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Albanian Times, Vol. I, No. 9, December 12, 1995From: Albanian Times <AlbaTimes@aol.com>The Albanian Times (by AlbAmerica TRade & Consulting International) DirectoryIn this issue:CONTENTS[1] E-U Earmarks 1 Million ECU in Humanitarian Aid for Albania[2] Albania to Lift Sanctions on Rump Yugoslavia[3] Traffic With Montenegro Grows, Report Says[4] Albania Clamps Down on Migrant Smugglers[5] Greece to Tighten Border Controls with Albania[6] European Investment Bank Lends ECU 24 Million for East West R oad[7] Albania, Montenegro Sign Cooperation Agreement[8] East Europe Imports Outpace Exports[9] Italy to Support Road Contruction in Balkans[10] Albanian Parliament Passes Law On Competition[11] World Bank Approves Agriculture Loan for Albania[1] E-U Earmarks 1 Million ECU in Humanitarian Aid for AlbaniaDue to the deteriorating living conditions in Albania, the European Union is making available a grant of 1 million ECU to fund emergency logistics suppl ies, emergency food aid in the north-east of the country, and medical aid elsewhere, an E-U press release said on December 4. The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) will work with three non- governmental organisation s -- Feed the Children (UK), Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU, Italy ) and Medecins du Monde (Greece) on a range of projects. Feed the Children plans to distribute kerosene heaters for schools and winter food parcels to over 20,500 people. Th ey are the poorest inhabitants of two of Albania's poorest areas, the isolated Tropoja an d Kukes districts. ``Medecins du Monde'' is planning a medical aid programme in Elbasa n, including assistance for psychiatric and general hospitals, while the ICU will contribut e to improving conditions in Tirana's main psychiatric hospital.
[2] Albania to Lift Sanctions on Rump YugoslaviaAlbania instructed its northern customs checkpoints to lift sanctions against the Yugoslav federation on December 4 and the first legal trade should begin in a few days, customs officials said. Albanian customs in Shkoder, Kukes and Qafe Prush bo rdering on Serbia and Montenegro were told to stop applying sanctions against rump Yugoslavia and allow import and export of goods. Two weeks ago the United Nations Security Council lifted sanctions on rump Yugoslavia after a peace deal was reached in Dayton, Ohio, by the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. Albania was in itially reluctant to lift sanctions because it wanted the move to be tied to r esolving the status of ethnic Albanians in Serbia's Kosovo province, which Ser bian President Slobodan Milosevic stripped of its autonomous status in 1989. According to official estimates, Albania, Europe's poorest country, has lost u p to one billion dollars since the embargo came into effect three years ago. But illicit trade has boomed in the border areas, with Albanians raking in hug e profits by smuggling goods, especially fuel, into Montenegro. (Reuter, Decem ber 4)
[3] Traffic With Montenegro Grows, Report SaysFollowing the suspension of UN economic sanctions against the rump Yugoslavia, traffic between Albania and Montenegro has been increasing dramatically, Voi ce of America said on December 4 in a report from the northern city of Shkodra . Despite public criticism of the lifting of the sanctions, the Albanian gove rnment hopes that trade and economic cooperation with Montenegro will grow rap idly, the report said. The sanctions have had a crippling effect on Albania, p articularly the economically depressed northern regions. (VOA via Internet)
[4] Albania Clamps Down on Migrant SmugglersAuthorities in Vlora are taking steps to block migrant smuggling to Italy afte r a tragic event in which 17 Albanians lost their lives in the rough Adriatic waters facing the Italian coast. Aout 20 boat owners were warned by local poli ce against smuggling would be migrants across the Adriatic sea, ATA said on De cember 5. Police seized seven speed boats and blocked 86. One smuggler was w ounded by a police patrol off Vlora coast on December 3.
[5] Greece to Tighten Border Controls with AlbaniaGreece has announced new border reinforcement measures to stem the tide of ill egal immigrants from Albania, a VOA report from Gjirokastra said on December 5 . Among the measures, Greece says it will install an electronic monitoring sy stem at border posts.
