Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-05-29

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] GRD deposits dominate at Savings Bank

[02] USD quoted at lek 155,30

[03] Commander of Turkish Navy in Vlore

[04] New sea route between Sarande and Igumenice

[05] Fierce fightings in Drenice and Dukagjin

[06] Combined attacks of Serbian forces in Gryka e Llapushnikut

[07] Serb inhabitants being mobilized in Gjilan

[08] Socialists say NATO decision - a warning against Serbian revanche

[09] DP complains of delaying candidatures for mayors by Bezhani commission

[10] No funds or credit for loan taking companies

[11] Italy, Austria, Germany ready to help

[12] Albania backs political, democratic solution to regional crisis

[13] CE Congress of local governments discusses crisis on Kosova

[14] Serb forces shell border line villages

[15] Friday - fiercest fighting of this year in Kosova

[16] KMDLNJ calls on international factor to change Kosova situation

[17] Constitutional commission approves chapter on executive power

[01] GRD deposits dominate at Savings Bank

According to figures from the bank the total sum of hard currency deposits is composed of GRD 13,001 million, ITL 16,362 million, USD 16,795 thousands and DEM 4,824 thousands.

The increase of deposits in GRD at the SB is related with the large number of Albania immigrants working in Greece, who sent remittances to their families.

Hard currency deposits --------------------------------------------------------------- Nomination ! USD ! ITL ! DEM ! GRD

Demand deposits !3563 !1255 !782 !94

---------------------------------------------------------------- Term deposits !13232 !15107 !4042 !12907 ----------------------- -----

1-month !390 !206 !290 !114

3-month !5420 !4517 !1334 !11473

6-month !1826 !2141 !390 !143

12-month !5596 !8243 !2028 !1177

--------------------------------------------------------------- /gen/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] USD quoted at lek 155,30

So $1 = 155,30 lek, lossing 0,10 points compared with yesterday's 155, 40 lek.

The DM was traded for 87,40 lek, lossing 0,10 points compared to yesterday's 87,50 lek.

The ITL (1000) was traded for 88,60 lek lossing 0,10 points compared with yesterday's 88,70 lek.

GRD (100) was exchanged for 50,40 lek, lossing 0,10 points compared with yesterday's 50,50

The Swiss Franc was traded for 104,30 lek lossing 1,00 points compared with yesterday's 105,30 lek and so on.

Friday exchange rates

Currency Average exchange rates

USD 155,30 lek DM 87,40 lek

ITL (1000) 88,60 lek GRD (100) 50,40 lek SFR 103,20 lek

FRF 23,20 lek GBP 220,10 lek JPY (100) 111,30 lek

NLG 73,20 lek /gen/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Commander of Turkish Navy in Vlore

The Turkish senior militaries who are visiting Albania, went to the naval military base of Pashaliman (Vlore) which has been ruined during the unrest of last year. For its rehabilitation, the Turkish Navy has granted so far 10 million dollars.

Dervishogllu stated that the rehabilitation of the Pashaliman naval base will start first with the workshop for the the naval vehicles repairing to continue then with other elements. /s.sh/mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] New sea route between Sarande and Igumenice

The freighter will transport vehicles, especially long ones, and goods between the two countries.

The 400 ton Aji Marina will set sail every day from the Port of Sarande at 3 p.m., towards Igumenice.

"This freighter will solve many problems of the private firms and subjects," Bujar Allushi, director of the branch of Sarande customs house told ATA.

Actually, Saranda is linked with the Greek port of Corfu through the freighters Kamelia, Violeta and Harikla.

The coastal city of Sarande was connected for the first time with the Greek Island of Corfu ten years ago, when a passenger ferryboat of the Greek navigation Petraqis Company established a daily transport service connecting the coasts of the two neighbour countries. /s./mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Fierce fightings in Drenice and Dukagjin

Various sources report of an organized and powerful resistance on the part of the Albanians. The Council for the Defence of Human Rights in Kosove said that numerous Serbian police-military forces have left Pristine and are heading to Drenice.

