Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-09-06

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Number of OSCE offices reaches seven in Albania

[02] Serbian forces set on fire suburbs of Gjakova, Prizren and Rahovec

[03] Shattuck says atrocities in Kosova need to be brought to justice

[04] We have to end violence, have cease-fire and withdraw Serb forces - Dole

[05] Rugova asks U.S. aid

[06] Terrorist Osamma Ben Landen exercising economic activity also in Albania

[07] Anniversary of death of Mother Teresa commemorated

[08] First issue of "Mother" devoted to Mother Teresa

[09] Exhibition: Future of Butrint

[10] Houses of Albanians looted and torched in villages of Verrin and quarter Tusus of Prizren

[11] Villages of Dushkaje set on fire

[12] Two thousand people caught by police, 90 youths held in school of Panorc in Malisheve

[13] An Albanian-British archaeological expedition starts work in Butrint

[01] Number of OSCE offices reaches seven in Albania

The Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Saturday opened a new office in the town of Peshkopi, the OSCE ambassador Daan Everts told ATA.

This office brings the number of OSCE offices to Albania to seven. They are already installed in Bajram Curri, Kukes, Shkoder, Vlore, Korce and Gjirokaster.

The town in Northeastern Albania, very near the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is chosen with the aim to closely follow the situation and cross-border relations with Macedonia.

The OSCE offices mission in various districts of the country is to closely watch the political developments and performance of the local government as well as relations among political parties.

The OSCe offices installed near the border areas also aim at observing the situation in the border, especially the movements of goods and people along the respective border crossing points. /mima/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Serbian forces set on fire suburbs of Gjakova, Prizren and Rahovec

More than 90% of the houses have been burnt down in the villages of Dushkaja of Gjakova, Cermjan, Krelah, Getogc and Kodrali. Several houses have also been torched in Prizren, where the number of the refugees in this city amounts to more than 45 000, LDK sources report.

The Serb forces raid the houses before burning them down. Tens of thousands of refugees who have fled to mountains have no place to return./das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Shattuck says atrocities in Kosova need to be brought to justice

"We are here to assess the evidence, and there is a great deal of it, of human rights atrocities and these need to be investigated by the international community or the international war crimes tribunal," CIK says quoting Shattuck as saying after his meeting with the president of the Republic of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova, in Prishtine.

Expressing the U.S. convern about the humanitarian crisis in Kosova Shattuck called for an urgent end to the violence and to what he called the terrible climate of human rights abuse, in the conditions that people fear their return home."

The recent U.S. diplomatic contacts in Kosova have been recently intensified with the visit of Shattuck as well as of the former U.S. senator Bob Dole, currently chairman of the international commission on Missing Persons. Their mission is to analyse the violation of human rights and proportions of humanitarian crisis. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] We have to end violence, have cease-fire and withdraw Serb forces - Dole

"We want to end the violence, reduce the forces here, encourage people to go back to their homes."

"To do that we have to end the violence, we have to have a ceasefire and to withdraw the Serb forces so that people can go back with some feeling of safety and security," the Kosova Information Centre (CIK) quotes Dole as saying after his meeting with the president of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova, in Prishtine.

Dole said that the U.S. will go on working in this direction adding that: "now I am an ordinary citizen, but I run the International Commission for Missing Persons on behalf of President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Dole arrived in Kosova today where, together with U.S. assistant secretary of State for Human Rights, John Shattuck, analysed the violation human rights and the humanitarian crisis there. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Rugova asks U.S. aid

"We asked assistance from the U.S. and international community for the humanitarian situation in Kosova," CIK quotes Rugova as saying, after his meeting with Dole, who is also chairman of the International Commission on Missing Persons.

Thanking the U.S., president Bill Clinton, the U.S. secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the U.S. Congress for their involvement, Rugova asked an end to the Serb offensive in the Albanian villages and the creation of conditions for the people to go back to their homes.

Today Rugova also met with U.S. assistant Secretary for Human Rights John Shattuck, who is on a visit to Kosova. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Terrorist Osamma Ben Landen exercising economic activity also in Albania

An article on the activity of Ben Landen, "Panorama" provides a long list of economic undertakings of the Islamic terrorist which also includes Albania.

"The Islamic Bank in Tirana and several construction companies are the economic undertakings which the "Panorama" journalist puts at the ownership of Osama Ben Landen.

Meanwhile this news made public today by Albanian newspaper "Shekulli", is added to the mystery also raised in Albania, by the Albanian press, in connection with the activity of the Islamic bank and several undertakings controlled by Islamic organisations.