[6] European Investment Bank Lends ECU 24 Million for East Wes t RoadThe European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union's long-term credit institution is providing ECU 24 million for road improvements in Albania. The loan will help the General Roads Directorate of the Ministry of Constructi on and Tourism to finance the rehabilitation and improvement of some 94 km of Albania's main east-west road. The agreement was signed in Luxembourg by Mr. Artur Kuko, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the European Union and Mr . Lluka Llukani, General Roads Director, and EIB Vice-president Mr. Panagiotis Gennimatas. The upgrading of the road sections in Albania will also facilita te communication between Durres and larger Albanian towns such as Kavaja, Rrog ozhine, Peqin and Elbasan - which will all receive modern by-passes -, as well as Maliqi and Korca near the Greek border. The project will also receive sup port from the EU's grant-aid programme PHARE. The EIB plays a major role in t he financing of transport schemes in Central and Eastern Europe, helping the c ountries in the region to develop internal communications and linking them up with the trans-European networks (TENs). Earlier this year the EIB also provid ed financing for the Durres ferry terminal. Total EIB-financing for TENs in Ce ntral and Eastern Europe now reaches ECU 1.15 billion. Since it started lendi ng in Central and Eastern Europe, the EIB has provided Albania $34 million.
[7] Albania, Montenegro Sign Cooperation AgreementIn a surprise move, Albania's minister of industry and energy visited Monteneg ro and signed an agreement for economic cooperation, VOA said on December 6. The Montenegrin government has indicated it will soon reopen the Podgorica-Shk odra railway, Albania's only rail link with the outside world, A VOA report fr om Ulcin said.
[8] East Europe Imports Outpace ExportsImports into Eastern European countries appear to be rising more rapidly than exports, making their real trade balances an increasing drag on gross domesti c product, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe said in a report published on December 4. Although only the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland publish volume figures for trade, the UN/ECE's preliminary estimate is that export volumes rose 8% to 10% in the first half of 1995, with imports up about 18% to 20%. The othe r countries considered part of Eastern Europe in the report are Albania, Bulg aria, Romania, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Yugoslavi a and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The considerable increase i n the area's recorded trade deficit-- to nearly $9 billion in mid-1995 from $ 4 billion in mid-1994--is probably exaggerated because unrecorded exports are believed to be quite large in a few countries, the UN/ECE said. However, the growth in imports relative to export s should be monitored, as it could indicate emerging problems on the supply s ide and with international competitiveness, the UN/ECE said. The report also warned agains t the unexpectedly large inflows of private capital into Eastern Europe in 19 95. Although a sign of growing confidence in the stability and growth prospe cts of many of the area's economies, in some cases the inflow of foreign mone y is the result of fixed exchange rates and interest rate differentials that encourage domestic companies to borrow abroad. Such inflows also can complicate the task of stabilizing the economy by addin g to inflationary pressures and weakening export competitiveness by driving u p the exchange rate. However, the overall economic picture in Eastern Europe remains good and some acceleration in average GDP growth, to about 5%, is expected in 1996, the UN/ECE said.
[9] Italy to Support Road Contruction in BalkansItaly pledged to support the financing of a road linking Albania to Turkey vi a Macedonia and Bulgaria, Bulgarian President Zhelju Zhelev said on December 7 . ``We have the support of the Italian President (Oscar Luigi Scalfaro) and t he Italian government for the construction of the road corridor,'' Zhelev told reporters in Tirana. ``This is very important because Italy will take over t he presidency of the European Union in January,'' he added. ``(Bulgaria and A lbania's) interests (for the road) coincide with the interest of the Balkan co untries and the interest of other countries beyond the Balkans,'' Zhelev added . Zhelev spearheaded the signing of an accord by leaders of Albania, Bulgaria , Macedonia and Turkey in New York six weeks ago to build a $2 billion highway linking the Albanian port of Durres to Instanbul in Turkey via Macedonia and Bulgaria. Zhelev said that new opportunities were opening up for both of thei r countries in the context of rebuilding former Yugoslavia. Zhelev said Alba nia's economic ties with Bulgaria, its third biggest trading partner, would be greatly helped by setting up a planned joint bank.
[10] Albanian Parliament Passes Law On CompetitionAlbanian parliament passed on December 7 a law on a tribunal to regulate compe tition between businesses. The tribunal has yet to be founded by the governmen t and will be subordinated to the Council of Ministers. It will decide on comp any mergers and divisions . Exceptions from some of the law's regulations are reportedly being considered for agriculture and forestry, food-production, pub lic services, banks and insurance companies.
[11] World Bank Approves Agriculture Loan for AlbaniaThe International Development Association of the World Bank approved a $6 mill ion credit to enhance reforms in Albania's agricultural processing sector. The money will be distributed through an Agro-Processing Development Project, designed to support the reforms of the agriculture towards privatization, to encourage investments and introduction of modern management and technology. In addition to the credit, the government of the Netherlands will provide a $1 million grant for the project. The Albanian government will contribute $0,1 million. $2,1 million will be i nvested in technical support to entrepreneurs and farmers, the remaining $5 mi llion will be provided through the Rural Commercial Bank in the form of long-t erm loans. |
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