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Albanian hails U.N. Security Council resolution to impose arms
embargo on Yugoslavia
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA)-The Albanian government on Wednesday
hailed the Resolution of the U.N. Security Council to impose arms
embargo against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
"The resolution, recommended by the Contact Group which met
in London on March 9, 1998, is a positive step towards the
settlement of the crisis in Kosova," says a press release of the
Foreign Ministry of Albania.
"The imposition of arms embargo on Yugoslavia constitutes a
tough measure, which narrows the possibility of exercising
violence on the unprotected Albanian population of Kosova and
favours the beginning of a political process in whose essence are
the negotiations between Belgrade and Prishtine".
"The Foreign Ministry would like to express the belief that
the nationals which ensured the approval of this resolution,
first of all the Contact Group nations, will continue to employ
the proper measures and instruments to force Milosevic to respect
the obligations defined on the Contact Group Statement on March
9," says the release.
Closely following the latest developments in Kosova, the
ministry considers the handover of the Institute for Albanian
Studies in Prishtine to the Albanian scholars of Kosova as a
first step towards the implementation of the education accord
hoped to be followed by other steps.
"The promotion of this process would help defuse tensions
and create conditions for the beginning of a genuine dialogue
between Belgrade and Prishtine with international mediation, the
release says.
The Albanian Foreign Ministry expresses the belief that
"The U.S. and the European Union, chaired by Britain, will keep
playing a decisive role in handling the current crisis in Kosova
and finding a fair and long-term solution."
/s.s/mima/lm/
Italy repatriates 57 Albanian illegal emigrants
DURRES, April 2 (ATA)-By G. Kabashi,
Italian authorities on Wednesday repatriated 57 Albanian
nationals, who had recently illegally crossed to Italy in rubber
dinghies, sources of Durres police department told ATA.
The 57 illegal emigrants, found by the Italian police
without papers, arrived in Durres port by the Bari-Durres and
Brindisi-Durres line ferries.
The border police of Durres Port released them after the
respective identifications.
/s.s/mima/lm/
Mutual accusations for post of constitution co-chairman
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - By P. Shuteriqi:
The Democratic Party, in search of the post of the
co-chairman of the parliamentary commission for drafting a new
constitution, criticizes Sabri Godo, former Republican head,
actually elected in this function by Parliament, meanwhile that
the staff of the Republican Party issued opposite accusations.
"The government appoints Godo like Enver Hoxha who
appointed Vitori Curri as representative of the minority," said
the democratic leader, Sali Berisha, in a public statement
published Thursday in the press of the Democratic Party.
The reply of the leading staff of the Republic Party on the
same day has been immediate and severe. According to the
spokesman of this party, "it is easy for Berisha to make
parallelisms with that time when every decision was taken by the
former Party of Labour, and he has been its secretary for several
consecutive years."
Meanwhile, it is Godo himself who has presented in
Parliament the problem of reexamining his appointment in this
function, because only the People's Assembly has the right to do
this.
/mt/
To strengthen for local government elections - Republicans
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - By P. Shuteriqi:
What is being done for strengthening of the Republican
Party - has been the main problem discussed during a meeting of
the Republicans, held Thursday in its headquarters in Tirana.
The forth-coming campaign for the elections of the local
government in those zones where the posts are vacant, forces the
presidency of the Republican Party to dedicate its meeting to the
improvement and strengthening of its bodies in different
prefectures.
/das/mt/
Special penitentiary police to be set up - Parliament
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci:
The Albanian Parliament approved Thursday the law "On the
penitentiary police," proposed by the government, which excludes
the use of military forces in the penitentiary system.
With this law, it is set up a special force depended
directly by the General Department of Prisons and therefore by
the Justice Ministry to secure order in the penitentiary system.
Actually, the duties of these police are carried out by the order police.
The law "On the penitentiary system" is part of a package
of laws prepared by the government for the penitentiary system,
the other laws of which will be discussed in the following
parliamentary sittings.
Parliament also ratified the European Convention of
Extradition and two supplementary protocols for it.
/das/mt/
DP ready to vote in favour of establishment of Communist Party
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci:
Parliament postponed Thursday the examination of two
draft-laws for amendments to the law "On political parties."
The parliamentary commission of laws and that of economy
presented during the parliamentary sitting on Thursday the
problems faced during the examination of these draft-laws.
The independent deputy Maksim Hasani, who has proposed one
of these draft-laws which would open way to the legalization of
the Communist Party, expressed the discontent for the continuous
postponement of the examination in the plenary session of the
draft and asked its examination separated from the other draft.
Meanwhile, the deputy of the Democratic Party, Ylli Vejsiu,
said that the democratic deputies were prepared to vote against
the draft-law proposed by a group of deputies, but not against it
which would open way to the legalization of the Communist Party.
