Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) [2], 97-03-28

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST LEK IN TIRANA

[02] PRESIDENT BERISHA MEETS HEAD OF EU MISSION

[03] ARMY DEPOT IN GRAMSH RANSACKED - Ministry

[04] PRIME MINISTER FINO MEETS ITALIAN INVESTORS

[05] EDUCATION SYSTEM REQUIRES PRIORITY IN AID - Ministry

[06] ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTERIOR MINISTRY

[07] MEETING OF GJIROKASTER PREFECT WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS

[08] FIRST RED CROSS AID DISTRIBUTED IN TIRANA

[09] TWO SHIPS BEGIN UNLOADING IN DURRES

[10] GREATER PRESENCE OF POLICE IN GJIROKASTER CITY

[11] PRESS RELEASE

[01] CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST LEK IN TIRANA

Over the last two weeks 1 US $ was bought in the free market by 150 leks.

For the time being the exchange quotas will not suffer much fluctuation, but everything is up to the agreements to be signed between the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the bank specialists say.

The Savings Bank today will have the following exchange rate against the lek

      Currency         buying        selling
      1 US $            145           149
      1 Mark            86.4          89.3
      1000 Lira         86            89.5
      100 Drachmas      53.5          57

[02] PRESIDENT BERISHA MEETS HEAD OF EU MISSION

Berisha thanked once again the European Union (EU) and its member countries for their great concern shown in Albania, to restore stability in the country and its going ahead on the road of democracy and European integration.

Berisha stressed that the support for the national reconciliation platform and the efforts of the National Reconciliation Government to accomplish the tasks set in its programme are of extraordinary importance in restoring stability in the country and in resolving the political situation.

"But the activity of the government in southern districts is being undermined by political forces which have signed the political platform and are present in the government, but which, on the other hand, are closely cooperating with the military committees, which, with a medieval feudal psychology, seek to counterpoise one or several districts to the country as a whole.

These committees are now completely discredited before the citizens in these districts for breaking into banks with tanks, for organising looting and killing, as well as for their anti-Albanian political platform," Berisha said.

Ambassador D'Ansembourg told President Berisha that the European Union did not recognise these committees. He reconfirmed that the EU fully supported the National Reconciliation platform and the central and local governing throughout the country and remained fully committed to help Albania carry out political solution and assist the Albanians with emergency humanitarian relief to be followed with financial and macroeconomic aid.

D'Ansembourg discussed with Berisha security issues for distributing the humanitarian supplies.

Berisha stressed that the escort of the convoys of aid by police or military units of the countries Albania has asked aid from, in cooperation with the Albanian police, is indispensable to guarantee the necessary security of this operation, which Berisha considered very significant to pull the country back from the grave situation it is in.

He stressed that it is indispensable that the Albanian police be assisted with donated or hired means to enable them restore public order throughout the country.

As regards the general elections Berisha said that they should be held within the deadline set in the National Reconciliation Platform by the political parties themselves. a.ke/lm/Z/

[03] ARMY DEPOT IN GRAMSH RANSACKED - Ministry

The spokesman of the Interior Ministry reports that the police commissariat forces in Gramsh went immediately to the spot and took under protection the army depot, which had been abandoned by the army forces.

The police also informed the Defence Ministry of this attack yesterday, but this institution took no action to help the police forces on the spot.

After 10 hours of resistance by this small group of police forces, the gunmen, who were now reinforced, managed to storm this army depot and loot the weaponry there. a.ke/eva/lm/Z

[04] PRIME MINISTER FINO MEETS ITALIAN INVESTORS

Also attending the meeting was the Italian Ambassador in Tirana, Paolo Foresti.

"Your presence in Albania today and the message you give to the Albanian people at this very difficult period is very promising, because it is the message of recovery, employment and enlivening of the economic life," Fino said.

Fino stressed that at these moments the italian Investors Association was switching onto a European Investors Assembly, which, presided by Italy, would create the necessary conditions and influence in increasing foreign investment in the country.