The sensational news issued by "Panorama" has not yet met the reaction of the Albanian authorities, who have long since started inquiries into the activity of the Islamics in Tirana.

Osama Ben Landen has been directly accused by the U.S. government of ordering the terrorist acts in the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, in which 247 people were killed and 5 000 injured. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Anniversary of death of Mother Teresa commemorated

Peace and understanding, cohabitation and tolerance are what the Albanians need today more than ever.

This is also the key message of a concert held at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana on Saturday, in commemoration of the first anniversary of death of Mother Teresa.

In the presence of Prime Minister Fatos Nano, Speaker of Parliament Skender Gjinushi, Mrs. Meidani, deputies Government members, heads of the Diplomatic Corps in Tirana and others, the homage activity was followed with a feeling of respect and love for Mother Teresa.

Later, hundreds of citizens in the capital headed for the square of the Tirana University, which bears the name of Saint "Mother Teresa".

In the light of hundreds of candles carried by the participants in a brief homage ceremony, the floor was taken by Prime Minister Fatos Nano, who once again conveyed to the people of the capital and of entire Albania messages of peace and understanding, of putting an end to hatred and other messages. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] First issue of "Mother" devoted to Mother Teresa

"The review will be monthly, social and cultural and will treat issues of concern for the Albanian family today," Margarita Syziu, director of this exhibition told ATA.

The first issue of this review is entirely devoted to Mother Teresa, on the first anniversary of her death. This issue carries recollections by people who have met her, opinions by the most outstanding people of the Albanian literature as Ismail Qemali, Rexhep Qosja, or renowned scholars such as Moikom Zeqo, Donika Omari and others. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Exhibition: Future of Butrint

Richard Hodges, scientific director of this foundation told ATA that this exhibition displays the ideas of a master plan on the future of the antique town of Butrint.

The exhibition, the first of this kind in Sarande, familiarises the public with the ideas of the archeological and tourist development of Butrint, through a rich graphic, photographic and informative material.

The foundation was founded in 1996 by the British Lords Rothchild and Serasbyry, with the aim to protect and develop the antique town as regards archaeology and tourism.

In 1993 UNESCO declared Butrint an asset of the world culture. /das/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Houses of Albanians looted and torched in villages of Verrin and quarter Tusus of Prizren

Sources from Prizren say that the number of the people from the battling villages going to Prizren keeps increasing. At present there are about 45 000 people displaced from the villages in Prizren, and people from Zhur, Vlashnja, Kobaja, Hatmaxhe and some other villages bordering with Albania are expected to arrive. A tense situation is also noticed in Dushanove (quarter in Prizren,) in Pirane and some other villages of that commune, where Serb police have given ultimatum for the handing in of the weapons. /das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] Villages of Dushkaje set on fire

Reports from villages Cermjan, Kralan, Gergoc and Kodrali of Dushkaje report that more than 90 per cent of the houses in those villages have been razed to the ground. Nearly 42 houses have been ruined, while village Kodrali with 13 houses does not exist any more. Its inhabitants have fled mainly in Shushice but some are also in the mountains. /das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Two thousand people caught by police, 90 youths held in school of Panorc in Malisheve

After the offensive of the Serb military-police forces in Panorc and the mass displacement of the population two days ago, about 2 000 people are reportedly taken by Serb police and army at a time when 90 other citizens, mostly youths, are sealed off in the building of Asim Vokshi elementary school. Reports also say that Llapceva is completely torched while the houses in the new quarter in Panorc have been set on fire. Also in the nearby villages such as Bubli, Siceve, Domanekui and Turjaka the people are leaving, while sporadic bullets are heard in Kijeve, Bubavec and Bjeshka e Zatriq too, where Serb police and military forces have been installed. /das/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] An Albanian-British archaeological expedition starts work in Butrint

"During this month, the expedition will focus on the object of Trikonka and in the Baptistery," Ilir Gjipali, deputy director of the Archeological Institute in Tirane and participant in the expedition told ATA.

According to him, the expedition funded by the Foundation Butrinti, is one of the points of the protocol of cooperation signed in 1994 between the Archaeological Institute of Tirane and the British Archaeological Mission in Albania led by Richard Hodges, former director of the British Archeological School of Rome.

The Mission has organized during 1994-1997 several expeditions in most important objects of Butrint together with Albanian archaeologists. Due to the unrest of the last year, the deadline of the protocol was extended for one more year which, according to the sources in the Institute of Albanian Archeology, may be followed by another protocol for the period to come. /das/xh/

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

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