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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-09-08Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] Defence minister says Albania backs peaceful solution for KosovaTIRANA, Sept 7 (ATA) - By E. Koraqi: The tense situation in Kosova and how to resolve it were the topics of discussion between a parliamentarian group from Switzerland headed by Ernst Muhenman, member of the parliamentary foreign commission and president of the Swiss delegation in the Council of Europe, and the Albanian Defence minister Luan Hajdaraga, a spokesman of the ministry said to ATA on Monday."The parliamentary group arrived in Albania with concrete projects to help the Albanian political forces cooperate and provide help for refugees of Kosova," the spokesman said. "War in Kosova and problem of refugees are two key issues now." Some 150 thousand refugees from Kosova, mostly women and children who fled Serb genocide are settled in northern Albania particularly in Tropoja district. The Albanian parliament approved on Monday a government program on a series of measures for the people from Kosova, including their removal to other areas of Albania. Hajdaraga said that the Albanian government is for a peaceful solution to the Kosova crisis because this is also the logic of different international bodies. The Albanian minister highly praised Albania's cooperation with NATO, whose fruits were displayed in the latest joined military exercises in Albania. mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] Patriotic association commemorates Kosova Republic anniversaryTIRANA, Sept 7 (ATA) - By Urim Bajrami: The rally to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the Republic of Kosova organised on Monday by the "Kosova" political, patriotic association conveyed the message that issue of Kosova was the core of the Albanian national issue.It said that future of Albania and that of the nation was decided in Kosova, therefore we called on all the Albanian political and patriotic forces to support the efforts and heroic war of the Kosova people. Different scholars for the Kosova and the Balkan issue in general said that "the issue of Kosova has been internationalized and it is not an internal affair of Serbia anymore." Referring chronologically to July 2, 1990 when the constitutional declaration was declared in Kaçanik and later on September 1990 when the Constitution of the Republic of Kosova was also declared, they said that the institutions of the Kosova state could not be considered parallel institutions but they resulted by the free vote of over three million Albanians of Kosova and had been officially recognised by many states. Orators briefed the crowd on the difficult situation the Kosova people were facing due to the Serb repression of Milosevic. "There are over 10 thousand elderly people, women, children tortured, over 1.000 killed, hundreds of thousands missed or displaced and an economic damage of billions of dollars by the Serb military aggressor in Kosova," they said. Therefore, the rally called on the international community to end the extermination policy and ethnic cleansing which was being carried out in Kosova by Belgrade's criminals. They called for independence of Kosova which would avoid a Balkan crisis, establish stability in the region and broader and avoid the humanitarian crisis, which had engulfed Kosova. ypa/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] New influx of Kosova people in HasTIRANA, Sept 8 (ATA) - People from Kosova trying to escape Serb violence and terror against the civil population continue to arrive in Has district, northeastern Albania.A spokesman of the Public Order Ministry said to ATA on Monday that some 31 Kosova people, including five women, 16 children and 10 men, crossed the border to Albania near the police border post of Pashtriku, Has district. They were immediately accommodated in the dormitory of the secondary school in Krume. Over 350 Kosova people, mostly women, children and elderly people, fleeing Serb terror have been settled in Has district since June when refugees from Kosova arrived in northeastern area of Albania. s.s/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] Some 26 Albanians killed and massacred by Serb forces in Verrin regionPRISHTINE, Sept 7/ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports: Some 20 Albanians have been killed and massacred in the fierce offensive of the Serb forces which began since September the 1st in the region of Verrin, between the city of Prizren and the border with Albania, along the road leading to Kukes.Six Albanians were earlier reported to have been killed in this region. The Council for the Defence of Human Rights in Kosova, referring to sources in this region, today has made public the names of 15 Albanians killed. The sources say that the Serb forces, two days ago in Prizren, buried four unidentified Albanians, while in the village of Leskovec an Albanian, unidentified, has been killed. Another 20 Albanians have been reported injured in the village of Jeshkove, 10 in Hoce te Qytetit and many others in other villages of Verrin. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] Tirana currency ratesTIRANA, Sept 8 (ATA) - By D. Koça: The dollar has kept its buying rate against the lek in the Savings Bank on Tuesday while the selling rate has recorded a slight decrease.Following are the buying and selling rates of foreign currencies against the national currency, Lek, on the Tirana Savings Bank. Currency bought sold US$1.00 costs 148.6 leks 150.1 leks German marks 85.1 87.1 Italian lire (1000) 84 88 Greek Drachmas (100) 48.6 50.8 /ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] Nepole village intensively poundedPRISHTINE, Sept 8 (ATA)-The Nepole village yesterday was intensively pounded for more than five hours by the Serb forces, which shelled from the village of Ceskove, in which three tank units and a cannon were stationed.A number of houses have been damaged and cattle killed but there are no reports on casualties, according to the Kosova Information Centre (KIC). The same source reports that after the withdrawal of the Serb military and police forces from the villages of Llapceve, Rud and Panorc, where they looted, burnt and destroyed hundreds of houses and tortured some 500 Albanians, the Serb forces yesterday entered the village of Ostruzub of Malisheve, while local Albanians were again forced to leave their houses. