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Albanian Times, Vol. 2, No. 12, March 25, 1996From: Albanian Times <AlbaTimes@aol.com>The Albanian Times (by AlbAmerica TRade & Consulting International) DirectoryCONTENTS[1] Agnelli to Brief EU on Albania Trip[2] Socialists Promise Economic Growth[3] Berisha Attacks Socialist Economic Policies[4] Greece Pledges to Legalize Albanian Workers by Fall[5] Greece Refuses to Attend Security Meeting in Tirana[6] Survey Shows Potential for Eruption in Kosova[7] Arrest of Former Military Officials Ordered[8] Albania and Greece Sign Cooperation Treaty[9] Albanian Power Sector Receives World Bank Support[10] Siemens Wins Rinas Airport Contract[11] Albania to Host U.S., Balkan Defense Chiefs Meeting[12] Berisha Meets Party Leaders to Discuss Elections[13] Greek President Begins Visit to Albania[14] Christopher Hill, First U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia[15] Albania and Germany May Have Solved Airport Reconstruction Issue[16] Berisha Asks Mayors to Verify Voter Registration Lists[17] Danish Minister Says E-U Must Agree to Expand Eastward[18] Albania Licences Greek Bank[19] Egypt Invests in Food Factory Complex in Albania[20] Agnelli Supports Albania's Closer Ties with EU[21] Italy's Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli[22] Turkish Air Commander Confers with Zhulali[23] British Ship Leaves Durres After Aid Mission[24] Cabinet Approves Draft Treaty with Greece[25] Labor Minister Leaves for Canada[26] Nobel Laureate, Elytis, Dies at 85[1] Agnelli to Brief EU on Albania TripBRUSSELS, March 24 - Italy's top diplomat Susanna Agnelli will brief a meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Monday on her recent visit to Albania, according to Reuters. Mrs. Agnelli who is also EU General Affairs Council President, told Albanian leaders last week the European Union welcomes an association agreement with Albania and raised the possibility of a preliminary agreement until full association was achieved. Italy which is currently holding the European Union's rotating six-month presidency has shown interest in bringing Albania closer to the EU. Several EU states broadly accept the argument a more economically successful Albania would underpin the Balkan peace drive, but first want a solution of the long-running crisis in Kosova, according to a Reuters dispatch from Brussels. (Albanian Times, Reuters)
[2] Socialists Promise Economic GrowthTIRANA, March 24 - Albanian Socialists, the renamed communists, have pledged to capture more than 50 percent of the vote in the general elections later this year. The Socialists' vice chairman Servet Pellumbi told 600 delegates attending a party congress in Tirana more than opening their Congress on Saturday the ruling Democrats had failed to harmonize efforts to shake off Albania's communist past with a programme for the future. He blaimed the Democratic Party as a failed and confused political force. "Without ousting the Democratic Party from power, there can be no solution to the crisis," Pellumbi said in his long report to the congress. He promised economic growth of between eight and 12 percent a year and an improved trade balance. The Socialists also promised 50,000 to 60,000 new jobs a year and investments of about 160 billion leks ($160 million) over a four year period. Villagers living below the poverty line would be exempted from taxes, according to Pellumbi. In a written message to the delegates, jailed Socialist leader Fatos Nano said his party has emerged as a party of alternatives and pledged "not to deal with (President) Berisha." In a message to the Congress, Berisha called on the Socialists to distance themselves from Marxism and Enverism. A reference to Karl Marx in the statute of the Socialist Party has fueled attacks against them by the ruling Democrats. A law approved last year by the Parliament bars from public office until 2002 all those who held high posts in the communist regime, a move prompting the Socialists to reportedly draft a spare list of candidates for the national elections, in case some of their members are dropped out. (Albanian Times)
[3] Berisha Attacks Socialist Economic PoliciesTIRANA, March 23 - President Berisha used an economic forum in Tirana to attack policies he says the opposition Socialists would pursue if they come to power. "Thinking to revive Albania by trying to renovate obsolete and inefficient industries is hypocritical," Berisha said addressing an economic conference on the day the Socialist Party opened its second congress. Berisha said the Albanian economists should reject the consequences of the marxist dogma applied during the communist era. The conference organised by the Economic Faculty and attended by both Albanian and foreign scholars was exploring ways to reinvent academic programs and curricula for the Albanian college students. (Albanian Times)