The parliament presidency has decided to discuss the two
draft-laws in parliament next week.
/das/mt/
Number of Union for Democracy representatives in Constitutional
Commission increased
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci:
The Albanian Parliament approved Thursday the proposal of
the Democratic Union Party to be represented in the
Constitutional Commission by the deputy Remzi Ndreu, carrying to
three the number of representatives of the political grouping
Union for Democracy in this commission.
Now, from this grouping, only the Democratic Party and the
Social Democratic Union Party have not proposed their
candidatures for representatives in the Constitutional
Commission.
In the two previous sittings, Parliament has approved the
candidatures of the representative of Legality Movement Party,
Spartak Ngjela and that of the Christian Democratic Party, Zef
Bushati.
/das/mt/
Serbian authorities to discuss with Kosova Albanians - Burns
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - The Albanian State Minister for
Development and Economic Cooperation, Ermelinda Meksi,
participated in the 5th Forum of Salonika with the topic "Greece
and the Balkans: The development of Southeastern Europe,"
organized over the last two days of March.
The press and information department close to the Council
of Ministers informs that Mrs. Meksi discussed in this Forum on
the priorities of the economic stabilization and the development
of the energetic industry in Albania.
In his speech, the U.S. ambassador in Greece, Nicolas
Burns, made a presentation of the U.S. policy in the region and
the ways how to stimulate the political and economic development
of the Balkans.
With regard to the situation in Kosova, Burns said that
the USA sees as the only way for the peaceful solutions of the
conflict "the defence of the territorial integrity and the
existing borders, putting an end to the acts of violence, both
from the Serbian police and the Albanian extremists, and
meanwhile that we do not support the independence of Kosova, we
would like to promote a substantial increase of the political
freedom there, which should contain a real self-administration."
Burns said that "at the time that there is noted no
progress in several fields, it is very important that the Serbian
authorities go immediately towards the political discussions with
the Kosova Albanians. Like the U.S. State Secretary, Madeleine
Albright, warned in Boon on March 25, the Contact Group should be
ready to undertake concrete measures, if within four weeks
President Milosevic fails to start the serious dialogue between
the two parties."
The U.S. government is convinced that only strong
operations, coordinated by the international community, could
help the solution of the Kosovar crisis, said Burns.
/s.sh/das/mt/
Protocol of third Albanian-Russian session signed
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - The protocol of the third
Albanian-Russian session on commerce, economic and
technical-scientific cooperation was signed Thursday in the
Albanian Foreign Ministry.
The press and information department, close to this
ministry, informs that for the Albanian party the protocol was
signed by the deputy Minister of Economy, Adriana Berberi, while
for the Russian party is was signed by the deputy Minister of
Finances of the Russian Federation, Aleksej Kudrin.
The Russian party reconfirmed the interest of the Russian
organizations to take part in the construction of the gas
pipeline in the territory of Albania, of hydro and thermo power
stations, objects of the metallurgic works of Elbasan, and
others.
Both parties were engaged to promote the cooperation of
touristic agencies of both countries, the cooperation between
universities and other educational, research and scientific
institutions, exchange of information and increase of cooperation
between agencies to encourage foreign investments.
/s.sh/das/mt/
We see new possibilities at mutual interest in bilateral economic relations - Ku
drin
TIRANA, April 2 (ATA) - Albania's Foreign Minister Paskal
Milo held early on Thursday a meeting with the deputy Minister of
Finances of Russia, Aleksej Kudrin, who is in Albania as the
chairman of the Russian delegation in the third sitting of the
joint commercial, economic and technic-scientific commission
between Albania and Russia.
Kudrin said in this meeting that the current sitting of the
joint commission should be a serious promotion for the
improvement of the bilateral economic relations, press and
information department in the Foreign Ministry reported.
He greeted the Albanian government for restoring order and
the ambitions it has in the introduction of the market economy.
"The all-round cooperation of Albania with international
bodies is a guarantee for a serious partnership," he stressed,
adding that "we see in Albania new possibilities which may have
mutual interest in the bilateral economic relations."
Minister Milo voiced the will of the Albanian government
for the development of relations with the Russian Federation.
"I have expressed the sincere wish of the Albanian
government for the development of relations with Russia also in
the meeting with Mr. Primakov in Moscow," said Milo, adding that
"I am glad that what we decided in Moscow regarding the Joint
Commission was realized on time."
Further on, the Albanian Foreign Minister considered as
important the work of the Commission for the improvement of
bilateral relations, as well as fixing in the protocol the steps
to be taken by both sides for the realization of mutual
engagements in the field of economic cooperation.
/s.sh/das/mt/
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