Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-07-11

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] European Troika disappointed by Albanian DP's decision to boycott Parliament

[02] DP's decision to boycott Parliament splits Centre Right

[03] First investigation session for General Customs Director held

[04] Selling of assets of former loan taking companies in Albania starts on July 13

[05] Price Index of consumer articles, 1.74 % lower - INSTAT

[06] Land of former loan taking companies to be sold first

[07] 12 dinghies with Albanian illegals on board turned back

[08] Women from Rrafsh of Kosove ask assistance to go back to their homes

[09] Kosova Businessmen Association condemns Belgrade's tight measures

[10] President Rugova meets Turkish ambassador

[11] NATO Mediterranean Naval Force leaves Durres port

[12] Albanian peacekeepers return home

[13] DAP elects new assembly chairman

[14] Dramatic fighting developments in suburbs of Peja and Decan

[15] Largest number of public works projects are for Skrapar, Mirdite and Devoll

[01] European Troika disappointed by Albanian DP's decision to boycott Parliament

A joint declaration issued by OSCE Office in Tirane, says that "the three Parliamentary Institutions are surprised and disappointed by the decision of the Democratic Party to no longer participate in the work of the Parliament of Albania. This is a setback to the consolidation of democracy. Today, above all, Albania needs reconciliation, not confrontation. More than ever, the country needs an effective and representative Parliament.

The three Parliamentary Institutions urge all political parties, in the interest of the Albanian people, to work for reconciliation. They call upon the Democratic Party to reconsider its decision and to assume its parliamentary responsibilities.

In its Declaration, the Tri-Parliamentary Mission of January 1998 appealed to all parties to participate in the parliamentary process. They were pleased to learn that, following the January Declaration, all parties worked together and there were improvements in parliamentary procedures and practices. In the Declaration of the second Tri-Parliamentary Mission in June 1998, all parties urged to work for reconciliation and to proceed with vitally needed reforms. Today the three Parliamentary Institutions want to reiterate both these Declarations.

The three Parliamentary Institutions also remind all parties of their appeals for measures to improve the security situation in Albania, the need to further improve parliamentary procedures, including the rights of the opposition, and the need to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, the joint declaration of the tri-Parliamentary Institutions ends. /s.sh/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] DP's decision to boycott Parliament splits Centre Right

The leader of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP,) member of the above grouping, Zef Bushati, declared in a news conference on Friday that his party will decide to take part or not in the parliament in the meeting of its national council on Thursday.

"Declarations of the leader of the Liberal Union, Teodor Laco that the Centre Right will not boycott the Parliament were personal. He was not consulted with other parties of the grouping," said Bushati.

The Centre Right parliamentary grouping consists of the the parties: Liberal Union, Christian Democratic, Movement of Legality and Democratic Union, all DP allies within the political grouping "Union for Democracy."

The European Troika, SHBA, German Deputy Chancellor, Klaus Kinkel and the parties of the Albanian coalition, have appealed to DP to participate in the work of the Parliament.

The Democratic Party decided to boycott the parliament last Tuesday, one day after the Parliament approved the final report on the Commission for the Investigation into the Unrest of 1997, where deputies of the Government coalition blamed DP leader and ex-president Sali Berisha and his collaborators for, as they called it, "the re-destruction of the Albanian state" last year when DP was in power. /s.s./mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] First investigation session for General Customs Director held

"Abuse of office is the initial charge but during the investigation it may be followed by other fresh ones," the prosecutor of the case, who did not want to be identified, told ATA.

"Until inquiry is over, we cannot give any preliminary information," the same source said. /s.s./mima/xh/

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[04] Selling of assets of former loan taking companies in Albania starts on July 13

"The objective of the process of the selling of the assets is to return to the creditors the maximal possible amount of money," said in a news conference today the joint administrator of the former pyramid schemes, Hugo Green.

The value of the assets will be completely determined on the basis of the value of the market. If the offered price will be low or not appropriate for the value of the asset, then it will not be sold in a later period.

The process of the asset selling will be over on December 31, 1998. /xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Price Index of consumer articles, 1.74 % lower - INSTAT

In comparison with December 1997, this index increased by 6.19 per cent while compared with the same period last year, the growth was 17.84 per cent.

According to INSTAT the fall of the price index of consumer goods came as a result of the fall of the price in the group "Food items, drinks and tobacco" by 2.7 % , which led to a fall of 1.88 per cent in the index of consumer goods. The lowest price fall in this group was registered in the subgroup "Vegetables" with 20.3 per cent. This happened because of the peak of the season with abundant production in these articles. /xh/

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[06] Land of former loan taking companies to be sold first

"There will be a logical relation among the objects to be sold," said in a news conference today the joint administrator of the former pyramid investment schemes, Hugo Green.

The selling will be realised on auction and includes first areas over 14 thousand square meters, mainly in Tirane and Vlore, various machineries, tractors, computers, etc.

According to Mr Green, ILIRIA bar and restaurant by the Adriatic seashore in Durres, belonging to VEFA, is planned to be sold in a second period of asset selling and catalogues for this will be ready on July 20, 1998, while the first catalogues will be available on July 13, 1998.

