Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 96-11-30

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] GREAT FLUX OF TRAVELS IN ALBANIA

[02] ALBANIA AND ITS ROLE FOR STABILITY IN BALKAN

[03] SEMINAR "NATIONAL LIBRARY - MOST IMPORTANT CENTER OF ALBANIAN BOOK TO BE HELD IN TIRANA

[04] THE SOCIALIST PARTY PRIOR TO AND AFTER OCT. 20 LOCAL BALLOT

[05] PRESS REVIEW

[06] AGREEMENT TO FINANCE IRRIGATION PROJECT SIGNED

[07] ALBANIAN POLITICAL PARTIES BACK UP EACH OTHER IN SECOND ROUND OF LOCAL ELECTIONS IN MACEDONIA

[08] THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT ENDS

[09] PREMIER'S SPOKESMAN EXPLAINS EVENTS IN ALBANIAN SOCCER FEDERATIONS

[01] GREAT FLUX OF TRAVELS IN ALBANIA

In October, work for the reconstruction of the airport of Rinas started. The German Company SIEMENS which is working for the airport, has pledged that in 1997 the airport will be of European standards.

Sources in the Adria Airlines in Tirana told ATA that during summer travels have been numerous. In the present period the number of passengers has decreased as compared with summer time. This company makes five flights per week from Albania to various European capitals. Albania Airlines company makes 7 flights per week, whereas Swissair makes 11 flights per week.

In the city of Shkodra, Northwestern Albania, a six seat missionaries' plane of American Aviation inaugurated in November the first Civil Air service from Shkodra. The landing ground for the plane was that used for military aircrafts under the communist regime. "The flights here are planned for the beginning of December," says the director of the project of Public Administration, Mr Nickel.

The increase of the number of passengers is also based on the travels by sea. In the port of Durres, one of the main ports of Albania, 45 km far from Tirana, in 1992, three to four freighters per month entered the port, while now 35 freighters reach the port every week. Last year 282 thousand passengers, 54 thousand cars and 35 thousand trucks have left the freighters' terminal, and the figures are forecast to increase 14 per cent in 1997.

According to specialists, 2 million 670 thousand citizens make urban bus travels per month in the capital. xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] ALBANIA AND ITS ROLE FOR STABILITY IN BALKAN

In his discussion on the Albanian foreign policy, Shehu stressed that "one of the priorities in the foreign policy has been the principle of the good neighbourhood relations. The Albanian government has given a valuable contribution on peace, security ans stability in the region."

With regard to the relations of Albania with some of the countries of the Balkans, Shehu said that "in general they have kept increasing". He mentioned on this occasion the agreement singed on mutual promotion and protection of the investments.

"We would also like to have a development of relations with Serbian, but the attitude of Belgrade towards Kosova issue is a factor which influences and will strongly influence on the Serbian-Albanian relations," stressed Shehu.

Further on, Shehu hailed the assistance and the support given by many countries to Albania in this difficult period of transition. He thanked the Italian government and investors, whose investments have taken the first place in Albania.

At the end of his speech, Shehu expressed once again the engagement of the Albanian government and authorities to help and support the efforts and aims of foreign investors to invest and cooperate with Albania and Albanians. /a.ke/kled/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] SEMINAR "NATIONAL LIBRARY - MOST IMPORTANT CENTER OF ALBANIAN BOOK TO BE HELD IN TIRANA

The program of the seminar will include the scientific session, whose main object is the work of the National Library and the problems of the culture of the Albanian book in the country and abroad. In the seminar will also be presented the bibliography of the book, published outside the Albanian borders which entered the National Library during 1991-1995, and the exhibition of the books and periodicals published outside Albania in the four last years and have entered the National Library.

Attending this library will also be librarians, scholars of the book culture, and others. /mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] THE SOCIALIST PARTY PRIOR TO AND AFTER OCT. 20 LOCAL BALLOT

The anchor of salvation turned suddenly invalid and "idealists" turned to themselves, thus appearing unveiled before their disillusioned electorate.

The Leading committees of the Socialist Party in all the districts of Albania are making the analysis of the loss in elections, after recognizing the DP victory in local ballot.