[4] Greece Pledges to Legalize Albanian Workers by FallTIRANA, March 22 - Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said Friday his government would legalize hundreds of thousands of illegal Albanian workers in Greece by the autumn. Legal delays in resolving the issue, one of the most contentious between the two Balkan neighbors, was due to technicalities and the Greek parliament's overburdened schedule, Pangalos said on a visit to Tirana. ``There was a delay because we separated the seasonal workers, about two-thirds of all illegal Albanians in Greece, from those who are resident workers and will have a different status,'' he told reporters in the Albanian capital. But diplomatic sources said Greece wanted to ensure, before permanently resolving the issue, that Albania's ethnic Greek minority was given three schools in September. Legalizing the Albanian workers formed part of a friendship pact signed by the two countries Thursday. In turn Tirana granted a Greek demand to allow Greek schools for Albania's ethnic Greek minority, estimated at 300,000 by Athens but at 60,000 by Tirana. Greek diplomats said schools would open in the southern Albanian towns of Gjirokaster, Sarande and Delvine, where most ethnic Greeks live. Pangalos said last week he wanted to bring an employment law to parliament before his visit to Tirana, but Greek foreign ministry officials had said the draft was not ready. Diplomatic sources also said Greece was delaying the illegal workers' issue until the autumn, when the Greek schools in Albania were due to open. ``Of course, it remains to be seen if the schools will open in September,'' a Greek diplomat said. Greece's Albanian workers send home about $300 million a year. Migrant workers' remittances are estimated at about half of Albania's $3 billion gross domestic product in 1994. Pangalos also said Greece would open a third consulate in Korce, increase the number of visas to about 12,000 a month from about 8,800, and ease Albanian access to Greece. (Courtesy of Reuters)
[5] Greece Refuses to Attend Security Meeting in TiranaTirana, March 23 - Greece has refused to attend a Balkans security meeting in Tirana, blaiming its decision on failure to invite Serbia and Romania. "We cannot discuss security issues in the Balkans without the presence of such countries as Serbia and Romania, when the United States has been invited to participate," Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos was quoted as telling his Albanian counterpart Alfred Serreqi in Tirana. For the first time, Albania will host a meeting of defense ministers from the United States and the Balkan countries from March 31 to April 1 to discuss security in the region. Albanian defense minister Safet Zhulali told reporters on Wednesday, ministers from Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey and Italy were expected to attend the talks. U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry and representatives from the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) would also be present. Earlier this week Greek foreign minister Pangallos expressed reservations to the defense ministers' meeting in Tirana. "We feel that rearming the region and facing it in purely defense terms will not help the peace process," he was quoted as saying. (Albanian Times, ANA, Reuters)
[6] Survey Shows Potential for Eruption in KosovaWASHINGTON, March 20 - A survey commissioned by the United States Information Agency (USIA) says 92 percent of Kosova Albanians favor becoming an independent state. Support for independence is so strong that nearly all Albanians believe that "achieving independence from Serbia for Kosova is a cause worth dying for," the USIA survey says. Becoming part of Albania appeals to a smaller majority (72%). Eight in ten (81%), however, reject the option of autonomous status within Serbia, most likely because autonomy falls short of their broader goal. As might be expected, virtually all Kosova Serbs oppose independence (99%) or joining Albania (99%) as a solution to the Kosova question. Three in four Kosova Serbs also disavow autonomy, the USIA first-ever survey in Kosova says. The USIA is expected to open an office in Kosova capital, Prishtina. (Albanian Times)
[7] Arrest of Former Military Officials OrderedTIRANA, March 22 - A Tirana court has ordered the arrest of three former communist officials accused of attempting to organise an armed crackdown against the pro-democracy movement in February 1991. The accused include former defense minister Kico Mustaqi and two other high ranking officers who according to the accusation, tried to incite a counter-revolt by ordering the distribution of weapons to students of a military academy so that they could reverse the situation created after thousands of Albanians toppled a huge statue of dictator Enver Hoxha in Tirana's central square. According to the prosecution, five persons were killed and 36 wounded as a result of illegal use of firearms following the events in the square. The arrest has yet to be executed because the defendants have fled the country in an apparent attempt to avoid trial. (Albanian Times)
