Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-01-15

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Formerly politically persecuted support judges' hunger strike

[02] Albanian Parliament prepares visit in the FYROM

[03] Request to abrogate law on organising justice is unacceptable - press release

[04] Crime experts to investigate into latest explosions in Gjirokaster

[05] Greater interest for questions of Albanian education

[06] Private TV station set up in Bajram Curri

[07] Press review

[08] Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano visits Macedonia

[09] Nano government not involved in contraband - deputy premier

[10] Nano says we can discuss everything with Skopje

[11] Rapporteur says press is an important factor in democracy

[12] Nano says Tirana, Skopje sign agreement of new philosophy of cohabitation

[13] Crvenkovski says Albania, Macedonia open new page in relations

[14] Establishing order - concern of all Albanians - leader says

[15] DP national council holds closed door meeting on parliament

[16] Chirac says parliamentary debate - fundamental for dialogue

[17] Nano says national issue fundamental for Albania's present politics

[01] Formerly politically persecuted support judges' hunger strike

"Not politicising the problem, we distance ourselves from the excesses of today's policy and will make our utmost to curb it. If the just demands of the strikes are not recognised, then, we, too, will go on strike, " said the chairman of the association for Tirane, Abdyl Kerluku.

Adnan Xhelili, prosecutor of Tirane district and member of the association, stressed that the diplomas of six-month-course jurists, who have been on hunger strike since January 5, are much more valuable than those of the previous jurists.

Xhelili criticised the silence of President Meidani, as chairman of the Supreme Council of Justice, as regards the strikers' demands, and lack of interest on the part of the Health Ministry in the lives of these people.

"It is absurd not to help the strikers, at a time when even the ordinary criminals are treated," said Xhelili. a.ke/pas/lm

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Albanian Parliament prepares visit in the FYROM

TIRANE, Jan 14 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: Albanian Parliament ratified on Wednesday afternoon four agreements between the Albanian Government and the Macedonian Government, before an Albanian high ranking delegation led by Prime Minister Fatos Nano go on a visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Thursday.

The deputies voiced the hope that these agreements will help improve the status of the Albanians in the FYROM.

The agreements "On the reconstruction, repairing, and maintaining of the border line and the border signs on the Albanian-Macedonian state frontier;" that "For the adjustment of the small border movement for border zone people;" the agreement "On measures for the prevention and solution of incidents on the Albanian-Macedonian state border" and that "For elimination of visas for diplomatic and service passports and on the level of the fee for other kinds of visas."

"Improvement of the state relations will lead to the improvement of the situation of the Albanians," said Foreign Minister of Albania, Paskal Milo.

The Parliament also ratified the agreement "On encouragement and mutual protection of investments between the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Slovenia," and adopted the draft law "On the sea ports captains' headquarters" according to which this office will depend on the Ministry of Public and Transports Affairs and not on the Defence Ministry as so far.

At the end of the session, deputy Teodor Laco read a declaration in the name of the parliamentary group of the Centre Right pointing out the grave situation of the lawyers graduated in 6 months courses in law, who are staging a hunger strike since January 5, 1998.

Stressing the idea of this group that the requests of the strikers for the abrogation of the law on the judiciary are right, Laco called for this law to be abrogated.

The chairman of the Parliamentary Commission of Laws, Fehmi Abdiu, said that the strikers do not understand well the content of the laws, adding that this law is better than the previous one. pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Request to abrogate law on organising justice is unacceptable - press release

"This law adopted by parliament on December 18, 1997, crowns the work of Albanian specialists in cooperation with the experts of the Council of Europe since 1995."

"The preparation of this law had been procrastinated for technical and political reasons. Even after the last June 29 elections there have been tendencies to put other useless patches on the old law of 1992, which had been considered temporary since the moment of its approval," the press release explains, stressing that the new law has a wide and long-term vision of the Albanian justice.

Pointing to the superiority of the recently adopted law to the previous provisions on Justice, the release says that "in this context, the demand to abrogate the new law on organising justice is unacceptable. a.ke/s.s/pas/lm

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Crime experts to investigate into latest explosions in Gjirokaster

It is the second time that experts from the Interior Ministry go to Gjirokaster police commissariat for help. They were in Gjirokaster in the first half of December when a wave of blasts occurred in that city. /A.KE/pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Greater interest for questions of Albanian education

Ruffi has visited Albania several times as rapporteur for Albania in the Council of Europe and to monitor the parliamentary elections.

