Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-07-07

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] About 600 000 Kosova refugees repatriated since June 16

[02] UNHCR to help rebuild and develop Albania

[03] Four narcotic plant traffickers arrested

[04] Camdessus pledges continued cooperation with Albania

[05] Foreign currency exchange rate in Tirane

[06] PRESS REVIEW

[07] United Arab Emirates allocates $ 410 000 for Kukes roads

[08] "Falcione" will make repayments from its fund

[09] United Arab Emirates allocate $ 410 000 for Kukes roads

[10] Albania, Greece to meet to upgrade relations

[11] 3380 roots of narcotic plants confiscated

[12] Nine objects of culture to be restored within this year

[13] World Bank finances 8 million dollars in rural infrastructure

[14] President of Albania to visit Macedonia on Thursday

[15] Considerable fund for the Ministry of Public Affairs and Transport

[16] Group of Greek and American business representatives ends visit to Tirane

[17] Toward establishing of institution of Albanian-American business

[18] Aid from Vienna for hospital of Elbasan

[19] Tensions in DP in line with purging and dismissals from this party - Shehu

[20] Reports for possible reshuffles in Government are groundless - spokesman

[01] About 600 000 Kosova refugees repatriated since June 16

According to this office, the number of the refugees who have returned to their homes spontaneously from Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro since June 15 is as high as about 600 000. The number of the Kosovars remaining in Albania has been reduced to less than 100 000 people, while in Macedonia this number is lower than 20 000. /lh/xh/

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[02] UNHCR to help rebuild and develop Albania

Albanian President Rexhep Meidani asked this as well as Kosova's reconstruction at a meeting on Tuesday with the deputy chairman of the UNHCR Executive Committee, Mr Hernandez.

Hernandez praised Albania's contribution not only to human solidarity but also to the aid provided to the international community in coping with the crisis, according to the president's press office.

Hernandez assured him that the efforts of his organisation and other international organisations will focus on the reconstruction and development of Albania, Kosova and the whole region.

The participants in the meeting also discussed "the role of the international organisations in Kosova and the ongoing development in rebuilding institutions, police and establishing the Kosova currency, which in a near future may also be "Euro".

Meidani also said that the situation in Mitrovice is not developing on the right track and that it is unacceptable for the concept of a multiethnic society that the city be divided in two zones, the Serb and Albanian. /s.s/lm/

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[03] Four narcotic plant traffickers arrested

Brothers Hekuran Kani, 21, and Astrit Kani, 20, as well as their cousins Altin Cela, 25, and Agron Cela, 34, the four inhabitants of Lushnje town, intended to smuggle the amount of narcotic plants into Greece.

This has been the forth case this year that the Korce and Devoll police attack narcotic plants smugglers.

Also, in the other three cases, the traffickers have been from the districts of Lushnje and Fier. At the beginning of May the Korce police blocked 98 kg of narcotic plants in the possession of six persons from Fier district. /pas/lm/

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[04] Camdessus pledges continued cooperation with Albania

The IMF Executive Director, Michel Camdessus, in a message addressed to Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko has expressed the commitment to a close cooperation, also in the future, between the IMF and Prime Minister Pandeli Majko and the government headed by him, according to the spokesman of the Prime Minister.

Camdessus says that he is very impressed of the way Albania has coped with the crisis in Kosova.

"Albania not only has provided a special contribution to the alleviation of the refugee plight, but the carefully used economic policies by its authorities have contributed to supporting a programme of structural reforms," he says.

