Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-05-24

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Some 665 Kosova refugees at Morine on Sunday afternoon

[02] Last week's best sold musical albums

[03] Foreign currency exchange rate in Tirane

[04] Most preferred books in capital's video-shops

[05] Fresh provocations on border area of Has

[06] New wave of Kosovar refugees at Morine

[07] New field hospital for Kosova refugees inaugurated in Laprake - President of the Republic Rexhep Meidani takes part-

[08] Prime Minister of Provisional Government of Kosove Hashim Thaci in Kukes

[09] Policy of Milosevic is criminal - Scharping

[10] Germany is interested to have continuous close relations with Albania - Scharping- PM Majko meets Scharping -

[11] Albanian Prime Minister leaves for Brussels

[12] NATO campaign against Serbia must continue

[13] Albania profit a special quota on permissions of European road transport

[14] Supplemental Memorandum on economic and financial policies of Albanian Government

[15] There are good chances for five NATO terms to be met in a near future

[16] Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Completion of land's reform asked for state finance

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[18]

[19] Control procedures to be defined

[20] Private farmers unable to pay back banks' loans

[21] Statute of Conference of European Constitutional Courts adopted

[22] Cruel policy of Milosevic must be put an end - Scharping Continuation of bombing will lead to meeting of five NATO terms - Scharping

[01] Some 665 Kosova refugees at Morine on Sunday afternoon

Around 665 Kosovars, all former prisoners of Merkonice prison, about 7 km. from Mitrovice city, crossed into Kukes through Morine on Sunday afternoon, border police sources of Morine told ATA.

The latest arrivals said that they were blocked for a long time near Zhuri because of the NATO bombardments on the military barracks and concentrations near Zhuri.

According to the refugees, there are some 2500-3000 prisoners in the Merkonice prison. Around 1300 inmates have been released from this prison to leave in the direction of the Morine crossing.

In the meantime, since the beginning of the Kosova refugee influx, the number of the arrivals in the Kukes prefecture is estimated at 412602, most of whom have been evacuated to other districts of the country. /led/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Last week's best sold musical albums

In the meantime, the TLC group with the album "No scrub", ranked the second.

The classification of the ten best sold albums:

10- Cher Strong enough 9- Laura Pauzini La risposta

8- Vengaboys Up & down

7- Sottotono Amor de mia Vida

6- Emilia Big big world

5- Britney Spears Baby one more time

4- In go Snow on the Sahara

3- Gigi D'Agostini "Bla, bla, bla" 2- TLC No scrub 1- Mr. Ozino Flat Beat /led/lm/

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[03] Foreign currency exchange rate in Tirane

Follow the buying and selling of foreign currencies against the Lek on the Tirane currency market.

Foreign Currency Buying Selling

US$1 141 141,5 DM 76 76,5 ITL(1000) 77,4 77,6 GRD(100) 45,8 46 /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Most preferred books in capital's video-shops

1-Obssesion

2-L'uomo che sussurrava ai cavali 3-Armagedon

4- Ronin

5-The Patriot

1- "Obsession"- Social theme is at the centre of the film.

The film is a production of "Columbia Tristar" film company. Playing in this film are actors Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow and Johatan Scach.

2- "L'uomo che sussurrava ai cavali", production of "Touch Stone" company. It narrates the adventures of a travelling man to recover his daughter and horse. The actors playing are Robert Redford, Krister Scottenes, Scarlett Johanson and others.

3- "Armagedon" one of the newest films of actor Bruce Willis, Lize Tyler, Billi Ben and others.

It is an action film, which in its 151 minutes shows the life of a city some 18 days before its utter destruction.

4-"Ronin" is an action film, thriller , produced by John Frankenheiener. The actors playing are Robert De Niro, Jonathan Ryce, Natasha MC Elkone.

5- "The Patriot", with renowned actor Steven Seagel, continues to be most preferred in the capital's video-shops. The film treats the Patriotism of an American doctor, who puts his life at stake to fight a mortal epidemic. /led/lm/

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[05] Fresh provocations on border area of Has

Provocations by the Serb army, after a two-day halt, have resumed on the border area of Has district.

The spokesman of the district police commissariat told ATA that on Sunday, at around 19.00, the Serb artillery shells reached the "Muhader" quarter of the Vlahan village, where six shells fell and damaged two houses. The shelling was repeated also at 20 00, also partly damaging two houses of this village.

