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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-01-22Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] PRESS REVIEWTIRANA, Jan. 22 (ATA) - The daily press on Thursday widely reports on the events in the city of Shkoder."Shkoder, the curfew ends," writes Koha Jone, which points out that the national road has been blocked and the rebels withdrew after a tense afternoon, meanwhile that the local governor Podgorica resigned on Wednesday. The paper quotes the Interior Minister, Neritan Ceka, as saying "Police have put the situation under control," as well as the Director General of Police, Sokol Bare, "I cannot set free the arrested, because it is competence only of justice bodies." Koha Jone writes that a group from the military prosecutor's office will investigate into the Shkoder event. This paper also writes on yesterday's proceedings of parliament regarding the events of Shkoder, where the Interior Minister reported. "The deputies: Berisha before law," is the title of the article, quoting Ceka as saying in Parliament "With regard to the Shkoder events, there is a coordination between the secret service of Belgrade and the political circles in Albania." Zeri i Popullit writes that the parties of the government coalition join the legal requests of the Shkoder citizens for the rigorous implementation of law. "Order is restored," reports Zeri i Popullit, pointing out that Berisha and Arbnori were in Shkoder two days before the events happened. With regard to the information given by Minister Ceka on Wednesday, the paper quotes him as saying "The provocations, which aimed at causing another April 2, were avoided." Regarding the injury of two police officers in Shkoder, Zeri i Popullit cites them as saying "we were shot unaware from the flat in front of the police building." Zeri i Popullit widely reports the proceedings of parliament on the Shkoder events, stressing that "The state should strongly react against crime." The same paper focuses on the meeting of the State Minister, Kastriot Islami, with representatives of the Union for Democracy, to whom he declared "Distance yourselves, otherwise you are collaborators in crime." Some of the articles published on the other papers regarding the situation in Shkoder are: Gazeta Shqiptare - "Fear restores peace," "Politics, take care with the steps in Shkoder"; Shekulli - "Ceka: Former SHIK officials are back," "The game with the North, DP failure"; Dita - "The rebels return home"; Republika - "The political identity of crime," and others. While Albania newspaper writes that "the state is taking Shkoder hostage" and governor Podgorica has said that "the state sold him for a police officer." Rilindja Dempokratike reports that Shkoder still remains under terror, by quoting Berisha as saying that Nano and Ceka provoked the bloodshed in Shkoder. "Shadows of scandal hang over state institutions", "Ministry archives go missing", says Koha Jone. "Thousands of files in major ministries result missing after a selection carried out by former officials". The State Control has been the first institution to denounce this fact in the law court, the paper says. This issue is also handled by Gazeta Shqiptare . "State Control: Scandal in the prosecutor's office", the paper says stressing that the State Control chairman, Kercuku, has asked parliament speaker Gjinushi to discharge deputy Prosecutor General Gani Dizdari, after scandals observed in the prosecutor's office. This has also been admitted by senior officials of the Prosecutor's office who have said that "Financial violations have been found in the Prosecutor's Office". Koha Jone, dwelling on foreign policy issues, quotes statements on Albania by German President Roman Herzog and Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, after meetings with Albanian ambassador Bashkim Zeneli, that "Albanian deserves support". Zeri i Popullit carries the statements of the two German senior politicians. It also reports that Russian President Boris Yeltsin has invited Albanian President Rexhep Meidani for a visit to Moscow. Koha Jone and Zeri i Popullit also report on the visit to Tirane by Yugoslavia's former Prime Minister Milan Panic, currently U.S. citizens and powerful businessman. In his meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Milo, Panic declared that "There should exist no dividing borders between Albania and Yugoslavia, just like between the other countries of the Balkans. Today's newspapers extensively report on the victory of the Albanian representative team over the Turkish representative, 4-1, in the stadium of Antalya city last night. "The national, Albania's 'occupation' of Antalya", says Koha Jone, "Four goals against Turkey", says Zeri i Popullit, "Our representative undergoes the first test" says Dita Informacion, "The National, poker of goals in Turkey" says Shekulli, "Albania, poker in Antalya" says Gazeta Shqiptare. a.ke/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] Calm restored to Shkoder cityShkoder, Jan 22 (ATA)-By Myfit Malja, After a group of armed men ended their occupation of the town hall on Wednesday, the situation in the Shkoder city has returned to normality.Yesterday evening people moved freely and most of the trade and public service units stayed open. Sources of the district police department report