The IMF Executive Director assures Prime Minister Majko that "IMF will continue close cooperation with You and Your authorties". /pas/lm/

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[05] Foreign currency exchange rate in Tirane

Follow the foreign currency buying and selling rates against the Lek on the Tirane market today:

Currency Buying Selling $US1 136,5 136,7 DM 71,5 72 ITL(1000) 72, 5 72,8 GRD(100) 42,5 42,8 /lm/

TIRANE, July 7 (ATA)-By D. Koca,

Follow the foreign currency buying and selling rates against the Lek on the Tirane market today:

Currency Buying Selling $US1 136,5 136,7 DM 71,5 72 ITL(1000) 72, 5 72,8 GRD(100) 42,5 42,8 /lm/

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[06] PRESS REVIEW

KOHA JONE, independent daily, writes : "Deputies discriminated: Nano favors those having 6 rooms, and do not give any support to the unsheltered", while the subtitle clarifies: "The changes on state budget not to be passed in Parliament without rendering account before the tribunal".

GAZETA SHQIPTARE, another independent daily referring to the meeting of SP Parliamentary Group, writes: "SP deputies squabble about the house credits". The subtitle writes: "Angjeli makes the balance and shows the prices in the parliamentary group of Socialist Party on Tuesday".

"The list signed on Tuesday by Majko has become object of debates in the Socialist Party meeting, because a part of them say that the Premier has favoured those deputies supporting him ....", this is the idea highlighted in the above mentioned article.

ZERI I POPULLIT, daily of the Socialist Party, under the title "Majko signed for them who lost the houses in the pyramidal investment schemes", writes that the delivery of funds according to the districts in based in the lists drafted by the local governments since April 30 of the outgoing year ... ".

The postponement of the date of the Democratic Party's Convention due to the health state of its chairman, Sali Berisha, has been extensively commented by the Albanian press on Wednesday.

Koha Jone says: "Berisha in feverish condition before the Convention", while the subtitle of the article adds: "The health of the chairman, the reason for postponing the date".

Shekulli, carries an article entitled:"Special convention put off, DP fearing cleansing" and the headline "Debates on 'vote of confidence issue' in the opposition camp" says that ".....on the other hand, the largest opposition party, which at these moments is facing the dilemma "to return to parliament or not", is swept by stormy debates as to the issue of voting the confidence of the National Council at the Convention".

Gazeta Shqiptare says that "The DP National Assembly is postponed".

"The reasons for putting off the DP National Convention have simply to do with technical reasons." While, according to sources, this has to do with the health state of leader Berisha, who has not been in office for several days now, the paper says.

Zeri i Popullit says "Berisha is seriously ill". This clamorous news has leaked out from the DP headquarters, where the cause of Berisha's rare absence from office has been made known...." the paper says. /pas/A.A/lm/

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[07] United Arab Emirates allocates $ 410 000 for Kukes roads

The agreement of this sum was signed on Tuesday in the grounds of Kukes Prefecture between the leaders of local government and the Commander of United Arab Emirates. Participating in the agreement ceremony was even the Plenipotentiary of Albanian Government for Managing of Emergent Situation, Vladimir Shehu.

The constructions will be carried by an Albanian company and are foreseen to be over for two months and a half. /pas/A.A/

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[08] "Falcione" will make repayments from its fund

To accelerate works in this section, Transport managers staff, representatives from the town hall of Lezha together with the Italian company had a meeting on the created situation due to the residents' protests who claim a land depriciation is done.

The "Falcione", undertakes paying from its fund for the moment, all the persons who lay claim to their repayments, in order to prevent works' suspension. This company is going to take its money back after a decision of the government for this compensation. /pas/Na/

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[09] United Arab Emirates allocate $ 410 000 for Kukes roads

The agreement of this sum was signed on Tuesday in the grounds of Kukes Prefecture between the leaders of local government and the Commander of United Arab Emirates. Participating in the agreement ceremony was even the Plenipotentiary of Albanian Government for Managing of Emergent Situation, Vladimir Shehu.

The constructions will be carried by an Albanian company and are foreseen to be over for two months and a half. /pas/A.A/

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[10] Albania, Greece to meet to upgrade relations

Albania and Greece on Thursday will meet in Athens on Thursday in the context of the Pact of Stability, the advisor to Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo told ATA on Wednesday.

