Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-11-30

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Albanian Foreign Minister visits Denmark

[02] Police turn back illegal emigrants

[03] Jube aqueduct completed; other projects continue

[04] Dutch project on plant protection

[05] Dollar exchanged for 144 leks

[06] FSHZH finances projects on infrastructure

[07] Balkan Theater Schools to meet in Fine Arts Academy on Tuesday

[08] Abortions - 50% less than previous year, Elbasan

[09] DP will not recognize new Albanian Constitution

[10] TNT in industrial zone in Gjirokaster, a house is damaged

[11] Greek custom officers resume strike, goods blocked in Kakavije

[12] Smugglers open fire against customs officials and RENEA special police forces

[13] New water-supply system for Ksamil

[14] Gjirakaster: taxes - 360 million leks for last 3 months

[15] Germany is ready to make its contribution to democratization and stability of Albania

[01] Albanian Foreign Minister visits Denmark

The Foreign Ministry Press Department reports that in his two-day visit, from November 30 to December 1, Milo will conduct formal talks with Danish Foreign Minister Petersen and other senior authorities.

He will also meet with representatives of Danish business active in Albania and will hold a speech at the Danish International Relations Institute.

After his visit to Denmark, Milo will take part in the 7th Summit of the OSCE Council of Ministers, which will hold proceedings in Oslo of Norway, between December 2 and 3, 1998. At this council, Milo will speak on behalf of the Albanian Government. /s.sh/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Police turn back illegal emigrants

Twenty people, contingent of illegal trafficking towards Italy, were blocked by the Vlore police on Sunday and turned back to the districts they came from.

The Police roadblock on Mifol road, at Fier-Vlore segment, after blocking the 20 nationals, took them to the premises of the Prefecture Police Department, said the spokesman of this department, adding that after the proper procedures, they were left free to return to their district.

The citizens came from various zones of the country, mainly from the neighbouring districts, and aimed to cross to Italy, via Vlore.

The spokesman also said that the seashore and the access roads to the city are under the constant control of mobile patrols and checkpoints.

Over the recent five days alone, some 100 people have been turned back after first being subjected to police verification. /s.sh/lm/

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[03] Jube aqueduct completed; other projects continue

Through an investment of 9 million leks from the state budget, the construction firm "Mivar" laid 4.2 km of pipes, also realising the Erzen river overpass of 80 m, the deputy of the zone, Zihni Beqiraj, told ATA.

The project of a 3km-long aqueduct, worth 7 million leks, which will supply the villages of Fllake, Bishtkamze, Rinise and Qerret is also being completed in this district.

In the commune of Katundi i Ri, of which these villages are part, a project is being applied to complete the Jube road, worth 700 000 leks, financed from the independent budget of the district council. /pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Dutch project on plant protection

The director of the Plant Protection Institute in Durres, Skender Varaku, told ATA that this project has as coordinator the Dutch service for plant protection and the respective department at the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

He said that the long-term objective of this project is support for the technicians who will work to prevent damages caused by parasites.

Varaku said that the project has begun application all over the country.

The equipment needed to diagnose the parasites are expected to arrive soon at the Durres Institute and later also at the labs in districts. /pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Dollar exchanged for 144 leks

TIRANE, Nov 30 (ATA)-The U.S.dollar on the free market on Monday morning won points against the Lek. $US 1 was exchanged for 144 leks, from 142.6 leks, on Friday.

According to money changers, the closure of the banks on the November holidays, has increased the foreign currency's value against the lek on the free market.

But the dollar has also won points on the international markets. Today $US 1 is exchanged for some 1695 lira, from 1680 lira last weekend.

Another increase of the currency value is expected over the first two weeks of December because of the great demands of traders for foreign currency to import goods before Christmas and New Year. /a.gj/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] FSHZH finances projects on infrastructure

The Albanian Fund of Development (FSHZH) has earmarked new funds for the improvement of infrastructure in the district of Has.

Xhem Neci, responsible for the FSHZH regional office, told ATA that four projects for the reconstruction of the Krume aqueduct, the rehabilitation of the motor-road in the Metaliaj village and of the Gjinaj-Domaj and Kosturr-Gajrep roads, will be applied through a fund of 26,5 million leks.

These projects are part of the programme for the development of the northeastern zone. According to Neci, this programme, which started in 1995, will continue until 2001 and is backed by a fund of $18,2 million. /s.sh/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Balkan Theater Schools to meet in Fine Arts Academy on Tuesday

Sources from the Fine Arts Academy say that the festival aims to exchange experience among the schools of dramatic art.

Besides Albania attending this activity are also schools' theatrical staff of Turkey, Greece, Rumania, Bulgaria, FYROM and Kosova.

Soros Foundation, Swiss Foundation and the Ministry of Education give their aid in the realisation of this activity.

Invited to attend this activity are also personalities of art from Europe. /pas/lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Abortions - 50% less than previous year, Elbasan

This figure, the lowest one registered over the last 5 years, has to do with family planning, said Besnik Tollumi, gynecologist at local maternity-hospital.

According to Tollumi, the permeation to abort has almost completely avoided mothers' death in cases of forcing a miscarriage. Before '90, being prohibited by law, the abortions caused over 3 death cases per year.

Since the beginning of the year, local maternity-hospital has registered 1 830 births and 470 abortions, with the ration 4:1. The said index is an approximate one, because we can not yet cover the births in some rural villages of the district, Tollumi said. /pas/lola/

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[09] DP will not recognize new Albanian Constitution

"DP will not only not recognize this constitution, and we have ready a draft of the constitution which will be the electoral program of our party," said Berisha.

