Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-06-26

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Albanian singer to participate in "Asia voice" contest

[02] Colonel Bastide of MAPE forces dies

[03] CEI showing interest in the refugees from Kosove

[04] Around 8,000 Albanians employed by foreigners

[05] Low interest in public works, forms to increase it are improving

[06] "Operation Angels" English association helps Kosova people

[07] Constitution to protect purity of Albanian language

[08] Three drug-traffickers arrested

[09] Holbrooke in Prishtine again

[10] Gathering in midnight by Serbs in Prishtine

[11] CDP leader accuses Alliance for State and United Right of cooperation

[12] German government supports Albania's position on Kosova

[13] Friday exchange rates

[14] Malaj says contraband file at prosecutor's office

[15] Aggravation of situation in Kosova requires NATO intervention

[01] Albanian singer to participate in "Asia voice" contest

Lila will sing the songs of the 35th and 36th festival in Tirana "Ask the tear" and "Appease hatred" respectively, and a new one of her composer Valentin Veizi who "discover a talent" as the Albanian media called her.

In February this year, Lila was awarded the first prize among 12 participants in Pop Rock Discover '98 a traditional festival held in Bulgaria with "Appease hatred".

Lila will sing in the one-week Tadjikistan festival besides singers from the United States, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Japan, Thailand and others.

In this activity, Elsa Lila will be accompanied by Valentin Veizi but if a generous sponsor would be found ...! /s.sh/das/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Colonel Bastide of MAPE forces dies

Bastide, 42, French national, had been serving at the MAPE forces for some months to help restructure the Albanian police. He gave an outstanding contribution in restructuring the unit of rapid intervention force and recently the Academy of Public Order in Tirana.

He was married with three children and was due to leave Albania next week. s.s/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] CEI showing interest in the refugees from Kosove

The department of information and media of the Council of Ministers reports that Fino told the CEI representatives of a special fund earmarked for the refugees and the establishment of the office of refugees.

Mr Fino said that the government has demanded that the refugees be concentrated in the zone of Tropoje because only in this way they will receive the status of a refugee, their number will be exactly registered and the delivery of aid will be made accordingly.

Asked by representatives of the troika with regard to the measures adopted for the arrival of a new influx of refugees, Fino said that he hoped that there would be no other arrivals and that Serb repression in Kosove be halted. He added that to this end a greater and more realistic work is needed by the western diplomacy.

Fino added that Milosevic is opening virgin land. In order that Kosova does not become a second Bosnia, pressure towards Milosevic must be stepped up as the only way to peace down and solve the situation, said Fino. /s.sh./pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Around 8,000 Albanians employed by foreigners

The foreigners, who have employed Albanians paid them less that in their countries for the fact that the labour force is cheaper in Albania. If an Albanian worker employed in Albania get a monthly wage worth $100 by an Italian employer, an Italian worker employed by another Italian will ask for $1000 for the same work.

The Albanian workers working for Italian and Greek entrepreneurs, who produce textiles and shoes, recorded the highest percentage. The majority are women and young women who, despite low wages, have accepted to work due to their low family income.

The presence of activities financed by the foreigners have helped develop the economy of Albania when hundreds of domestic enterprises are out of work or under privatisation. /ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Low interest in public works, forms to increase it are improving

The time for the realisation of the projects will not be any longer three months but six months; the ratio of the cost of the labour force with the total cost of the project will be respectively 60 and 40 per cent as compared with 70 and 30 per cent before. Also the norms at work and the salary for the individuals employed in the program have also been improved along with the ratio between a qualified job and an unqualified one.

The number of the unemployed in Albania is over 200 thousand people and this number is expected to decrease also with the intensification of their participation in public works, but so far the poor payment in such works has lowered the interest in it. /xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] "Operation Angels" English association helps Kosova people

people settled in north Albania.

It is a convoy of aid offered by "Operation Angels" English humanitarian associations which travelled for four days from England via France and Italy to Durres, Albania.

This association has been present with its aid to Bosnia.

After 90 tons aid which included clothes from Italy, 30 tons of meat from some U.S. humanitarian organisation, this is the third amount of foreign aid arriving in port of Durres within the week bound for Kosova people. ake/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Constitution to protect purity of Albanian language

The "Friends of the Albanian language" proposed this to the commission dealing with the draft on constitution.

The Academy of Science has proposed the Council of Ministers the creation of the state commission on the Albanian language considering it "the greatest treasure of the national culture, the fundamental feature of the national identity of the Albanian people," Emil Lafe, editor-in-chief of the scientific magazine "Our Language" said to ATA.

