Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-08-22

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Nano: Berisha seeks to exploit conflict in Kosova to take up power

[02] Nano praises work of government to face Kosova issue

[03] Saving Bank - Our bonds have increased by 29%

[04] Albania's Premier committed to fighting terrorism without compromise

[05] Control uncovers food with expired limit of use

[06] Primary Health Service, priority of Health Ministry

[07] Newcomers from Kosova prefer to buy flats in Bajram Curri

[08] Houses of foreign nationals checked, 10 persons detained

[09] Foreign donors to support Albanian education

[10] Quarters Leka and Prenaj of Cerovik, in Kline, set ablaze

[11] Closing ceremony of exercise Cooperative Assembly '98 held

[12] Albanian question cannot be solved through Albanian-Serb talks

[13] Continuous movement of Serb military-police forces in Gjakove

[14] U.S. confirms its commitment to assist Albania

[01] Nano: Berisha seeks to exploit conflict in Kosova to take up power

TIRANA August 21 (ATA)- By Y. Pata, Albania's Prime Minister, at a government's meeting on Friday, asked from the Albanian political parties more responsibility regarding the Kosova issue.

Referring to the stands of several parties Nano said that "different signals are coming from the Albanian politics: some want the imposition of the state of emergency, some are working to repeat the request for NATO to intervene in Kosova, while others, such as those of Berisha, seek to exploit the conflict in Kosova for taking take up power".

As to the latter, he said: "This category of people who destroyed the country, who brought about the greatest disaster to new Albania, has now launched the idea of extending the armed conflict also to Albania against the legitimate democratic Government of coalition.

This has brought back for discussion the old denigrating, often anti- Albanian theses such as Albanians' division into Gege (Northern inhabitants) and Toske (Southern inhabitants), religious and other divisions.

Nano stressed that the Kosova issue has now become a priority issue and has involved the Albanian state in all its functioning segments.

"Serbian barbarians have launched a real campaign of scorched land and through this they hope to succeed in crushing the armed resistance in Kosova. Serbian bombs have also reached territory of the Republic of Albania, creating another element of destabilisation in the region."

Referring to the panorama created as result of the aggressive policy of Belgrade, the chief of the Albanian government asked from the parties more responsibility and coordination of actions of all political forces on the Kosova issue.

Referring to the reaction of several parties towards Belgrade's acts, Nano said that "several parliamentary parties are not satisfied with the ways used by the government against the Serb provocations. They want more, but so far we still do not exactly know how this "more" should be translated into concrete terms.

However, Nano said in his speech that also the cabinet he runs is duty bound "to take note and here I say that further steps towards the crisis in Kosova should be discussed and decided upon. The Albanian parliament will meet for this purpose and the Government will keep cooperating with all the country's institutions and international partners to cope with the consequences of the crisis in Kosova with responsibility for the good of stability and reconstruction of the country," said Nano. /pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Nano praises work of government to face Kosova issue

Nano said that thanks to the farsightedness of Albanian policy it was enabled that Kosova issue, which was aggravated only one day after the end of troubles in Albania, to be faced with efficacity and realism.

"Albanian diplomacy, thanks God, did not remained in strict schemes of Berisha, but in a position of real facing the issue", said Nano.

According Nano this position has put Albanian diplomacy in a proper position as a partner, decision taking and a supporting element for Kosova people, leaving aside every kind of paternalism or imposition for narrow political or power interests towards our brothers in Kosova.

About Albanian engagements in NATO, Nano reiterated that "NATO is present today in Albania to support Albanian democracy, to riaffirm its desire for a stabilised Albania, to modernise and make our army efficacious. NATO is here and consequently in Kosova border, not to make provocations, but to show that international community will not live e free hand to killers of people like Milosevic".

By clarifying the problem of NATO presence in Kosova, prime minister said that, our request for the use of force against Milosevic regime is done in a diplomatic way, to the Contact Group, to ONU, to our partners, including even the High Representative of Atlantic Alliance, by underlining the will of Albanian policy, by our fully support for all necessary measures to stop the Serbian violence against civil Albanian population and to avoid the crisis in Kosova.

Nano said, we, Albanians, should be characterised today by a patriotism with works and not with words, and stressed: "Today is patriot one who understands that Kosova is helped when we work for a stabilised Albania, integrated in international community and present in the moments when decisions are taken for Balkan and especially for Kosova./pas/fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Saving Bank - Our bonds have increased by 29%

In their structure most of bonds have an activity without a high risk, with 67% of all bonds made up by (Investments in Treasure Bonds at about 57% and in accounts and deposits in bank of Albania at avalue of 9.6%).