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] Six people killed still unburied in Sllapuzhan of SuharekePRISHTINE, Sept 8 (ATA)- The situation in the commune of Suhareke continues to be tense, although at first appearance it seems quieter. The police forces control every road linking with Suhareke, while in the city police movements and controls have intensified, the Kosova Information Centre (KIC) of LDK in Suhareke reports.Two occasional pedestrians buried a killed Albanian, the 60th victim since the beginning of the Serb military actions in this commune, while in Sllapuzhan six people killed have remained unburied. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] Some 160 Albanians brutally beaten at Serb police stationPRISHTINE, Sept 8 (ATA)-After the latest offensive of the Serb forces, a large number of Albanians, driven away from the villages of Verrin, Suhareke, Malisheve and Rahovec, have arrived in Prizren, according to the Kosova Information Centre (KIC).KIC, referring to reports from Prizren, says that 160 Albanians from the Rahovec commune who were taken to Serb police station in Prizren on Saturday and who were released on Sunday morning were brutally beaten. In Prizren there are citizens with grave wound signs, people with fractures, hematomas caused by heavy beatings, says a report of a group of doctors, members of the LDK health commission in Prizren. /das/lm/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] Yugoslav patrol shot and killed Albanian trying to cross borderTIRANA, Sept 8 (ATA) - Albanian border authorities have protested against a delayed report on an incident taking place on Saturday in the border and the distortion of facts by the Montenegrin side.A spokesman of the Public Order Ministry said to ATA on Tuesday that a Yugoslav military patrol had shot and killed on Saturday the Albanian citizen Gjeto Qosaj, 20, after he crossed the border at B5/15 border post in Lepushe, Malesia e Madhe district. The Montenegrin authorities' account say that three Albanian citizens have crossed the border on Saturday at 15.00. p.m. in B 5/15 border post in Lepushe, the spokesman said. They claimed that the patrol fired at them wounding Qosaj who died on his way to hospital when the above persons had refused to stop. The Yugoslav side had called a meeting on the event 48 hours later and had destroyed facts on the site of the incident, what could not allow the Albanian side to judge on it. The victim and the other two Albanians are still in the Yugoslav territory. /das/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] Greek Foreign Minister has not met KLA in my office - RamajliTIRANE, Sept.8 (ata) - By Ilir Paco: The Kosove representative in Tirane, Iliaz Ramajli said Tuesday that during his meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister, Theodoros Pangallos on July 22, 1998, in his office in the Albanian capital, there has been no representative of the Kosove Liberation Army and that no talk was made about its plans.Ramajli told ATA that "with the chief of Greek diplomacy I discussed the solution of the crisis in Kosove and Mr Pangallos voiced his desire to meet with the Premier of Kosove, Bujar Bukoshi and that's all." Ramajli made these comments following a statement on Monday of Mr Pangallos, who had said that over his last visit to Tirane in mid July he had also met with KLA representatives, who had presented him their plans, saying that presently they were fighting for the independence of Kosove, but later they would extend their war also in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) where Albanians live, and in a part of Greece. But Mr Pangallos did not made clear where did he meet and who were the representatives of the KLA he spoke with, adding with humour that he did not pose for a photo with them as Mr Holbrooke did, because he was more prudent. "If Pangallos refers to the meeting he had with me, saying that he met with KLA representatives, I refute such a statement," Ramajli said to ATA. Pangallos made the statement while he was expressing the Greek opposition to a decision of the European Union to ban flights of the Yugoslav air company JAT in the EU member countries and blamed ethnic Albanians for not beginning the dialogue. The chief of the Greek diplomacy said that the punishment was not correct because Milosevic had expressed his readiness to start the dialogue, something refuted by Albanian ethnic separatists. /mima/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] Albanian book to be displayed in Fiera del Levante Fair in Italy TIRANE, Sept.8 (ata) - By Nora Zela: For the first time Albanian book will be displayed in the fair "Fiera del Levante" which will be held in Bari of Italy from Sept.12-20, 1998."The private publishing houses, namely Toena, Onufri, Dituria and Albin, will participate in the fair with their best published titles," said today organizers of the Albanian stand.The stand for the Albanian book will be free of charge for the Albanian publishers. "Participation in this fair shows that Albania has much to present from its culture," said to ATA Fatmir Toci, leader of the Albanian Publishers' Association. In this year's fair, the stand of Albania, about 330 square meters, will also have a great variety of food and industrial articles. On September 16, which is the day of representation of Albania, news conferences will be held by representatives of the Albanian Ministry of Culture and other institutions participating in the fair. /mima/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] International monitoring of the judicial process of 6 former DP officials - Democratic PartyTIRANE, Sept.8 (ata) - By A Haxhiu: The Albanian Democratic Party (opposition) stated Tuesday that it will demand international monitoring of the judicial process for the six former senior officials of that party."We shall demand that this judicial process be internationally monitored. We will demand them (the monitors) to show us all the dossier with charges for our people," stated DP chief Sali Berisha in a news conference on Tuesday. Berisha did not forget to accuse this time too the government of the left coalition, which, according to him, is holding this