that there was no incident last night. Also, reports from the city's hospital say that no one was injured or harmed during the night. Meanwhile, the workers of the district town hall, district council, education, and regional bank who had been barred by the armed group from entering office for 24 hours, have returned to work. "Classes continue as normal in all the city's schools," the head of the district educational department, Shpetim Lame, told ATA. On Tuesday, a group of former incriminated policemen, using as a pretext the nomination of Mithat Havari as head of the Shkoder district Police Department, terrorised the Shkoder inhabitants by spraying bullets into the air. They attacked the local police station, injured two innocent policemen, occupied the town hall and through threats forced the Shkoder distrcit governor, Gezim Podgorica, to resign. The armed men left the town hall on Wednesday at around 16.15 p.m. In a pronouncement for ATA on Wednesday evening, Havari thanked the people of Shkoder for supporting the police. "We received an extraordinary support from the people of Shkoder, many congratulating telephone calls, expressions of solidarity with the police, and they even provided us with food," said Havari. a.ke/mima/pas/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] Ten million leks of investment to control Lezhe stream of waterLEZHE, Jan 22 (ATA)-By Z. Pergega, The Albanian government has allocated 10 million leks to the construction of eight mountain barriers, 5- 6 metres high, by the "Star Construction" firm, to control the flow of the Lezhe town stream waters.The heavy rains have often been the cause for the stream to inundate the town. According to the president of this firm, Hasan Deda, "This investment guarantees protection from inundation of large areas, at a time when planting of woods in an area of 20 hectares, to protect the land from erosion is also indispensable". Some 100 workers and five trucks have been engaged in carrying out the works.a.ke/mima/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] Some 120 civil marriages arranged in 21 daysTIRANA, Jan. 22 (ATA0 - By M. Hodo: Some 120 civil marriages have been arranged during the first 21 days of 1998 in the Albanian capital; 10 of them belong to foreign citizens with Albanian citizens."The arrangement of civil marriages in Tirana between Albanian and foreign citizens is favoured by the current legislation in our country," Rudina Brari, official of the registration office in the town hall of Tirana reported to ATA. May be low taxes or the Albanian legislation are considered suitable for foreign nationals to get married or divorced. The act of marriage in the Tirana town hall was arranged for the first time in 1988 by two German citizens and this phenomenon has assumed over the recent years. /a.ke/mima/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] Very tense situation in Kosove - Police intervene in Skenderaj -GENEVE, Jan. 22 (ATA) - Today at 02:00, many Serbian police forces intervened in the zone of Drenica, Kosova, using heavy armours, according to a report of the Geneva-based Kosova Information Ministry, faxed to ATA.The report, which according to the source, refers to data received in a telephone talk on Thursday morning with the Democratic League of Kosova (DLK), the Parliamentary Party of Kosova (PPK), the Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Prishtine, as well as with persons informed by their families in that zone, says that a quarter of Lower Prekaz was attacked at 05:15 a.m. and the target had been the house of Shaban Jashari. The Serbian police forces attacked the house and nearby buildings with heavy machine guns, mortars and other armouries. This attack injured Ilirjana and Selvete Jashari, and completely destroyed the house. The Serb police attack, according to the above source, was counterpoised by the inhabitants of Prekaz and the nearby villages. At around 06.00, the Serb forces retreated towards the yard of the munition factory in Skenderaj. Youths from the Cline, Llaushe and Prekaz villages, the report says further on, have been organised on the nearby mountains to help defend the village. Inhabitants of Mitrovice, Vushtri are also reported to have moved towards Skenderaj. Police forces are said to be largely present in Gllogovc, too. This area continues to be threatened. Electricity and telephone lines have been cut off in this area of Kosova. A CDHRF report says that the known criminals, Arkan and "captain" Dragan have been seen in Zvecan, country near Mitrovice, last night. p.ta/pas/mt/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] Police kill someone in Drenice, KosovaPRISHTINE, Jan. 22 (ATA) - An Albanian citizen, 52, was found killed on Thursday morning in the village Lower Kline in Drenice.A report of the Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Prishtine, faxed to ATA, says that the body of Hysen Mangjolli from Mikushnice village, father of seven children, was found killed in the Kline village. According to the witnesses, Mangjolli was killed on Thursday at 7:00 by the Serbian police forces during their withdrawal, when gunshots were also heard. /p.ta/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] A $13 000 aid for Albanian Athletics FederationTIRANE, Jan 11 (ATA)- By D. Grillo, A $13 000 aid for the National Athletics