Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-02-08

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Italy to provide aid for Albanian army

[02] Police chief in Malesi e Madhe replaced

[03] Construction police start anti kiosk operation

[04] Mine-sweeping of our territory is rather emergent - chairman

[05] Most preferred video films of the week

[06] New secretary Sport Club Vllaznia named

[07] Powerful explosion in Mitrovice

[08] Albanian delegation in Rambouillet presents its demands

[09] Tirana currency rate

[10] Albania president urges boost of contacts between town halls

[11] World Bank to help reconstruct local government buildings

[12] Red Cross to provide aid for Albanian prisons

[13] Police arrest man providing fake passports

[14] Vehicle loaded with weapons seized in Kapshtice

[15] Parliament bureau urges acceleration of legislative work

[16] $25 million on Shengjini Port reconstruction

[17] Albanian shooter, Enkelejda Shehu, Champion of Balkan

[18] Results of bonus auction

[19] Second restoration phase to start soon in Shen Dhimitri Church

[20] Increase banks'number

[21] Ministry of Culture approves project on establishment of art management office

[22] 24 fuel services fullfill customs' needs

[23] Republicans express their optimism on results of Rambuillet Conference

[24] Rambouillet marks serious efforts of international community on Kosova issue, Berisha

[25] American wheat fall by 10 USD/ton

[26] Food aid for displaced Kosovars

[01] Italy to provide aid for Albanian army

The aid which arrived in Durres port with the "Major" ferry included 14 armoured transport radio equipped carriers, three transport vehicles of FF9 type and a bus.

It also included 10 tanks with motor oil, spare parts and other equipment.

The ferry "Major" has also brought aid for the Albanian army last year. /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Police chief in Malesi e Madhe replaced

The former police chief in Malesi e Madhe, Kujtim Kraja, is appointed inspector in the police department of the prefecture of Shkoder.

On the same day, new chiefs were also appointed in the sector of road traffic and border sector close to that commissariat. /dast/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Construction police start anti kiosk operation

Stari said that despite the lack of vehicles they will carry out the operation with other vehicles provided by the port. With these vehicles and contribution of the order forces an operation for the removal of 41 kiosks placed in the square in front of the Telecom building towards Porto Romano will start soon to be followed by another one for the removal of 34 kiosks placed years ago in the 1 Maj park.

The construction police have worked out plans for the destruction of 70 temporary buildings in the site 4 km east of Durres, where an industrial park is going to be built.

Other 67 buildings constructed in the territory of the port will be destroyed. Their removal will pave way for the reconstruction of the port. /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Mine-sweeping of our territory is rather emergent - chairman

On the basis of the treaty, the production, storage, transfer and use of land mines against people is prohibited.

According to Alibali, there are about 215 thousand mines planted in Albania whereas in 15 zones of about 75 hectares of land there are different ammunition thrown here and there when army depots were stormed in 1997. Nearly 56 people have been killed and 59 other injured in those zones.

More worrying is the fact that in the hands of the Albanians there are 1 million mines of various kinds, 3.5 million hand grenades, 1 million shells, 360 tons of explosives and 500 thousand weapons, says Alibali.

Within a year, the Ottawa Treaty has been ratified by 60 countries and has been signed by 133 countries among which Albania, on Sept.8, 1998.

But it is not enough, says Alibali. According to calculations by the U.N., says Alibali, over 100 million dollars are needed to remove the mines from the Albanian territory. The money may come from donor countries only after the ratification of the Treaty in the Parliament. /dast/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Most preferred video films of the week

"Generally the youth are those who preferred these films and particularly action films but also the children who ask for animation films, " sources from the video shops said to ATA.

Following are the most preferred video films of the week:

1. Ronin - new action and thriller film with Robert De Niro, Jean Reno and Natasha McElhone.
2. Blues Brothers - with Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman
3. Armagedon - action film with Bruce Willis
4. Godzilla - with Jean Reno
5. Un topo sotto sfrato - A very successful comedy with real cast considered by the critics "an unbelievable entertainment both for the adults and children.

/dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] New secretary Sport Club Vllaznia named

Milla, 53, was named last night by the Municipal Council of the city in the post of the secretary of the Sport Club Vllaznia, replacing the Merited Master of Sport, Sabah Bizi.

Milla, a former football player of the local team in 60-70s, has been inspector in the town-hall for the questions of sport, and lately teacher of physical training.