[8] Albania and Greece Sign Friendship TreatyTIRANA, March 21 - Visiting Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos told the Albanian parliament that the relations of his country with Albania will be stable independently of any circumstances. "Greece considers as stable the bridges of friendship that have been built so far," said Stephanopoulos who arrived in Albania Thursday for a two-day visit. Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, who is accompanying the President and his Albanian counterpart signed today a friendship and cooperation treaty that is expected to mark a new period in the once-strained relations between the two Balkan neighbors. Mr. Stephanopoulos said his country supports Albania's admission to the international structures and "within the limits of its possibility wants to become the conveyer of Albania's aims towards the European Union," Albanian President Sali Berisha described the visit as extremely important, saying the visit opens a new and important chapter in the future relationsbetween Greece and Albania. Mr. Stephanopoulos also met with leaders of the Albanian Orthodox Church in Tirana. Economic issues were also high on the agenda of the talks with President Berisha and other high ranking officials.
[9] Albanian Power Sector Receives World Bank SupportThe International Development Association, approved recently a $29.5 million credit to enhance efficient operations and support privatisation in the Albanian power sector, a press release of the World Bank said.Albania experienced a sharp economic decline following the political changes of 1990. In 1992 however the democratically elected government started a reform program of macroeconomic stabilisation and private sector development, with the support of the IDA and the Internatial Monetary Fund. As a result, Albania has achieved a low inflation rate (6 per cent in 1995) and rapid economic growth(8.6 per cent in 1995), a combination which is unique in the Central and Eastern Europe. The lack of modern infrastructure, however, hinders further economic development and the growing of the private sector. The Government is committed to improve services in infrastructure and privatize strategic sector, such as the public utilities of power, water supply and telecommunications. It has launched a mass privatization program, using a voucher scheme. In order to fight the widespread illegal use of electricity, the Government has embarked on the privatisation of the electricity distribution sector. In 1994 it sharply increased the energy prices, eleminated subsidies to household energy, freed fuel wood and coal prices, and raised the prices of the most energy carriers for households. Currently , the government is trying to curb illegal consumption through publicity campaign and law enforcement as well as through the privatisation of part of the electricity sector. This latter action will start with the pilot privatisation of three electricity distribution companies. The power transmission and distribution project will improve the overall standard, reliability and efficiency of electric power supply, enhance the efficiency of electricity intechanges with neighbouring countries, reduce unbilled electricity consumption, establish a regulatory frameworlk for the power sector, ensure the financial viability and institutional strength of the Albanian Electroenergetic Corporation, and the Power Corporations of Elbasan, Shkoder and Vlora and encourage energy conservation and efficiency in electric appliances and buildings. The project will focus on thre main areas. Regulatory reform of the power sector will enhance privatization and strengthen the institucioal capacity. The project will also provide technoical advice for privatisation and regulatory training, for the management of the financial department in KESH and for engineering and project implementation. The project will also fund investmens in transition, dispatching and distribution systems. The government will also receive advisory services to carry out a study on energy conservation and efficiency. This project is the largest in Albania with IDA involvement. The total project cost is $116.6 million, of which IDA will finance $29.5 million. Local funding will come from power sector companies; $23 million from KESH, $1.9 million from Shkodra, $2.4 million from Elbasan and $1.7 million from Vlora. The credit is extended on standard IDA terms, with 40 years of maturity, including a 10 years grace period. Together with this credit, IDA has approved 20 operations for Albania in the amount of 239.5 million USD, the World Bank press release said. (Albanian Times)
