Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-09-19

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] ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT PROTESTS AGAINST INCIDENT IN ALBANIAN-GREEK BORDER

[02] THE PERSON SHOOTING YOUR HUSBAND IS AN ORDINARY CRIMINAL - Nano

[03] SP HEADQUARTERS IN SHKODER WRECKED BY EXPLOSION

[04] FINANCING INFRASTRUCTURE, MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PHARE PROGRAMME

[05] SOCIALIST PARTY CONDEMNS CRIMINAL ACT OF FORMER DEPUTY MAZREKU

[06] UNLOADING OF SHIP OF CONTRABAND CIGARETTES IN SARANDE FAILS

[07] SIX MEMBERS OF CERRIK GANG ARRESTED

[08] SME AND SAVINGS BANK PLAN TO PUT OFF PAYMENT OF CREDITS

[09] DEMOCRATIC PARTY RALLIES ARE ILLEGAL - Tirana police

[10] ALBANIAN IMPORT - 50 PERCENT MADE IN ITALY

[11] SP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP DENOUNCES FORMER DEPUTY'S CRIMINAL ACT

[12] DP DEPUTY UNDER TREATMENT IN MILITARY HOSPITAL

[13] MAJKO RECEIVES AGAIN VOTE OF CONFIDENCE AS CHAIRMAN OF SP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

[14] E.U. PROJECTS FOR ALBANIA TO CONTINUE - premier

[15] ALBANIAN-AMERICAN FUND PROVIDES 2.2 MILLION DOLLARS FOR FOUR PROJECTS IN ALBANIA

[16] SDP OF AUSTRIA TO CONTRIBUTE TO ALBANIA'S DEVELOPMENT

[17] USD regains points towards "lek".

[01] ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT PROTESTS AGAINST INCIDENT IN ALBANIAN-GREEK BORDER

The Charge d'affaires of the embassy of the Greek Republic in Tirana, Andrea Papakonstantinu, was summoned to the Albanian foreign Ministry on Thursday.

On Behalf of the Albanian government he was handed over a note of protest regarding the incident, which took place on September 17,1997 at the Trestenik village of Devoll, in which four Greek soldiers entered the Albanian territory causing incident with the local population and seriously injuring a teenager.

The protest requests that the Greek government, based on Greek laws, punishes the authors of this grave event, which runs counter to the friendly atmosphere characterising the Albanian-Greek relations. /s.s/kled/lm/sh/

[02] THE PERSON SHOOTING YOUR HUSBAND IS AN ORDINARY CRIMINAL - Nano

"The person shooting at your husband is an ordinary criminal, who now is deprived of the deputy mandate, and justice will rigorously implement the laws of the Albanian state.

In the meantime all measures have been taken that Azemi's medical treatment be at the highest level. The government has decided to send Azemi out of the state in order that his medical treatment be qualitative and sure," the letter says.

"I am convinced that the pain that this shocking event inflicted on you will not disturb the minds of the Hajdari Highland and proud family," the letter says further on.

In the letted Nano expresses his own readiness and that of the Albanian government to strongly act for the security of the Albanian citizens, without distinction of their social position.

In conclusion, Nano wishes deputy Hajdary quick recovery. s.sh/kled/lm/sh/

[03] SP HEADQUARTERS IN SHKODER WRECKED BY EXPLOSION

The powerful explosion wrecked the main door, several inner doors on the first floor and smashed all windows of this building at the city centre.

The chief of the Shkoder district police department, Skender Doda, said that before the blast, a person had been seen shooting in the direction of the building.

Doda connected the event with yesterday's event in the Albanian parliament, in which Democratic Party deputy Azem Hajdari was injured with a pistol. kled/lm/sh/

[04] FINANCING INFRASTRUCTURE, MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PHARE PROGRAMME

In their meeting on Thursday, Sobieski and the Albanian Minister of Public Affairs and Transport, Gaqo Apostoli, confirmed the opening of two bids on the Durres-Vore motorway and the second section of the East-West corridor (Rrogozhine-Elbasan), which have been approved by the European Bank of Investment (EBI).

They also discussed the beginning of works in the first section (Durres-Rrogozhine) and the project of ships' terminals in Durres port, which is in the final phase of the tender procedures. s.sh/kled/lm

[05] SOCIALIST PARTY CONDEMNS CRIMINAL ACT OF FORMER DEPUTY MAZREKU

Through a press release the SP distances itself from "this vandal and shameful act of a deputy to the People's Assembly and politician of Democratic Albania".

