Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-05-16

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Press review

[02] Serbian shells land near Albanian TV relay station in Letaj

[03] Serbians fire artillery rounds in direction of Zogaj village

[04] NATO humanitarian operation enters a complex working phase

[05] Ten injured people in Bajram Curri hospital

[06] Friends of Albania discuss emergency, fight against corruption

[01] Press review

KOHA JONE, independent daily

- Prime minister defeats president's clan". Albanian prime minister Pandeli Majko has made public through the Information minister Musa Ulqini that he had proposed two days ago to the president the dismissal of the Order minister Petro Koçi, who presented his resignation a week ago and next day annulled it. - "Today: New order minister Poçi". Head of the Socialist party for Tirana Spartak Poçi is waiting his appointment at the post of the order minister. - "Coalition: It is the right of Minister. Opposition: They showed their inability. Politicians reacted against the proposal on Koçi dismissal." - "NATO destroyed Serb posts in the border." NATO airplanes bombed yesterday some Serbian border posts in the area bordering Albania. - "Albanians, human shields." The article says NATO carries out air raids Thursday night against the Korisha village where 87 civilians were killed.

GAZETA SHQIPTARE, independent daily

- "Majko endangers government." Prime minister has sent to president Meidani a written paper on the dismissal of the Order minister Petro Koçi, but president has not decided yet. - "Berisha, the battle starts from the districts." Democratic leader Sali Berisha started yesterday a tour to other districts. - "NATO: Albanians, human shields." Alliance rejected accuses of Belgrade on air raids against the Korisha village, saying that the village was a Serbian camp." - "European Union under alert. No money for the evacuation." Lack of fund announced by the UNHCR risks to delay evacuation of displaced Kosovars from Kukes. - "Serbs, 220 border incidents." Border police assess work during the first quarter of 1999.

SHEKULLI, independent daily.

- "NATO: Korisha, Serbian trap." NATO has stated that the place it bombed was a military camp where civilians had been kept like human shields. - "Borders with Kosova opened." Ministry of Information told a news conference that Albania is ready to accept all Kosova people, who might come as war refugees. - "Council of Europe can start negotiations on implementing death penalty." Interview with special representative of the Council of Europe in Albania, Reyan Akant. - "Poçi, new order minister?" The most outspoken candidature for the post of the order minister is that of the Socialist leader for Tirana Spartak Poçi. - "Koçi has violated the contract." Politicians reacted against the proposal for the dismissal of public order minister Petro Koçi. - "Republicans recognise Thaçi interim government", Republic leader told a news conference on Saturday. - "Majko meets Brojka to discuss the Kosovars issue." It highlighted yesterday's meeting at the Tirana town hall between the prime minister Pandeli Majko and mayor Albert Brojka. - "Kosovars return to their houses if NATO demands are met." Interview with lieutenant colonel Helge Eriksen, chief of the AFOR information center.

RILINDJA, independent information daily.

- "Hundreds of refugees arrived in the Macedonian border from Kosova." - "NATO airplanes hit strategic targets." The air raid campaign against Yugoslavia has continued in the last 24 hours. - "Situation of civilians displaced in Kosova is very difficult." Prime minister Hashim Thaçi had a telephone conversation with the British Foreign Minister Robin Cook.

ALBANIA, independent daily.

- "Minister Koçi dismissed. Gangs government in crisis." - "Tropoja and Has under artillery rounds. Serbians entered 3 kms inland Albanian border."

EKONOMIA, daily of the Albanian Economic Development Agency (AEDA).

- "New customs code began eliminating VAT crediting ." Importers not obliged to report higher prices. - "Highway between Korçe and Kapshtiçe to start soon." The work for the construction of the highway will start soon. - "Finance, 2.3 billion leks deficit in revenues." - Anglo-Albanian Petroleum continues experiments." - "Bank of Albania: Strengthening of the Lek does not effect economy", bank specialists said on Saturday.

ZERI I POPULLIT, daily of the Socialist party of Albania.