Since 1918, 12 teams of football from 8-18 years, has been operating in this club. The team of first category of Vllaznia has been declared champion 7 times and winner of Albania's Cup in football 5 times. /dast/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Powerful explosion in Mitrovice

A powerful explosion shook the city of Mitrovice at about 8.30 p.m. on Sunday.

The explosion was near the vegetables market, but so far, there are no complete reports of the consequences, besides material damage, sources from Mitrovice say. /p.ta/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Albanian delegation in Rambouillet presents its demands

France, had urged later on Sunday that a popular referendum on the status of Kosova be held after a three-year interim period as well as NATO signed an expected agreement and a clear definition of the Kosova status.

The same sources said that the above proposals were not backed by the ambassadors of the Contact Group who wanted things started "from the insignificant to the significant" that is first to discuss the concrete points of the Contact Group plan and later consider other things.

Later in the day the Albanian delegation urged the ambassadors Hill, Petritsch and Mayorsky to sign an armistice between the warring sides but they were said that it was included in the draft of the Contact Group. /pta/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Tirana currency rate

US$1.00			141.00
German mark		 81.60
Italian lire(1000)	 81.80
Greek Drachmas(100)	 49.30
EURO			157.70

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Albania president urges boost of contacts between town halls

President Meidani expressed the wish that the visit of the Athens mayor served to promote relations between two capitals and countries, press office at the presidency said.

He briefed the guest about the organization of local government in Albania and efforts to promote the level of self-governing through legislative and constitutional changes.

"Since the beginning of my mandate, I have tried to boost a climate of cooperation between powers despite political forces they represent," President Meidani said, pointing out the work of town halls in serving citizens.

Meidani urged Avramopoulos to contribute in boosting contacts in all levels between institutions in both capitals.

Athens mayor voiced his best evaluations for the visit of Albanian president to Athens last September and briefed him on the joint programs with the Tirana town hall which aimed at boosting cultural, university and academical cooperation between the two countries.

Present at the talks was also the Greek Ambassador to Tirana Konstandin Prevedhurakis. /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] World Bank to help reconstruct local government buildings

A spokesman of the prefecture said to ATA that a fund worth 13.5 million leks had been accorded by the bank to the local government.

He said that the premises of the prefecture, the district council of Malesia e Madhe, town halls in the city of Shkodra and Puka would be reconstructed.

Bids, which will decide on construction firms, will be held soon and the works were going to start within the first six-month period of the year. s.sh/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Red Cross to provide aid for Albanian prisons

A spokesman of the Ministry said that the Minister of Justice Thimio Kondi held a working meeting on Monday with Arjane Tombet, chief of the delegation of the International Committee of Red Cross.

Tombet praised the work of the Albanian penitentiary authority in treating the detainees and especially the work done in prison 313, the prison hospital, and the Tepelena prison. She thanked the ministry for the possibility offered to her to closely follow the situation in all Albanian prisons and treatment of prisoners.

Chief of the delegation expressed her wish for a further cooperation and promised continuous aid for Albanian penitentiary.

So far the International Red Cross has offered considerable aid including beds, mattresses, blankets, different games and others to Albanian prisons. /pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Police arrest man providing fake passports

Bajram Dervishi, who possessed three fake passports, was put into custody by police at 18.00 p.m. on Sunday, police sources said to ATA.

The same source said that the intensive control in the recent months in terminal border points has increasingly reduced the number of Albanians returning from Italian and Greek ports with false papers.

The effectiveness among the police forces in border crossing has been increased after some 20 officers at the border crossings have been dismissed recently. s.sh/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Vehicle loaded with weapons seized in Kapshtice

The spokesman of the Devoll police commissariat told ATA that the Greek police, after controlling the vehicle with the number plate TR 7831 B, uncovered 4 antitank rackets, 4 antitank grenade-launchers and 100 000 cartridges model '56.

The driver, Patriot Laze, did not obey the order of the Greek police to be controlled and fled away. After the signal, the police department of Korce informed its commissariats about this event and after three hours, Laze was arrested by the police forces of Pogradec.

Also a long van was seized and blocked, which belonged to this person, and was abandoned in the territory of the border check point of Kapshtice.