[10] Siemens Wins Rinas Airport ContractTIRANA, March 20 - Germany gave Albania a 48 million mark ($32.58 million) soft credit on Wednesday to reconstruct its international Rinas airport and said Bonn fully backed Albania's democratically elected government. German Economic Cooperation Minister Carl-Dieter Spranger told reporters in Tirana that the money was given as a soft credit at 0.75 percent interest payable over a 40-year period with a grace period of 16 years. "The conditions of this credit are like a dream," Spranger said at the end of a two-day visit in Albania. "The first reason I came here is to send a signal of support to the democratically elected government of President (Sali) Berisha and Prime Minister (Aleksander) Meksi which finds itself in an extremely difficult reform process," Spranger said. Drawing a parallel between Albania's decades under communism and conditions in former East Germany, he said he wanted to send a signal to the Albanian people that economic reform was the only way forward. "Germany and the community of European countries help Albania because there is no other alternative. A return to Communist or socialist experiments is not an alternative," he added. Germany's Siemens AG , which won a tender two years ago to reconstruct the Rinas airport, will modernise the runway, the taxi lanes, and upgrade the airport building, an Albanian Finance Ministry spokesman said. Siemens will also install new lighting and navigation equipment. (Courtesy of Reuters)
[11] Albania to Host U.S., Balkan Defense Chiefs MeetingTIRANA, March 20 - Albania will host a meeting of defense ministers from the United States and Balkan countries to discuss security in the region, defense minister Safet Zhulali told reporters on Wednesday. Ministers from Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey and Italy are expected to attend the talks on March 31 and April 1. U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry and representatives from the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) would also be present, Zhulali said. After the two-day meeting, Secretary Perry will remain in Albania for an official visit. Zhulali praised Mr. Perry as "a great friend of Albania." The forthcoming meeting has been received coldly by Greece. According to ANA, Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangallos said Friday that Athens "had reservations to the defense ministers' meeting in Tirana." "We feel that rearming the region and facing it in purely defense terms will not help the peace process, which we believe will come about through economic and political co-operation, he was quoted as saying.
[12] Berisha Meets Party Leaders to Discuss ElectionsTIRANA, March 20 - Albanian President Sali Berisha held consultations with party leaders Wednesday and said they agreed the last week of May and the first two weeks of June were the best time to hold national elections, according to the Albanian radio. The exact date of the elections will be announced after parliament has been dissolved on April 3. Under Albanian law, elections must be held within three months of that date. Last elections were held on March 1992. Berisha has given guarantees for the ballot to be free and fair. Servet Pellumbi, vice chairman of the opposition Socialist Party, said the meeting was a farce and nothing important was achieved. Reportedly, Berisha rebuffed in the meeting socialist references to Karl Marx, provoking a heated exchange of arguments with Mr. Pellumbi. ``I had hoped we would decide on the election date and the work of the commision that would verify candidates' credentials,'' Pellumbi said. Albanian parliament has set up a seven-member body to check candidates were not high ranking officials of the communist regime or collaborators of the former secret police. (Albanian Times)
[13] Greek President Begins Visit to AlbaniaTIRANA, March 20 - Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos begins Thursday a two-day visit to Albania where he will sign a landmark accord between the two countries. The friendship treaty is expected to mark a new era in their formerly strained relations. The greek President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Theodoros Pangalos, Finance Minister Alekos Papadopoulos and Education Minister Giorgos Papandreou and also by greek businessmen. The issue of private schools for the Greek minority in Albania is expected to be high on the agenda. Albania has agreed to allow three Greek schools to open for the ethnic minority. Tirana has requested legalisation for tens of thousands of illigal immigrants working in Greece. Greek government is expected to present a draft law to the Parliament concerning the issue. Greece has promised to find a way to settle the immigrants status, perhaps as seasonal workers. It has also agreed to support Albania in seeking closer ties with the EU and to grant it aid of about $10 million annually to boost its economy. With about 100 joint Greek-Albanian ventures, Greece is Albania's second biggest investor after Italy. (Albanian Times)
