Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-08-17

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Archbishop Anastassios commemorates "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" with Orthodox believers in Gjirokaster

[02] Albanian team risks not to take part in World Chess Olympiad

[03] Bank of Albania - Interest rates from 26.2 to 32.3 %

[04] Social Insurances Institute: only 765 persons voluntarily insured

[05]

[06] Serbian ambushes in pastures between Kosova and Montenegro

[07] New chairman of Sarande municipal council elected

[08] Some 275 Kosova refugees arrive in Shkoder

[09] 2500 Kosovars examined and treated in hospital of Bajram Curri

[10] Project for land microbiology

[11]

[12] Albania-NATO joint exercise starts in Albania

[13] Azem Hajdari opposes Russian presence in NATO-Albanian joint exercise

[14] Albanian team to take part in 17th European Athletics Championship in Budapest

[15] Albanian chess team to take part in World Youth Chess Contest

[16] Serb forces shell city of Suhareka

[17] Great ethnic cleansing on border areas with Albania

[01] Archbishop Anastassios commemorates "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" with Orthodox believers in Gjirokaster

Anastassios, in the church bearing the name of this feast, spoke of peace, love and kindness that should dominate the souls of the people.

In the Gjirokaster district there are several churches named after the "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" and this has been one of the reasons that archbishop Anastassios decided to commemorate this feast in Gjirokaster this year. /a.ke/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Albanian team risks not to take part in World Chess Olympiad

The alarm comes from the coach of this team, International Chess Master, Fatos Muca, who told ATA that "although invitations have arrived since the beginning of the year, the leaders of the Albanian Chess Federation and of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports have recently manifested some absurd claims."

These leaders have launched the idea that the Albanian delegation can be presented in the Olympiad with four players, while officially the team includes, besides the coach, four head players and two reserves, Muca says.

Another claim is that the funds planned for the third three month period have been spent and, consequently, although envisaged since the beginning of the year, the funds for participation in the World Olympiad will be lacking.

Muca said that the senior leaders of the Albanian Sports develop the sports' foreign policy according to their personal preferences, linked with the sports they themselves have played.

The Albanian chess has currently two outstanding champions, Erald Dervishi, aged 18, twice champion of the country, and Altim Cela, 22, player of a club of the first chess league in Athens, both International Chess Masters.

Dervishi, in the international tournament in Montecatini Terme (Italy) held from August 1 to 9, ranked first among 158 participants from 51 countries. /a.ke/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Bank of Albania - Interest rates from 26.2 to 32.3 %

Concretely the interest rates for may have been: The refinancing percentage is 29.0%; percentage of 1/12 month deposits 26.2%, pecentage of treasury bonds of three month maturity 29.9%, those of six month maturity 41.2%; Government obligations 1.5%.

In comparison with April, the treasury bonds' percentage for all maturity terms have not changed, while the refinancing percentage and that of the 1/12 month deposits have been reduced.

The refinancing percentage in April was 32.0%, while the 1/12 month deposit percentages were 27.5%. /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Social Insurances Institute: only 765 persons voluntarily insured

According to I.S.SH. sources, the number of the persons voluntarily insured (the number of the reached contracts) over the first six months of this year is only 765 persons.

The amount of the contribution deposited by these persons is some 31 million leks.

This contribution has been voluntarily deposited by insured persons who has signed contracts earlier or during the current six months. The persons who have signed contracts during the current six months have deposited an amount of around 25 million leks, while those who have signed it earlier have deposited some six million leks.

The insurance is aim is; 30% of the contracts are for increasing insurance, 2% for doubling the profit and 66% for covering periods.

Most of the people in Albania are insured by the administrations of the enterprises they work, but thousands of people continue to do "illegal" works and only few of them have begun to be voluntarily insured. /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05]

This district has an area of 35 000 hectares of forests and 10 300 pastures, where five private subjects carry out their activity.

"Financial funds, worth 4.1 million leks, have been planned for irrigation problems in this district for 1998," deputy minister of agriculture, Dedei, said.

In 1999 and on, besides investments from the state budget, the IFAD-2 project will be applied in 38 water projects.

The IFAD project also aims that the natural resources of this district better serve the increase of farmers' incomes. /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Serbian ambushes in pastures between Kosova and Montenegro

Sources of the Democratic League in Montenegro report that early on Wednesday, a group of 25 Albanians from Decan commune, heading for the mountains in the direction of Rozhaja, fell into the trap of Serbian forces in the pastures between Kosova and Montenegro.

Some of them arriving in Rozhaja said that Serbian forces have wounded two Albanians and arrested five others.

There is no word on the destiny of many others they said as the ambush was organised overnight and the group had spread in mountains, in an effort to escape massacres.

Reports from Rozhaja say that some 1000 Albanians, especially from the villages of the Decan and Peja communes, have arrived in this commune over the last two days.

Sources from the Democratic League of Montenegro in Rozhaja report of numerous ambushes erected by Serbian forces in the pastures between Kosova and Montenegro. /p.ta/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] New chairman of Sarande municipal council elected

Kujtim Demaj (former deputy chairman of the municipal council) was elected chairman by secret voting. Demaj, elected as counselor by the SP, received 100% of the votes.