A few days after the first round of local elections, the chairman of the Eurosocialist Youth Forum of Albania, Ilir Meta stressed in the Voice of America that "the weak presentation of SP in the Oct. 20 vote is linked with the latest crisis that the party is experiencing in its ranks."

Disagreements between the new and the old, splits into clans became evident in the SP congress, in August this year, after an appearance of exaggerated solidarity, the leadership in the hands of a prisoner for corruption and according to some socialist leaders, who is "separated from the reality," were some of the signs of "the ruin" of an image which socialists tried to present.

Their crisis came more to light during the electoral campaign, which had in its basis on the fixed idea of manipulation of the May 26, 1996 vote, without focusing on a concrete program.

Meta considered the local vote loss as a catastrophe of the SP alternative.

Despite continuous calls of the Democratic Party, the President of the Republic and foreign socialist personalities (among whom the deputy president of the Socialist International, Nicola Zingaretti,) that Socialist deputies should take part in the parliament,) SP is continuing its boycott on the basis of a resolution issued in its second congress.

The boycott which started during the voting process on May 26, 1996, seems to increase the disbelief in the electorate. But this phenomenon (the boycott,) is left aside or interpreted in different ways by SP leaders, who consider it a protest towards DP and the state and not a betrayal to their followers.

In this regard, in an interview with BBC, the member of the Leading Committee of SP and analyst of Zeri i Popullit, Hamdi Jupe, said that SP "should have thought well before it took the decision on the boycott."

In the mean time, the fact that SP follows the Party of Labour, the former communist Party, is also left unmentioned despite special cases when reformatory elements of SP have accepted this fact openly.

In a meeting of the SP Leading General Committee some time ago, various members of this committee demanded the resignation of the Presidency, a topic which could not be discussed.

Jupe mentioned as an inner phenomenon within the party the attack, the denigration and insulting of the people within the party, and as a psychology that of the spies and agents, "forgetting that all these people, who consist the SP potential, are its property."

The last proof of the SP crisis is the fact that the newspaper Zeri i Popullit, which for 50 years has been the loyal publication of the PLA and later of SP, is openly writing against the road that the SP if following.

After reports on the analysis of the SP loss in the local ballot of October 20, 1996 in the districts, the Tirana SP branch will present its own report after some days, then the final report is expected to be made.

In the local ballot of Oct. 20, the SP won the post of the mayor in 4 town halls against 58 won by DP. The local poll was conducted for 64 town halls. In the local poll of 1992, DP won 21 and SP 23 town halls out of a total of 45. xh/k

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[05] PRESS REVIEW

Zeri i Popullit reports with regard to the elections of October 20: "The manipulators of votes rewarded with appointments in the local administration". The paper highlights on the second page the visits of SP leaders in the families of the martyrs and veterans of the National Liberation War.

Lajmi i Dites publishes on the first page the analysis entitled "The change of the right wing position after the local elections".

Rilindja reports "Healthy national and political breathing", regarding the meeting of the branch of Kosova Democratic League for Benelux, held on November 24 in Luxembourg.

Under the headline "1500 socialists of Korca ask the SP chairman to resign", Albania paper carries the article "No more with Nano, we need unity". "The lost time of the opposition" is the editorial of this paper.

Koha Jone regarding the news conference of Deputy Hajdari, cites his words: "That's how we will protect the usuries".

Gazeta Shqiptare reports "Democratic Deputy gives severe counter-reply after his expulsion from the National Council", regarding the news conference of Hajdari. On the economic page the paper reports "Investors and the world land in Tirana", with regard to the third International Conference of the foreign investments. /eva/mt/

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[06] AGREEMENT TO FINANCE IRRIGATION PROJECT SIGNED

At this meeting Albania was represented by the minister of Industry, Transports and Trade, Suzana Panariti.

At a meeting with the president of this bank, Mohamed Ali, Panariti discussed the ongoing development of the projects financed by the Islamic Bank for Development in Albania and the agreement to fianance the irrigation project of the Korca field was signed.

The project is worth 5.2 million dollars and envisages the rehabilitation of the irrigation network in an acreage of 7000 hectares.