Federation for 1998 was confirmed on Thursday."The confirmation was made today by the President of the World Athletics Association, Primo Nebiolo, who is at the same time vice- president of the World Olympic Committee," the president of the Athletics Federation, Flobenc Dilaveri, told ATA. Dilaveri said that this aid is a continuation of the aid which began in 1993 and whose contract, projected for four years, expired in 1997. The members of the World Athletic Federations decided at a recent meeting to continue this aid for Albania and several other countries also for 1998. "This will enable complete participation of our representative teams in international activities," Dilaveri added. s.s/pas/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] OSCE Troika calls on DP to end boycott and join parliamentTIRANE, Jan 22 (ATA)-By E. Allushi, The ministers of OSCE Troika, at a meeting in Warsaw on Wednesday, expressed their concern over the non- participation of the Democratic Party in the Albanian parliament and called on it to end its boycott and take part in drafting the constitution.The ministers of OSCE, foreign ministers of Norway and Poland, as well as the Secretary of State of Denmark, discussed in Warsaw the visit the legislators from the Parliamentary Assemblies of OSCE, CE, and the European Parliament will pay to Tirane. The aim of the visit is to encourage the constitution drafting process, convincing all the parties to take part in a constructive way in the Parliament's Constitution Commission. The ministers also expressed serious concern over the mounting tension in Kosove. They called on the parties to show wisdom and self- restraint and find the way of dialogue. The OSCE activities in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia were as well as the center of yesterday's meeting in Warsaw. s.s/lm Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] Foreign Minister to report in Brussels on Albania's situationTIRANA, Jan. 22 (ATA) - By Eva Allushi: The political and economic situation in Albania will be on the focus of the report to be held by Albania's Foreign Minister Paskal Milo before the European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on January 26-27.As the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry reports, it is expected Milo to hold bilateral talks with the Secretary General of NATO, Javier Solana, as well as with the Secretary General of the Western European Union, (WEU), Cutileiro. The Albanian delegation is also represented in this conference by the State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry, Maqo Lakrori, the chairman of the foreign parliamentary commission, Sabri Godo and former Foreign Minister, Alfred Serreqi. During his stay in Brussels, the chief of the Albanian diplomacy will hold a series of meetings with the Belgian Prime Minister and the ministers of his cabinet. The bilateral meetings with senior personalities of Belgium are held in the framework of the mutual cooperation between the two countries. /a.ke/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] Greek consulate becomes active in KorceKORCE, Jan 22 (ATA)-By B. Fejzullai, The Greek Consul in Korce, George Iliopullos, told ATA today that he had come to the Korce city with the aim to raise to a higher level the friendly relations between the two countries and encourage and develop cross-border relations in economy, culture and other fields of mutual interest.On the occasion of the Greek consulate's beginning operation in Korce, south of Albania, the city's mayor, Dhionis Kotmilo, received the Greek consul at a meeting on Thursday. Iliopullos spoke of the good relations the Korce city has established during the recent years with the cities of Northern Greece such as Kozana, Follorine and Salonika. He familiarised the consul with some of the characteristics of the Korce city and assured him that the local government would support the activity of the consulate. The Greek consul said that the consulate would be completed with the necessary staff to carry out the duties as regards relations between Korce and Greece. /a.ke/lm/mt Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] Shkoder prefecture assesses situationSHKODRA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By M. Malja: A meeting was held in the premises of the local prefecture on Thursday to assess the recent situation in the city.Secretary General of the prefecture Gjok Jaku said that the situation is calm and that measures are being undertaken to stabilize it. Taulant Dedja, Director General of the local government, urged the leaders of the local government to run the work as the only bodies, which observe the law. "We should abide by the law, if we want to build a rule of law. Problems cannot be solved at gunpoint but through the observance of law," said Dedja. He said that the local government officials, along with political forces, should hold their responsibility on the situation and reasons led to that. He shared the view of the local government officials for a possible meeting with government officials. s.s/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] Political forces back police in fight against organised crimeTIRANA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By Eva Allushi: Albanian political forces issued on Wednesday a joint message in a round table to