All ownerships and real assets will be sold on the basis of the Contract and the Selling Conditions. The buyers of the real assets must agree to accept the obligations for all legal costs related with the title transfer, notarization and registration quotas. /xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] 12 dinghies with Albanian illegals on board turned back

According to him, three patrolling motorboats brought back to the shore at 4 a.m. on Saturday 7 miles west of Sazan (Vlore) 12 dinghies with 20-25 illegal people on board each. /a.ke/mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Women from Rrafsh of Kosove ask assistance to go back to their homes

A representation of the Albanian women, led by Melihate Termkolli, member of the Presidency of the Woman Forum of the LDK met on this occasion with Richard Hekebi, chief of the U.S. Office in Prishtine. The U.S. diplomat said that his office has demanded from the group of international monitors that this region be in the priority regions group which will be visited. He voiced the hope that these villages will be visited soon and conditions will be created for the return of Albanian inhabitants to their villages. /p/.ta/mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Kosova Businessmen Association condemns Belgrade's tight measures

The chairman of this association, Shyqyri Kelmendi, told reporters yesterday that through an internal "order" the Serbian authorities have blocked the activity of some 9 000 private, productive, and trade enterprises of Albanian owners.

They (Serbians) have authorised several enterprises, administered by Serbian bodies, to make the supply with several elementary articles.

Kelmendi said that after the enforcement of this "order", there is a shortage of food articles such as flour, sugar, salt, milk and its byproducts in the market.

He deemed necessary that the U.N. Security Council asks the opening of a corridor for supplying Kosova which, if necessary, should be taken under protection. /p.ta/mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] President Rugova meets Turkish ambassador

Rugova said that the situation in Kosova continues to be extremely grave and dangerous and that, because of the Serbian forces' operation, some tens of thousands inhabitants of the attacked areas have now been displaced in and outside Kosova.

He asked an immediate international intervention to halt the Serbian military crackdown and create the preliminary conditions to reestablish negotiations between Prishtine and Belgrade.

Rugova said that the best solution is an independent and neutral Kosova, a solution which would tranquilize the Albanians and the whole region.

Kellec said that Turkey, as a country in the region and NATO member, is very concerned over the developments in Kosova and that his country favours a correct solution and through negotiations of the Kosova issue.

Kellec brought Rugova an invitation from president Demirel to visit Turkey. /p.ta/mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] NATO Mediterranean Naval Force leaves Durres port

It arrived here on July 8, 1999, in the context of the NATO efforts to preserve security and stability in the region, especially under the conditions of the crisis in Kosova.

"We are here to demonstrate NATO's support for Albania and to make clear the capacity of the Alliance in securing stability in this area of the world," General Wesley Clark, Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, told a news conference aboard the Italian frigate Espero, in Durres port.

STANAVFORMED is part of NATO's immediate reaction force, composed of warships of various allied countries, which are trained and act jointly. /s.s/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Albanian peacekeepers return home

The 38-strong Albanian company was included in the German peacekeeping force, and took part in guarding establishments in Sarajevo.

Present to receive them were Defence Ministry senior officers as well as the German advisor at the Albanian Defence Ministry, Colonel Gerner, along with the coordinator at the "Scanderbeg" Academy, Colonel Welsenberg.

Meanwhile, the fourth Albanian peacekeeping company continues its mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. /a.ke/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] DAP elects new assembly chairman

After the voting, held at today's meeting of the Democratic Alliance Party Assembly, the winner was Dr.Gramoz Pashko, renowned politician of this political force.

Pashko has been one of the most renowned politicians in Albania since the establishment of pluralism in 1991. He is founder of the DAP and since September of the last year he has been economic advisor to the chairman of the Council of Ministers. /s.sh/das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Dramatic fighting developments in suburbs of Peja and Decan

Fighting, which began in the morning in the suburbs of Peja and Decan, has assumed dramatic proportions.

Reports available from the spot say that today at around 8.30 a.m., the villages of Loxhe and Raushiq were attacked by heavy artillery, also including surface-to-surface missiles.

According to Council for the Defence of Human Rights in Kosova, "damages are catastrophic".

The ambassadors of the Contact Group countries in Belgrade has been urgently informed of these developments.

The same sources say that in the frontal attack against Albanian dwelling places, about one km from the Peja city, are involved heavy forces of the Yugoslav army, police and of the Serbian paramilitaries as well as Serbian civilians, who taken up arms to fight against the Albanian population.

A dangerous situation also prevails in the Peja city, especially in the Dardania 1 and Dardania 2 quarters, near Loxhe.

The Albanian population, children, women and old people, are leaving the city and the attacked regions and are making for Montengro and other directions, while the men are staying in defence of their own soil.

Fresh attacks of Serbian forces began today also in the suburbs of Decan, in the villages of Shaptej, Baballoq and other suburbs.

The Yugoslav army heavy artillery continues to attack from the military positions in Suke of Bitesh and Suke of Herec.

Fierce fighting is also reported to continue on the Kosova-Albania border belt. Reports on very dangerous developments and victims come also from the areas surrounding Prizren. /cela/das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Largest number of public works projects are for Skrapar, Mirdite and Devoll

Elbasan, Librazhd and Tirana have four projects each, Delvine, Lezhe and Peshkopi one project, Gjirokaster and Kucove two projetcs each and the other distrcits three projects each. /lm/

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

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