the activity of the local government and implementation of laws. He said that the OSCE officials were interested in verifying the legal procedures for the discharge of former chairman of the local council Vladimir Babo. He said that when there are remarks the basic principles of the rule of law is that each should turn to legal bodies which have full powers for their solution. The OSCE officials also met with the Korça prefect Bardhi Aliçkolli. ake/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] Fires likely to cause blasts in military depots, unitsGJIROKASTER, Aug 13 (ATA) - By H. Çani: Fires in the district of Gjirokaster, south of Albania,which broke out in different places mainly meadows, risks to cause blast in military depots and unit, a spokesman of the local forestry service said to ATA on Thursday. He said that the fires were caused by irresponsible shepherds, who tried to revive pastures. There are still fires in the Mali i Gjere on which Gjirokastra was built and in the opposite mountain, Mali i Lunxherise. The spokesman said that the fires had threatened the tanks' unit of Arshi Lengo and depots containing explosive armaments in Picar. The flames were put out thanks to the intervention of military forces. A forestry police press communique said that the danger becomes greater for there are many explosive substances, bombs and grenades left behind since the last year unrest. On Thursday, the directorate of the local forestry service had called on the population through DEA private radio to be more careful in order to avoid unprecedented catastrophe. ake/pas/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] DP says we are engaged in making Albania with constitutionTIRANA, Aug 13 (ATA) - By P. Shuteriqi: Berisha promised the European Troika delegation that the Democratic party (DP)will be engaged in making Albania with constitution, Albina Karamitro, chief of the economic department at the DP headquarters said on Thursday. Karamitro told today's news conference that "the opposition is sincerely and totally engaged in the fact that Albania have a constitution and its predisposition will be totally positive in the political round table scheduled for Aug 31." The DP officials said that the party experts are finalising the remarks and suggestions for the draft constitution, which was approved by the Venice Commission. Following a long boycott of the parliamentary commission on constitution, the DP said two weeks ago that it would take part in the commission only after it had studied the draft approved by the commission. A round table to that with the participation of all political parties will be held on August 31. The E.U. troika urged the DP leader Sali Berisha in a meeting on August 12 to call off the institutional boycott and take part in the constitutional process. ypa/pas/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] Albanian poet included in cultural anthology in RiminiPOGRADEC, Aug 13 (ATA) - By H. Balliu: Cultural anthology,which included poets and prose writers from Russia, Syria, Venezuela, China, Algeria, Romania, Albania and other who are living in Italy or have any relations to it, was published in Rimini Italy recently. The fourth session of the competition in Rimini praised the emotional creations of the poet from Pogradec Dhimiter Pojanaku. His poetry "Twenty widows" and "My house" have attracted the attention of the jury including senior Italian personalities of literature. The poets and prose-writers have joined the cultures of their countries in the anthology, the introduction to it said. "My real ambition is to send everywhere a part of my soul, my poetic town, my country," Pojanaku said. ake/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] Dollar rises to 149 leksTIRANA, Aug 14 (ATA) - By L. Thanasi: The dollar reaches to a peak of 149 leks in early trade on Friday keeping its best showing since the begining of the week.In early trade of the Bank of Albania a dollar costs 149.2 leks, a German mark 83.2 leks, Italian lira 83.8 leks. Following are the buying and selling rates of the foreign currencies against the lek Currency US$1.00 costs 149.20 leks German mark 83.20 leks Italian lire 83.80 leks \ Greek Drachmas 49.25 leks /ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] Banks release credit for private, state sectorsTIRANA, Aug 12 (ATA) - By L. Thanasi: The Department of Researches and Publication at the Bank of Albania said that both the private and state sectors have profited by the credit released from all banks.The credit for the private sector is estimated at 13.845 million leks and for the state one is 2.732 million leks for a five-month period. The private sector, which is really in need of financial support, won more credit than the state sector. The credits for both sectors are short and long terms. The state sector has gained a short term credit worth 364 million leks while the private one gained 6.538 million leks. The long term credit for the state sector is some 2.368 million leks, for the private one is 7.307 million leks. /ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] Auction on treasury bondsTIRANA, Aug 13 (ATA) - By L. Thanasi: A new auction on selling of treasury bonds of the Albanian government was held on Thursday in the Tirana Bourse.Sources of the Tirana Bourse said that the Ministry of Finance offered treasury bonds of annual, six-month period and three-month period maturity. The amounts offered by the Ministry of Finance are as follows: for bonds of annual maturity 2.1 billion leks, bonds of six-months