Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-05-30

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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] Miss Prishtina '97 crowned Miss Albania '99

[03] Serb provocation continues on Northeastern border

[04] Meidani: International administration or protectorate will lead towards encouraging climate in Kosova

[05] We welcome Spanish assistance to be integrated in European structures

[06] Information from Kosove is very important to tell the world the truth taking place there - Information Minister

[07] Albanian Public Order Ministry refutes report that Greek hostage was killed by Albanian police

[08] Serbs hit Morina with mortars

[01] Press Review

Koha Jone, independent daily,

"Greek policy, unjustly angry with Tirane". "Brisku" Forces yesterday morning near Elbasan, executed the Albanian youth Flamur Pisli, who, on the previous day in Salonika (Greece), had taken hostage a bus with Greek passengers. "We are not dealing any more with Rugova". This is what official Tirane has decided following the failure of the latest efforts to arrange a meeting between Hashim Thaci and Ibrahim Rugova. "Some $160 million grant for the rehabilitation of aqueducts. Will we have sufficient water this summer?". "Kosovar Venera Mustafa wins". Miss Albania '99 spectacle ended last night.

Gazeta Shqiptare, independent daily,

"Meidani: Make evident the war damages". President of the Republic Rexhep Meidani has asked from the Prosecutor General and the Head of the National Information Service to help the Hague prosecutors complete the indictment against Milosevic for crimes against humanity. "Germany deprives Rugova of his bodyguards and does not pay his hotel". Bonn becomes jealous following pro-Italian statements by the moderate leader of the Kosova Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova. "Albania Protectorate, why, how and when", this is the detailed plan of Brussels: a country without customs and everything under control.

Shekulli, independent daily,

"Athens -Tirane, joint investigation commission". Athens announced last night that it had agreed with Tirane to form a mix investigation commission to inquire into yesterday's incident in Qafe-Krabe, where the Albanian police killed the person who had taken hostage nine Greek citizens. "Thaci in London and Bonn". The Prime Minister of the Kosova Interim Government invited by West chancelleries. "Milosevic to pay the war damages". The President of the Republic asks from the chief prosecutor and head of the National Information Service to continue investigations and complete the indictment against Milosevic for crimes against humanity.

Rilindja, independent informative daily,

"War refugees on both sides of the border". "Some 400 people in Sharre crossed into Macedonia". "I think that Milosevic's time is over". Interview with the Prime Minister of Kosova, Hashim Thaci.

Albania, independent daily,

"Ugly crime of police" "UNHCR makes public Albanians' hospitality". "Some 500 deported emigrants arrive". Following yesterday's incident, the Greek police expel 500 Albanian emigrants.

Ekonomia, daily of the Albanian Agency for Economic Development,

"Instruction against code: major economic institutions split". "National Commercial Bank will hand over the symbol key to the Turks". "Productive firms: Marketing orientating compass".

Zeri i Popullit, daily of Albanian Socialist Party,

"The police saved nine Greek hostages". The Albanian police killed yesterday the person who took hostage a bus of Greek passangers, Flamur Pisli. "Krasniqi:Rugova-Thaci, let us hope". "Venera Mustafa, Miss '99 comes from Prishtine".

Rilindja Demokratike, daily of Albania's Democratic Party,

"Albanian police kill the person who took hostage Greek passangers".

Republika, daily of the Republican Party of Albania,

"Former Prime Minister Fino incites Nano's supporters in the grassroot. "Bexhet Pacolli, the Abanian, who, if he wants, subdues Russia". /lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Miss Prishtina '97 crowned Miss Albania '99

"I like all fields of art and want to return to Prishtine as soon as possible," said the newly selected Miss who came to Albania in April, when the mass expulsion of the Kosova Albanians began by the Serb repression.

Venera Mustafaj, secondary school student, is 1.77 tall, blond, weighs 57kg and likes to become a stylist.

Miss Albania '99 will take part in Miss Europe '99, a contest due in Liban in June.

The title she won last night donated her 800 000 Leks. /pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Serb provocation continues on Northeastern border

Serb army provocations against Albanian territory continued overnight.

The spokesman of the Kukes police department told ATA on Sunday that last night at around 20.00 four Serb shells fell very near the village of Zherke, Tropoje district, 800 meters from the state border.

There have been no reports of casualties or material damage as the inhabitants of this village and of the other villages along the border have been relocated deeper in the district, he added.

By midnight the Serbs attacked with snipers and volleys of gunfire the Pogaj village of Has district, according to the same source. /s.sh/lm/

D'Arc, Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Meidani: International administration or protectorate will lead towards encouraging climate in Kosova

The President's office reports that Kosova occupied a significant place in the talks between the Albanian President and Spanish Prime Minister Aznar.

Meidani stressed the importance of creating confidence among the deportees that they will return to Kosova soon, and said that this confidence is indispensably linked with the deployment of a NATO-led international force with NATO making up a significant part.

Meidani pointed to the very acute problems that would to be created in the case of sectoring this force on criteria similar to that which, during the talk, was considered "the example of Berlin's division 50 years ago".

The two said that this should be avoided by all means in the case of Kosova.

Aznar said that "the idea of partition is unacceptable even as an idea".

Meidani said that the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) is the best ally of NATO on the ground, because of being familiar to this terrain, therefore its should be assisted.