Bonds with a low risk cover 16%, (Deposits and accounting in banks of our country and foreign one), while bonds with a high degree of risk cover about 16% of bonds, (including bank credits, position of currency and other activities).

Currency bonds at the end of six months covered 15.2% of all bonds, while currency passive bonds covered 13.8%. As for the bonds which are accompanied by incomes at the end of maturity period, they cover about 17% of all bonds, at a time when passive bonds which are accompanied with interests cover about 87% of passives./fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Albania's Premier committed to fighting terrorism without compromise

Nano, speaking at a government's meeting also said that we (the government) had warned former President Sali Berisha against his blind policy.

"War against terrorism is now open and it will be waged without any allowances," said Nano, adding that the U.S. is the main partner in achieving this objective.

"The Albanian government fully understands the problems motivating this act (U.S. air strike against centres of Islamic terrorism). We join all those who believe that there is only one possible response to it (terrorism): Constant strike and without compromise," said Nano, adding that the U.S. ambassador in Tirana, Mariza Lino, had informed him of these attacks.

Nearly one month ago, four Egyptian terrorists were extradited from Tirana who were members of a religious organisation exercising its activity in Albania.

On August 14, 1998 the U.S. embassy in Tirana was forced to temporarily suspend its public activity due to the latest threats by Islamic extremists against the U.S. and its embassy in Tirana.

A statement of the U.S. State department says that the U.S. embassy's public operations in Tirana have been suspended for security reasons and that the U.S. and the Republic of Albania enjoy excellent relations both officially and between the two peoples. /mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Control uncovers food with expired limit of use

As a result of these findings were fined 1,085 traders with an amount of about 43 million lek. This includes only that part of food which is checked, because sources of this department say that it is impossible to check all the quantity of food, imported and produced in the country, which is everyday in the market.

Only in Tirana are checked over 900,000 kg of food, from thousands of tons consumed every day. But even in this quantity are found many cases of foodstuff out of use. Inspectors found 75,000 kg of rotten dry beans, 15, 000 kg of margarine, imported from Holland, with expired date of use, which was sent to be used in soap industry and many other kinds of food, which was all blocked.

"Control has also continued even on foodstuff produced in Albania", said to ATA, Gjergji Kiri, director of Inspectorate in Tirana./fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Primary Health Service, priority of Health Ministry

"Work has begun to increase the efficiency of the outpatient clinics, their completion with diagnosing apparatuses and other equipment to give patients the first aid. In this context special importance has been devoted to the increase of the number of family doctors and expansion of their medical activity," said Solis.

He said that the expansion of services in the primary health system will lead to the closure of several of the hospitals and their setting up on prefecture basis./mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Newcomers from Kosova prefer to buy flats in Bajram Curri

"In fact there are no precise data for this phenomenon, but about 30 families of the newcomers from Kosova recently have bought flats in Bajram Curri, while 100 others have rented them", said for ATA, Isa Kuliçi, Secretary of the Council of District.

This phenomenon has resulted in a shortage of free flats in Bajram Curri, while their price has increased with about 150,000 lek against one year ago.

Even higher are the rents of houses. For a flat, including household commodities, average price is 250DM per month, while without them at 150DM, which are very close to prices used in Tirana.

There are about 760 homeless families in Bajram Curri./fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Houses of foreign nationals checked, 10 persons detained

According to the above source, on Friday at 23.30 the police forces, based on a plan prepared by the criminal police agents, checked a considerable number of houses of foreign nationals, who have entered Albania with temporary permits, and detained 10 of them.

Over the last months several foreign nationals have committed or been involved in various penal acts in Tirana.

Three Islamic terrorists, members of a religious organisation exercising its activity in Albania were extradited from Albania recently.

The police department of Tirana prefecture on Saturday reported that all foreign nationals whose permits have expired should extend them at this department.

"Albania is open to foreigners, but it should not be turned into a road-house," Public Order Minister Perikli Teta told a news conference one week ago.

While the earlier entry procedures were simplified, now checks are of international standards.

Many foreign nationals, coming mainly from Arabian countries, have been turned back for invalid documents.

