ATA News from Albania, 96-08-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] TRITAN SHEHU RETURNS HOME FROM IRELAND

[02] HRUP CHAIRMAN DEMANDS OPENING OF GREEK CLASSES IN SOUTH ALBANIA

[03] REQUEST OF ISTANBUL PATRIARCHATE REFUSED

[04] More attacks on police stations in Kosovo

[05] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT DECREES THE CREATION OF THE CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[06] NEW INCIDENTS IN KOSOVA - TENSE SITUATION

[07] OFFERS BY FOREIGN PARTNERS TO COOPERATE WITH ALBANIAN BUSINESSMEN

[08] PODUJEVA - OBJECTIVE OF SERBIAN POLICE VIOLENCE

[01] TRITAN SHEHU RETURNS HOME FROM IRELAND

Shehu said that "Of importance in this visit was the committment not only of the Irish government, as the current holder of the EU presidency, but also of the EU presidency, to continue support for Albania and start negotiations as soon as possible for Albania's association agreement with the EU. This was confirmed during the meetings with the Irish senior officials and political forces."

"I also had a fruitful meeting with Secretary General of the Vienna-based European Democratic Union who assured me of his full support for the Democratic Party and the democratic developments in Albania" Shehu said. ake/fh/lm

[02] HRUP CHAIRMAN DEMANDS OPENING OF GREEK CLASSES IN SOUTH ALBANIA

Chairman of the Human Rights Union Party (HRUP) Vasil Melo, demanded Friday, during a meeting with the DP chairman Tritan Shehu, the opening of Greek classes in some districts of Southern Albania.

The DP spokesman said that Melo "voiced the concern of his party for the opening of three Greek classes in the towns of Delvina, Gjirokastra and Saranda" as an issue "discussed in an earlier meeting between them."

This issue "has also been agreed upon to be solved in the Berisha-Stephanopoulos meeting" said Melo referring to a visit of the Greek President to Albania last March.

During the visit the Greek President, speaking of the Greek minority in Albania, considered "the opening of the Greek classes in Delvina, Gjirokastra and Saranda in the coming school year" a fact which will "further enliven the climate of confidence and cooperation between two countries as well as the productive participation of the Greek minority in the reconstruction of Albania."

Shehu, who is also holding the post of the Foreign Minister, assured Melo of his support on this issue.

Both chairmen expressed their pleasure for the level of cooperation between the two parties and discussed the preparationsfor the new local elections. ksh/fh/lm

[03] REQUEST OF ISTANBUL PATRIARCHATE REFUSED

"To say we were surprised at this news. We learned from the foreign press that the patriarchate has decided to appoint three Greek metropolitans in Albania. This is an unprecedented act which surpasses even the most minumum rules," Fico tells the BBC radio.

He says that all the border crossing points between Greece and Albania have been announced to prevent the Greek clergies from coming to Albania.

"They may come to Albania as Greek citizens, but not as clergies appointed by the Istanbul patriarchate", Fico says reiterating that the Albanian Orthodox Church is Autocephalous.

According to Fico the refusal by the Albanian authorities to accept the young Greek clergies in Albania will not sever relations between Albania and Greece which now are at good levels.

Also, the head of the Orthodox Church in Albania, Iannulatos ,according to various media sources, has said "he will agree to any response from the Albanian authorities".

The Orthodox Church canons ban the appointment of foreign clergies at the head of the autocephalous churches. The Instanbul's patriarchate itself, in the case of the orthodox church of Estonia which had problems with its powerful neighbour, the Russian Orthodox Church, mediated, considering that "the chiefs of the Estonian church cannot be Russian, because this runs counter to the canons of the orthodox church, especially the canon 34 written since the 7th century".

Father Arthur Liolin, General Chancellor of the Orthodox Albanian-American Church, in an interview with radio the Voice of America, regarding reports that the Albanian authorities will not grant entry visas to the three appointed Greek bishops, said that it is duty of the Albanian government to defend the interests of the Albanian State and the status of the Albanian people and Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church.

"The status of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania clearly says that its dignitaries should be Albanians. This is in accordance with the traditional practice of Orthodox Church in general and its canons," Liolin said.

The radio BBC cites Greek spokesman Dimitris Repas as saying that "these are questions belonging to the church and that it is the power of the church and its bodies to make the choice."

BBC says that the Greek media has recently reported of "a split" in the relations between the Archbishop of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania and Istanbul Patriarchate.

The Greek media cited by BBC provides as an argument the refusal of the Archbishop to attend the ordaining ceremony of three metropolitans in the Istanbul Patriarchate, while in two letters sent to the Patriarchate on July 22 and 25, Anastas Iannulatos insists on the beginning of dialogue with the Albanians.