The former chairman of the Sarande Municipal Council, Stefan Cipa, presented his irrevocable resignation as chairman and counselor on June 26, 1998, claiming he could not reconcile himself with the corruption manifested in the performance of the town-hall and the municipal council. /a.ke/pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Some 275 Kosova refugees arrive in Shkoder

The secretary of the Shkoder town-hall, Bardhyl Shaqiri, says that the number of the Kosovars in the Shkoder city has reached 275. The majority have been housed by their relatives, and some 75 others, mainly women, children and old people, at the refugees reception centre at the city's cathedral church. Some 300 others may also be accommodated at this centre.

Recently the Albanian Red Cross has distributed for the first persons arriving since June an aid package consisting of food, blankets, mattresses, and detergents. /s.s/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] 2500 Kosovars examined and treated in hospital of Bajram Curri

Nearly 90 of 170 Kosovars who are hospitalised are in the surgery ward with only 27 beds but in it are treated the people wounded during fighting in Kosove. "Twelve of the wounded, two of whom in a grave situation, arrived on Thursday alone," said the surgeon Selim Medani.

Due to the work of the doctors in that hospital, so far there have been no deaths among the treated, while over 20 Kosovars who were in grave situation were taken to Tirane for further medical treatment.

Whereas in the maternity ward of that hospital, 25 young Kosova mothers gave birth to their infants.

In order to face with the great needs in that hospital, students who are studying to become nurses have been working as well.

A problem in that hospital is the shortage in blood banking. Many a time the relatives of the patients donate blood for the wounded. But such a practice cannot be always applied in a hospital which for about 3 months is like a front of war. /s.s./pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Project for land microbiology

So far the areas with a great percentage of microbes have been determined and they are Lushnja, Korca, Permet and work is going on to fight the microbes in these lands. The creation lately of the laboratories of chemistry and physics in the Land Institute have helped in the experimentation and reasearch work.

The results on the microbic percentage and its impact in the land have been made present to farmers as well so that they adopt measures especially for the lands planned to be used for production. /xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11]

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Albania-NATO joint exercise starts in Albania

Attending the inauguration ceremony held on Monday at Rinas airport (Tirane) were the Albanian President, Rexhep Meidani, Prime Minister Fatos Nano, Defence Minister Luan Hajdaraga, Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, commander- in-chief of Allied Forces Southern Europe and western diplomats accredited in Albania.

"This exercise is sending the right messages to people that are being massacred and the people that are massacring them to comply with modern realities and try to work with us for identifying peaceful solutions," said PM Nano referring to Serb massacres in Kosove.

"This exercise is not directed at any particular party or element in Kosovo or Belgrade, it is directed at regional stability, as are all Partnership for Peace exercises," said Lopez.

Taking part in "Cooperative Assembly" are about 1 700 troops from 14 NATO member countries and of the Partnership for Peace and about 60 aircraft and helicopters.

NATO's commander-in-chief for Southern Europe said on Monday his forces were ready to intervene in the Kosovo crisis if called upon to do so by their governments. /y.pa/mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Azem Hajdari opposes Russian presence in NATO-Albanian joint exercise

Hajdari, deputy of the largest opposition Democratic party, made the statement in a news conference on Monday saying that the best solution to the armed conflicts is reached without the Russian presence.

"Russia was not taking part in the international military efforts while Albania sent to Bosnia amid war flames a peace-keeping company which carried out its mission with success," said Hajdari referring to the Bosnian conflict.

Russia participated with a military force in the IFOR troops which, according to the Dayton peace accord, were installed in the Bosnian territory to implement the peace plan signed by the three belligerent parties in the bloody conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The present military exercise of Bize is being held with the participation of 1 700 effective forces of 14 countries such as Albania, U.S. Germany, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Greece and of the armies participating in the Partnership for Peace, as well as from Russia and Lithuania. /y.pa/mima/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Albanian team to take part in 17th European Athletics Championship in Budapest

The secretary of the Albanian Federation of Athletics, Fiqiri Guri, told ATA that the Albanian national team consists of the athlete of Partizani Sport Club Dorian Collaku who will take part in hammer throwing and Vera Bregu in the high jump.

The events will continue for five days and the two Albanian athletes expect to attain the high results they reached in national and international track-and-field events such as in the "Bruno Zauli" Cup. Besides, Collaku claims to attain the norms set in Sidney-200 track-and-field events, said Guri. /s.sh/das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Albanian chess team to take part in World Youth Chess Contest

Agim Tabaku, inspector in the Albanian Chess Federation said to ATA that the Albanian team will consist of four young chessmen who were selected at the end of the National Chess Championship held in Tirane two months ago. /s.sh/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[16] Serb forces shell city of Suhareka

Sources of the Council of Human Rights in Suhareke said that bullets were fired also in Suhereke today, while in the outskirts of Qafe e Dules, Serb forces have started bombing since 10 a.m. According to sources from the field, material damage are considerable but still there are no reports of the casualties. l.t./-/das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[17] Great ethnic cleansing on border areas with Albania

The great ethnic cleansing has been extended in the areas bordering Albania in the outskirts of Prizren and Dragash, after the attacks by Serb forces in the villages of Verrin and Opoje. Today's reports say that the Albanian population in the village Ragove i Has of Prizren is leaving because of the concentrations of and threats by Serb forces. /la/das/xh/

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

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