Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-08-28

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Press Review

[02] Echange rate in Tirane

[03] Only 300 trees planted in ten years

[04] More than 50 students from Berat to attend university in Italy

[05] Greek government provides food aid for Korce

[06] GTZ to begin implementation of projects in agriculture in October

[07] Circle of Friends of Albania should be enlarged - Meidani

[08] Majko asks facilitation of visa regime within region

[09] Hajdaraga says commando troops in Durres port will implement law with rigor

[10] Agent of criminal police in Kruje shot dead

[11] UNHCR finances 3,3 million dollars on rehabilitation of hosted centers

[12] Fish export might bring 40 million dollars per year to state budget

[13] A vehicle with contraband fuel blocked; its owner arrested

[14] Prime Minister Majko asks for strictness in construction operation of North-South Corridor

[15] Cooperation with Turkey covers considerable part - Albanian President

[16] Milot-Lezhe highway to be completed in May 2000

[01] Press Review

Koha Jone, independent daily,

"Majko, Metaj, Zogaj first wedding guests to Pollo". The wedding of the Democratic Party deputy chairman, Genc Pollo, will gather almost all heads of Albanian politics and government. "Ambassadors: Let's make Tirane the centre of attention". Albanian ambassadors are receiving instructions on the policy to be followed in the countries they are appointed to.

Gazeta Shqiptare, independent daily,

"Rinas will be completed on October 25". According to the chief of NATO troops specialists in Albania, Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Weltz, works at Rinas airport will be completed by October 25. "Anti-constitutional Referendum". The Albanian Helsinki Committee has expressed itself against holding referendum on death sentence. "DP statute like Enver's constitution". Organsational secretary Fatos Beja has rejected article 12 of the statute, which has been extracted from CDU.

Shekulli, independent daily,

"Farewell of General Reith. Majko: We were confident". President Meidani and Prime Minister Majko yesterday received the AFOR commander, General John Reith, at a farewell meeting yesterday. "Dokle: SP, deep changes to the programme". Radical changes expected in the programme of the largest party in power. "Guardia di Finanza avoids Albanian police". The Vlore bay yesterday was subjected to a super-control by the Italian forces deployed in Durres.

Albania, independent daily,

"Agim Tirana: We do not arrest Jaho Salihi". "Loans: Only three per cent of the money will be returned". "New elections after congresses".

Ekonomia, daily of the Albanian Agency for Economic Development,

"Operations of Albania's Bank on the secondary market - 42.5 billion leks of bonds". "NATO returns to connection roots of Rinas airport".

Zeri i Popullit, daily of the Socialist Party of Albania,

"The court hears testimony provided by Meta and Milo". "Meta: September 14, aggression against the state".

Rlindja Demokratike, daily of the Democratic Party of Albania,

Berisha, meeting with German diplomat". "Hostage Lalioti paid the ransom and was released".

Republika, daily of the Republican Party of Albania,

"This is how the mechanism of Mafia functions". "Zogaj: Socialist to self- govern". /lm/

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[02] Echange rate in Tirane

Foreign currency exchange rate

Currency buying selling $US 133,8 134 DM 71,6 72 ITL(1000) 71,7 72 GRD(100) 42,5 42,8 /lm/

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[03] Only 300 trees planted in ten years

Over the past years the forest plantations, which are the district's biggest assets, have been left to the mercy of fate, he added.

Skrapar, district in southeast of Albania, has 24,500 hectares of forest and 78 hectares of pastures, state-owned property. The whole of this area is only under administration as the forest service has been substantially limited. In 1977 it employed 40 workers while now this number has been reduced to 28.

Last year and during the current months, dozens of cases of forest damages have been observed and the fines charged exceed the value of 1.5 million leks. But only 40 000 leks of this amount have been cashed, as the fines for damages to forest are considered like the unpaid electricity or drinking water bills.

The only hope remains coordination of work with the town-halls or communes, but the figure of fine gathering is still zero. /dat/lm/

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[04] More than 50 students from Berat to attend university in Italy

More than 50 students from Berat, who finished secondary school this year, will attend university studies in Italy this fall, Bujar Cipi, director of a secondary school in Berat told ATA.