period maturity 1.1 billion leks and those of three-months period maturity one billion leks. The total amount is some 4.2 billion leks. Winners of the latest auction in the Tirana Bourse were banks, institutions and individuals. /ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] A supplementary of 30 million lek by state budget on heart surgeryTIRANE, August 14 9ata) - By R Xhuvani: A decision drafted by the Ministry of Health will put to efficience the heart surgical service in the Mother Teresa University Hospital Centre (QSUT) in Tirane."To this end, the state budget has a fund of 30 million lek to be used on this service enabling the medical treatment of a number of patients who have no financial means to be operated outside the country," the spokesman of this ministry Artur Rada told ATA. According to Rada, the state budget provided 600 thousand dollars to help this service at the end of 1994. The materials bought with this amount of money made the heart surgery clinic work until the beginning of 1998. The expensive cost of this service ($2000 for a heart surgery operation) and the impossibility for the state to cover the expenditures completely has made about 1 thousand patients to be on the waiting lists for such operations. Heart operations have started at the beginning of '70s in Albania. There is a heart-surgery clinic in QSUT with 30 beds and a team consisting of four surgeons, five anaesthetists, three cardiologists, one biochemist and a professionally trained lower staff. During the recent years, the average mortality in this clinic has been 3 per cent, a figure which is similar with that of most of the advanced clinics in the world. /s.sh/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] Local government officials failed to take part in demolition of illegal constructionsTIRANA, Aug 13 (ATA) - By M. Pupa: Construction police are urging a cooperation with the local government bodies to pull down illegal constructions.Director of Construction police at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Proletar Roshi said that they are asking for the aid of the local government and prefecture to break up illegal constructions. Based on the law on construction police and that on some changes to the law on town planning, prevention and demolition of illegal constructions is undertaken by the construction police in cooperation with the local government. "While the police and the order bodies have been and are ready to cooperate, the local government is reluctant to this," Roshi said. In the last three days, the construction and order police have taken measures to execute administrative orders for the demolition of illegal constructions but they failed to carry them out because the local officials of the respective administrative units were not present. Roshi said that such a practice by the local officials has often made that the issuing of such administrative orders gains a formal character. Town hall officials have asked for a fund to help the creation of municipality police, which can be used in such cases in cooperation with other bodies. /ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] Only 8 percent of farmers insuredTIRANA, Aug 14 (ATA) - By L. Thanasi: Sources of the Institute of Social Insurance said that the number of contributors for the first six-month period reached 353.334 people but in agriculture where the number of self- employed people is higher, the number of farmers who pay the contributions to be insured is much lower.Contributions are being paid by budget enterprises employing 142.132 people, non-budget enterprises of 73.508 persons, private firms with 46.973 employees, 14.906 self-employed, 37.966 self-employed people in agriculture and 765 voluntarily insured. Self-employed people in agriculture have the lowest amount of contribution. Most of them do not pay the contributions. Only 8 percent of them pay the contributions when over 400 thousands farmers are recorded nationwide. /ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] Fire in Mal i Robit put outTIRANA, Aug 14 (ATA) - By Th. Thanasi: The fire which broke out late on Thursday in Mal i Robit, Kavaje, south of Durres, was put out in the evening thanks to a cooperation between the firefighters of Kavaja, Elbasan and Durres.A spokesman of the Ministry of Public Order said to ATA on Friday that the fire which broke out at around 15.00 on Thursday at the place called Pishat e Buta at the Mali i Robit, was put out after four hours. One hectare of pine forest was destroyed by the fire. Investigation on fire, the second within two days in the Durres district, are under way and the preliminaries said that the "fire was deliberate." "The fire was set to create free spots for construction," the spokesman said. s.sh/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] 900 roots of narcotic herbs destroyed in Fier, VloreTIRANA, Aug 14 (ATA) - By Th. Thanasi: Police forces destroyed on Thursday some 900 roots of cannabis sativa in two villages of Vlora and Fier districts, southwestern Albania.They destroyed 600 roots of narcotic herbs in Rreth-Libofshe village, Fier, cultivated on personal lands of two nationals, a spokesman of the Ministry of Public Order said to ATA on Friday. The spokesman said that some 300 roots of cannabis sativa were destroyed in Llakatund village, Vlora district. "Six persons were considered responsible for their cultivation," he said. Eight nationals are under legal procedures accused of "cultivating cannabis sativa." s.sh/das/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] Rugova