- "Majko dismisses Koçi." Proposal of prime minister waited for president's response. - "Americans, carry out live fire exercise in Lalez bay." U.S. artillery is being trained in shooting gallery of Jube-Sukth. - "Everything for Kosova, everything for peace." U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton talks to CNN following her visits in Brazda and Stankovec, where Kosova refugees are settled. - "Majko-Brojka: Government urges coordination with local government." Prime minister Pandeli Majko was familiarised with the accommodation situation of the Kosova refugees in a meeting with the Tirana Mayor Albert Brojka.

RILINDJA DEMOKRATIKE, daily of the Demoratic party of Albania.

- "Majko: Either me or Meidani." - "Berisha: Kosova will not have the fate of Cameria."

/ypa/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Serbian shells land near Albanian TV relay station in Letaj

A spokesman of the local police commissariat said to ATA that some shells landed near the Albanian television relay station on Saturday at 23.00 p.m. in the Letaj village. There are no reports on damages but the situation in the region is tense due to reinforcement of Serbian troops and military means along the border, the same source said.

Recent mortar attacks against Letaj village, one km from the border, have damaged two houses, killed one person. Even the eight year school in the village has been damaged.

Residents have already left the village except for some men, who are defending their houses. They said that they passed all the day in bunkers because Serbian forces were positioned on mountains and targeted them with snipers. /ypa/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Serbians fire artillery rounds in direction of Zogaj village

Sources of the border police said that from 24.00 on Saturday until 00.30 on Sunday Serbian artillery and mortar shelling were audible and their shells landed some dozens of meters inland the Albanian territory.

There are no reports on damages because shells had landed in non- populated areas but very near Zogaj village, the same sources said.

They said the forces of the Division II of infantry, which are in high alert in the region, are closely following the situation not to allow any violation to Albania's territorial integrity. /y.pa/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] NATO humanitarian operation enters a complex working phase

Press office at the coordination center with the AFOR staff said to ATA that the work was focused in construction of new camps, extension of existing camps as well as evacuation of Kosova people from Kukes to other cities inland Albania.

Austrian forces have extended the capacity of their center in Shkoder from 5 thousand to 7 thousand.

Meanwhile, the evacuation of Kosova people has started from Kukes where over 80 thousand people are settled. About 4 689 people have been evacuated by NATO and Albanian army vehicles on May 14.

Engineering structures of the NATO forces are finishing a project for the rehabilitation of a road segment between Puke and Kukes and repairs are under way in all the road network. NATO forces in cooperation with Albanian engineering are planning sweeping operation in areas, where shells have landed. /pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Ten injured people in Bajram Curri hospital

Rive Sadiku, emergency unit staff, said to ATA that all those were fighters of the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA), who were injured in recent fighting mainly in Koshare and Batusha regions.

Heavy fighting erupted recently in the Koshare region, a border post, which is under the control of the KLA fighters, with Serbian forces suffering heavy damages.

Reports on heavy fighting in the Batishe region have reached the Bajram Curri city but there are no details on casualties and damages.

Koshara is under the control of the KLA forces for the fact that they have a route, which allow them to withdraw the injured from different areas of Kosova.

Sadiku said that at least 100 injured people from firearms, mainly from border areas with Albania, have reached the hospital during April. Seriously injured people have been airlifted to Tirana hospitals, she said. /ypa/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Friends of Albania discuss emergency, fight against corruption

Meta focused on the ongoing work to fight corruption and stimulate transparency both from state structures and non government organisations as well as different organisations engaged in coping with the humanitarian emergency.

Finance minister Anastas Angjeli told them on the steps taken to fight corruption and especially contraband in customs houses.

Present at the meeting were ambassador of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Daan Everts and chief of the CAM Mission to Albania Natalia Cea. They said that a good coordination between state institutions like order, SHIK, prosecutor's office and courts would further increase efficacity in fight against corruption and contraband. /pas/ak/

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article