Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-11-04

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Government approves economic laws and decisions

[02] Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs arrives in Tirane

[03] Italy starts investigation in baby trafficking in Albania

[04] 9.550 people displaced from Kosova getting immunizations

[05] Second private TV station established in Pogradec

[06] Italian mafia has influenced in Albanian mafia

[07] Structures of criminal police have been inefficient - chief of crime

[08] President Meidani meets GTZ officials

[09] US$ 1 as against 141 leks

[10] Silence by DP leaders about killing of Azem Hajdari make more difficult but do not prevent further investigation

[11] Albanian, Greek Agreement on Education and Science

[12] Bank account in SUDE name

[13] Quantity and quality of cooper increased in Rehove

[14] Mines' danger always present in Rahovec

[15] Seselj: Serbia spends up to two million marks a day on Kosova

[16] International conference in Switzerland for refugees from Kosove

[17] IMF assesses Albanian agricultural development strategy

[18] Who pollutes environment should pay, says ACA

[19] Elections in Kosova pave way for detachment, Koshtunica

[20] Accord with Greece foresees cooperation in all education fields

[21] Funds to fight livestock infectious diseases

[22] Voting commissions on referendum ready in 31 communes, town-halls

[23] Democrats reject Constitution without making their remarks

[24] Reconstruction of Military-Naval Base in Pasha Liman starts

[25] Tirana University pedagogues to be supplied with Italian visas by the end of Nov.

[26] Human dimension, substantial component of Albanian-Greek relations, Xhufi

[01] Government approves economic laws and decisions

The Ministry of Information told ATA that the Council of Ministers discussed the conclusions of the Tirana International Conference, whose participants agreed that all cabinet members should monthly report on compliance with the tasks assigned by the conference for the ministries they head.

The meeting also discussed the electricity situation of the country and the concrete steps to be undertaken and the implementation of the legislation in power for the functioning of private schools in Albania's education system.

A draft-law on oil, gas and their products' procession, transportation and trading as well as a draft-law on a special treatment of the families of the pilots who have laid down their lives on duty were approved.

The meeting examined and approved four decisions, under which the Albanian and German governments will materialise their cooperation in the following fields: 1. The agreement on financial cooperation for the amount of 5 million DM between the two governments including the program of emergency for the rehabilitation of the buildings in which the displaced from Kosova will be sheltered.

2. The agreement of financing and the project between our country represented by the Bank of Albania, the aqueduct enterprise in Kavaje as "agency of project application" and KFW for the grant of 10 million DM, which will make possible the supply with drinking water of the agricultural zone of the district of Kavaje.

3. The agreement for the latest supplementary grant of 2,319 million DM for the budgetary year 1997 in the context of the technical cooperation with GTZ.

The meeting adopted the agreement for the financial cooperation between the two countries with a grant of 2 million DM for the project, according to which villages of the Kavaje district will be supplied with drinking water.

Also a decision was approved for the supply with wheat and flour of the zones which are isolated by snow during winter.

The meeting also approved the decision on a supplementary 10 million lek fund to reward the staff working in reeducation institutions and prisons, who maintained tranquillity and order in those institutions during the unrest on September 14, 1998.

The government also passed a decision on the expropriation of public interest of the real estates which were affected by the construction of Librazhd-Qukes road section, East-West Corridor with a total of 14.396.498 lek. /lm/xh/

/dast/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs arrives in Tirane

Arsenis and the delegation he heads during his two-day stay in Tirane will conduct working meetings with Minister of Education and Science Ethem Ruka and senior state authorities, Prime Minister Pandeli Majko, Parliament's Speaker Skender Gjinushi and President of the Republic Rexhep Meidani.

Working meetings will be held at the Palace of Congresses between the delegations of Albanian Ministry of Science and Education and Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

A bilateral agreement in education, science and culture will be signed at these meetings. The agreement also envisages schooling in the mother tongue of the Albanian emigrants residing in Greece.

The agenda of the Greek delegation also includes meetings with members of the parliamentary education commission and high officials of the Foreign Ministry, rectors and leading staff of the Tirana Universities and others.