He said that the meeting will also determine the priorities, but no new agreement will be signed.

Aadvisor Skender Minxhozi said that the meeting will focus on bilateral relations, but will not set aside the situation in the region.

No details are yet available on the talks, in which no new agreement is expected but only readiness from both countries to further materialise the earlier agreements, especially economic, which have to do with road infrastructure or acceleration of Albanian emigrants' legalisation procedures.

George Papandreou, Greek Foreign Minister, at whose invitation Albanian Foreign Minister will visit Athens, has visited Tirane thrice between March 10 and April 7 period.

Papandreou last visited Tirane on April 7 along with the chief of diplomacy of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Dimitrov, and played the role of troubleshooter in easing tensions between Albania and Macedonia, as the latter's authorities had hindered access to Macedonia of several thousands of Kosova refugees by the beginning of April. /pas/lm/

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[11] 3380 roots of narcotic plants confiscated

The press office close to the Ministry of Public Order, told ATA that the regional office of the war against drugs in cooperation with the police forces, undertook an operation on uprooting of these plants in Sulaj village, Fier district.

The border police forces of Kapshtice arrested with red hands four persons dealing with narcotic plant smuggling.

The citizens, Kol Mashkurti and Besnik Llanaj were also detained on Wednesday in Gjirokaster, because they were transporting narcotic plants to Greece. /pas/A.A/

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[12] Nine objects of culture to be restored within this year

The objects to be restored thanks to a supplementary fund of 9 million lek accorded by the Ministry of Culture recently, are mainly monuments of cult and other objects of historical, cultural and architectonic values.

For the first time after many years Catholic churches will be restored as well, such as the church of Shen Veneranda in Pllave of Mart, the church of Zejmen in Lezhe district, a church after Roman style, which have benefited respectively one million each from the total fund.

This fund will also be used for the restoration of the church of Saint Spiridhon in Vuno of Vlore, the bell of the Church of Saint Mary in Voskopoje, the Monastery of Saint Kolli in Mesopotam, in Sarande, the Church of Saint Gjergj in Sarande, the Church of Kadi Pasha in Myzeqe, the Ura e Mesit in Shkoder and the house of Haxhi Alushi in Kavaje.

Although the fund is not enough to rehabilitate all these monuments, still it will make possible their partial restoration which these monuments need urgently. /pas/xh/

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[13] World Bank finances 8 million dollars in rural infrastructure

The construction companies, winners of the tenders started the implementation of the projects, mainly in the northern districts, such as, Shkodra, Puke, etc.

The construction process on arranging some markets, road systemizing, channels, etc is under way even in the following towns Elbasani, Berat, Gjirokaster and Kavaja, told ATA sources from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

An Italian project is implementing in the Northern area marking the value of 2 million dollars, which aims at cooperation between the farmers associations, while in Puka the Swiss project is in its end stage.The value of this project is some 2 million dollars and is used mainly in improving the road and water provision system in this town./pas/linda/

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[14] President of Albania to visit Macedonia on Thursday

The Albanian delegation will consist of the deputy Parliament Speaker Namik Dokle, the chairman of the Constitutional Court Fehmi Avdiu, the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Thimio Kondi, the Foreign Minister, Paskal Milo, the Public Order Minister, Spartak Poci and the Minister of Finances, Anastas Angjeli.

President Meidani will have meetings with the President of Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov, the Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, the chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia Savo Klimvski and members of the Parliaments.

A day before the visit that a high ranking Albanian delegation led by President Meidani paid to Macedonia last month, President Gligorov sent a letter to President Meidani inviting the latter for another official visit to Macedonia. /pas/xh/

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[15] Considerable fund for the Ministry of Public Affairs and Transport

The supplemental expenditures for several Ministries, which kept the main burden in receiving the Kosova refugees, are foreseen in this project law.