The objective of the present visit was "to inform on the present situation of the country, to present the problems in the field of education and scientific research, questions of local government, the Defence Ministry, public order, relations between ruling and opposition parties and the parliamentary relations," Minister Ruka told ATA after the meeting with Mr Ruffi. The conclusions of the visit, he said, will be presented to the Swiss Foreign Ministry to mediate in the European Parliament for the possible solutions.

Minister Ruka said that his Ministry aims to organize a round table with West European countries, foundations and foreign donors, which have voiced their readiness to help rehabilitate the Albanian educational system.

For Minister Ruka, the round table may be held after 6 months because at the end of January, an UNESCO team is expected to visit Albania to coordinate assistance for this country. /s.s/pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Private TV station set up in Bajram Curri

This station currently broadcasts programmes for four hours a day, mainly news from Tropoje, programmes for children and feature films.

This station covers the town of Bajram Curri and its nearby villages.

One of the co-owners of the station, Ismail Bucpapaj, told ATA that "In January, with the installation of several modern apparatuses, the waves of this station will extend all over the Tropoje district, as well as beyond the state border, to the suburbs of Gjakove and Peje", in Kosova.

"Tele Tropoja" is the second private TV station in the Kukes prefecture. a.ke/pas/lm

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Press review

"It is true that during the governing, by the government's permission, arms have been traded but not smuggled, at least as far as I know every commodity which is cleared through the customs is not called smuggling," Gazeta Shqiptare cites Zhulali as saying.

"If again bothered they will make me say something that...", Koha Jone cites Zhulali as saying.

What has Safet Zhulali to say? After this question, which also makes up the title of the article, the paper says that "He has carried out dirty things, so he will surely be investigated," this is what people say undertone in the corridors of the prosecutor's office and this is enough for the papers to cover whole pages on "investigations expected to be over soon and after this Zhulali will be brought to Justice".

Teta, has said that: "What I can say, after a study with experts, is that grave economic-financial violations have been carried out at the Defence Ministry... All things are documented, this is understood, but I would leave to justice a minister's order which defines the price of a commodity, sale, the great values, which bear no date..." Gazeta Shqiptare cites Teta as saying in his TV interview.

"This is a 'top secret' issue, Agim Tirana, director general on investigations, at the Prosecutor General's office, tells the same paper, when asked whether there is contraband or not. Not turning down the investigations idea he added that:"no data would be made public for the very importance of the problem".

Referring to this issue, the newspaper RD of the opposition, under the title :"Teta architect of arms' sale", comes to the defence of the former DP minister in the previous government, accusing the current State Secretary for Defence Policy, Perikli Teta, of "acting contrary to all rules in this direction in 1991, when in the post of the minister".

"OSCE slams door to DP" is the title of an article which Gazeta Shqiptare, one of the largest independent papers of Albania, devotes to the news conference that ODIHR chief, Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, held on Wednesday in the OSCE headquarters in Tirane. "There is no talk at all about fresh elections," he said categorically, adding that "It would be a luxury if elections were held in Albania."

With regard to the question of the Constitution, Shekulli cites the politician who directs the organization that monitors elections in Europe: "We can hardly wait for the process of the Constitution, because this is a very urgent question."

Referring to the last call of Stoudmann and his organization to Berisha and DP at the end of his two-day visit to Albania, to take the seats in the Parliament, Gazeta Shqiptare writes that "Ambassador made such a recommendation to the leader of the opposition also in their top secret meeting."

Stoudmann stressed in his news conference that "It would be in the interest of the Democratic Party to take part in the Parliament," writes Koha Jone. The same paper stressed that Stoudmann has in no moment and in no circumstance manifested any "scepticism" about the situation in Albania and its present Government, differently from what RD wrote its editorial of January 13, referring to a declaration distributed in the news conference of the ODIHR delegation. Refutation of RD by the ODIHR director is also covered by newspaper Zeri i Popullit, which writes that "Stoudmann said that such groundless and concocted declarations like those in RD bring about serious ethic and reporting problems and harm the necessary process of conciliation and understanding among the political parties in Albania.