urges stop to Serb offensive in KosovaPRISHTINE, Aug 14 - ATA correspondent in Prishtine Behlul Jashari reported that the president of Kosova Ibrahim Rugova told a news conference on Friday that after the announcement of the negotiating group of Kosova "the Serb offensive should be stopped and a better climate for negotiations be created" and "negotiations should be concrete."Rugova called on the United States, European Union, United Nations and NATO that "Kosova and its people, which are in a dangerous situation, be defended." He said that the latest Serbs attacks were focused on Deçan and Junik area and the villages of Dukagjin of Drenica had come under shelling attacks. President Rugova urged conditions for the return of refugees in their cities and villages and the return hindered by Serb forces, be monitored by the international community. Rugova reiterated "the best solution is an independent Kosova with all guarantees for local Serbs and an international protectorate as a transition phase." my/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] Eighteen wounded Kosovars arrived in Tropoje last ThursdayBAJRAM CURRI, August 14 (ata) - By Riza Hoxha: Eighteen was the number of the wounded who reached the district of Tropoje last Thursday. The injured crossed the border point of Padesh following fighing these days near the border, the director of health sector of Tropoje, Yllka Cela told ATA.According to Cela, two of the wounded are in a grave state and have been flown to Tirane, three others have been released from the hospital and 13 others are being treated in the hospital without any risk for their lives. The district council secretary Isa Kiliqi said that the refugees are being registered, with 325 people registered yesterday alone, out of a total of 600 who have crossed the border in the recent days. He added that the situation today is calmer with no Kosovars coming on this side of the border. /a.ke/das/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] 1000 first year students more than last year in universityTIRANE, August 14 (ata) - By P Shuteriqi: The Albanian Council of Ministers examined and adopted in its meeting of August 13, 1998, the criteria for the students to be accepted for the first time in the universities and other higher schools in Albania.The deputy minister of Education and Science Mimoza Hafizi told ATA Friday that "the decision of the Council of Ministers envisages a considerable growth of the number of students who will attend full time studies in the university". Their number, said Prof. Hafizi, is estimated to be around 6 800 people or nearly 1 000 more than the last year. Hafizi stressed that they have also determined the number of the students from Kosove, Macedonia and diaspora to follow studies in the universities of Albania. According to Hafizi, the number of the students from Kosova is expected to be 400, twice as many as last year. The competitions for acceptances in the university and other higher schools depending on the Ministry of Education and Science will start on September 5 up to 16, 1998. /a.ke/das/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[16] Special care for pupils coming from KosoveTIRANE, August 14 (ATA) - By P Shuteriqi: The influx of the refugees from Kosove as a result of the fighting there is being accompanied with the adoption of emergent measures by the Albanian Ministry of Education and Science for a good beginning of the school year.According to polls, said to ATA on Friday Vaso Qano, chief of cabinet in Ministry of Education and Science, there are nearly 1 560 youngsters and children at school age in the district of Tropoje. This contingent of pupils, he said, "is listed and divided according to grades with the help of the educational department of the district." But the teams that MES has sent to Tropoje have found that there are lots of damaged schools in that districrt, and school buildings lacking most basic instruments for normal classes. There are also many teaching instruments, satchels, school books, notebooks and other things that are also lacking. In order to ensure a normal school year for 1998-1999, MES has adopted efficient measures for 5 000 pupils of Tropoje and for the 1 500 others coming from Kosove. The Ministry of Education of Austria has promised to bring within September the necessary contingent of school tables while through UNICEF and SOROS work is going on to provide these pupils with school books and other didactic instruments. /a.ke/das/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[17] France supports beginning of negotiating process for an acceptable solution to crisis in KosoveTIRANE, August 14 (ata) - The President of Albania, Rexhep Meidani, met Friday with the Ambassador of France in Skopje, Huntcinger and special envoy for the situation in Kosove, to whom he voiced his gratitude for the interest and efforts of France to solve the crisis in Kosove.The President's press and information office told ATA that Meidani said in the meeting that Albania has backed up the efforts of the Contact Group and of the international community in general to find a realistic and democratic solution to the question of Kosove, but in the conditions of the Serb repression and military violence, this perspective is still not coming into life. "A broad international presence and a continuous international pressure on Belgrade is needed so that war and ethnic cleansing in Kosove be stopped," said Meidani. President Meidani explained that Albania is resolute to cooperate with U.S. and the