[14] Christopher Hill, First U.S. Ambassador to MacedoniaWASHINGTON, March 20 - Christopher Robert Hill has been officially appointed as the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia, according to a White House announcement. Hill, currently director of the south european affairs at the State Department, has served in diplomatic posts in Belgrade, Warsaw, Seoul and Tirana. He was born in 1952, and has graduated with a B.A. in Economics. He also earned a master's degree from the Naval War College and is fluent in French, Serbian and Polish. (Albanian Times)
[15] Albania and Germany May Have Solved Airport Reconstruction IssueTIRANA, March 19 - Albania and Germany appear to have saved the deadlocked talks on the reconstruction of Tirana airport, according to the Albanian radio. German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Carl-Dieter Sprangel who arrived in Tirana Tuesday will sign an agreement which according to the radio is expected to "finally solve the issue of funding for the airport reconstruction." The agreement for the Albanian side will be signed by the Albanian Vice Prime Minister Dylber Vrioni. "It was reached through the personal efforts of Minister Sprangel and the talks President Berisha had in Germany," the radio said. A technical agreement for the reconstruction of the airport was signed last May between Albania's Civil Aviation Authority and Germany's Siemens AG. The 46 million mark ($32.7 million) project includes rebuilding the airport's runway to accommodate aircraft of more than 70 tonnes, enlargement of the apron, installation of an instrument landing system, a new lighting system and traffic control tower and renovation of the terminal. Siemens won the airport contract in February 1994, but the talks fell apart over the guarantee of the credit by the German government. Albania passed a law last year exempting Siemens from paying import duties for machinery it will import during the first $30 million reconstruction stage. (Albanian Times)
[16] Berisha Asks Mayors to Verify Voter Registration ListsTIRANA, March 19 - Albanian President has called on all mayors to verify ballot lists ahead of national elections later this year. Voter registration lists will serve as a basis for the division of the constituencies. Berisha met Tuesday in Tirana with the country's mayors in an effort to avoid major shifts in voter lists from one constituency to another, which was noticed in the 1992 parliamentary elections. Berisha has yet to set a date for the national vote due to take place in late May or early June. (Albanian Times)
[17] Danish Minister Says E-U Must Agree to Expand EastwardCOPENHAGEN, March 19 - Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen said on Tuesday that the European Union must agree to expand eastwards, or have its forthcoming inter-governmental conference condemned as a failure. ``The enlargement issue is generally seen as the major issue by all countries,'' Petersen told Reuters in an interview ahead of the March 29 start of the review of EU treaties. ``The central and eastern Europeans keep knocking at our door and we have to come up with a decent answer to them, therefore this is an issue we cannot escape.'' High on the agenda, he said, would be the need for more openess in EU lawmaking. Petersen said that harder still would be discussion of how to strengthen joint foreign and defence policy, and whether voting on such issues should be by majority, ending member states' current veto rights, adding that in the past the veto had been abused. ``We have seen examples where Greece has blocked necessary economic support for Albania and Macedonia and blocked other neccessary steps toward these countries,'' Petersen said, stressing that Greece had since become more open to compromise. (Courtesy of Reuters)
[18] Albania Licences Greek BankTIRANA, March 15 - Albania's central bank gave the green light for the Greek National Bank to open a subsidiary in Tirana, it said in a statement on Friday. Central bank governor Kristaq Luniku said the move was part of Albania's efforts to form a more effective banking system. "It will bring in new capital and help the development of the private sector. It will increase competition and bring to Albania the experience of an international bank," Luniku said. He added the move would make it easier and cheaper to transfer funds to Albanians residing in Greece. The National Bank of Greece's subsidiary has a base capital of about $2 million and has a full retail banking licence. (Cortesy of Illyria)
[19] Egypt Invests in Food Factory Complex in AlbaniaTIRANA, March 15 - The Egyptian company Kato Aromatik is investing $15 million in the construction of a complex of nine factories in Vora, near Tirana, to produce children's food and pharmaceutical products, the Albanian news agency ATA reported. Ninety percent of the construction work has already been completed. The complex will start work at the beginning of May this year and will employ hundreds of Albanian workers. In the future, ten Arab projects, with Egyptian cooperation, will be implemented in tourism, construction and air transport. (Courtesy of Reuters)