The ceremony on the inauguration of the Greek-Albanian college "Arsakelon", in the vicinity of Tirane, will be held tomorrow.

Present at Rinas Airport to receive the Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs were the deputy ministers of Education and Science, Mimoza Hafizi and Andrea Marto. /s.s/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Italy starts investigation in baby trafficking in Albania

"This crime too creates mutual anomaly in the two countries because organs or the babies taken from Albania are sold in Italy and if this proves true, it is considered a criminal cooperation in the two countries," stressed Maritati.

According to him, this crime "is among the gravest." Italian antimafia and Albanian Prosecutor's Office are interested in gathering proofs to throw light on the charge and it would be valuable every statement from those who know even in the slightest about the mechanisms of this crime.

"I cannot say that the crime of infantile trafficking in Albania does not exist. Presence of such criminal activities in many countries of the world does not exclude the possible existence of this crime in Albania too, but I think there is some exaggeration," said Alberto Maritati, deputy Prosecutor of the Antimafia Prosecutor's Office of Italy. /dast/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] 9.550 people displaced from Kosova getting immunizations

The director of the department of district public health sector, Hider Koka, told ATA that for one week now the staff of the department of Hygiene and Epidemic and those of the health sector in communes have started immunizations for Kosova people for polio, diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccines are granted free of charge by WHO.

About 1 100 children from of age 0-5 will get the vaccine of polio, while those above 15 years will receive complex vaccines. The process of immunizations is expected to be over by mid November. /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Second private TV station established in Pogradec

After Pogradec TV, recently another tv channel was added, named "Today 7" owned by Ethem Fejzollari, who is also the owner of the tobacco factory in that city for seven years now.

Today 7 broadcasts 8 hours a day, including news, cultural programs, social topics and sport events.

The new TV station can be seen in the round by zones of Pogradec. Fejzollari said that soon three other new transmission points of this TV station will be fixed, so that Sot 7 be also seen in other zones of Albania and in the FYROM, with which Pogradec shares the Lake Ohrid. /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Italian mafia has influenced in Albanian mafia

Albania is of interest for criminal elements or criminal organisations in the region because its geographical position. For the neighbouring countries it serves as a bridge for numerous activities of organised crime, Maritati underlined.

He said the high level meeting with chiefs of the General Prosecutor's Office is of mutual interest and beyond.

The need for cooperation emerges from anomalies on both sides. Various figures of crime are trained in Albania and the consequences weigh on Italy and vice-versa, said Maritati.

As regards illegal emigrants' smuggling, which testifies to a collaboration between the two coasts, Maritati expressed his worry that this criminal instrument "fever for profit has overwhelmed any human feeling down to throwing illegal emigrants into water".

He held that apart from uncovering and punishing the organisers of this crime, "the problem should also been seen from the social point of view."

"Italy has hosted Albanians according to its conditions, but it is not America," said Maritati. /dast/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Structures of criminal police have been inefficient - chief of crime

Dyrmishi voiced his suspicions for some inspectors of this sector with regard to their involvement in some failed oeprations of Gjirokaster police. He added that elements of organized crime in Gjirokaster are localized and known well by police, therefore they must be hit fiercely and immediately.

He suggested a broader cooperation with autonomous troops of the Public Order Ministry, who are who stationed in southern Albania to secure the Ballsh-Kakavije segment (border point with Greece.)

Dyrmishi was appointed chief of criminal police two weeks ago in stead of Kastriot Skenderi. Dyrmishi has replaced some of the inspectors of crime in the sector of criminal police of Gjirokaster. /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] President Meidani meets GTZ officials

The participants in this meeting informed President Meidani on their ongoing activity and said that a German Bank is expected to open soon to credit the development of agriculture.

Encouragement of production, processing of agricultural products as well as assistance in privatising small and medium enterprises make up important fields of this activity.

The GTZ regional director said the some nine million DM are earmarked for various projects next year. They asked the opinion of President Meidani about the most important regions and sectors for which the Albanian economy and society are in need of.