Other papers have covered the news conference of ambassador Stoudmann, among which RD, which writes that ODIHR chief has declared that "Albanians will decide on the new elections." /s.sh/lm/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano visits Macedonia

The issues to dominate in the talks between PM Nano and his Macedonian counterpart, Crvenkovski will be mainly of bilateral character, as well as questions of the region, spokesman of the Macedonian government Zoran Ivanov reports. He said that there are no disputable questions on which differences may appear. In this framework, the bilateral talks are expected to cover problems of security along the frontier between the two countries in order to prevent illegal passing of the border.

Another topic, said the spokesman, is also expected to be the question of the national minorities in the two countries , the Albanian nationality in Macedonia and the Macedonian minority in Albania. Naturally there will be understanding and a great progress in this respect also because the Albanian party, the Government led by PM Nano have recently made very principled European declarations on how parts of the peoples living beyond their mother country must be treated. sk/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Nano government not involved in contraband - deputy premier

"Some 4.180 boxes of cigarettes, or nearly 50 tonnes, have been intercepted by the customs only in the first days of 1998," said Fino, in an interpellation requested by independent deputy Nikolle Lesi.

In this regard Fino also pointed to the fact that 260 customs workers, of who 37 will be penally prosecuted, have been dismissed from work since August 1997.

He added that since the second six months of '97, the customs workers have been employed through competition.

Fino denied press charges on the Nano Government's involvement in contraband. Fino, who is at the same time head of the working group engaged in the fight against contraband, said that:"Customs incomes in 1997 were 21, 25 million leks, as opposed to 16,18 million leks in 1996".

"Until these moments, the Nano government has not been involved in smuggling. Personally, I am open to the general prosecutor's office and courts if there are proofs of my involvement, as newspaper say," said Fino.

Fino also criticised the efforts of the opposition to throw mud at the government as regards trafficking.

Deputy Lesi launched the idea of creating a temporary parliamentary commission to control contraband and performance of the government on this issue. This proposal was also backed by other deputies. a.ke/s.s/lm

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Nano says we can discuss everything with Skopje

Nano held a tete-a-tete meeting with his Macedonian counterpart Branko Crvenkovski and later passed to negotiations with the presence of both delegations' members.

"There is no taboo topic in relations with Skopje. We can discuss everything", Nano told Albanian and Macedonian delegations.

"The way to stability for Macedonia itself and the region, passes from a guarantee of equal rights both for Macedonians and Albanians," Nano said asking a guarantee of rights for Albanians in education, cultural, scientific, political tradition.

Macedonian prime minister Branko Crvenkovski said "we are for a liberal solution and we are moving forward to create political and legal framework to guarantee these rights."

Nano urged and found understanding in promoting cooperation in education, rendering assistance by the Albanian Universities to Albanians in Macedonia.

Speaking on the regional situation, both senior officials expressed their concern about Kosova, with Albanian prime minister saying "any radical reaction by Belgrade will create environment for fomenting terrorist and radical acts, which we oppose."

"Macedonia insisted on starting a dialogue with Prishtina and Belgrade because this will stabilise the region and will be a step forward to peace," Crvenkovski said.

Both ministers found a wider understanding for all economic initiatives and even presented new ideas, the spokesman said.

The main topic of negotiations was the opening of markets through bilateral agreements, because this will facilitate attraction of foreign investments, which aims for greater markets.

The corridor 8 was of importance in negotiations and both prime ministers agreed that the bilateral cooperation will promote investments in two states. To this end, a high ranking bilateral meeting is scheduled on February 6. ake/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] Rapporteur says press is an important factor in democracy

"The way we should follow to approve a draft law is to publish it in media, take into consideration the remarks of both associations of journalists, public opinion and at the end submit it to parliament," Ulqini said.

Ruffy said that the steps undertaken by the commission are "very serious and at the appropriate direction".

He added: "The role of press is very important in constructing democracy." "I hope that the parliament passes the law on press as soon as possible."

Ruffy said: "The views and consensus of parties is important."

Teodor Laço, opposition representative in the commission, believed that the law on press only with two amendments, based on a U.S. law, was "insufficent". He also urged a monitoring commission with the aim that "media should not be a battle field between coalition government and opposition." s.s/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Nano says Tirana, Skopje sign agreement of new philosophy of cohabitation

"I am very touched," Fatos Nano, who was the first Albanian prime minister to visit Macedonia, told journalists after the signing of agreements.