The meeting also discussed other projects, which will be co-financed in the future by this bank with the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) including the project of the administration of the Tirana territory", that on the development of the rural telecom, of the modernisation of the Durres port and other projects. eva/lm/z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] ALBANIAN POLITICAL PARTIES BACK UP EACH OTHER IN SECOND ROUND OF LOCAL ELECTIONS IN MACEDONIA

The Albanian political parties in Macedonia, in the second round of elections, faced with the danger of the Macedonian parties' grouping, are backing up each other to allow the Albanian electorate to vote for the Albanian party whose candidate has the majority of votes.

"The 13 communes in which the second round will be held have agreed that the Albanian winning parties be those which rank the first in the list and that the other parties withdraw their candidates", the deputy chairman of the Albanian Democratic Prosperity Party, Mendhu Taci, (ADPP) told ATA on telephone.

Thus, the ADPP has withdrawn its candidates in favour of the candidate of Democratic Prosperity Party in the Commune of Brevenica in Tetova, in the commune of Dibra in the city, the commune of Vrapcishti, Gostivar, in the commune of Cairi, Shkup and in Kumanove.

The other Albanian party, the Democratic Prosperity Party, (DPP) according to a report by its spokesman, has withdrawn its candidate Enver Zengu (ex-prefect of Gostivari) from the further electoral contest in favour of the Albanian candidate of the ADPP, Rufi Osamni, who has the majority.

Asked whether there have been new talks on this consensus, Mr. Taci said that: "This was agreed upon in principle since the beginning of the elections".

Although the Albanian political parties in the first round concentrated on their political options and diversities, in the second round, despite divergency, they seem to be characterized by a spirit of mutual cooperation and allowances in various constituencies in the name of the victory of the Albanian candidate.

A mediating role in this issue is being played by the smaller parties including the People's Democratic Party, which invited its electorate to support the candidate who wins the majority of votes in the second round. This party was in electoral coalition with the ADPP. This was followed by the Democratic Action Party is the Real Road, and the Republican Party "The People's Unity".

The appeal was also joined by the Politically Persecuted Association, the Albanian Women League and other associations.

The Politically Persecuted Association since before the first round had made efforts to reach a consensus between the Albanian political parties mainly betweenthe ADPP and DPP, but without result.

The two major Albanian parties of Macedonia DPP and the ADPP won 161 and 117 seats for councillors, respectively. The elections for the municipal councils were annulled in nine communes and will be rerun.

The Albanian DPP won seven seats and the coalition of the Albanian Parties ADPP and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) two.

The voting for prefects will be rerun in 13 communes, the electoral commission reports.

During the first round elections numerous irregularities were ascertained as the electoral lists lacked the names of Albanian citizens in Macedonia by 25 per cent. However, a delegation of ODIHR of OSCE considered these elections regular. jz/lm/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT ENDS

Albania is characterised by a favourable business climate for foreign investment. This was the conclusion of the two day proceedings of the Third International Conference on Foreign Investment.

"This conference was successful not only because of the good organisation but also of the possibilities and chances it offered for the business community in Germany, Europe or elsewhere in the world," says the deputy president of DAIMlER BENZ, Mathhias Kleinert.

The presence of BENZ in Albania, through the setting up of a service station by the exclusive representative of BENZ, (whose first project is the setting up of a center of vehicle sale and service in Kashar of Tirana through an investment of 3.8 million dollars and which was inaugurated today), "testifies to the beginning of business with Albania, being turned into a symbol of our investment in your country", Kleinert says.

Rudolf Bertsch, Executive Director of SIEMENS said that :"This conference made clear the future projects of foreign investors on Albania". jz/lm/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] PREMIER'S SPOKESMAN EXPLAINS EVENTS IN ALBANIAN SOCCER FEDERATIONS

-to create a group of government experts to assist in the drafting of new statutes of the federations in conformity with the international norms as well as with the fundamental laws of the country and basic principles of democracy.

-to annul the latest decisions regarding suspensions in the structures of the basketball and football federations.

-to recommend the Executive Committee of the Albanian Football Federation to prepare the new statute within January 1997 and in February 1997 to approve it in the general Assembly and elect the new structures conform the statute.

On the other hand, the government will undertake all the proper steps in the international soccer structures, the announcement of the spokesman says. a.ke/jz/lm

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

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