"International administration or protectorate will lead towards the establishment of an encouraging climate for the democratic future of Kosova and only under these conditions can the KLA find its institutional transformation, in compliance with the demands of the international authority itself," said Meidani.

Aznar interested himself in the opinion of President Meidani of Albania's relations with Macedonia and the leadership of Montenegro. He supported the stand of Meidani that Macedonia's stability is a significant factor for the stability of the whole region and that Albania's leadership encourages the consolidation of relations with these countries of the region and further democratic and institutional developments in them.

Consolidation of bilateral relations occupied a significant place in the talks. Aznar stressed there was a strong political will in strengthening these relations also based on the new relations between Albania and the EU, which are leading towards the signing of the Association Agreement.

Aznar positively responded to Meidani's request that the Spanish embassy to Albania be opened as soon as possible and there relations be institutionalised at the highest level, quickly preparing all the respective documents such as the Agreement on Economic Cooperation and the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Cooperation between the two countries.

During his stay to Albania, the Spanish Prime Minister will meet with the country's top officials and will visit the Hamallaj camp in Durres district, set up by the Spanish side for the Kosova refugees. /pas/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] We welcome Spanish assistance to be integrated in European structures

"We have followed with special sympathy the stance of Spain in the framework of the international efforts for the resolution of the conflict in Kosove," said PM Majko, highlighting the visit to Tirane of the PM Aznar as a new human and protocol chapter in the bilateral relations.

PM Majko briefed his Spanish counterpart of the efforts of the Albanian Government to ensure stability in the country and to help maintain the stability also in other countries of the Balkan region. "We have opened our borders to receive the Kosova war refugees coming not only from Kosova but also from Macedonia and Montenegro," said Majko, who stressed that this situation is being coped with all the efforts from the Albanian politics.

PM Majko said that the Spanish assistance would be welcomed in Albania's steps to integrate in the European structures and so will the participation of Spain in the process of the strategic privatization that the Albanian Government is undertaking be welcomed as well. "This is because we have never shifted out attention from the continuous process of the initiated reforms," said Majko.

The Mayor of Tirane, Albert Brojka, invited in the meeting by PM Majko, said he appreciated the cooperation between the central government directed by the governing coalition and the local government which is controlled by the opposition parliamentary minority. "Cooperation, especially in such a situation, becomes an indispensable element to cope with this situation and in such a case, the tolerance in the party interests is necessary," he said.

The Spanish PM Jose Maria Aznar said he highlights the policy followed by the Albanian Government and PM Majko and saw in this policy a correct vision for the future. "In this rather difficult situation you are acting with intelligence and with an open-heart and this has raised your prestige in the eyes of the international community. I appreciate your clear and resolute political position," said Mr Aznar.

PM Aznar said that the Spanish assistance for Albania will continue also in the future. He added that this aid could not focus only on the efforts to cope with the crisis. The Spanish PM guaranteed that the assistance will be not only to promote the bilateral relations but also to step up the efforts for the solution of the conflict in Kosova and the political support for Albania's integration in the European Union and in other international organizations.

The Spanish PM Joze Maria Aznar arrived in Tirane today morning on a one-day visit to Albania. Over his stay in Tirane, he met also with Albanian President Rexhep Meidani. /pas/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Information from Kosove is very important to tell the world the truth taking place there - Information Minister

The Albanian Ministry of Information reports that Ulqini said to Kosumi that the world must learn the truth taking place in Kosove and in this respect the role of the information coming from Kosove is very important.

"The proofs of the crimes of Milosevic, the heroic resistance of the KLA fighters and the humanitarian situation of the people who are still in Kosove, are the main commitments of us to keep the international media and opinion abreast of," said Kosumi. Later he explained the difficulties of getting the information from Kosove quickly, and stressed that the journalists of Kosova Press are more and more finding evidence on the the truth about the atrocities of the regime of Milosevic.

Minister Ulqini stressed that the decision of the Hague International Tribunal for former Yugoslavia to raise an indictment against Milosevic as a war criminal requires an all- sided assistance from all local and foreign fact-gathering missions from both our institutions. /led/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Albanian Public Order Ministry refutes report that Greek hostage was killed by Albanian police

The report of the Public Order Ministry said that in the grave event on May 28, 29, 1999, during which Albanian national Flamur Pisli took hostage eight people in a bus in the city of Salonica, and later entered the Albanian territory, Albanian and Greek forces are involved in the execution of the criminal and the release of the hostages, and they are allowed to act so on the basis of a request made by the Greek Government. It is not at all true that the killing of the Greek hostage was made by the people referred to by some articles published in some Sunday dailies.

Two Albanian dailies, Rilindja Demokratike and Albania, accused Albanian police of having killed the Greek hostage, Jorgos Kourlouis, during the tragic event of May 29. In addition, charges for Albanian police have also been made by Greek authorities and media of this country. In the mean time, Albanian authorities of Public Order say that the Greek national was murdered by criminal Flamur Pisli, who was killed then by police. /led/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Serbs hit Morina with mortars

According to border police, the shells fell near the Lake Fierza, but without causing any damage.

This is the second time that village Morine is a target for Serb soldiers. Some days ago, a Chilean reporter near in the customs point of Morine was hit in the head by Serb snipers. He was immediately airlifted to Tirane for further medical aid. /s.sh/xh/

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

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