The academy has taken preliminary measures recently such as the publication of the book "On purity of the Albanian language", which included some 1,450 foreign words. But Prof Lafe warned against the danger of purity that is extreme attitude against the foreign element. ake/pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Three drug-traffickers arrested

The spokesman of the Department of Police of the Prefecture of Tirane told ATA that Skender Melaj, 27, Ardit Beqiraj and Ervin Roga, 20 years old each, were detained under the charge of trading 3.4. g of heroine, packed in 10 doses. /s.s./pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Holbrooke in Prishtine again

Holbrooke met with President Rugova with whome he had closed-door talks in the presidential premises. The U.S. senior diplomat will also meet with the negotiating group (G-15) to hold later a press conference.

Holbrooke arrived on a visit to Prishtine from Belgrade, where he had talks with Yugoslav President Milosevic. /p.ta/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Gathering in midnight by Serbs in Prishtine

According to witnesses, the gathering started 10 minutes before midnight and lasted until 2 a.m. The participants had reached the spot with about 100 cars. There are no reports on the topic discussed or the motive of the gathering at midnight. /p.ta./xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] CDP leader accuses Alliance for State and United Right of cooperation

"The leaders of the United Right and the Alliance for State have cooperated with each other for the local by-elections, a cooperation which has begun since in the '90s," the Christian Democratic Party leader, Zef Bushati, told a news conference today.

The United Right (Republican party, Democratic Right party, Democratic Movement Party and National Front party) on Thursday expressed itself against any kind of cooperation with other political forces during the second round of local by-elections.

"We have had no kind of open or secret agreement, either with the Alliance for State or the Union for Democracy" for the second round of local by-elections," the member of the Republican Party, Neritan Alibali, told ATA.

The June 21st elections were held in seven town-halls and nine communes, in which their local leaders during last year's riots quitted their work or left for various reasons.

The Alliance for State political grouping (Socialist party, Democratic Alliance party, Social Democratic party, Human Rights Union party and National Unity party) has won 53 per cent of the vote. /s.sh/mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] German government supports Albania's position on Kosova

The Federal Republic firmly supports your prudent stand regarding the Kosova issue. A viable solution can be attained only through negotiations. I see the radical elements in Kosova as well as in your country will strengthen for as long as this crisis remains unresolved."

"I seriously beg you not to be disorientated by this situation. Continue to follow your constructive policy," Klaus Kinkel says in a letter addressed to Albania's Prime Minister Fatos Nano.

He expresses the desire of the Federal Government to support Albania further.

"In the next weeks I am going to underline the German support for Your policy through another high-level visit to Your country."

"The Federal government, apart from Kosova, devotes to your country a great importance, also considering our important bilateral interests," the letter says further on. /s.sh/mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Friday exchange rates

Currency Buying Selling USD 153.00 153.50 DM 86.50 86.70 LIT(1000) 87.50 87.80 GRD(100) 50.00 51.00

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Malaj says contraband file at prosecutor's office

The spokesman says Malaj has repeatedly confuted all slanders by this paper and has denounced it to the justice bodies for the charges brought against him.

But, the release says, it is a regrettable fact that the the justice bodies, despite Malaj's denunciations, continue to keep silence, thus creating the possibility to several irresponsible reporters and politicians to slander and insult senior state authorities.

The spokesman, referring to the accusation launched by newspaper Rilindja Demokratike, which alludes that Malaj has become an obstacle in investigating the persons involved in contraband, explains to the public that it has been minister Malaj, who, along with the leaders of the 21st Division, managed to secure this file and send it to Albania's Prosecutor's office.

Now it is the duty of the Prosecutor's office to investigate and bring to justice all the contraband incriminated persons. /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Aggravation of situation in Kosova requires NATO intervention

The Foreign Ministry Press and Information department reports that the participants thought that the aggravation of the situation in Kosova requires NATO's intervention in resolving the crisis.

The Macedonian delegation expressed the worry that in case of an intervention (after the failure of all other diplomatic efforts) the Macedonian territory should not be used as a starting point of NATO forces' intervention.

The U.S. representative, Rayston, said that anyone would want a peaceful solution to the conflict in Kosova, but NATO, however, has planned all possible options.

At this meeting the Albanian delegation was headed by the Chief of General Staff, Aleks Andoni.

The main topic of the meeting was an exchange of views on the political and military situation in Southeastern Europe, especially the solution of the crisis in Kosova.

The participants in the meeting agreed to the importance of creating the peacekeeping forces of Southeastern Europe for security in the region. /s.sh/lm/

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

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