On Thursday, Albanian sources have reported of fierce fightings in Drenice and other regions of Dukagjin (border with Northern Albania.) /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Combined attacks of Serbian forces in Gryka e Llapushnikut

According to the above sources, "the exchange of fire has been very intense with casualties and wounded from both sides." There are also reports that Serb punitive units have already left towards Peje, Kline and Prishtine. Reports say that Serb infantry and police troops have set to fire homes of the Albanians in two quarters of the village Vukovc, from where sporadic gunfire is heard, but the Council could not confirm exactly the number of the killed and the injured. /p.ta/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Serb inhabitants being mobilized in Gjilan

During the last ten days, a Serb mobile police patrol of 20 troops controls until late afternoon hours, the city and the movements of people in Gjilan, along with the roads leading to Prishtine and Bujanovc, says the report. /p.ta/mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Socialists say NATO decision - a warning against Serbian revanche

Pandeli Majko, the SP Secretary General and head of the Socialist parliamentary group told journalists that "what I would call NATO decision- taking normally included Albania in the infrastructure of safeguarding peace in the region by undertaking another important step to that and by turning down Belgrade's stale charges for alleged interference of the Albanian state in a confrontation between the peaceful population of Kosova and the Serbia army."

He added that to undertake such steps as the opening of an office for NATO aid coordination, launching of a series of exercises of NATO and Albanian army, clearly showed the position of the Albanian state policy.

"An infrastructure of permanent and rapid intervention in the region is being created in case the crisis in Kosova aggravates," Majko said.

On the visit of Kosova president Ibrahim Rugova in the White House, Majko said that it was a clear demonstration that "Rugova is making the most important investment of the Albanian policy not only of Kosova but the option for a peaceful solution of the Kosova and Albanian issue."

As regards the SP option for the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA), Majko said that "extreme actions of the Serbian forces in Kosova have made KLA a touchable reality which in face of Serb forces' crackdown has become a synonym of Albanians' self-defence.

He added that the doubled policy in Kosova (on one hand the Rugova's policy and KLA's on the other) was a reaction against the Serb doubled policy which on one hand joined negotiations and on the other hand continued the military actions in Kosova. s.s/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] DP complains of delaying candidatures for mayors by Bezhani commission

Vejsiu told ATA that this delay is an obstacle created to this grouping in the electoral campaign.

"The Union for Democracy has long since presented the names of the candidates for mayors to the Bezhani commission and we do not understand why the response is delayed," said Vejsiu.

The local partial elections are due on June 21.

The Union for Democracy consists of five parties (DP, SDUP, CDP, LP, HRUP) which will have joint candidates in the elections. /s.s/das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] No funds or credit for loan taking companies

According to him the liquidation strategy of pyramid investment schemes within 1998 is clear and non equivocal.

No one can be cheated on the so called supportive theory through offering foreign credits and from the state budget. This would lead to creation of new pyramid investment schemes.

According to him the foreign auditing companies, well-known ones in this field will accomplish their tasks outside any party pressure.

Albanian government commitments and its respective structures to discover the financial fraud are maximal.

According to Arapi soon people will learn the truth, especially what happened during 1996, who are the real instigators of pyramid investments schemes, who profited from creditors' assets, how financial assets moved outside the country, up to what level political parties activities were sponsored by these loan taking companies and down to finances for special individuals.

Albanians have lost in these pyramid investment schemes over $1,2 billion and are discovered nearly $11 million, according to current data./gen/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] Italy, Austria, Germany ready to help

According to chief of Supervising Group, Farudin Arapi, are identified already people's names and their banks' accounts.

It seems that the obstacles existing before to return the financial assets transferred abroad due to foreign countries legislation are disappearing.

Chief administrator Arapi showed Friday his convictions that the financial assets abroad will return to Albania soon.

These money and those frozen in Albanian's banks with the start of transparency process, and the money from the selling of loan taking companies assets will be used to reimburse creditors. /gen/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Albania backs political, democratic solution to regional crisis

Meidani said that frequent contacts of the U.S. administration with the Albanian authorities and today's meeting of President Clinton (Bill) with senior representatives of the Albanians in Kosova were a meaningful testimony to the U.S. engagement in a peaceful solution to the crisis in our region through dialogue, according to press and information office close to the presidency.

President Meidani said that the meeting of NATO foreign ministers and preventive measures "should demonstrate that the violence and force used by Belgrade in Kosova has no future."

He added that faith should be restored that inter ethnic relations in Kosova and elsewhere should be resolved through a realistic policy and that bloodshed of defenceless population should be stopped not to further developed a fresh collective memory that would need generations to restore balance among peoples.