[20] Agnelli Supports Albania's Closer Ties with EUTIRANA, March 18 - Visiting Italian Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli told Albanian leaders the European Union welcomes an association agreement with Albania, according to the Albanian state radio. Mrs. Agnelli arrived in Tirana on Monday on a short tour which also included the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "The EU is trying to offer the best possible solution for Albania, and we hope to move as fast as we can," Agnelli said. She raised the possibility of a preliminary agreement until full association was achieved. Italy is currently holding the European Union's rotating six-month presidency and is Albania's main trading partner. Italian private investments in Albania make up 60 percent of all foreign investments in the country. Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi told Agnelli an association agreement with the EU was the Balkan country's number one objective. "Albania is working to fulfil the criteria for the associate agreement with the European Union," Albanian President Sali Berisha said in his meeting with Agnelli. "The conditions of the Albanian farmers are not the same as those of the E.U. Therefore a policy of support for them is necessary," Berisha added. (Albanian Times, Radio Tirana, Reuter, ANSA)
[21] Italy's Foreign Minister Susanna AgnelliBorn in Turin on 24 April 1922, Susanna Agnelli's political career began in 1974 as mayor of Monte Argentario (Grosseto), a position she held for ten years. Elected as a Lower House deputy for the Italian Republican Party in 1976, she returned to parliament in 1979. Agnelli was elected to the Senate in 1983 and re-elected in 1987. A member of the European Parliament from 1979-1981, she served as Foreign Undersecretary in various governments from 1983-91. She is a member of numerous Italian and foreign institutions and associations. Agnelli holds an honorary degree in law from Mount Holyoke College (Mass.) She contributes to newspapers and periodicals and has authored a number of best-sellers, which have also been published abroad. Mother of six children, she lives in Rome. (Albanian Times)
[22] Turkish Air Commander Confers with ZhulaliTIRANA, March 18 - Visiting Turkish Air Force Commander, General Ahmet Corekci, promised Turkey's continuing support for the modernisation of the Albanian air force. On Saturday, General Gorekci conferred in Tirana with Albanian Defense Minister Safet Zhulali who praised Turkey's military support. Both sides pledged to continue their military cooperation. Albanian air force consists of vintage Chinese and Soviet made Mig 21 aircraft. Ankara has opened a military school in Tirana and also trains Albanian officers in Turkey. (Albanian Times)
[23] British Ship Leaves Durres After Aid MissionDURRES, March 18 - A British warship left Durres Monday after a 4 day humanitarian mission in Albania. "London" commanders met with Albanian defense officials and helped remodel a kindergarten in Tirana. The ship's helicopter was used to carry emergency aid to a pediatric hospital in the noreastern district of Peshkopi. The mission was coordinated by the British humanitarian aid organisation "Feed the Children". (Albanian Times)
[24] Cabinet Approves Draft Treaty with GreeceTIRANA, March 18 - A draft treaty of friendship, cooperation, good neighborhood and security with Greece was approved by the Albanian governement and is being submitted to the Parliament for review. The treaty is expected to be signed by the Albanian and Greek heads of state during a visit to Albania by the Greek president Kostis Stephanoupulos.
[25] Labor Minister Leaves for CanadaTIRANA, March 18 - Albanian Minister of Labor, Engjell Dakli has left for Canada, where he will have talks with officials at the Canadian Ministry of Human Resources. (Albanian Times)
[26] Nobel Laureate, Elytis, Dies at 85ATHENS, March 18 - Odysseus Elytis, the Greek Nobel laureate poet died Monday at his home in Athens. He was 85. Elytis's poems, hugely popular in Greece, were set to music by composer Mikis Theodorakis. The musical versions turned him into a national icon and are often sung by everyday Greeks at tavernas or coffee houses. One of the most popular poems, ``To Axion Esti,'' includes long prose passages describing his time as a young officer fighting invading Italian fascist troops on the Albanian front in 1940. (Courtesy of Reuters)
The material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade & ConsultingInternational. For more information on ATCI and the Albanian Times, pleasewrite to AlbaTimes@aol.comCopyright (c) ATCI, 1996 |
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