support the state in the fight against crime."Order should be reinstated, police should be strongly supported in their efforts to restore stability in Albania," representative of two political groupings, coalition government and the Albanian United Right (DBSH) as well as Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and religious communities. "State has been engaged in fight against crime," the SP Secretary General Pandeli Majko said, adding that the aim of the round table was that the political forces and broader to back police structures in their fight against daily crime. The Unity for Democracy political grouping was not present at the round table, convened by the DBSH. Leader of the Democratic party (DP) Sali Berisha told a news conference on Wednesday that his party favours dialogue. Nevertheless, the participants said that the motifs of the DP's absence were not clear. "Order is not a monopoly of either political grouping," Majko said, adding that "two extremes of the Albanian politics joined today in the fight against crime." Leader of the Democratic Right party, Petrit Kalakulla, said that the meeting would have been more fruitful if the DP was present and called its absence "non constructive." Secretary General of Democratic Alliance party, Preç Zogaj praising the aim of the round table, said "the political parties should overcome reluctance and adopt similar stances on such problems as the establishment of stability in Albania, support of police in fight against criminals." "Order should be reinstated and crime, which has no colour, be fought, " the press release said. s.s/pas/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] Egypt to provide scholarships for ministry's specialistsTIRANA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By Th. Thanasi: Egypt will provide 30 medium term scholarships to train Albanian specialists in anti terrorism and anti drug operations starting from April '97.The Egyptian ambassador to Tirana Atitt Kanam Atitt confirmed this in a meeting on Thursday with the Interior Minister Neritan Ceka. They discussed different problems concerning both sides, especially those on the fight against terrorism and drugs, a spokesman of the Interior Ministry said. s.s/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] ANSA to promote projects of cooperation with ATATIRANA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By Eva Allushi: The Italian News Agency (ANSA) is interested in promoting relations and projects with the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), Boris Biancheri, ANSA president told on Thursday Pandeli Pasko, the Albanian ambassador in Rome.Biancheri, a newly appointed president of ANSA, one of the more prestigious news agencies, expressed his readiness to promote contacts between the two institutions. He said that he will visit Tirana soon and the ATA General Director will also visit Rome. ANSA has been closely cooperating with ATA for many years. s.sh/kled/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] Torrovica workers suspend strikeLEZHA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By Z. Pergega: Workers of Torrovica in Lezha district suspended on Thursday the strike they started five days ago, Simon Biba, head of the strike commission, said after a meeting with the Lezha prefect Fran Nezha."Our strike has an economic character," Biba said, rejecting the charges that strikers, who blocked the national road Shkoder-Lezhe on Wednesday, have been armed. He refused to accept that they have grabbed the car of the TV journalists and Council of Europe representatives. Putting into operation the water pipe line, which supplies three thousand inhabitants of the villages of Torrovica and Malecaj, compensating 527 families damaged by the flood, cleaning out the channel of Torrovica marsh and others, were the demands of the strike commission included in a petition to prefecture. Prefect Nezha said to the strike commission that "all efforts should be undertaken to find a transformer and a pump to put again into operation the water pipe line and excavator to clean out channels." s.sh/kled/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[16] Foreign commission deputy head favours unconditional negotiationsTIRANA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By Eva Allushi: Deputy head of the parliamentary Foreign commission Ilir Meta, backed Greece's latest initiative to host a meeting between Nano, Milosevic and Rugova, but "it will not be necessary to impose conditions before the negotiations," he said to ATA on Thursday.Meta's reaction came immediately after a statement of the Greek Foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos saying "the rights of the Kosova population should be recognised and protected on the framework of safeguarding Yugoslavia's integrity." "Every initiative to find a solution on the Kosova issue is valuable, moreover, when the initiator is a state like Greece, which is present in Balkan developments and much active in the European Union," Meta said. But he said "no conditions should be imposed before such negotiations." Meta believed that "negotiations are difficult, but they are the only way, which lead to a solution." Nevertheless, he said if we want the initiative be successful it is not sufficient only the good will of Greece but also the support of Tirana, Prishtina