Meidani pointed to the peculiarities of development in various regions of the country and asked a greater attention on the northern zones where economic and social problems are sharper. /pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] US$ 1 as against 141 leks

Currency	exchange rate with Lek
US$ 1		141.00
DM		 85.80
LRT		 86.00
GRD		 50.05

/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Silence by DP leaders about killing of Azem Hajdari make more difficult but do not prevent further investigation

According to the investigation group dealing with the case of Hajdari, the lack of testimony from DP leaders makes more difficult but does not prevent further inquiries into the case.

"They have declared several times in their news conferences that they have information about the circumstances and the authors of the killing. The prosecutor's office will call them again for their testimonies," the chief prosecutor for Tirane, Dolores Velaj said to ATA.

Velaj added that the investigation procedure for Hajdari case continues normally. So far, said the investigation group, they had been gathering facts and proofs, but they still are not a legal basis for a concrete charge to be made. They said that they are lacking testimonies by the eye witnesses. Those who have been interrogated have focused more on the mechanism of the assassination and not on the event itself and its authors.

Referring to some article in the press on alleged "closure of investigation" into Azem Hajdari's killing, the prosecutors' group stressed that this is absolutely untrue and that the end of investigation comes when legal conditions are created and they are not yet such. "No other reason can make the inquiry come to a close" said the prosecutors' group. /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] Albanian, Greek Agreement on Education and Science

Albania and Greece on Wednesday signed an agreement of cooperation in the field of education.

After talks held today between the Albanian Minister of Education and Science, Ethem Ruka, and the Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Gerasimos Arsenis, the agreement was signed to enhance cooperation between the two countries in education and culture.

"I hope this agreement is materialised with a protocol of cooperation in this field," said Arsenis.

After a joint news conference at 12.30, meetings will continue between the Greek Minister and Albanian senior authorities.

Arsenis arrived in Tirane today for a two-day visit. The inauguration of the Greek-Albanian "Arsakelon" in Lunder of Tirane has been planned for Thursday. /s.s/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Bank account in SUDE name

Sude worked in a shoes factory in Shijak (western Albania) before setting up the pyramidal investment scheme. There she started to gather money for a lottery called "Fitorja", lottery that had many advertisements in Tirane. Afterwards Sude stopped the activity with "Fitore" and started to conduct her own lottery. She begun gathering deposits with percentages (according to her) for the purpose of making "investments", until she declared the bankrupcy. Actually she is in jails.

After Sude "pyramid" bankrupcy the other big renting pyramidal investing schemes such as VEFA, Gjallica, Kamberi, Silva, Leka and some tens of minipyramidal schemes conducting their activity all over Albania bankrupted.

The Albanians lost some $ 1.2 milliard in these companies, make known the data so far. /pas/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Quantity and quality of cooper increased in Rehove

This enterprise produced 600 tons of copper mineral in September increasing the production by 2 000 tons in Oct, while its quality was increased from 0.8% in 1.5%, the director of Albabakri branch in this district, Shpetim Qyta, told ATA on Wednesday.

The enterprise underwent many damages during the time it was in conservation. It resumed the work in June 1998, and the the mineral upgrading factory begun work as well producing 150 cooper concentrate a month.

Some 160 people working in two shifts are employed in this enterprise. The work in three shifts is foreseen to begin soon in order to produce 3000- 3500 tons of cooper mineral. /s.sh/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] Mines' danger always present in Rahovec

Sources from the Kosova Democratic League in Rahovec said that Albanian families tenting to return in their houses have encountered "surprise" mines placed by the Serb forces and are obliged to leave again. Two other inhabitants of this village, Blerim and Agim Kabashi, had encountered similar mines, voices the above mentioned source adding that the Serb forces continue to be present in Opterushe. /P.Ta/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] Seselj: Serbia spends up to two million marks a day on Kosova

In a statement for a local TV in Kraleve, Seselj said that the Yugoslav dinar continues to be stable although the state has spent too much.

"The Serbian government spends more than one million and, at times, two million marks a day on Kosova," said Seselj denying emission of new money.