According to the investigations, which are still going on, it came out that Laze was going to sell these weapons in Greece. /mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Parliament bureau urges acceleration of legislative work

A valuable work has been done until now to implement the Constitution, stressed Speaker Gjinushi, particularly mentioning the approval of the Parliament regulation.

Gjinushi attracted the attention for a series of laws which need to be drafted and examined.

The Parliament bureau will draft its program to implement the Constitution, after being informed by the end of February on many problems, like the state bodies which do not have the mandate since the new Constitution entered into forces, the other institutions to be set up, the bodies to be elected by the Assembly according to the Constitution, as well as the laws to be presented to Parliament according to the fundamental law of the state. /pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[16] $25 million on Shengjini Port reconstruction

To fullfill this aim a fond on Master-Plan is promised by the Institute of Albanian Transport Studies, which already is completed. On the other side this port is considered as a very important connection of transit transport of the goods and passengers in Montenegro and Jugosllavia, which actually is only 90 miles long.

According to the specialists, this port needs reconstruction on technological process of the goods shipment. The projects of the port reconstruction include the reconstruction of the actual port and its enlargements as well.

The total cost on Shengjini port reconstruction is nearly $25 million and the owner of this project is the Ministry of the Transpot and Public Affairs.

Priority is given to the competiteve possiblities on foreign investments, because the foreign companies have a long experience in ports' riconstruction./linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[17] Albanian shooter, Enkelejda Shehu, Champion of Balkan

The best representation in this international activity was made by Enkelejda Shehu and Diana Mata. Enkelejda Shehu was proclaimed the Balkan Champion by winning 381 points, while Mata won the second place by reaching 376 points. /A.Ke/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[18] Results of bonus auction

The total sum of the bonus of three months maturity is 1 billion 700 million lek, with a minimal accepted interest of 19%, the maximal interest of 19.95% and the averaged one of 19.7%.

1 billion 700 million lek is the total sum of the bonus of six months maturity. The minimal accepted interest is 20%, maximal one is 21.5% and the averaged one of 21.36%.

The sum of the bonus of 12 months maturity sold in the auction is 3 billion 400 million lek, marking the minimal interest of 22.4%, the maximal one of 23% and the averaged one of 22.98%./linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[19] Second restoration phase to start soon in Shen Dhimitri Church

The church of Shen Dhimitri, settled in the yard of the monastery bearing the same name, is part of the cultural monuments, timing its activity since the 18th century.

Different constructions are to be carried out during the second working period, in order to help the normal mass in accordance with the increasing number of believers in this village.

The projects on this phase, which is financed by the Orthodox Church by 13 million leks, are realized by the Technical Office close to this church in collaboration with the Institution of Cultural Monuments.

Although this church is proclaimed a cultural monument, it underwent a severe degradation years ago. As a result of the situation created, it was restored, and the first restoration phase lasted for 22 months.

The investment of the first phase costed 18 million leks. The total project preserved the existing buildings as well as its characteristics. /lh/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[20] Increase banks'number

According to sources of this bank, the level of the credit interest will be almost the same with the rate applied by the other banks of the second rate being foreign or joint one that give credits. Exactly its level will be near the rate applied by two other greek banks in Albania, that of Tirana Bank and Alpha Credit Bank. The credit will be based on a careful clients' selection based only on profesional criteria.

The annual credit limit for 1999, defined by the Albanian Bank for National Greek Bank is 1 billion 150 million lek. 230 million of it belongs to the period of the three first months, 290 to the second three months, 340 to the third one and 290 to the last months of the year.

Although the National Greek Bank has two other branches in Durres and Korça, only Tirana Branch will have the right to give credits.

Actually there are only six banks to give credits, for which the Albanian Bank decided the annual credit limit as well. These banks are Italo-Albanian Bank, Dardania Bank, Tirana Bank, Alpha Credit Bank, Internatioanl Commercial Bank and the American Bank of Albania.

Together with the National Greek Bank the credit limit for these banks in 1999 will be 8 billion lek./Ih/linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[21] Ministry of Culture approves project on establishment of art management office

"This is a pilot project and consists of a seven-month intensive course for the managers who actually head the state cultural institutions, the leaders of the cultural NGO-s and the students who have graduated economy, justice and arts," sources from this ministry told ATA.

The ways to set up an artistic project, to provide the necessary funds for its implementation and well-administration of the artistic- cultural institutions will be in the center of the project.