and Belgrade for such a negotiation. Referring to the acceptance of Greece as a possible negotiator, Meta said "this role will be given to Athens if Prishtina and Belgrade approve such mediation." The deputy head of foreign commission saw as fundamental the support of the European Union and United States to this initiative. The Greek newspaper Etnos said that consultations were held in Greece last week to start the Greek initiative on Kosova, which was backed by the Greek prime minister Costas Simitis. A conference on the topic "Kosova - from a crisis to a final solution" was held on Wednesday in the headquarters of the European parliament in Brussels on the initiative of the Council of Europe and Association for an action of peace in the Balkans. The idea of the conference, attended by the Kosova prime minister Bujar Bukoshi, other personalities, head of the parliamentary Assembly for the Southeastern Europe Doris Pack, consisted in presenting a solution to avoid a conflict in Kosova. s.sh/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[17] New police forces deployed in SkenderajPRISHTINE, Jan 22 (ATA) - Serbian police forces withdrew from villages after the armed clashes last night and were deployed in an ammunition plant, in a police station and in other places in the town of Skenderaj, where they are staying tonight, Albanian sources said on Wednesday.New police forces were sent to Skenderaj later on Wednesday, while in the near city of Mitrovice movements of military forces were noticed. In Zveçan and other surrounding localities, the presence of Serbian paramilitaries of Arkan and captain Dragan, known for their massacres and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, was evident. Police have stopped patrolling the roads in Skenderaj. bj/pta/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[18] Vlora, Lecce universities sign cooperation accordVLORE, Jan 22 (ATA) - By H.Koçi: A delegation of the "Ismail Qemali" Technologic University in Vlora visited Italy recently, Shezi Bazaj, university rector said to ATA on Wednesday.The delegation visited the University of Lecce in which an accord of cooperation was signed envisaging mutual exchanges of teaching programmes, teachers and students. During the visits in the Bari and Naples universities, the delegation signed an agreement with the latter to establish contacts between the respective faculties of Naval Engineering. The Technologic University of Vlora has established relations with other universities in the United States, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey. s.sh/kled/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[19] Fire breaks out in army's tunnels, explosion continuesTIRANA, Jan 22 (ATA) - A fire broke out on Thursday in the army's tunnel in Suç village in Mat district causing powerful explosive blasts which are continuing, sources of the Interior Ministry said.Fire trucks of the city of Burrel are on the venue but they cannot intervene to put the fire under control because of ongoing explosions of TNT. A young woman was thrown out of the tunnel by the blast and sent immediately to the hospital. No reports are available on what caused the fire and if there are any people inside. s.s/ak/sh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[20] DP's round table is not envisaged by law - European Council saysTIRANA, Jan 22 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: Head of the commission on relations with Southeastern Europe in the European Parliament Doris Pack said on Thursday, in a meeting of the European parliamentary trojka with the Albanian Speaker, deputy speaker and heads of parliamentary commissions, to Genc Pollo, head of the Democratic party parliamentary commission that "the round table you are urging to discuss constitution is not envisaged by the law.""Your problem is that you do not want that the constitution is passed by this parliament, though the elections were recognised by all the world and you," Pack said. Pollo said that his party did not consider the present parliament as the appropriate forum to pass the constitution, because "June 29 elections were called only acceptable." Pack said that she did not see any difference between the round table and commission, which includes all the parliamentary parties. Referring to the DP's demand that the majority works out the content of the constitution and the opposition deals with the procedure, the European parliamentarians as well as Gjinushi said that procedure on draft of constitution is the same with that of previous legislation, applied before even by the democrats, besides the fact that a referendum is added. "Approval of constitution through referendum will mean that, despite differences arising among the political forces during the draft of constitution, it is the people who will finally decide," Pack said. The European trojka delegation, including seven members, senior representatives of the European Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and OSCE's parliamentary Assembly, arrived on Thursday midday in Albania and its main mission is to step up draft of the Albanian legal constitution, which is fragmentary. kled/ak/ From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ataAlbanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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