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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-03-27Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] Sweden promises Albania minister support for KosovaTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - Albanian and Swedish foreign ministers respectively Paskal Milo and Lena Hjelm Valen expressed on Thursday in Stockholm the readiness to promote bilateral relations and Sweden's support for a solution to the Kosova issue, a spokesman of the Foreign Ministry said.He said that Valen assured him that in the forthcoming meeting of the European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels, Sweden will urge immediate preventing measures and increase of pressure against Belgrade. Milo and Valen signed an agreement on removing double taxation. Albania's Foreign Minister is on an official visit to the Swedish kingdom on the invitation of the Swedish foreign minister. He has also held talks with the minister for Economic cooperation, Migration and Asylum, Pierre Sori, parliamentary Foreign commission, leaders of the International Institution of Foreign Policy addressing the latter on Albania's foreign police and its priorities. The spokesman said that minister Milo had briefed them on the Serbian violence against the Albanian population in Kosova. ake/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] State profits 194,644 million leks from contraband goodsTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - Albanian deputy prime minister Bashkim Fino said on Thursday that the income received recently from the sale of contraband goods is estimated at 405,636 million leks and that the state budget profited some 194,644 million leks, press and information department at the Council of Ministers said on Thursday.Fino, who declared this in a government meeting he chaired, said that the remaining part was distributed to other ministries that of Interior, Finance, General Prosecutor's Office and State Reserve Directorate based on their contribution in the fight against illegal trafficking. The meeting considered a package of important draft laws and decisions on the local administration and principle of local self-rule. ake/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] Turkey to reconstruct military base in PashalimanTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - Turkish government had accorded some $7 million to Albania for the reconstruction of the military base of Pashaliman, Vlore, repair shipyard near the base and the city's Navy Academy, which were destroyed during the unrest of spring 1997, a spokesman of the Defence Ministry said on Thursday.The agreement was signed on Wednesday in Turkey by the commander of the Albanian navy Robert Bali and his Turkish counterpart Salim Dervisoglu. A delegation of the Albanian Defence Ministry, headed by the Navy commander, first rank Captain Robert Bali, is in Turkey on the invitation of the Turkish Navy commander, Army General Salim Dervisoglu. Captain Bali had separate talks with deputy prime minister, minister of defence, second chief of the joint Staff of Turkey Army General Cavik. The spokesman said that both sides reiterated promotion of bilateral relations and those in the framework of NATO and Partnership for Peace. s.s/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] Houses burned down in Kopiliq, fate of Jashari family not knownPRISHTINE, March 27 - ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari said that Drenica was entering the twenty-fourth day of curfew and the villages of Llaushe, Marine, Kopiliq, Buroje, Acareve were a target of the Serbian forces.Snipers shoot at every resident, who goes out while weapons are in readiness in fortified positions. Yesterday's reports said that at least six houses and other buildings, including tractors and other means, in the Low Kopiliq village had been destroyed from the recent bombardments. Muhamet Isufi, Secretary of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) in the Low Kopiliq, said that the Serbian forces bombarded the villages of Araceve and Buroje, but no reports were available due to the lack of information. There is also no report on the fate of the eight members of the Jashari family in Prekaz. It is thought that they have remained in the ruins of their houses, which have been destroyed twenty days ago during the Serb massacres in Prekaz. The Skenderaj division of the Human Right Council reiterated his call on international humanitarian organisations to help find what have happened with this Albanian family. pta/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] Albania president awarded Honourable Doctor in ScienceTIRANA, March 27 (ATA) - Albania president Rexhep Meidani was awarded the title "Honourable Doctor of Science" by the "Aristotle" Salonika University in an official ceremony on Friday midday.The ceremony, which started at 12. 