Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-03-11

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] Greece tries to facilitate policy of giving visas for Albania

[02] Albania, Greece to cooperate in preventing inter border incident

[03] Unlimited prison arrest term for member of Zani gang

[04] Court adjourns trial of former Socialist deputy

[05] Coach of Partizani football team injured

[06] Pope John Paul II meets with Kosova bishop

[07] LDK leaders meet Vojvodina social-democratic party leader

[08] Lloyd says terrorism is not a pretext of Serb violence

[09] Testimony provided by people experiencing massacre in Prekaz

[10]

[11] CoE interested in legislative of Albania's higher education

[12] Draft-law on Constitutional Court in Parliament soon

[13] Kosova President holds news conference

[14] NATO chief to visit Tirana on Thursday

[15] Belgrade to offer Kosova a real and large autonomy, says Cook

[01] Greece tries to facilitate policy of giving visas for Albania

"The group met yesterday and today to clear up several issues of the draft-law with Minister of Economy and Privatisation Ylli Bufi," Pandeli Majko, chairman of the Socialist Parliamentary Group, said after the meeting.

The group also discussed amendments in the law on the status of the military and the draft-law on the political parties. /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Albania, Greece to cooperate in preventing inter border incident

Sources of the border police in Devoll district said to ATA on Tuesday that the local commission briefed the Greek commission on two border incidents last year.

The first incident happened in Vidohova border point on August 1997 when two Greek soldiers crossed the state border and killed the Albanian citizen Agim Xhihani.

The second occurred on August 25 in the sector of Guri border point, Tresenik, when three Greek soldiers tried to kidnap a young woman and seriously wounded Rezart Medolli.

The Greek side said that investigations are underway for both incidents and Greece will take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

The commissions dealt with illegal border crossings, prevention of weapons and drugs trafficking.

They also agreed to cooperate exchanging information and undertaking joint operations against weapons and drugs traffickers. ake/pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Unlimited prison arrest term for member of Zani gang

Dule, from Vlore, is charged with illegal possession of arms and participation in armed gangs.

Dule's defence attorney Pellumb Karkanaqe asked for his client a less severe custody, house arrest, because of his family's grave condition due to last year's events, with his brother being killed and his sister missing.

But the judge of the case Artur Gaxhi took into consideration the prosecutor's request and decided to uphold the previous ruling, unlimited prison arrest. /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Court adjourns trial of former Socialist deputy

The defence lawyer told the judge penal that the defendant Gafurr Mazreku, who shot and wounded the Democratic deputy Azem Hajdari, wanted the trial be held in his presence. Thus, the jury adjourned it.

"Mazreku's absence in yesterday's trial is merely for technical reasons because the police forces failed to take necessary measures to bring him to court's hall," a judge said to ATA.

Mazreku was charged of attempted assassination and the prosecutor's office and defence urged the court of appeals to consider the case after the Tirana court sentenced him to 11 years in jail. pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Coach of Partizani football team injured

The incident took place at 02.15 on Wednesday when Musta, accompanied by another person, knocked on the door of a ground floor flat of a building, at "Bajram Curri" street in Tirane, where he, himself lived. In this moment, the owner of the flat shot and injured Musta, the same sources explain.

Musta was immediately rushed to hospital 2 and his condition is not life threatening.

Police sources said that the neighbor who wounded Musta surrendered himself to the police. /s.sh/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Pope John Paul II meets with Kosova bishop

Monsignor Sopi familiarized His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, with the grave situation created by the Serb occupier in Kosova.

He told him about the massacre of part of Albanian population in Drenica by the Serbian forces including women, children and old people.

Monsignor Sopi attended a mass said by Pope John Paul II on Kosova at the Holy Seat. He also joined a big rally of the Albanians in the Saint Pietro square in Vatican protesting in defence of Kosova.