The U.S. ambassador Marisa Lino attended the meeting which focused on different aspects of the political life and situation in Albania. s.sh/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] CE Congress of local governments discusses crisis on Kosova

The Spanish rapporteur, Cuatre Casas, set forward the fields of preoccupation of the CE and the Congress in their performance, especially in defending human rights in Kosova and halting the conflict.

The participants who took the floor condemned the violence and called for a more concrete performance by the CE and the Congress in the region. The former chairman of the Congress, Klaude Hugi, called on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) to agree that a local democracy embassy be opened in Prishtine, as a concrete step of Belgrade towards a constructive dialogue and a proof of respecting the CE principles in the context of the FRY request for membership in this organisation.

In his speech, the head of the Albanian delegation to the Congress, Albert Brojka, made known the position of Albania for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Kosova.

Brojka also hailed the initiative of the Congress that the CE opens an embassy of local democracy in Prishtine. /s.sh/das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Serb forces shell border line villages

Baballoq, Gramaçel, other suburbs of Deçan and suburbs of Rahovec - Gradishte, Pshaji, Gexhe came also under artillery shelling.

Movement and redeployment of troops have been noticed towards Radoniq, Boc, Cermjan and other villages.

The Council of Human Rights reported that maltreatment, raids, arrests of political activists are continuing in Gjakova.

It is also reported that telecommunication with Gjakova and Deçan has been interrupted and it is difficult to be informed on the events. pta/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Friday - fiercest fighting of this year in Kosova

In the fighting regions many villages are engulfed by fire and smoke and many houses bombarded by the Serbian army. There is no immediate reports on the people killed or injured because of the isolation of these regions.

The Serbian forces' attack, backed by heavy weapons, has been going on throughout the day, along the Prishtine-Peje motorway, in many regions of Dukagjini and along the border belt with Albania.

The fighting developments, also accompanied by helicopter flights have involved the communes of Decan, Gjakove, Rahovec, Peje, Kline, Malisheve, Gllogoc and Skenderaj.

Sources from the fight-affected regions report on Albanians' resistance to defend their own lands.

Sources close to the spots say that the Serbian forces have failed to penetrate through the gorge of Llapushnik on the Prishtine-Peje road.

Reports from Peja say that forces of the Serbian military in this city have infiltrated into the Zatra quarter, which is near the barracks, and have fired arms in pursuit of a group of army deserters.

According to reports from the Kosova Information Centre, many people injured as well as killed have been sent to the Peje Hospital. Helicopters from the fighting areas have been spotted to land in the Prishtine Hospital.

Reports from Skenderaj say that today, at 15.30, Serbian forces backed by mortars and heavy arms launched a fresh attack against the villages of Llaushe, Buroje, Kopiliq, Turicef and other villages. /b.ca/das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[16] KMDLNJ calls on international factor to change Kosova situation

The appeal says that the situation is dramatic. Since February 28, around 200 Albanians have been killed, over 30 missing, 60 kidnapped and over 70 reported arrested who are subjected to tortures and deprived of legal protection. Hundreds of houses are burnt and looted. Dozens of villages are completely ruined and at least 50 thousand people were forced to flee their houses and took shelter in other settlement, burdening the already grave humanitarian situation.

Food and medicine supply in the attacked region has practically stopped since the war started. In the districts of Skenderaj, Gllogoc, Klina, Malisheva, Deçan, Gjakova, Rahovec and Peja, where at least seven hundred thousand people live, shortage of food is very concerning.

The residents of the crisis region are facing hunger. Due to an iron siege of Serb forces the communication with the region has become very difficult, therefore it is very hard to have information on the situation of the remaining inhabitants, including children, women and old people.

Representatives of some international humanitarian organisations, who were allowed to break through to some regions, tell of a grave humanitarian situation.

Police-military authorities, which have blocked every possible road leading to this region, have turned back and confiscated aid of humanitarian organisations as it happened with the "Mother Teresa" Charitable Association. pta/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[17] Constitutional commission approves chapter on executive power

These two chapters the fifth and the sixth speak about the executive power and juridical acts. Both chapters considered by the commission in their routine meeting in Durres city, are approved by consensus. ak/

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

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