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Albanian Times, Vol. 2, No. 13, April 1, 1996
CONTENTS
[1] Defense Ministers Open Meeting in Tirana
[2] Perry Praises Tirana Conference
[3] Serreqi to Visit Bosnia
[4] Eastern Europe May See Strong Growth, EBRD Says
[1] Defense Ministers Open Meeting in Tirana
TIRANA, March 31 - A meeting of defense ministers from the southern Balkans
opened Sunday afternoon in Tirana to discuss security cooperation in the
region. A U-S delegation headed by the Secretary of Defense, William Perry
is also attending the two-day conference. Ministers from Albania, Bulgaria,
Turkey, Macedonia and Italy are participating in the security meeting held
with the notable absence of Greece. The Albanian defense minister Safet
Zhulali, who is hosting the event told reporters that Greece's failure to
attend has nothing to do with its relations with Albania. Greece had
expressed reservations about the conference saying it would not take part
because Serbia and Romania were not invited. On Sunday evening, Balkan
defense ministers were received by President Sali Berisha, who thanked NATO
countries for help with the meeting and hailed NATO's peace role in the
Balkans. ``Their participation in this conference is proof, not only of the
importance for peace and stability in the region, but also of the importance
they pay to the cooperation with our countries in realizing a safer Balkans
and Europe,'' he said. Monday's session will focus on issues related to
measures of confidence, security and cooperation between the countries of
the region. (Albanian Times)
[2] Perry Praises Tirana Conference
TIRANA, March 31 - U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry praised an Albanian
initiative to host the ministerial meeting on southern Balkan security in
Tirana as a contribution toward regional stability. ``This is a very
significant conference and it is a chance for more security in the region,''
Perry said after his arrival Sunday in the Albanian capital as part of a
Balkan tour. ``We are following the situation in the region, which seems to
have a good evolution. That is what we are looking for and therefore we
welcome such initiatives,'' he added. Albanian President Sali Berisha said
the conference provided a good opportunity to consider a new dimension for
peace and stability in the region. ``The conference is an appropriate chance
to think over a new vision for the Balkan security and good faith,'' he
said. ``I would like to express my conviction the conference will serve as a
push to increased cooperation.'' Perry is staying on in Albania for an
official visit. (Courtesy of Reuters)
[3] Serreqi to Visit Bosnia
TIRANA, March 31 - Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi will visit
Bosnia-Herzegovina on April 1 and 2 to discuss bilateral relations, Albanian
radio said. Serreqi is the highest ranking Albanian official to visit Bosnia
so far. (Albanian Times)
[4] Eastern Europe May See Strong Growth, EBRD Says
LONDON, April 1 - Eastern Europe is continuing to change from a command
economy to the free market but needs to tackle social spending, the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development said. ``Progress in transition to
the market economy has laid the foundations for strong economic growth in
the years ahead,'' said Nicholas Stern, the EBRD's chief economist, in the
bank's 1995 Transition Report. Annual economic growth is between six and
seven percent in Albania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, while the Czech
Republic, Estonia and Slovenia have experienced four to five percent with
the remainder of central Europe seeing slower, but still positive growth,
the EBRD said. This has been accompanied by a rise in lending and foreign
direct investment to $21 billion in 1995 from $13 billion. ``Under the
assumption of greater economic and regulatory stability and further
advancement of market reforms, investment opportunities will expand,'' the
EBRD said. Inflation is coming under control, with price rises falling to
single digit levels in Albania, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Slovakia and
Slovenia, and the annual rate of inflation declinig to less than 100 percent
a year in half of the Commonwealth of Independent States countries. Most
countries have slashed government spending to match the rapid fall in
revenues which accompanied the region's economic decline. (Courtesy of
Reuters)
The material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting
International. For more information on ATCI and the Albanian Times, please
Copyright (c) ATCI, 1996
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