This project will have 35 participants, who will receive a certificate in the end of the course, meanwhile the experts of the course will be Albanians and foreigners.

The above project is expected to become in the future a permanent management office close to the Albanian Ministry of Culture. /mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[22] 24 fuel services fullfill customs' needs

Actually nearly 13.500 is the number of the vechicles lincensed in Vlora 75-80% of which are taxes and comsume daily approximately 130 000 litres fuel. This is the main reason why Vlora is one the main town of Albanian Oil Coorperation, which provided the town with 60-80 000 litre fuel.

This cooperation often faced the problem of smuggling fuel, which does not have the minimal qualitive parametres. According to the Albpetrol specialist of the marketing the unfair trade is managed through the fishing boats constructed for this purpose in a way to hold 60-80 000 litres, the quantity needed to meet the daily Vlora demands./linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[23] Republicans express their optimism on results of Rambuillet Conference

"We hope that Rambuillet Conference will issue an agreement to halt the conflict in Kosova and will discuss a free process of Kosova status ", the chairman of the Republic Party, Fatmir Mediu, told ATA on Monday.

According to him, only the decision within this status on the right for self-determination of Kosova people, would be the best solution for the future of the Albanian population in Kosova.

Mediu stressed also that only a guarantee from the Contact Group and the presence of the NATO troops would make possible the implementation of an agreement expected from the Rambuillet Conference, because, as he stressed, Milloshevic does not respect the agreements.

"The meeting held in Rambuillet is the best case to express the concrete engagement of the international community against the Kosova issue", said he.

The Rambuillet Conference started in France on February 6, to discuss the situation in Kosova, initiated from the Contact Group, where is expected to be achieved an agreement between the Albanian and the Serb part, in order to put an end to the armed conflict and to find a peaceful solution to the Kosova problem. /lh/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[24] Rambouillet marks serious efforts of international community on Kosova issue, Berisha

"The conference of Rambouillet marks the shifting of the initiative from the hands of Milosevic to those of the international community, it marks the unification of all the Albanian political factors. This conference has a great importance regarding the fair solution of the Kosova issue," Berisha told a news conference on Monday.

The democratic leader, after declaring that he was familiarized with the project of Ambassador Christopher Hill on the future of Kosova, Berisha considered it a serious project which has strong basis for negotiations and implementation.

"The place of the Kosova Liberation Army (UÇK) should be defined in that project, because it is one of the main parts which will sign the accord," said Berisha.

DP head was resolute on the NATO presence in Kosova, because the presence of these troops would enable the realization of an agreement which is expected to emerge from the conference, as well as the prevention of the Serb massacre towards the innocent population of Kosova.

The Rambouillet conference on Kosova, which started its proceedings on Saturday, is expected to reach an agreement to stop the armed conflict between the Serb party and the Kosova Albanians, as well as to find a solution for Kosova, with the mediation of the international factor. /mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[25] American wheat fall by 10 USD/ton

The total quantity of the wheat sold in the auction is 13 100 ton from 25 000 ton given from the American Government to Albania.

Sources from the Ministry of Agriculture inform that the rest of the quantity, less than 11 900 ton will be on sale in the coming auction on Monday. This auction is going to be hold in this Ministry.

Specialists from Nutritive Control Directory at the Ministry of Agriculture said that is done to this quantity. The total quantity of 25 000 ton wheat help given by the American Government has come since August 28, 1999 and is deposited in the wheat trade enterprice in Durres./linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[26] Food aid for displaced Kosovars

The director of this association, Said El Hamdi, told ATA that the aid consists on different food items divided in packages weighting 20 kilos each. As much as 3.100 Kosovars driven from their soils, and systemized in this city are to profit from this aid.

This is the fifth time this association is releasing aid for displaced Kosovars. The value of these aids has reached the sum of $ 400 000 so far, said its director, stressing that these aids are to continue even in the future.

The Albanian Red Cross, Italian, Greek and Norwegian Caritas, as well as the Albanian charity associations with their center in Germany have given aids for the Albanian Kosovars.

Some 4.600 Kosovars entered Albania through Vermoshi border point on September of the outgoing week. Some of them preferred to go towards the coastal areas, while 3.100 other persons are systemized in Shkodra families as well as in the refugees' host-centers. /A.Ke/A.A/

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

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