The great value of this fund, some 3,575 billion lek from the total value of 20,6 billion lek, is predicted to be given to the Ministry of Public Affairs and Transport.

The Ministry of Science and Education and the Ministry of Public Order will take respectively by 1,580 and 1,125 billion lek.

Nevertheless the impact of Kosova crisis, the current situation of the budget for 1999 showed that the issues defined by the Government, such as Economic and Financial Program for 1999 and the budget law approved by the Parliament in December 1998, were well studied.

During the period April-May the Government has taken some special measures such as the blocking of the expenditures on domestic investments, limiting of the operative expenditures to 30% and the postponing for a month period of the increase of the salaries of the budget employees.

The changes in the law on the state budget for 1999 is drafted immediately after the International Community provided a sum of 160 million dollars. /pas/linda/

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[16] Group of Greek and American business representatives ends visit to Tirane

The Information office in the Greek Embassy in Tirane told ATA that the group of Greek and American entrepreneurs voiced for the first in an organized way their interest to invest in Albania, following the crisis of Kosova. In this way they expressed a coordinated effort of the Greeks and Americans aiming at a perspective development of Albania and the region, in the context of the Pact of Stability, with its centre in Salonica.

Over their visit to Tirane, the businessmen met with the Prime Minister Pandeli Majko, Minister of Finances Anastas Angjeli, the Minister of Development and Economic Cooperation, Ermelinda Meksi, with the Premir's adviser for economic affairs, Gramoz Pashko and other Albanian authorities in the field of investment.

After the meetings, the conclusion reached was that all premises exist for the development of foreign investments for Albania, an objective aimed by the Greek and American governments. lh/xh/

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[17] Toward establishing of institution of Albanian-American business

"We can support you to establish an institution of Albanian-American business", said representatives of the American-Greek business.

Representatives of known companies, such as Motorola and Chrysler, presented the cooperation possibilities with the business of the Albanian Community and asked for the establishment of direct contacts with them.

"The end of Kosova crisis gave to USA and European Community new possibilities to survive the business in Albania and in all the region", said the representatives of American-Greek Commerce Chamber.

Minister Meksi made a panorama of the economic situation in Albania and the work done by the Albanian Government to cope with the situation created due to Kosova crisis. /lh/linda

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[18] Aid from Vienna for hospital of Elbasan

According to the hospital director, Fatos Capa, the new equipment would serve to examine and treat diseases of kidneys, heart and diabetes, for which this hospital has had great difficulties.

Three months ago, the Vienna city hall with which Elbasan town-hall has established cooperation relations, donated to the hospital of Elbasan 170 thousand dollars for its emergent needs. /lh/xh/

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[19] Tensions in DP in line with purging and dismissals from this party - Shehu

"These tensions stem from some absurd, radical ideas continuing in the line of purging, expulsion and leaving of members DP and it is not the first time that such thing happens in this party," said Shehu.

Speaking of the vote of confidence for the National Council by the Extraordinary Assembly expected to be held on July 11, Shehu reiterated that after voting in favour of DP's participation in the Parliament, the Assembly has first of all to pass a vote confidence for the chairman of this party.

"Berisha is the main inspirator of the boycott, he is the man who has held DP outside the Parliament over this period, by exerting his authority, " stressed Shehu. A vote of confidence must also be passed, besides that for Berisha, also for those who have refused participation in the Parliament of the Democratic Party."

"These people must pay a political price for their mistakes," added Shehu.

Tritan Shehu opposed since the very beginning DP's decision not to take part in the Parliament, considering this decision as one which does not serve the democratic life in the country. /pas/xh/

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[20] Reports for possible reshuffles in Government are groundless - spokesman

The press office of the Prime Minister Pandeli Majko is authorized to qualify as untrue the reports for possible reshuffles and changes in the composition of the Government cabinet, published in the press and described as an initiative of the Prime Minister, Pandeli Majko.

The PM's press office also considered as groundless all comments built on these suppositions. /lh/xh/

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