He said that this was the highest figure of students attending schools in the neighboring country in the last ten years.

The documentation shows that that students generally prefer studying medicine, economics, pharmacy, and law.

A survey conducted with 89 students of the town's secondary schools shows that almost none of them would like to attend Albanian universities. This, they say, is explained with their desire to study in western schools. /dast/gs/lm/

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[05] Greek government provides food aid for Korce

He said, following a contingent of 300 tons of fruits, sent one week ago, another 700 tons of fruits arrived on Friday and today, to be distributed to the inhabitants of this region.

The Greek General Consul in Korce, Nikos Garilidhis, told ATA that other food aid will arrive in the Korce prefecture soon. This aid is worth 30 million drachmas and is part of the Greek government aid for Albania under the agreements signed between the two countries. /dast/lm/

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[06] GTZ to begin implementation of projects in agriculture in October

Minister of Food and Agriculture Lufter Xhuveli on Saturday met with the German preparatory mission consisted of Johakim Will, GTZ project manager in Albania and Detlev Boettcher, GTZ project technical director for rural development.

Introduction of projects and preparatory work for their immediate application beginning from October 1999 was the aim of the meeting.

Four are the projects of cooperation with GTZ: support for private initiatives in rural areas, construction of an agricultural products trading system, creation of self-financed cooperatives, support for agrarian sector.

Regarding the project "Support for private initiatives in rural areas", the participants at the meeting discussed that this project should be undertaken to improve trading of agricultural input, to process agricultural products, especially of livestock. This project will cost 1.5 million DM. /so/lm/

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[07] Circle of Friends of Albania should be enlarged - Meidani

Meidani, after congratulating the participants for their performance during the crisis in Kosova, asked from the Albanian missions abroad to continue to work with the same intensity as in the conflict period, the office reports.

"I hold that the working intensity during this period should be still high to defend the interests of Albania, the national interests in general, economic prosperity in the context of the positive developments in the region and broader, said Meidani.

Considering of priority Albania's cooperation with various countries, Meidani said that "the enlargement of the circle of friends of Albania should be aimed at.....Work should continue not only institutionally but also economically to secure support for our projects under the Stability Pact.

Meidani also asked from the diplomats "to continue the good performance with the foreign mediae, which played a significant role in sensitizing the international public opinion". /dast/lm/

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[08] Majko asks facilitation of visa regime within region

Majko, who took part in the proceedings of the third day of the diplomatic seminar at the Foreign Ministry, set forward the priority domains of the Albanian government in the framework of the Stability Pact and of the region's development projects and asked the Albanian ambassadors to become spokesmen of the Albanian government's views.

Majko dwelt on the need for regional cooperation, on the fight against organised crime, drugs, weapons and other trafficking and expressed the readiness of the Albanian government to cooperate and draft joint regional projects especially in the field of economy.

He considered NATO's presence in the region indispensable, stressing it is "an expansion of the security zone and reduction of the zones which have generated and may again generate conflicts". /dast/lm/

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[09] Hajdaraga says commando troops in Durres port will implement law with rigor

Hajdaraga was pronounced for the press saying that the scope of his visit in the coastal city, is to have a firsthand look at the realization of the duties on full security of the port by commando troops.

Commando troops, said Hajdaraga, will rigorously implement the law and the duties they are charged with, and will increase as well the moral and legal responsibility of all structures which operate in Durres port for removing for good the evaluation addressed to it (the port) as the place of traffic and contraband and to transform it into a model port even for the foreign traders.

Asked about the duration of the stay of commando troops in Durres port, Hajdaraga said that these troops will stay in Durres port as long as it is necessary. /lh/A.A/

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[10] Agent of criminal police in Kruje shot dead

The event happened at about 20.30 on Friday, when a still unidentified person shot with an automatic rifle the 34-year-old man, Arben Sulejman Keçi, born and inhabitant in the city of Kruje, police sources inform.

According to the police, the author of the crime left immediately the spot.

The motifs of the event are not known, but the police is working to identify and to catch the author.

Keçi marks the second victim in the police of this area within the last ten days.