The Italian investors expressed their belief and support that the situation in Albania would improve and the economic life normalise.

"The ventures with Italian capital employ some 100 000 Albanian workers and we are ready to resume, but order should be guaranteed, especially in streets and ports," the investors said. s.sh/jz/lm/Z/

[05] EDUCATION SYSTEM REQUIRES PRIORITY IN AID - Ministry

"Under the very grave situation the country is faced with, we have asked that emergency aid in the form of school equipment, already damaged in many teaching surroundings of our Universities, should be accorded," the head of this ministry, Myqerem Tafaj, told ATA.

The ministry will make known the demands for an emergency aid to the EU mission, which is holding a series of working meetings in Albania.

"The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has confirmed that it will help reconstruct the Kamze University. Aid has also been offered by USAID, which has put at the disposal of this University 80000 dollars," Tafaj said. jz/lm/Z

[06] ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTERIOR MINISTRY

The spokesman of the Interior Ministry, Ndrek Gjini, reports that the police forces of the Fier Commissariat are working to find the causes of the event and identify the authors of the crime. a.ke/lm/Z/

[07] MEETING OF GJIROKASTER PREFECT WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS

"Stress was laid on the reorganisation of the police commissariats, as the only body realising the defence and implementation of the law and the security of the civilian population," prefect Merkuri said after the meeting.

According to him any decision taken loses all values if it is not executed. The reorganisation and strengthening of the police bodies will enable the distribution of wages to the pensionists and budgetary workers, in the conditions when the bank institutions are almost destroyed.

We ask more powers to appoint new policemen, who, according to the law, are appointed by the centre. This is because the demands are immediate and any loss of time deepens the anarchy. s.sh/jz/lm/Z/

[08] FIRST RED CROSS AID DISTRIBUTED IN TIRANA

This contingent was distributed to "The Handicapped Institution", "the Orphanage" and is continuing to be distributed to the alms house.

The relief consists of main food and detergents. According to the Red Cross leading officials this is only the beginning of a broad operation which wil continue not only in Tirana but also in all the districts of the country. eva/lm/Z/

[09] TWO SHIPS BEGIN UNLOADING IN DURRES

Thus, the unloading of the Greek ship "Anastasia" with 1000 tonnes of potatoes and of the Albanian "Sazani" with 52 tonnes of paper began since today.

The Croat ship "Vieko", which will be loaded with 700 tonnes of chrome mineral, enters this port this afternoon. kled/lm/Z/

[10] GREATER PRESENCE OF POLICE IN GJIROKASTER CITY

The clashes between armed rival groups which have spoiled the peace in the city in the past days, are alomost eliminated. No arms fire is hear in the city during the day, while during the night the people do not feel themselves quite safe.

An Italian non-governmental organization and the International Red Cross brought yesterday the first contingents of assistance for the hospitals, schools, houses for the aged and public institutions of Gjirokaster, Tepelene, Permet, Delvine and Memaliaj. ssh/jz/xh/

[11] PRESS RELEASE

Highlighting among others the importance of this law for the restoration of social peace and national understanding in the context of the all-sided efforts of the Albanian state institutions for the establishment of the constitutional and public orders and for the defence of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Albania, the President of Albania is of the opinion that this law should not make a unification between penal acts which in relation to each other present different qualitative threats.

This law has underrated the danger of the crimes of genocide and the crimes against humanity, which in the Albanian legislation, in the legislations of other countries and in the international one, recognized and accepted by the Albanian state, are described as highly dangerous.

In these circumstances and proceeding from the will clearly expressed by the Albanian legislator in the legal provisions in force in the Republic of Albania and from the content of the international acts compulsory for observation in the Republic of Albania, the President of Albania asked the People's Assembly to review this law with the aim that the penal acts and the authors of the penal acts of genocide and the crimes against humanity be not covered by the amnesty. xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article