Speaking for the OSCE observers in Kosova, Sesejl said that "we have reconciled ourselves with the presence of the OSCE observers in Kosova, but this came after our admission in this organisation." /p.ta/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[16] International conference in Switzerland for refugees from Kosove

Gerber, said the Kosove Information Office, visited recently Prishtine in the lead of a delegation of the Federal Office for Refugees and the Agency for Development and Cooperation of Switzerland, and met with Kosove president, Ibrahim Rugova. /p.ta/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[17] IMF assesses Albanian agricultural development strategy

The press spokesman close to this ministry said that " The IMF experts' group, represented by Juha Kahkonen and other experts were positive for the irrigation policy, rural development, vet service, wood projects and so on."

In this meeting Xhuveli said that the main aim of the Albanian agriculture is the strengthening of its commercial possibilities. /pas/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[18] Who pollutes environment should pay, says ACA

Making legal the preliminary protection through different environment projects, the association urges to include the polluters payment in the construction cost.

"The state can and should use the obligation to force every polluter to pay, as a mechanism to protect the environment. The lack of this mechanism allows individuals and subjects to throw the garbage in inappropriate environments near dwelling centers, causing spread of infectious diseases.

ACA, regarding this problem, received complaints and petitions by different citizens from Laci, Durres, Elbasan, Tirane, Rubin, etc.

Sources from National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Ministry of Health inform that over the last months of '98 the quantity of the garbage in the capital has been increased.

According to the specialists, the only solution to put an end to this phenomenon is to educate and make the public aware of it.

In order to step into another stage of the development, NEA presented the project "The organisation of the urban garbage administration in the six main municipalities of the country," in the framework of the PHARE Program. It is financed by European Community in the context of the LIFE Program (European Union financial body), to support the environmental policy of different countries. This project, which is being realised by foreign consultancy companies, in cooperation with Albanian experts, is worth 591.000 ECU. The project began on October '97 and is expected to finish by the end of '98. /pas/lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[19] Elections in Kosova pave way for detachment, Koshtunica

These elections "mean the registration of the population and the verification of the nationality of all persons living in Kosova territory," said Koshtunica, who also expressed his engagement for the changing of the of communes' borders in order to form a greater number of communes with a Serb majority population. /P.Ta/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[20] Accord with Greece foresees cooperation in all education fields

In the news conference, held after signing this agreement, the Ministers of Education of both countries and the Minister of Culture Edi Rama, the Albanian Minister of Education and Science, Ethem Ruka, said that the agreement in the field of education and culture foresees the cooperation in all education fields, mainly in the university one.

He also said that all the efforts are being made for the introduction of the Albanian language in the University of Athens, as well as for the education in Albanian of the children of the Albanian emigrants living in Greece.

The Greek Minister of Education, Gerasimos Arsenis, said on his side that the agreement foresees programs of scholarships, exchange of professors, promotion of the level of cooperation in the technic and professional education, as well as facilities for the children of the Greek minority in Albania who learn the Greek language.

Arsenis also stated that a joint commission will draft a program to make the agreement concrete, which will be ready in May of 1999.

The Albanian Minister of Culture, Edi Rama, in regard to the cultural part, said that "we will aim at intensifying the cultural dialogue and in cooperation with the Greek party we will try to restrain the destruction of the cultural heritage of our country." /dast/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[21] Funds to fight livestock infectious diseases

State budget provided three million leks to fight livestock infectious diseases in the district of Malesia e Madhe.

"This fund enables continuation of livestock vaccination against anthrax and tuberculosis. So far some 33 thousand smaller livestock and some 6 thousand cattle have been vaccinated and also 8 thousand livestock tuberculosis analyses were carried out," Baft Loja, chief of Veterinary Department, told ATA.

According to him, owing to the pre-protection measures against the livestock infectious diseases in the district, there was only one anthrax case out of 15 in 1997.