00. p.m. (local time), was attended by all the academic board of the rectorate, local authorities and media representatives, a spokesman of the president said. "The title 'Honourable Doctor of Science' awarded by the Salonika University is an evaluation of the scientific activity of Prof Dr Meidani not only in Tirana but also in other countries as France, Germany, Italy, England, the United States, and others," the rector of the university said in his speech adding that this title was given to a few scientists during the 50-year activity of the University, while Prof Dr Meidani received that after the last three Noble holders. President Meidani thanked the rectorate of the Salonika University for the high prize and held a scientific report on physical problems. The Greek media, attending the ceremony, asked President Meidani a series of questions for the developments in the region and relations between Albania and Greece. Asked about the xenophobia noticed in the Greek media against the Albanian emigrants, president Meidani said that there was not normal and acceptable to have a collective penalization for all the emigrants. "Every concrete crime should be identified and penalised as a special case," Meidani said. Meidani asked the Greek media to make evident the good relations between the two countries and peoples, warm and hospitable climate the Albanian emigrants had found in Greece, what had been confirmed by the politicians and states men of both countries. "There is a good cooperation between the police of both countries, which should be promoted in the future. We are working today under concepts of a pragmatist and integration policy and the media should influence positively by stimulating cooperation between the peoples," Meidani said. Asked about the Kosova issue and whether he was happy with the statement of the Contact Group, president Meidani said that the Kosova issue "is an issue, which needs to be resolved through democratic means, observing international charters and conventions." "Hot heads, old conflictual mentalities should stand aside from politics with the aim of paving the way for a democratic solution to the Kosova problem for which we should not lose time," Meidani said. President Meidani is expected to meet late on Friday with a large group of Albanian emigrants, which live and work in Salonika region and with the Greek minister of Macedonia and Thrace. They will focus on the problem of the Albanian emigrants and urge a speed-up process for their legalisation. He will also meet entrepreneurs and industrialists of the Trade Chamber in Salonika to discuss stimulation of Greek investments in Albania. President Meidani also had a phone conversation with the President of the Greek Republic Kostis Stefanopoulos. s.s/mima/pas/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] Grave situation in JunikPRISHTINA, March 27 (ATA) - The situation in Junik and the surrounding areas (Western Kosova near the border with Albania) is being aggravated after the attacks of the Serbian police against Decan region.The Center for Information in Kosova said that frequent movements of Serbian police forces were noticed recently in Junik, while in the place called "Kulla e Malokut" near it where Serbian and Montenegrin refugees were lodged, masked police controlled vehicles and passengers on both sides of the road. There, over 60 members of the Albanian families, who fled their houses in villages attacked by Serbs, were maltreated. pta/pas/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] Serb police kill two Albanians in Gllogjan and build up presence in MitrovicePRISHTINE, March 27 (ATA)-Serbian police forces killed two Albanians, Gazmend Mehmetaj, 19, and Agron Mehmetaj, 20, and wounded another in their attack in the Gllogjan village on Thursday and the number of the arrested has reached 11, sources of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) reported on Friday.Leaders on the LDK branch who went to Gllogjan on Thursday said that the inhabitants who left the village to excape yesterday's attack have not yet returned. They said that there were no movements of the police forces. The LDK information commission in Mitrovice reports on a great presence of the police forces in this city. The roads of Mitrovice, since 09.00 have been under the control of Serbian police and inspectors. The same sources says that on Thursday morning, two military vans, thought to be loaded with armaments, left Mitrovice for Skenderaj. Six tanks and artillery equipment were deployed yesterday in the Shypkovc village, at the place called Perroi i Kamishit, while the machineguns were aimed at the Bair quarter of Mitrovice. /p.ta/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] Serbian police maltreat passengersPRISHTINE, March 27 (ATA) - Serbian police of the roadblock in the Peja- Rozhaje crossroad (Kosova) forced the passengers out of a bus and after identifying them one by one, tore up their papers and tied four of them to the road pylons, said the Center for Information in Kosova.The above sources said the four were kept there for some 20 minutes and were forced at gunpoint to kiss the pylon 100 times. Similar actions were carried out in the Loxhe-Brezhenik crossroad, with Serb police beat passengers of the bus directed to Peja. pta/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] International Red Cross in efforts to find bodiesPRISHTINE, March 27 (ATA)-Three weeks have passed from the massacre against the Jasharaj family in Lower Prekaz of Drenice, Kosova, and not all dead bodies have been found and buried.According to the Kosova Centre of Information, which refers to the testimony provided by those who could survive the massacre, the eight members of the Sadik Jasharaj family have remained in a basement, where