He was also met other officials of the Holy Seat to discuss the Kosova issue, the same sources said. pta/pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] LDK leaders meet Vojvodina social-democratic party leader

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Lloyd says terrorism is not a pretext of Serb violence

Lloyd had talks with the Albanian Foreign minister Paskal Milo and minister of State at the Council of Ministers Kastriot Islami.

"Lloyd asked for information on the situation in the Albanian- Yugoslav border," Milo told a news conference, which wound up Lloyd's visit to Albania.

He asked after the attitude of the Albanian government and urged it to distance itself from all kinds of terrorism.

Nevertheless, the British Secretary said that "the pretext (of Milosevic) to fight terrorists cannot be accepted by any Contact Group member states for the fact that there were children and women among the victims."

Lloyd thanked the Albanian government, which is meeting its responsibilities for the regional situation.

"We are waiting that all sides renounce violence. Even the Albanian opposition should carry out the responsibilities it assumed when it returned to parliament and this should have its impact on Albania's stability now that it is significant," he said.

Though, Lloyd called the elections of March 22 in Kosova nonofficial, he said that "Rugova is seen and accepted as Kosova representative by all.

He confirmed the sanctions the Contact Group has imposed or can impose if the Serbian violence escalates.

Lloyd assured that he will convey these messages to Skopje and Belgrade. s.sh/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Testimony provided by people experiencing massacre in Prekaz

"Faced with the volley of grenades hurled upon our houses that Thursday morning, the only way to escape was to descend in the ground floor and place the children under the building's stairs," Syleme Jashari says.

"We were all together when my brother, Halil, went out to see what was happening. We were 30 people, from one to 60 years old. We were waiting for Halil, but he did not come back. When the grenades exploded we thought no one would come out alive. Tear gas was being used from outside and we understood that the same thing like in Likoshan was happening. They were coming to massacre us."

"The house was bombarded and, together with the children we went out in the yard where we were confronted with the police cordons. When approaching the first cordon we were ordered to pass to the second cordon of policemen, whose faces were coloured in black. They aimed their weapons at us. And while were were leaving the yard, Nazmiu, 27, who was holding his sick mother by her hand, was seized by two policemen and shot dead in his mother's eyes".

"They said they would kill all the men and then the rest. We fled to the fields ...while the policemen ran to kill children and men...."

The testimony portrays only a small part of all that tragedy of Serbian terror against the unprotected population. In Shipol many families are said to know nothing about their men and sons. /p.ta/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10]

"Shkoder will be one of the priorities of the economic development," said Gjinushi. He mentioned the investments to be carried out during this year in infrastructure, for the improvement of the energetic system and reconstruction of the aqueduct of the city on which the Austrian government has allocated a fund worth 2.7 million dollars. Gjinushi said that "it is also a project of the World Bank for the construction of the highway Lezhe- Shkoder on which some 11.6 million dollars will be accorded."

Pandeli Majko, chairman of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, present in this meeting, urged local authorities to set up special working groups with specialists from different fields, which will prepare particular objects of development for Shkoder.

Attending the meeting were also deputies of this district and representatives of local government and other state institutions. The meeting was also attended by the deputy Speaker, the deputy of the Democratic Party, Jozefina Toppali. /s.sh/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] CoE interested in legislative of Albania's higher education

The mission of the CoE is made up Andrea Kleser and George Papandopulos. Their assistance, mainly for the higher education, consists of the professional consultancy regarding the improvement of the current legislation for the Albanian universities, also including the modalities of establishment and functioning of private universities in Albania.

The agenda of the 3-day stay also includes visits in two universities of Tirana and that of Elbasan. /pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Draft-law on Constitutional Court in Parliament soon

The relations between Parliament and the Constitutional Court are in crisis since several months because the latter has not implemented an amendment on the constitutional provisions to carry out the rotation.

"The draft-law envisages the deadline within which the rotation is carried out, as well as who has the right to decide on the rotation and the commission which will be occupied with the procedure of its development," the chairman of the Commission of Laws, Fehmi Abdiu, told ATA on Wednesday.