farce process with the aim of attacking and liquidating the Albanian opposition. Some days ago the Albanian Government asked international organizations for the defence of the human rights to monitor the judicial process for the six former DP officials. The six detainees of the Democratic party: Safet Zhulali, former Defence Minister, Halit Shamata, former Interior Minister, Blerim Cela, former head of State Control, Sokol Mulosmani, former Colonel, Bujar Rama, former chairman of the National Information Service (SHIK), and Kreshnik Lusha, former Lieutenant-Colonel, were arrested by order of the military prosecutor's office on August 22 '98. DP claims the arrest has been politically motivated. /mima/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] Opinion of Albanian Helsinki Committee on the Strasbourg ConferenceTIRANE, Sept.8 (ata) - By I Luto: "The conference lacked the necessary attention by the influential circles of Europe on the dramatic developments in Kosove," told ATA on Tuesday the chairman of the Albanian Helsinki Committee, Prof. Arben Puto, referring to the Strasbourg Conference.Held by the Council of Europe, the Strasbourg Conference convened at the beginning of September to honour the 50th anniversary of the Universal Human Rights Declaration, a very good chance, said Puto, to discuss the question of Kosove. Referring to the importance and dimension of the conference, Puto said that "it was not a regular meeting, therefore much more was expected, adding to this also the great commitment in the plenary sessions of the representatives of the Balkan countries, with only the representatives from Kosove being not present." Puto said that "an unacceptable silence prevailed the conference." "Besides its being indifferent, the conference seemed also to be cynical," said Puto, referring to the address of the professor from Belgrade, which, with the topic 'On mass human rights violations and preventive measures' and where he had not found not a single place for the tragedy of Kosove, received a powerful applause from those present." "The Albanian factor," said Mr Puto, "must be more active and more unified in such kinds of situations," said Puto, referring to Albania's participation in the Strasbourg Conference with one representative only. /mima/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] We have made mistakes in the appointment of police chiefs - NanoTIRANE, Sept.8 (ata) - By Ylli Pata: Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano stated Monday before socialist deputies that he was mistaken in the choice of the leading officials of the public order, especially those in local structures."The work of the government for one and a half years, especially in the public order, has not yielded the necessary fruits," said Nano, who is also chairman of the Socialist Party (parliamentary majority,) in the meeting of the parliamentary group of SP on Tuesday. After the latest events in village Lazarat (where several armed people blocked a national road segment) and in other district with troubles in the public order, the socialist deputies have treated again the question of appointments of the leading police chiefs, which the PM had also referred to. /mima/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] Agreement in field of defence between Albania and Netherlands signedTIRANE, Sept. 8 (ata) - By Enkelejda Koraqi: Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding between the ministries of defence of Albania and the Netherlands was signed in Tirane on Tuesday, spokesman of the Albanian Defence Ministry told ATA.The memorandum was signed for the Albanian party by the minister of Defence, Luan Hajdaraga, and for the Dutch party by the Dutch Ambassador in Tirane, Henk Heijnen, in the name of the Dutch Minister of Defence. The memorandum was signed in the context of the Partnership for Peace cooperation, especially in the policy of security and defence. /mima/xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[16] Balkan ministers of Transport discuss regional cooperationTIRANE,Sept.8 (ata) - By E Metaj: Possibilities of development in the infrastructure in Southern Balkans and regional cooperation were the main topics of the Second Congress of Salonica which is discussing the possibilities for cooperation in the markets of Southeastern Europe.Taking part in the two-day meeting are the ministers of transport of Albania, Greece, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria. Albanian Minister of Transport and Public Works Gaqo Apostoli made a panorama of the situation of transport in Albania. He also presented before his Balkan counterparts some of the most important projects of the infrastructure in Albania which are being financed by foreign donors. "Successful realization of these projects has a special importance if we bear in mind the position Albania has as a key point for the Corridor 8, " said Apostoli in the meeting, inviting the participants for a closer cooperation in the future. /xh/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[17] Total disbursement of Public Investments Program (PIP) will amount to $1.38 billionTIRANE, Sept.8 (ata) - By Elton Metaj: Total disbursements of the Public Investments Program (PIP) in Albania will be $1.38 billion within a four year period.According to data from the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Trade, this figure has been envisaged on the basis of the analyses and suppositions. From the total PIP disbursements, $766 million or 55 % of the total are earmarked for the projects to be financed by foreign donors. Whereas $273 million or 20 per cent of the total are for projects for which the sources of funds are identified. The projects for which no sources for funding are identified the amount is $343 million, or 25 per cent of the total sum. The state budget funds 10 billion lek for public investments. PIP has been approved by the Government and it determines the fields where donors' money will go. The investments will be made mostly in the infrastructure, with corridors East-West and North-south, banking system, public order and judiciary taking most of the predominant part. /xh/ From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ataAlbanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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