He added that he and his counterpart had the honour to sign an agreement of a new philosophy, new cohabitation between Albania and Macedonia which is in the full framework of the Balkan countries under the process of Europeanization.

"We will sign other agreements," Nano said.

"In a meeting with President Gligorov, I will hand him over an invitation of President Meidani to visit Albania and sign a treaty of friendship between the two countries," Nano said.

"Macedonians should live like Europeans in their houses, in their territory where they have created their tradition, culture," Nano said. "I hope that this cooperation should create positive jealousies among neighbours because the future of the Balkans despite old differences, is the integration in the new Europe. This historic moment marks the start of a new history of relations between both states," Nano said.

"I thank my counterpart who shares the same view on a Europeanized Balkan," the Albanian prime minister said. ake/ak/v/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Crvenkovski says Albania, Macedonia open new page in relations

SKOPJE, Jan 15 (ATA) - Albania's prime minister Fatos Nano and his Macedonian counterpart signed eight bilateral agreements in Skopje on Thursday.

"The first visit has its historic importance," Branko Crvenkovski, Macedonian prime minister said after the signing.

"Our republics have a common goal that of integrating their country in the European Union and NATO," Crvenkovski said.

"The state officials of the Balkan region have a characteristic that of recalling the past in their meetings, but the contrary happened today. We should not forget that today will enter in history tomorrow," he said.

"Today, I can really say that a new page was opened in the history of relations between the two countries," he said. ake/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Establishing order - concern of all Albanians - leader says

"Establishing order is a concern of all Albanians and not only of a political grouping," Petrit Kalakulla, leader of the Democratic Right party (PDD), member of the DBSH political grouping, said.

The anti crime pact was signed by DBSH, Unity for Democracy, government coalition and some patriotic associations.

Kalakulla said that the round table dealt with extension of contacts of DBSH with foreign embassies "to show them that today there exist a third alternative in Albania which is a constructive opposition with a serious program." /mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] DP national council holds closed door meeting on parliament

The DP leader Sali Berisha in his speech focused on the importance of holding new elections and creation of a care taker government to emerge Albania from the crisis.

Orators said that the present politicians, who came into power supported by gangs and are leading Albania towards total destruction, are not able to govern it.

Return to parliament was an issue discussed behind closed doors. mima/ak/v/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[16] Chirac says parliamentary debate - fundamental for dialogue

The parliamentary majority represented by the Socialists is backing the efforts of international institutions and personalities of the European politics to persuade the Democratic party to return to parliament.

"The DP should have in parliament the role it gained from the votes of June 29," Musa Ulqini, SP secretary for Public Relations said to ATA. He added that his party had offered opened cooperation within institutions.

Director General of ODIHR Gerard Stoudmann shared the same view on Wednesday when he said "the DP will be supported if it follows the rules of play and returns to parliament."

Sali Berisha, the DP leader, told his party national Council on Thursday that starting dialogue with political parties should be decided in round tables. mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[17] Nano says national issue fundamental for Albania's present politics

TETOVE, Jan 15 (ATA) - Albania's prime minister Fatos Nano visited later on Thursday the Albanian city of Tetova and met with Albanian political figures, deputies of Macedonian parliament, intellectuals of economic, cultural, scientific fields and students.

"The meeting with you is a fundamental element for me and the Albanian government concerning our goals for the national issue," Nano said.

He considered "a success, with serious negotiations" the visit in the Macedonian Republic, which was crowned with the signing of a series of bilateral relations.

"An important part of negotiations was the affirmation of the Albanian population in this new multiethnic republic," Nano said. "Due to democratic process in your country, our official negotiations included all issues such as perspective of university education for Albanians, national affirmation, flag, need to normally participate in state administration and others.

Speaking on the new policy of the coalition government in Albania, prime minister Nano said that "we have adapted constructive politics, which builds bridges of cooperation, rapprochement, understanding which, in their part, consequently lead to concrete, positive and lasting solution of our national issue."

"Today, all Albanians wherever they are see the future of their nation only in the democratic United Europe and not out of it," Nano said. "We all will go to a new Europe."

"The Albanian government will always back your generous aspirations expressed democratically. It does not pretend paternalism but active engagement in conformity with already known and acceptable criteria, which regulate relations between our sovereign states," Nano said to Albanians of Tetova. ake/mima/ak/v/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

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