The commission will be made up of representatives from the Commissions of Laws, Media, the Commission of Regulation, Mandates and Immunity, a representative from the Presidency and the association of judges. /a.ke/mima/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Kosova President holds news conference

Kosova President Ibrahim Rugova declared Wednesday in a news conference that he had not officially received an offer of talks from the Serbian government, as it announced on Tuesday.

Rugova held two news conference due to the big interest of foreign reporters.

Rugova stressed that it is not clear what kind of dialogue Serbia proposes, it is not clear whether it is a matter of a proper dialogue or a public dialogue, he said.

Kosova President stated that the Albanian party is ready to start negotiations with Belgrade for the solution of the Kosova issue, but they should be held with the help and mediation of the international community in all levels. This dialogue should not have preconditions, said Rugova.

Asked whether it will be better to hold a dialogue without preconditions and not to base hopes on the help of West, President Rugova said that "we have never conditioned the dialogue, but there are some rules of life, of the game of talks that the parties should be helped to negotiate. And in this direction Kosova needs the assistance of the West.

Asked whether does this mean that Rugova does not accept the suggestion of Gelbard to hold secret talks, he responded that the solution of Kosova problem accepts all sorts of talks which are legal, also including the secret ones.

Later on Rugova said that the confrontation in Kosova is dangerous because Serbia has many armed forces in Kosova, which can cause massive massacres, as it happened recently in Drenice. For the moment it is more important to save the people.

Rugova stressed that "we have not asked the change of borders, because Kosova has been member of a state which ceased to exist, former Yugoslavia, like Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and others. The independence of Kosova would only stabilize the region, this part of Europe and would calm down Albania, Macedonia and Serbia as well, although it thinks different."

Rugova considered as positive the proposal of the Contact Group that Felipe Gonzales be the OSCE special envoy for Kosova.

Asked about the parliamentary and presidential elections in Kosova, declared to be held on March 22, Rugova said that we are resolute to hold the elections, but we will be considering them because the situation is extremely grave. He said that the reporters would be duly notified about this.

President Rugova reported during the news conference that the Serbian regime has not allowed the Albanian experts to perform the autopsy of the victims and their burial. He greeted the operating plan of the Contact Group, approved in London, as well as the members of the group who worked for the Kosova question. He urged other countries to join this group in order to stop killings in Kosova. He asked a greater engagement of the international community for the salvation of the Kosova people, who is trying to realize his freedom and independence through peaceful means. /rxh/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] NATO chief to visit Tirana on Thursday

As sources from the Albanian Foreign Ministry report, Solana is expected to meet in the Rinas Airport with Albania's Prime Minister Fatos Nano and Foreign Minister Paskal Milo.

After the meetings with the personalities of the Albanian politics, the Secretary General of NATO will hold a news conference in the Rinas airport. /a.ke/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Belgrade to offer Kosova a real and large autonomy, says Cook

"The international community has the legal right to intervene and condemn such massive violence on human rights. Europe has a special responsibility in reducing the dimensions of violence in the region of Kosova before it creates instability in neighboring countries," said Cook.

After focusing on his visit in Belgrade last Thursday, on behalf of the European Union Presidency, he reported to the Upper House that "President Milosevic tried to present the events in Kosova as a legal response of the police against terrorism."

"We strongly condemn the use of violence for political reasons, including the self-declared terrorism UCK. But terrorism cannot be used as a pretext for the exertion of an undescribable force against the civil population," stated Cook.

Talking about the meetings with the Kosova Albanian leaders, also including Rugova, Cook stressed that "this leadership supported the legal political viewpoint for a peaceful solution."

"The international community does not support separatism in Kosova. We urge Belgrade to give Kosova a real and large autonomy and if this is realized, the requests for independence will be reduced," said Cook.

"It is President Milosevic now who decides whether the future of his people and state will be subjected to a stronger isolation from Europe or he will cooperate with it," ended Cook. /a.ke/mima/mt/

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article