Police statistics show that more than 100 police are killed on duty during the last 2-3 years. /lh/A.A/

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[11] UNHCR finances 3,3 million dollars on rehabilitation of hosted centers

According to this Ministry, these projects, which have started in August 20, are foreseen to be implemented in 10 prefectures of Albania and include 20 agencies. Eight projects are implementing and six other projects are completed by marking an averaged cost of some $65.000.

The projects financed by UNHCR include the rehabilitation of the camps, the water pipeline system, buildings and collective parks.

Meanwhile, The Emergency Management Group, which consists of representatives of the Albanian Government, diplomatic missions, different UNO agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations, is discussing even 60 other projects, which will be financed by different donors. /lh/linda/

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[12] Fish export might bring 40 million dollars per year to state budget

According to these sources, Albania has the possibility to export some 1 000 tons fish products per year, by not letting aside the fulfillment of the requests of the domestic market.

Fishing is one of the profitable sectors for Albania, and that is why its projects are considered of special importance.

The construction of two markets for selling the fresh fish in Vlora and Durresi town, aiming at better export orientation, is foreseen to be realized through PHARE Program.

They will represent a referential point better organization and more modernized, because they will be the centers where the information about the prices of the fish will be given.

Since 1980, Albania is well known about fish production and exports. This production covered an important part in the Albanian export in general and brought considerable profits for the Albanian economy. /dast/linda/

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[13] A vehicle with contraband fuel blocked; its owner arrested

The vehicle which was transporting a considerable amount of benzol was not accompanied with any identification document.

The citizen of Laç district, Nezir Shehu was also arrested by police forces in cooperation with the forces of the Lezhe economic-financial anti- crime sector. He was seized while transporting a considerable amount of contraband benzol.

The police did not reported about the exact amount of fuel, but added that the vehicle of "Skania" type was loaded with fuel in Shengjini port and its destination was Kosove. /lh/A.A/

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[14] Prime Minister Majko asks for strictness in construction operation of North-South Corridor

"I do not want to hear the word interruption of the operations and I will not allow to happen such a thing anymore. If you interrupt the work, you have hindered the state which has a contract signed with you. The forces of public order have taken already the respective instructions to make possible a calm and proper environment for your work", said Prime Minister Majko to the representatives of the constructing companies of this road.

The representatives of the foreign companies and specialists of the Ministry of Transport and Road Directorate presented to the Prime Minister the operation situation of this road.

"The message I want to give to you today is to make clear the strategic and priority importance of the construction of this corridor for our country. This is the reason why the Albanian Government and Me, personally, are following step by step and meter by meter the operation of this Corridor", stated Prime Minister Majko.

Albanian Prime Minister asks for the following of the necessary steps on completion of dispossession process, by stressing the strict execution of the law and not allowing gaps for abuses.

"None should think that this road or its segments might be possessed by irresponsible individuals. They will not be tolerated and the law is the only way to talk with. State will react with all the law possibilities and strength against the illegal pretensions", said Prime Minister Pandeli Majko. /led/linda/

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[15] Cooperation with Turkey covers considerable part - Albanian President

"This cooperation is evident in all the fields and this is seen not only in strengthening of the Albanian military, but even in the strengthening of Albanian economy in general", stressed President Meidani.

According to Meidani, the Turkish investments are obvious even in Metallurgic Combine and in one of the most important segments of Corridor 8, where the Turkish company BE-HA-SE will implement more than 28 km of this corridor.

"But, they are obvious in all international interventions, where Turkey expressed openly it support for Albania and its people, and in particular for Albanian people of Kosova", stated President Meidani. /led/linda/

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[16] Milot-Lezhe highway to be completed in May 2000

Mr. Parciale said that after eight months of operations we are at the final phase. But the concern of this company is the interruptions of the operation by part of the farmers of Shen Koll, Zejmen and Shengjin commune, where this road is passing by. The farmers pretended that they are paid by the state.

Concerning this issue the Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko said that "the Government in its first meeting will discuss this problem". While for the people that hinder the operations, Prime Minister Pandeli Majko asked for law execution.

World Bank accorded a fund of some 4,5 million dollars on the construction of this road, 11,2 km long. /led/linda/

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