Insisting in "the extreme violence on the opposition," the democrat leader warned the Albanian government that it will be responsible for the consequences.

"If it provokes the opposition, the government will bear all the responsibilities for the provocations. We warn the government to stop acts of violence towards the opposition, otherwise it will face grave consequences, " said Berisha.

The statement of the DP leader came only two days after the President of Albania Rexhep Meidani decreed the Constitution.

In the referendum of Nov.22, 93.57% of the voters voted for the Constitution while the turnout out was 50.57 per cent.

International organizations hailed the referendum in Albania, describing it as calm and normal and expressed the pleasure for the result of the referendum.

"The new constitution is a stable basis for the stability and democratization of the country. The result of the referendum shows that the new constitution enjoys the support of the overwhelming majority of the Albanian people," says a EU statement after the referendum.

EU called on all political parties to support it, expressing the regret for the DP boycott. "DP must review its approach and set down to constructive opposition work," says the declaration. /pas/xh/

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[10] TNT in industrial zone in Gjirokaster, a house is damaged

The official report of police on the explosion came only on Sunday afternoon because the owner of the houses did not tell police for the event, the spokesman of district police commissariat said.

The investigation group of crime police reached the conclusion that an amount of about 50 gram of TNT was dplace some meters from the house of Mamush Shehu. Police officials said that a cause for the blast might be the ownership.

Three days ago, in a zone of Gjirokaster, unidentified people hit with antitank the surrounding wall of the storehouses of the firm Harri Lena. According to police, the case of owner Lena is linked with the method of threat with the aim of making profits. This trader has also been violated another time by a group of masked people on the road section near village Lazarat. /pas/xh/

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[11] Greek custom officers resume strike, goods blocked in Kakavije

This strike follows a previous one taking place 10 days ago. As far as their requests, set forth to the government, were not realised, the custom officers resumed it, but this time without a set limit.

According to custom officers of Albanian side, Greek custom officers' strike has interrupted custom procedures regarding the passing of any type of vehicles, except for emergency cases. The said sources say that blocking of Greek custom at Kakavije border crossing point at a time when it is expected a flux of imported goods by Albanian traders for the feasts of the end of the year, causes considerable losses to Albanian custom incomes.

Meanwhile Greek custom officers have not interrupted the procedures regarding movement of the citizens in both countries. /pas/lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Smugglers open fire against customs officials and RENEA special police forces

As the spokesman of the the Finance Ministry said, during the action police blocked a vehicle with 20 tons of maize and coffee, a van with 150 crates of bananas and three vehicles with nearly 60 tons of flour smuggled in the country. The vehicles with flour were caught near Koplik (northwestern Albania, near the border with Montenegro) and were accompanied by 3-4 members of police of Shkoder, who cooperated with smugglers.

After the vehicles were blocked, the smugglers kidnaped one of the customs police members and pressurized that they would hold him until the vehicles were freed. After unsuccessful efforts, customs police forces and those of RENEA found themselves under the fire of the ill-doers and they responded to the fire with fire, and managed to take the hostage by killing one of the ill-doers, who turned to be a public order policeman serving in Shkoder, and wounding his brother, who was a member of the smugglers' group. /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] New water-supply system for Ksamil

According to the officials of this commune Albanian Fund of Development has accorded 100 thousand dollars for the first phase of the works of this water-supply system, which includes breaking up the canals and lining the tubes from the water source, near the village Cuke, up to Ksamil, covering 10 km.

Ksamil, center of the commune with the same name, is 14 km far from Sarande and it has a population of 2 500 inhabitants. Its population is tripled over the last seven years. /s.s./lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Gjirakaster: taxes - 360 million leks for last 3 months

Ylli Shehu, chairman of this Department told ATA that the statistics, comparing this period with the same period last year, show round 100 million leks more.

According to him this is a consequence of increase of the number of physical and juridical private subjects and better organisation of the work.

According to this department, 80% of incomes are realised from private business sector and 20% from state business sector.

Shehu said that regarding the solidarity tax (a recent tax to help the police), they face difficulties with small business, which owes state 12.5 million leks per month. /pas/lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Germany is ready to make its contribution to democratization and stability of Albania

The German Embassy in Tirane told ATA that the meeting between Mr Fischer and Meta focused on the situation in Albania after the approval of the Constitution and the situation in Kosove.

Fischer hailed the successful completion of the referendum for the Constitution in Albania, which Albanian voters approved overwhelmingly despite a boycott by the greatest part of the opposition and its allies. "Adoption of the new modern-orientated constitution is an important step in the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in Albania," said Fischer.

He reiterated further contribution of Germany to the democratization and stability of Albania, also in the context of EU and WEU. In this respect, Fischer underlined that the international community is deeply concerned for the situation in northeastern part of Albania.

In view of Kosove, Albanian deputy Prime Minister spoke in favour of a policy closely coordinated with the international community. He stressed that he would work to stop the support for radical forces in Kosove through the Albanian territory, especially the weapons traffic on the other side of the border.

Minister Fischer called on Meta to exert his influence on the armed units of the Albanians in Kosove, as responsible for the greater number of incidents over the past weeks.

Fischer and Meta agreed that the crisis in Kosove can be solved only through political means and backed up again the efforts of U.S. mediator Hill, and the EU special envoy, Petrisch. They stressed the great importance of the OSCE monitoring mission to maintain the ceasefire and for a later political solution. /a.ke/xh/

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

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