Contact Group and is willing to effectively face the internal problems and to ensure full stability in the country. In this context, he pointed out Albania's fruitful cooperation with the international community to ensure a domestic economic stability, to face with the influx of the people displaced from Kosove and to ease any internal political tension. The French special envoy briefed Albanian President Meidani of his contacts with the political leaders of Kosove, stressing the support of his country for the beginning of the negotiating process for an acceptable solution to the crisis in Kosove. Also present in the meeting was the French Ambassador in Tirane, Patrick Chrismant. /a.ke/das/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[18] U.S. embassy in Tirane guarded amidst high security measuresTIRANE, August 14 (ata) - By Ylli Pata: The Embassy of the United States in Tirane continues to be guarded amidst high security both in its inner premises and in the territory round it, according to an order issued by the U.S. State Department for a greater security in the U.S. embassies in every country of the world.Also on Friday, the location of the U.S. diplomatic representation was being guarded by special units of the Albanian Ministry of Public Order which were serving outside the territory of the embassy, while the internal premises of the embassy were being guarded by the embassy staff. Today all activity of the embassy was suspended, one of the Service Guard workers in the U.S. embassy in Tirane told ATA. The U.S. State Department has ordered the temporary suspension of work in its diplomatic representations in some countries of the world, including Albania. More security was immediately demanded following the grave incidents in two African states, in Kenya and Tanzania in the past week, in which as a result of the explosions in the U.S. embassies in those two countries, 257 people lost their lives and around 5 thousand people were injured. das/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[19] 400 thousand tons of wheat produced in Albania this yearTIRANE, August 14 (ata) - By Etleva Xhajanka: About 400 thousand tons of wheat were produced in Albania this year. Operational data from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the forecast to receive about 400 thousand tons of wheat from the area of around 142 thousand of hectares was attained.The demands of the population for wheat are about 650 thousand tons, and the difference of 250 thousand tons will be imported. The factors that have led to a lower yield are the low quality seeds used in 70-80 per cent of the planted area and the insufficient use of chemical fertilizers. In order to meet all demands for flour, it will be imported mainly from Italy, France, Belgium and other countries. /xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[20] National activities formally start in footballTIRANE, August 14 (ata) - E Jonuzi: The Porto-Dinamo soccer match played on Friday afternoon marked the beginning of the national football matches in the context of the 47th Cup of Albania in football. The first 15 other matches for this Cup will be played on Saturday.The record of cups was held Partizani team with 14 won matches, followed by Dinamo with 12 won matches, Tirana with 9 and Vllaznia with five. The first cup of Albania in football was won by Tirana sport club in the 1938-1939 edition, while the last one was won by Apolonia team of Fier. /s.sh/pas/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[21] Saint Maria of August evacuates BeratBERAT, August 14 (ata) - By I Manka: Saint Maria of August has brought to the streets scores of hundreds of Orthodox and Moslem believers from Berat.Inspectors of road traffic of the Police Department in Berat told ATA that since 4.30 a.m. and later, scores of people and vehicles headed for the sea, where according to an ancient custom, the ritual "to cross the waves,"was made. At work were only employees, said one of the officials of Berat town hall, who could not attend the ritual. This is one of the nicest religious celebrations which, like the Christmas and Bairam, the Moslem and Orthodox community celebrate together. /a.ke/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[22] Twelve Albanians killed and over 50 others wounded in fighting round DecanPRISHTINE, August 14 (ata) - ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports: During the last 24 hours, Serb forces have continued their attacks and fighting with Albanian forces on the border line, in the outskirts of Gjakove, Junik and Decan. Helicopters of Serb forces have been seen flying over the warring zones. Because some regions are confined, the information on the the consequences there do not arrive in time.It is reported that within two days, on August 11 and 12, during the offensive of the Serb forces in the commune of Decan, 12 Albanians have been killed and over 50 others have been wounded. During this offensive, according to LDK sources, Serb forces on the villages of Decan have torched more than 1 200 houses. Serb forces gave an ultimatum to some villages of Has of Gjakove to hand in the weapons, otherwise they would have consequences. During the past 24 hours, Serb forces have opened fire against the villages surrounding Obiliq and Fushe-Kosove. Serb forces have shelled from their positions in Komaran the villages Kishnareke, Nekoc and the regions in the mountains Berishe in Drenice. sh/dha/das/xh/ 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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