The SP considers this an act inspired by the feeling of hatred, revenge and archaic rules of the Albanian society.

Regarding the criminal case of Gafurr Mazreku as an isolated case of an irresponsible man, the Albanian socialists ask the justice bodies to rigorously implement the laws of the Albanian state.

The SP has supported the decision of its parliamentary group to expel deputy Mazreku from this group and deprive him of his immunity as a deputy and has removed him from all party structures.

SP considers the tragic incident which took place in parliament yesterday "a heavy blow to the goals and efforts for national reconciliation," and calls on all the Albanian political parties not to instrumentalise the event for political purposes.

At the same time the SP wishes Hajdari quick recovery and calls on him "to subdue the feelings of hatred in the interest of Albania, its progress and Albanians' benefit"./kled/lm/sh/

[06] UNLOADING OF SHIP OF CONTRABAND CIGARETTES IN SARANDE FAILS

The chief of the district police commissariat, Besim Veizaj, told ATA that an operation organised by the Sarande police prevented smugglers from unloading a ship of cigarettes, near the small bay of Bunec, 35 km from Sarande.

The foreign ship, whose name has not been identified, was forced to turn back after around 04.00 yesterday morning.

Police sources also report that four other long vans with Vlore, Sarande, Tepelene and Fier number plates, waiting for the cigarettes' unloading, were also turned back.

This is the first local police operation to prevent smuggling on the Sea which flourished during March-August of this year. s.s/pas/lm

[07] SIX MEMBERS OF CERRIK GANG ARRESTED

Only one of the arrested resisted the police for several minutes, while the other five were caught by police in their own homes. The arrested also include two leaders of the band, Arjan Toska, 28, and Ardian Ademi, 38.

The members of the Cerrik band are accused of committing a series of murders, thefts and rapes since March.

"This band also is suspected of killing six guard officers in May of this year," Cela said.

The dangerous gang, dubbed "Mandela", was detained five days ago. s.sh/kled/lm

[08] SME AND SAVINGS BANK PLAN TO PUT OFF PAYMENT OF CREDITS

There are 28 businesses run and financed by them, through the one million ecu of the PHARE programme provided for the small and medium business, which started their private activity in 1996.

During the period of riots, these businesses were generally protected by their owners. SME, through their funds, have helped several damaged business resume production.

In the meantime, the Savings Bank is making efforts that these business be helped with short three-month credits for raw materials.

"Considering the development of the businesses credited by us and their seriousness to regularly pay off credits, we intend to encourage them."

"We have a fund of 2,6 million ecu, which we think to use for some 60 new projects which are ready," says Anesti Dhefto, responsible for the sector of foreign fund credits for SME. pas/lm/sh/

[09] DEMOCRATIC PARTY RALLIES ARE ILLEGAL - Tirana police

It is the third time in succession, also including the rally on Thursday afternoon, that the DP is organising illegal protests, the police department reports.

These illegal rallies have blocked the free movement of the people and the local traffic.

The police department has officially warned the DP to stop the illegal rallies and ask for their approval.

The police department has denounced the illegal rallies held by the DP to the prosecutor's office and will continue to rigorously implement the law, guaranteeing the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens, says Pashk Tusha, head of the Tirana police department. kled/lm/k

[10] ALBANIAN IMPORT - 50 PERCENT MADE IN ITALY

At the end of the first half this year, Italy ranks first in the total imports among states, which trade with Albania. Goods worth 13 billion and 553 thousand leks were imported to Albania during the first half of this year.

The imports from Italy are increased by 13 percent compared with the same period last year. Despite higher prices, the imports from this country have been increased yearly.

The Customs directory said that the export of Albanian goods to Italy has remained in the same levels as last year. Italy is the most preferred country for Albanian exports amounting to 47.13 percent of the total. Exports include garments, wood products, tinned fish and others. Products of Italian enterprises operating in Albania occupy a special place.

Another main partner of Albania is Greece, with which Albania realises 19 percent of the total imports and 20 percent of exports. pas/ak/k

[11] SP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP DENOUNCES FORMER DEPUTY'S CRIMINAL ACT

Fator Nano, Prime Minister of Albania and head of the Socialist party, was present at the meeting held in the SP headquarters.