they are thought to have died because of the tear gas and artillery shells and fire. The houses in the Jasharaj's quarter are still being guarded by Serbian police forces, which do not allow anyone, not even the relatives of the victims, to come near to the spot. The International Red Cross Committee (office in Balgrade) reports that its teams have often visited Prekaz. Gordana Milenkovic, employee in this office, says that:"We have tried to do something, to bring out and hand over the bodies but we have not found them. However, efforts to recover them continue". /p.ta/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] Christian-Democrats support PresidentTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K. Shehu, The Christian-Democratic party hailed the initiative of President Rexhep Meidani regarding the fight against contraband."Cooperation of all state structures is the main avenue to fight corruption, contraband and economic crime," the Christian democrats said at a news conference on Friday. Referring to the Kosova issue the Christian-Democratic party hailed the prompt reactions by the west big powers, the Contact Group in London and Bonn as well as by the governments and authorities the world over. The latest demands of the Contact Group that violence be halted, Serbian police forces withdrawn, that Kosova and Serb representatives urgently start dialogue and that the neighboring countries be not supplied with arms, were considered helpful to resolve the issue although they said the deadline should have been more ultimate. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] Foreign Policy Commission asks parliamentary session on BonnTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K. Kostreci, The Parliamentary Foreign Policy Commission, which met on Friday, asked that the Albanian Government urgently informs Parliament of the meetings of Prime Minister Fatos Nano in Bonn and said that the statement of the Contact Group does not content the proper elements to stop Serbian terror in Kosova.The commission also asked the government to present its views on the situation in Kosova and its perspective, as well as the Presidency of the People's Assembly to tackle this issue with priority at a near plenary session. "The commission, examining the extremely grave situation created in Kosova and in the Albanian state borders and the statement of the Contact Group, expresses deep concern at the aggravation of the situation in Kosova and the continuation of the military-police operations against the civilian population," says the statement distributed after the meeting. On the same day, the chairman of the Socialist party parliamentary group, Pandeli Majko, considered normal the request for such debate and stressed that also earlier the government had reported to parliament whenever the situation aggravated in Kosova. "Setting deadlines for Milosevic speaks of the engagement of the Contact Group in resolving the situation in Kosova. The international factor will not allow a second Bosnia," said Majko. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] New Serbian settlements signalled in KosovaPRISHTINE, March 23/ ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports:A representative of Serbia's Commissariat for Refugees, Veselinka Abramoviq, signalled in Prishtine today that new colons are likely to be dispatched to Kosova. According to her statement, broadcast by the Serb radio of Prishtine, "there is no room in Serbia for a fresh wave of refugees who have arrived from Croatia's regions". In the recent years Kosova has been colonised by more than 20 000 Serbian war refugees from Croatia and Bosnia who are provided with kibbutzim and land, which has been plundered from Albanians. The signal for new settlements is made at a time when ethnic cleansing is being carried out in Kosova, at a time when 25 000 Albanians have fled their lands due to the Serbian forces' military operations and massacres in Drenice and Decan's suburbs. /rxh/das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] Albania denies arms infiltration into KosovaTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K. Kostreci, Albania's Defence Minister Sabit Brokaj on Friday denied arms infiltration into Kosova from Albania."The situation is tense within the territory of Serbia, but there has been no problem in the border with Albania," Brokaj told ATA. Brokaj, speaking of Russia's stand towards the Kosova issue, said that the approach of Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov towards Kosova has to do with the political support of Russia for Serbia. Primakov has expressed himself on arms infiltration into Kosova from Albania, at a time when Russia has not yet expressed a final stand on the ban on arms sale to Yugoslavia, proposed in the United Nations. The conclusions of the Contact Group's meeting in Bonn were considered an achievement of compromise between Russia and the U.S., which has kept the toughest stand towards Milosevic. Referring to NATO's plans to dispatch military specialists to Albania because of the situation in Kosova, Brokaj said that this "will guarantee that the conflict does not extend further." /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] Brokaj hails agreement with Turkey to reconstruct Pashaliman baseTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K. Kostreci, Defence