Some 18 local veterinarians, working with three-month contracts in the sixth communes of the district, are engaged in livestock vaccination. /s.s./lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[22] Voting commissions on referendum ready in 31 communes, town-halls

Official sources from the Gjirokaster prefecture told ATA that the districts of Tepelene, Permet and Gjirokaster have completed the commissions and sub-commissions. The order bodies have taken all the security measures for the central commissions, which are attached close to the respective district councils.

The inspector of the juridical office close to the prefecture, Zylfo Cobani, told ATA that while the registration of voters continue, representatives from the opposition (DP) in commissions, have insisted to register even the citizens who are not present at the moment of registration. Cobani said that the prefecture will urge the commissions to rigorously observe the law on the Constitution referendum, and that the registration will be carried out only for the citizens who are present, but all the citizens who show up 48 hours before the beginning of the voting process are not deprived of the registration. /lh/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[23] Democrats reject Constitution without making their remarks

The democrats reiterated their stand against the fundamental law of the state.

"We may not agree with a constitution, which infringes the interests of Albanian population," Democratic Party Chairman, Sali Berisha told a news conference without making any concrete objection regarding the Constitution.

The Democratic Party recently defined its stand to fundamental law of the state, appealing its electorate to abstain the Referendum for Constitution, to be held on November 22.

Albanian United Right political grouping has expressed its stand in favour of the Referendum, despide the reserves regarding different parts of the Constitution. /lh/lola/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[24] Reconstruction of Military-Naval Base in Pasha Liman starts

Two warships and a frigate of the Turkish Navy, accompanied from the Sazan Island by two Albanian four-torpedo boats, were headed for the Base of Pasha Liman and were anchored in its vicinity on Wednesday afternoon. Later on, a series of activities were held in the grounds of this base. Attending was also Albania's President Rexhep Meidani, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pandeli Majko, Defence Minister Luan Hajdaraga, as well as deputies and local authorities. Participating was also the Turkish Ambassador in Tirana, Ahmet Rifat Okcun.

In the inauguration ceremony, President Meidani, after hailing the beginning of works, stressed that this cooperation will be fruitful for the reconstruction of the Base, for the restoration of our army, for the strengthening of its role in the defence of the country to the service of the people and national issue.

The Chief of the Staff of the Turkish Navy, Ozden Ornek, expressing the delight for the contribution to the restoration of the Pasha Liman Base, conveyed the greetings of the Turkish Naval Forces and underlined that the cooperation between us is a symbol of friendship.

The Military-Naval Base of Pasha Liman was destroyed during last year's riots. An agreement has been signed for its restoration between the governments of Albania and Turkey. The Turkish party undertakes the responsibility to reconstruct this base through the funds which have reached until now to 5 million USD. /dast/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[25] Tirana University pedagogues to be supplied with Italian visas by the end of Nov.

The rector of this institution, Marenglen Spiro, voiced on Tuesday for ATA that for the concretization of the mutual agreement with the Italian part the Ministry of the Education and Science asked for the preparation of the list of effective pedagogues for being supplied with Italian visas for one year period.

"Our pedagogues have consolidated work contacts with their Italian homologues, countinued Prof. Dr. Spiro. They go to Italy for scientific conferences and other international conferences several times within a year.In order to avoid the procedurial delays, the Italian ambassador Spatafora decided to give regular visas to 620 pedagogues of the Tirana University for one year period." /lh/A.A/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[26] Human dimension, substantial component of Albanian-Greek relations, Xhufi

"Human dimension consists a substantial component of Albanian-Greek relations," Albania's Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, Pellumb Xhufi said in Wednesday' meeting in Tirane with the Greek Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Gerasimos Arsenis.

Albania's Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister praised among others the Greek contribution to strengthen democracy and democratic institution in Albania.

Press Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ATA that the Greek Minister, Arsenis expressed the importance the Greek government considers the assistance to Albania, "backing this neighbouring country's efforts to integrate in Euro-Atlantic structures".

The Greek Minister, Arsenis said that this high ranking visit aims to strengthen the scientific and cultural cooperation between Greece and Albania.

The Greek Minister confirmed to the Albanian Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister the Greek engagement also to provide the education in their mother tongue to Albanian emigrants' children. /dast/lola/

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