"Though the crime of Mazreku was not a political one, this event involved all even the Albanian policy," prime minister said.

"National conference in November will be a dividing point between those who want to enter the door of Social democracy and those who have remained under the atavist enverist-berishian policy", Nano said.

He accused the opposition of using this banal crime for political interests saying that a "the DP and Berisha, both having old views, are trying to use this incident in their political interests."

Nano stressed that his party will continue to go ahead to strengthen and protect institutions, and respect human rights. kei/ak/k

[12] DP DEPUTY UNDER TREATMENT IN MILITARY HOSPITAL

"His health condition is calm and he has been hospitalized in the gastro-enterology ward," Kastriot Salihllari, Hospital director said to ATA.

Hajdari, the deputy of the Democratic party, refused to be airlifted from the military hospital to Italy to undergo further treatment.

The airplane, hired from the Italian authorities, landed on Thursday in Tirana but was sent back to Bari, Italy on Thursday night. rf/kei/ak/k

[13] MAJKO RECEIVES AGAIN VOTE OF CONFIDENCE AS CHAIRMAN OF SP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

"If anyone has remarks for the direction of the group and taking into consideration the latest event in the Parliament, I ask my colleagues to vote my position," said Majko referring to the incident Thursday when socialist deputy Gafurr Mazreku shot with a pistol the deputy of the Democratic Party, Azem Hajdari.

The SP chairman and Prime Minister Fatos Nano, present in the SP parliamentary group meeting, said he was against Majko's resignation from the post of the chairman. All socialist deputies shared the same opinion, expressing unanimously the idea that the irresponsible acts as in the time of the canon by set people have no relation with the political leadership of the parliamentary majority.

Mr Majko stressed that Berisha and DP are using the incident caused by Mazreku to spoil the climate of stability in the country and asked the Socialist deputies not to fall prey to the provocations and destabilization which the opposition are stirring up. kei/xh/k

[14] E.U. PROJECTS FOR ALBANIA TO CONTINUE - premier

"The program of our government is a program of the center right," Nano said though the biggest coalition party, the Socialist, is of the center left. Only is this way, we can stop growing inflation and enable a free market economy, he added.

Nano opposed the stand of the right-wing parties in parliament, which voted against a fiscal package using strong tones.

He left on Friday for Hong Kong to participate in an annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He postponed his departure on Thursday due to the shooting of the Democratic deputy Azem Hajdari inside the parliament building by the Socialist deputy Gafurr Mazreku. ssh/kei/ak/k

[15] ALBANIAN-AMERICAN FUND PROVIDES 2.2 MILLION DOLLARS FOR FOUR PROJECTS IN ALBANIA

The four projects are in sectors like plastic industry, that of chemical fertilizers for agriculture, detergents and the liquid gas, with the main objective that local investors be supported by the Fund," Ms Greta Angjelli, specialist in the Albanian-American Fund of Entrepeneurship in Albania told ATA.

Since its inauguration, the Board of the Fund has approved the financing, estimated at 10.14 million dollars for 20 companies in almost all sectors of industry. kei/xh/

[16] SDP OF AUSTRIA TO CONTRIBUTE TO ALBANIA'S DEVELOPMENT

"My party and I personally are very happy that Albania found again the road towards democracy and stability and that that Austrians, mainly my friend, Dr Vranitzky had the possibility to make an important contribution to this effort," said the Chancellor and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria, Victor Klima in a letter that he has sent to the chairman of the Presidency of the People's Assembly and leader of the SDP of Albania, Skender Gjinushi. ssh/kei/xh/k

[17] USD regains points towards "lek".

The Savings Bank bought $1 with 146,5 lek and sold it with 150,5 lek. While in the informal market $1 was bought for 147,5 lek and traded for 152 lek.

Lek weakness was also noticed in the exchange rate with other main foreing currencies.

Savings Bank exchange rate on Friday

Currency        Buy        Sell
USD             146,5      150,5
DM               81,6       84,8
ITL (1000)       82         87
GRD (100)        50         53,8

Informal Market exchange rate

Currency         Buy        Sell
USD              147,5      152
DM                83         87,5
ITL (1000)        85         88,5
GRD (100)         53         58,5

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article