Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) [2], 97-04-01

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] RALLY TO THE MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS IN OTRANTO TRAGEDY

[02] CULTURAL VALUES IN ALBANIA - PREY TO VIOLENCE AND THEFT

[03] ALBANIAN DELEGATION LED BY DEFENCE MINISTER SHAQIR VUKAJ ARRIVES IN ITALY

[04] STRONG DEBATES IN TODAY'S MEETING OF ALBANIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESIDENCY

[05] GREECE OFFERS HELP AND COOPERATION TO THE ALBANIAN AGRICULTURE

[01] RALLY TO THE MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS IN OTRANTO TRAGEDY

Speakers in the rally said that Vlore would be in mourning for the victims the whole week, during which people would make rituals from the Flag Square to the seashore in the Skele city quarter where they would throw flowers in the sea.

One of the speakers refuted the news broadcast by Italian TV channels yesterday, according to which an anti-Italian rally was held in the city of Vlore on March 31, 1997.

The situation in the city of Vlore continues to be insecure, according to citizens. Although guarantees are given regarding the consolidation of order, yet during afternoon hours and especially during the night, fire of arms continues in Vlore. ake/kei/xh/k

[02] CULTURAL VALUES IN ALBANIA - PREY TO VIOLENCE AND THEFT

"About 80 objects of the Illyrian autochthonous culture, mainly bronze armaments, ornaments of the culture of Arberia, etc., were plundered in t he archaeological museum of Durres," told ATA the director of the Archaeological Research Centre in Tirane, Namik Bodinaku.

"Objects of Hellenic culture, and other objects such as stone hammers, bronze axes, are not damaged in that museum, which, according to Mr Bodinaku, shows that the ill-doers are people who can well distinguish which are the real values. Competent investigation structures in Durres are working to throw light on this question.

According to Mr Bodinaku, this issue has been the subject of a meeting held in the Academy of Sciences of Albania, which was also attended by a representative of the Interior Ministry, with the aim that the measures to protect other objects covered by this institution be adopted. Here are included the ancient city of Apolonia, the archaeological office in Fier, the archaeological museum in Korce and others.

Indispensible are the measures to protect the objects in Butrint, which were left at the mercy of a group of people who rioted them after police charged to guard it had left.

"From telephone contacts with one of the people working in that ancient city," said Bodinaku, "the real damage is not yet defined. Besides the material basis, also the museum has been plundered. Fortunately, a part of valuable objects of this ancient city were evacuated earlier, but still a marble statue of Dionis, about 1 meter high, and of rare values, as well as other objects of the archaeological fund were grabbed."

"The amount of damage in the cultural values covered by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Woman, is not yet known," told ATA the director of culture in this institution, Adem Jakllari. "But according to information we have so far, the material losses in these objects are envisaged to be more than 0.5 million dollars."

In the ethnographic museum in Elbasan, 90 per cent of the values of material culture such as folk costumes, house equipment etc,. has been stolen. The fact that these values may be replaced through financing, makes this damage somewhat smaller.

"Fortunately," said Mr Jakllari, "8 objects, which are very important for their value, such as the Medieval Art Museum in Korce, the Memorial of Scanderbeg in Lezhe, the Gjergj Kastrioti Museum in Kruje, Onufri Museum in Berat, the Independence Museum in Vlore, etc., could be saved from violence."

Some of these museal objects, as in Korce, Kruje, Berat etc., have been protected by inhabitants themselves in these cities of cultural traditions.

Violence did not spare a number of branches of the monuments of culture in some districts such as in Berat and Gjirokaster. In Shkoder, some facades of the buildings in the main boulevard of the city which were included in monuments of culture, were almost ruined.

Also libraries in Sarande, Vlore, Skrapar and the Library of the Agricultural University of Tirana which are an integral part of Albanian culture, were plundered and set to fire.

"The objects which have cultural values, be they damaged or not, are now being protected by civil guards as well," said Mr Jakllari, stressing the fact that the damage would be covered by a part of the EU aid for Albania. xh

[03] ALBANIAN DELEGATION LED BY DEFENCE MINISTER SHAQIR VUKAJ ARRIVES IN ITALY

The talks have reportedly started in a friendly spirit and bilateral understanding. Minister Andreatta, along with the welcome extended to the Albanian delegation, voiced his profound grief over the Albanian ship which capsized on March 28, his condolences for the bereaved families and the readiness to continue to recover the lost bodies and the ship.

Subject of the talks are also questions for the creation of the respective documentation to accelerate the arrival of the multinational forces in Albania in implementation of the Resolution 1101 of the Security Council. Talks are also being held on the protocol of the joint patrolling.

On April 2, Mr Vukaj and Mr Kazazi will go to Brindisi to meet with the survivers from the March 28 disaster. lgj/xh

[04] STRONG DEBATES IN TODAY'S MEETING OF ALBANIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESIDENCY

According to inner sources of the DP, many speakers in the meeting demanded the publication of the compromising documents for Genc Ruli and some others on the basis of which they have neglected their functions.

The same sources say that the negligence from the functions on the part of these people has been because, according to some, they have been involved in corruptioin and for some other, because of having persecuted or even sent to jail some of their friends. xh

[05] GREECE OFFERS HELP AND COOPERATION TO THE ALBANIAN AGRICULTURE

The head of the Greek delegation, State Secretary of the Greek Foreign Ministry, Alexander Philon, expressed the complete predisposition of the Greek government to intervene immediately with aid even in the agricultural field.

"We, on behalf of the Albanian Government, do not want in any way the aid to damage the Albanian producer, but on the contrary, to turn them into a component of providing people with food products," said Aliko among others.

The Albanian Minister also stressed that "In our relations with Greece, we aim, along with the help, also at cooperating in short-term and long-term plans."

Philon, on his side, expressed the readiness of the Greek party for this cooperation.

Attending the meeting was also the Greek Ambassador in Albania, Kostandin Prevendurakis. /kei/mt/k

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