There been no casualties as the inhabitants of this village have long since left inside the district.

The spokesman of the Kukes prefecture also reports of shelling overnight in the direction of Letaj and Bogaj of this district, but which has caused no casualties or material damages. /led/lm/

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[06] New wave of Kosovar refugees at Morine

There was a new wave of Kosova refugees at the Morine customs in Kukes district today.

Sources from the Morine border police told ATA that from 11.00 to 13.oo on Monday, some 1 200 Kosovars, mainly women, old people and children from the zone of Skenderaj, Rahovec and Drenice crossed into Kukes through Morine.

Many of them said that had stayed for long time in mountains and did not know the whereabouts of their men, as the Serb military forces had separated them on the way.

According to the new arrivals another larger influx is expected in the afternoon. /led/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] New field hospital for Kosova refugees inaugurated in Laprake - President of the Republic Rexhep Meidani takes part-

This is the tenth and the biggest hospital set up by this committee recently, after those set up in several districts of the country such as Berat, Skarapar, Kukes, Bulqize, Fier and other districts.

The committee provides aid in food and clothes for 17.000 war refugees housed in the camps set up by it and assists with food the Albanian families housing the Kosova refugees.

Meidani, through a pronouncement on the Saudi State television, thanked the Saudi Arabia authorities for the generous aid provided so far for the Kosova refugees. The president considered this aid a basis for strengthening the relations of cooperation between Albania and Saudi Arabia in the future. /led/lm/

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[08] Prime Minister of Provisional Government of Kosove Hashim Thaci in Kukes

PM Thaci visited the camps set up by the Arab United Emirates and UNHCR. During the meeting with the Kosovars, Thaci conveyed to them "the greetings from KLA fighters who are struggling bravely against Serb occupier." "The victory is ours, and we are having the support of the democratic world," said Thaci.

"By winning this struggle," said Thaci, "we will make possible the return home of thousands of refugees who are presently not only in Kukes but also in other districts of Albania, as well as in other states.

Mr Meta said in the meeting that the just struggle of the Kosova people will win. /a.ke/xh/

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[09] Policy of Milosevic is criminal - Scharping

Minister Hajdaraga thanked Germany for the important role it is playing in the context of NATO for the security and stability in the Balkan region and in Kosove. The Balkans is passing difficult situations as a result of the criminal policy of Milosevic, who is committing real massacres to the Kosovar people, he said. About 500 thousand deportees from Kosove are presently in Albania.

Minister Hajdaraga said that the Balkan and Kosova question will be solved when NATO terms, which are all realisable, are met. The continuous bombing will bring about positive results, he pointed out. The regime of Milosevic will not be able to confront the strength of NATO which will contribute to the solution of this conflict.

The German Minister of Defence, Scharping said that the policy of Milosevic is criminal, it is the fourth war that Milosevic is waging in the Balkan region. He has never respected any diplomatic international efforts and in this context, he has violated all international resolutions, said Scharping. /a.ke/xh/

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[10] Germany is interested to have continuous close relations with Albania - Scharping- PM Majko meets Scharping -

Prime Minister Majko briefed the interlocutor of the situation Albania with the reception of thousands of Kosova deportees.

"We have stated what is our task both before ourselves and before the international community," said Majko. Albania's commitment is, without doubt, in line with the five conditions set by NATO. We have declared we are for continuous bombing and hold that any change from these five conditions will cause destability, said Majko.

German Minister of Defence Scharping said that Germany is interested in continuing close relations with Albania. (more) /xh/

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[11] Albanian Prime Minister leaves for Brussels

In the centre of the meeting, which is organized by the European Commission, will be the Kosova crisis and its effects to the Albanian economy and society, the Ministry of Information reported.

Members of the Albanian delegation led by PM Majko are the Minister of Finances, Anastas Angjeli, the Minister of Economic and Trade Cooperation, Ermelinda Meksi and the State Secretary for European Integration, Maqo Lakrori.

During his stay in Brussels, Albanian PM will meet with the Prime Minister of the Belgium Kingdom, Jean Luc Dehane, with the NATO Secretary General, Havier Solana, with the Commissioner for Foreign Relations of the European Commission, Hans van der Broek, and with other senior officials of the European policy. /s.s/xh/

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[12] NATO campaign against Serbia must continue

Addressing the reporters he said that "we have felt your absence in Kosove and we hope that soon, with the assistance of the democratic world, you will be there so that you will make a genuine coverage of the situation there."