He stresses that "a representative of the Patriarchate should come to Albania to discuss the problem with Albanian representatives who are well aware of the problem, and certainly with the Albanian authorities, because unexpectedness give rise to reactions unlikely to be controlled later".

Anastas Iannulatos, according to the Greek media cited by BBC, has suggested the Oecumenic Patriarchate not to carry out the ordaining of three metropolitans. pas/lm/fh/

[04] More attacks on police stations in Kosovo

Belgrade (dpa) - More police stations in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo were attacked with bombs overnight, Belgrade radio B-92 said Saturday.

No one was injured in the attacks in which hand grenades were thrown at police stations and police posts in the town Podujevo. One police vehicle was damaged.

Unidentified attackers in the same town set fire to the building where identification cards and passports are distributed.

A bomb also exploded in front of a police post in the provincial capital Pristina and in the neighbouring village Krpimej.

"The Liberation Army of Kosovo" has claimed responsibility for similar earlier attacks on the Serbian police in the province.

Belgrade rules with a heavy police presence in the province, where 90 per cent of the population is Albanian. The province lost autonomy in 1990. dpa rw

[05] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT DECREES THE CREATION OF THE CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION

The Commission consists of the Chairman, Deputy chairman, Secretary and 14 members. It is appointed by the President of the Republic upon proposal of the Council of Ministers and political parties.

The Council of Ministers and the political parties, on the basis of the decree 1568, dated August 2, 1996 "On the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Albania" must send their proposals for the members of this Commission to the President's Office, says the report. kled/xh/sh/

[06] NEW INCIDENTS IN KOSOVA - TENSE SITUATION

As a result of the explosion, some auxiliary objects of the building as well as some vehicles of the Serbian police were set on fire. After the explosion, Serbian police maltreated many Albanians in the city. Police do not allow movements out or into the city of Podujeva. To help local police in Podujeva a column with armoured vehicles arrived from Pristine.

Also last night at about 21.00 a powerful explosion burst in the quarter of Muhaxher, near Serbian police station. Serbian police forces blocked the city quarter immediately. The authors and causes of the explosion are not yet identified.

Reports from Podujeva, whose 99 per cent of the population is Albanian, say that many citizens have been arrested and manhandled. It is also reported that police are operating in the villages of Lluzhan (12 km from Podujeva) and Kerpimeh.

Serbian media today reported that three "terrorist" attacks have taken place in Podujeva, Kerpimeh and Prishtine. aca/pas/xh/sh/

[07] OFFERS BY FOREIGN PARTNERS TO COOPERATE WITH ALBANIAN BUSINESSMEN

According to the spokesman of this Chamber, "the aim of foreign partners is to establish relations with Albanian firms, businessmen and traders in various fields, to expand trade relations with partners from Albania too."

Hence, some firms and companies from the U.S. have made offers for Albanian producers and traders. Such firms are Unigroup, Santa Barbara Trading International, Tecfen Corporation, etc. Offers have also been made by Italian firms such as Salconf, Massimo Dimauro, Terrecote Piemontesi, firms from Hong Kong such as Sonic Technicute, Wisdom Trading Company, Boshi & Co LTD, firms from Turkey such as Fupa Asansor, Albokim, Mikron Metal, etc. Offers have also been made in the Chamber of Commerce in Tirana by firms from Greece, India, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Korea, and other states. kled/xh/sh/

[08] PODUJEVA - OBJECTIVE OF SERBIAN POLICE VIOLENCE

During this period, 46 Albanian houses have been searched, 168 controls have been carried out by police searching for arms and 114 Albanians have been physically manhandled.

Also 24 activists of the Democratic League of Kosova have been maltreated in the offices of Serbian security, eight have been sentenced with imprisonments, whereas ten Albanians are in the process of trials.

Violence has also been exerted on traders. Some of their commodities estimated at 3 780 DM have been confiscated during the first half of 1996.

About 50 Albanians were subjected to a savage violence in June.

The report of the Information Centre of Kosova also says that during May, Serbian authorities have issued 20 warrants to Albanian youngsters to be recruted in the Serbian Army. Also 50 Albanian youths have been recently summoned in Kacanik.

An enigmatic powerful explosion occurred near a police station command in Podujeva (Eastern Kosova, zone bordered with Serbia) at 20.30.

As a result of the explosion, some auxiliary objects of the building of the former police station as well as some vehicles of the Serbian police were set on fire. After the explosion, Serbian police maltreated many Albanians in the city. Police do not allow movements out or into the city of Podujeva. To help local police in Podujeva an column with armoured vehicles arrived from Pristine.

Also last night at about 21.00 a powerful explosion burst in the quarter of Muhaxher, near Serbian police station. Serbian police forces blocked the city quarter immediately. Authors and causes of the explosion are not yet identified.

Podujeva is a city in Kosova with a 99 per cent Albanian population and is situated near the border with Serbia. P.Ta/kled/xh/

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

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