At yesterday's government meeting, Prime Minister Fatos Nano said that "the fight against terrorism is now open and will be waged with no concession." /mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Foreign donors to support Albanian education

Albanian Minister of Education and Science, Et'hem Ruka said Saturday to ATA that a great assistance is coming in this direction by the Open Society Foundation which through the Albanian Educational Development Programme (AEDP) has greatly contributed to the physical rehabilitation of schools and kindergartens in Albania.

"Italy is financing the publication of school and university text books through the delivery of 2.5 billion liras and 3 billion others granted for the physical rehabilitation of the school system," said Ruka.

Many other donors, such as UNICEF, Austria, U.S., France and Turkey are helping many Kosovar children and pupils who have come to Albania to escape Serb genocide in Kosove. /mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Quarters Leka and Prenaj of Cerovik, in Kline, set ablaze

The same source says that during the latest artillery bombing by the Serb forces in Lekoc of Kline, a great number of houses were damaged, four of which were completely torched, while units of Serb forces are presently installed in the building of the elementary school Shtjefen Gjecovi in Zllakucan of Kline.

Serb military forces have been deployed recently also near Zhur. There are 13 vehicles carrying heavy artillery pieces and 15 tanks and other war means, KIC reports referring to sources of the branch of the Council for Defence of Human Rights in Zhur. The above sources said that the people of the border villages, Vermice, Shkoze and Dobrosht have fled and settled in Zhur or in other less risked villages. /p.ta/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] Closing ceremony of exercise Cooperative Assembly '98 held

In its closing ceremony, along with 14 NATO member countries troops, also present were the Albanian Prime Minister, Fatos Nano, Minister of Defence Luan Hajdaraga, deputy Defence Minister Ilir Bocka, the Chief of Army General Staff, Aleks Andoni, deputy commander of the Southern Europe Allied Forces General Francesco Vannucchi, Albanian and foreign senior militaries and representatives of various mediae.

After the national anthems of the participating countries were played, PM Fatos Nano addressed all those present in the ceremony. /xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Albanian question cannot be solved through Albanian-Serb talks

TIRANE, August 22 (ata) - By A Haxhiu: Albanian republicans were sceptic on Saturday with regard to the solution of the question of Kosove through Albanian-Serb negotiations.

"This question cannot be solved through talks at a time when scores of thousands of Albanians are hiding in mountains and when Kosove is being ruined with each passing day by Serb bombings," said the leader of the Republican Party, Fatmir Mediu in a news conference today.

According to Mediu, only the intervention of NATO forces in Kosove and mediation of the international factor may lead to a correct solution to the question of Kosove.

The Republican leader added that all Albanian political forces, the Government and the Parliament must urge that Milosevic be internationally judged for crimes to mankind, based on violence and the scorched earth practice he is applying in Kosove.

The United States of America and the Contact Group have not renounced the solution to the Kosove question through diplomatic ways and through bilateral Albanian-Serb talks, but they have not ruled out the option of a military intervention in Kosove. Such a stance is backed up by the Albanian government which has always stated that it has supported and supports the will of the Albanian people for self-determination. /das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Continuous movement of Serb military-police forces in Gjakove

The same sources report that in the narrow border line with Albania, as well as in the villages of Gjakove and Decan, included in the latest Serb offensive, fire of weapons has continued.

According to LDK in Gjakove which refer to KIC sources, the greater intensity of arms fire was on Thursday afternoon, when Serb positions in Kuken of Bitesh opened artillery fire for two hours against villages of Decan.

Albanian people from Has, mainly from villages Rogove, Lipovec and other villages are going to the city of Gjakove, because they do not feel sure with Serb army and police threatening them under the pretext of searching for arms. Only from the village Rogove, more than 7 thousand people mainly women, children and elderly people have been displaced and settled in Gjakove, in villages of Anadrin and in Prizren. /p.ta/das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] U.S. confirms its commitment to assist Albania

Referring to the temporary suspension of the diplomatic activity of the U.S. Embassy in Tirane, Ms Malloy stressed that "this security measure is not at all linked with the situation in Albania and does not reflect any change in our relations," (which she considered as very good,) "but this is related with the security of the life of U.S. diplomats and citizens following the direct and potential threats by terrorists."

Ms Malloy said further on that "the U.S. Government is for a close cooperation in the course of the realisation of the joint political and economic objectives, which despite the provisional measures, will keep going ahead." /das/xh/

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

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