Asked of the situation in the zone of Koshare, Thaci said that fighting is continuing there because Serb forces are striving to close the corridor opened by the KLA.

Referring to the incidents during the NATO bombings, especially in Koshare, Thaci said that such mistakes may happen in a war. But he stressed that in spite of this, the NATO bombings against Serbia must continue.

In response to a question about the supplying with weapons of the KLA, Thaci said that KLA receives weapons from its friends in the democratic world. /a.ke/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Albania profit a special quota on permissions of European road transport

According to the Ministry of Public Work and Transport 83 session of this Conference is held in Warsaw, Poland, where Albania attended it as a full right member.

Among the resolutions approved in this Conference was the giving of a special quota on international transport to Albania and Macedonia due to the very difficult situation created by the crisis in region.

According to this resolution Albania received as special quota 33 international road transport permissions, while Macedonia 25 ones.

Albanian Minister Ingrid Shuli after thanking all the countries to contribute in facing this situation presented the difficulties and the lose of transport sector and Albanian economy in general.

Shuli asked for the increase of the assistance and the finances for Albania to facing the current situation./linda/

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[14] Supplemental Memorandum on economic and financial policies of Albanian Government

This Memorandum, assigned by PM Majko, Minister of Finances Angjeli and Governor of Albanian Bank Cani, defines the economic and financial policies to be implements in 1999, as a second year of the program based upon the agreement ESAF-2. This agreement is assigned last year with International Monetary Fund.

Being involved on the continuation of structural reforms, beside the keeping of macroeconomics stability in Albania, the Albanian Government presents the need for a budgetary support with a value of 150 million dollars, as a supplementary cost concerning Kosova comers.

The above sum is defined in cooperation with experts of International Monetary Fund, World Bank. It represents the need for 20,7 billion lek or 140 million dollars, as supplementary expenditures on education, health, public order, public affairs ans social protection.

The sum of 10 million dollars is connected with the failure in collecting the customs incomes due to the situation effects in the volume and structure of the imports.

The Memorandum assignment is an important element in representing the request of the Albanian Government in the Donors Meeting in Brussels to be organized on May 25 about the financial limit of nearly 50 million dollars, a sum necessary till the end of 1999.

This document is foreseen to be discussed during the first days of June in the meeting of International Monetary Fund Directors Board./linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] There are good chances for five NATO terms to be met in a near future

"We decided to accept 5 thousand Kosova war refugees coming from Macedonia and we are ready to accept all those who would demand such a thing. We are expecting other floods of Kosova refugees of war. In cooperation with UNHCR, we are accelerating the procedures to assist the Albanian host families, something that would also encourage in the future this form of accommodation for Kosova war refugees," said Majko. He voiced his concern for the bureaucracy which is accompanying the budgetary aid for Albania.

Majko reiterated the viewpoint of the Albanian Government for the indispensable need that the five NATO terms be met by the regime of Milosevic and the continuation of the NATO bombing. "Any change with regard to the five terms and a halting of the bombing would plunge the region into destability," said Majko, stressing that now Milosevic is collapsing along with the concept of the rump Yugoslavia which is going towards the process of disintegration, with new balances being created in the region.

Prime Minister Pandeli Majko said that reports reaching the Albanian Government confirm the fact that the KLA is present in Kosove and that it is orientated towards a regular military structure and formation.

The German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping said that no one in the NATO intends to move from the five terms set to Milosevic regime and that good chances exist for these terms to be realized in a near future.

"It is necessary that a pact of stability for the whole region be formed, including Yugoslavia, but without Milosevic," said the German Defence Minister, stressing the great importance of the unification of all political factors in Kosove in these moments.

Minister Scharping said that Germany is interested to have close relations with Albania and that the German Defence Ministry would assist its Albanian counterpart. He voiced his concern for the slow rates in the mechanism of the EU aid and dissatisfaction for the NGOs operating in Albania. /lh/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[16] Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Completion of land's reform asked for state finance

The certificates' equipment, through which the registration of real estate is performed, asked for a support by the state part.

"But the project decision on creating the neccessary fund asked by the Ministry of Agriculture, is not approved yet, because of the obstacles of Ministry of Finances", the spokesman reported.

This Ministry suggests the process of registration of land to be financed by the farmers themselves.

Concerning the problem of the price of the agricultural land International Monetary Fund intervenes itself by identifying some cases, where the land prices marked high levels.