Minister Sabit Brokaj regarded the agreement signed with Turkey for the reconstruction of the military base of Pashaliman as a proof of cooperation with a NATO member country."This is one of the most important assistance for the Albanian army, for which Turkey has asked no advantage," Brokaj told ATA on Friday. The military base of Pashaliman in the Vlore district was destroyed during last spring' turmoil. The agreement, which was signed in Turkey on Wednesday, after talks with the Albanian Defence Ministry delegation at the Naval Forces Command in Turkey, includes the beginning of works for the reconstruction of the military base of Pashaliman, the shipyard in the same place and of the Naval Forces Academy in Vlore. The works will be financed by the Turkish Government through a fund of $7 million. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] Geremek arrives in PrishtinePRISHTINE, March 27/ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports:Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, chairman of OSCE, arrived in Prishtine late in the afternoon, after a visit to Belgrade. Geremek will meet the President of the Republic of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova. The talks will be held behind closed doors. /sara/das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[16] Godo says opposition should be more interested in Constitution than majorityTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K.Kostreci, The co-chairman of the Constitution Drafting Commission, Sabri Godo, again urged the DP to take part in the constitutional process."The opposition should be more interested in a constitution than the majority, therefore the DP should take part in its drafting," Godo told ATA on Friday, adding that the only problem in continuing the work for the constitution is that not all the political forces participate. Godo spoke of the DP and Centre-Right groups' requests, which also include a change of the co-chairmen of the Constitution Commission. "I would agree to quit my office as co-chairman if this would be of any help," said godo. On Thursday Godo suggested the parliament's presidency to find a way to discuss the options of the Union for Democracy Grouping, a request which was not accepted by speaker Skender Gjinushi, as this grouping should have presented them in written. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[17] Gjinushi says DP allies do not take part in constitution drafting because of its pressureTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K. Kostreci, Speaker of Albanian parliament Skender Gjinushi on Friday expressed the conviction that the Democratic Party (DP) allies in the Union for Democracy grouping do not take part in the Constitutional Commission because of its (DP) pressure Gjinushi said this after the approval by parliament of the proposal of the Legality Movement party to be presented in the Constitutional Commission by deputy Spartak Ngjela."The parties of this grouping are separately in favour of the participation in the constitutional process, moreover after Troika's statements. The DP pressure forces them not to take part," Gjinushi told ATA. Gjinushi considered meaningless the reasons drawn by the DP not to cooperate on the Constitution, as, he said, "Troika has clearly expressed its opinion that the Constitutional Commission is very regular". /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[18] Gjinushi says conclusions of Contact Group, result of various currentsTIRANE, March 27 (ATA)-By K. Kostreci, The speaker of Albanian Parliament Skender Gjinushi considered not easy the consensus reached by the Contact Group nations on Kosova, as it was "result of various political currents"."The consensus on this issue is not easy, but Bosnia's experience should have had more influence on the decisions taken," Gjinushi told ATA on Friday. He praised the U.S. policy on the situation in Kosova and that the U.S. stand would be the best solution to the conflict. The Contact Group decided in Bonn on Wednesday to give Yugoslavia four weeks to put an end to bloodshed in Kosova, or face additional sanctions. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[19] Geremek, Rugova share same view on Prishtine-Belgrade dialoguePRISHTINE, March 27 /ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports:Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, chairman of OSCE, on Friday, had a closed door meeting with the President of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova. Geremek considered his today's visit to Kosova "a significant part of his visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)". "In this meeting I made present my and OSCE's concern and hope that the dialogue between the Albanian population and the authorities begins and I am very glad that Dr. Ibrahim Rugova holds the same opinion." "OSCE is interested in an unconditional dialogue, like we are," said Rugova after the meeting with Geremek, whom he considered a great intellectual of Poland and Europe. Rugova expressed thanks for the interest shown in the solution to the Kosova issue, laying the stress on the Kosova people's declaration for freedom, independence and democracy. /sara/das/lm/ 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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