"IMF asked for more transactions aiming at ownership consolidation and the project registration of real estate to be performed in quick steps", said the spokesman.

At the moment the Ministry of Agriculture distributes the certificates for 5540 thousand ha land financed by state budget, while for 12 000 ha refused land and 10% of the agricultural land, not distributed yet, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture asked the "incomes to be collected by the farmers themselves"./linda/

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[19] Control procedures to be defined

The experts of monitoring the veterinary posts stressed out that beside the registration and laboratories analysis, a control network must operate, which will increase the export-import guarantee of the animal products. At the moment such network does not operate in Albania.

"The establishment of such network means the giving of a clear and correct international and computerized information, according to EPUNFORM program, which cooperate with Albanian and International Veterinary Service", reported specialists from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

In a meeting held between the specialists pf Ministry of Agriculture and foreign experts the situation of veterinary posts in Albania is presented through an exhibition of the activities of Rinas veterinary post. While on Tuesday, the experts will visit Durresi port.

There are 13 border veterinary posts, 7 of them are facing the greater work volume(Tirana, Vlora, Qafe-Thane, Durres Kapshtice, Kakavije and Lezha). The total import-exports volume on animal products in these custom houses in 1998 marked the value of 265 000 tones' products.

PHARE Program is going to finance a fund of 1,8 million EURO on the sector of Veterinary service./linda/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[20] Private farmers unable to pay back banks' loans

According to a questionnaire performed by Economy-Finance-Business Institute a weak fulfilment of the incomes of these economies is present in 111 rural economies.

Beside the group of 12% of the economies, which have in the agricultural structures good dimensions and good incomes,as well, the rest marked as annual incomes the value of nearly 100 dollars. While 30% of them marked low levels.

Nearly 1/3 of the farmers do not sell or sell very little quantities of their products. Only 16% of them sell a good part of the products that is to say 40% of the production.

The agricultural incomes' covers a very important part in the incomes of private economy. Nearly 89% of these economies have non agricultural incomes in different quantities.

So the non agricultural incomes, but from immigration, cover nearly 26% of the observed economies. These incomes make possibly the paying back of the loans or fulfilling of the economies monetary needs.

According to the estimation of Albanian and foreign experts, the native investitures do not have sufficient capital about long term investments, although their interest in this field is present./linda/

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[21] Statute of Conference of European Constitutional Courts adopted

The conference treated problems related with constitutions, practices in the freedom of the conscience and faith and it approved the statute of the Conference of the Constitutional Courts, the spokesman of the Constitutional Court of Albania told ATA.

Mr Abdiu took the floor in the conference as well. Later the Albanian delegation took part in the reception given in honour of the participants in the conference by the President of the Polish Republic, Aleksander Kvasniewski.

During the days of the conference, the Albanian delegation held meetings with delegations of the analogous courts of Poland, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Azerbaijan, etc. /lh/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[22] Cruel policy of Milosevic must be put an end - Scharping Continuation of bombing will lead to meeting of five NATO terms - Scharping

The foundation of the solution of the crisis, underlined Scharping, consists of the five terms set by NATO and the Principled Declaration of G8. "Efforts are being made to reach a pact of stability in the Balkans, which aims at giving a new perspective to the Balkans, including Yugoslavia, but without Milosevic," stressed Scharping.

The military operations are being successful and will continue until Milosevic stops killings and withdraws military troops from Kosova, he said. Without a strong military defence from a military force, the people will not be safe to return to Kosove, said Scharping. "For this a political solution must be reached, be it even with a security mandate, and accompanied by a military force," he said.

Milosevic has manifested he does not respect any of the resolutions of the Security Council, which he has been violating for 7 years now, said Minister Scharping. An exception was made here only with the resolution adopted following the Dayton Accord, which was respected only due to the presence of the NATO troops in Bosnia. "Now splits and desertions are being noticed in the block of the dictatorship and this means that we will reach our objective," said Scharping.

Albanian Minister of Defence Luan Hajdaraga said that NATO bombings have had good results and only their continuation would lead to the realisation of its five conditions.

Asked about the situation on the border, Hajdaraga said that on the basis of the Constitution, the Albanian army has responded every provocation by the Serb army. In order to increase security on the border, we have bolstered the military build up and have adopted defensive measures, by installing there heavy artillery, stressed Hajdaraga. /s.sh/xh/

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

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