Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-12-23

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] ADF funds rehabilitation of rural routes

[02] Minister of Order asks criminal police to attack criminals

[03] PRESS REVIEW

[04] Albania, Greece, history texts to be reviewed

[05] Greece earmarks US$ 500,000 for investments in minority area

[06] Premier Meta meets with U.S. ambassador in Athens

[07] PM Meta meets with Albanian emigrants

[08] Some US$ 300 million to be invested in Durres in 2000

[09] Fight against land degradation evident also in Albania

[10] Currency exchange-rates in Tirane

[11] Albanian children unprotected against family violence

[12] WB finances $ 22 million worth of forests and pastures

[13] Wife takes revenge by killing one of the bandits

[14] Silva creditors to be compensated by 20% of deposited value

[15] Some 25 Chinese illegal smugglers halted

[16] Italian consulate established in Vlore

[17] Albanian Telegraphic Agency commemorates its anniversary - President of Albania Rexhep Meidani attends ceremony -

[18] 4 000 Albanian emigrants return home for Christmas

[01] ADF funds rehabilitation of rural routes

Pershpali said that "the roads, one in Iballe and the other in Gjegjan, which link these villages with the centres of the communes bearing the same name, were rehabilitated with a fund of 25 million leks".

He said that the works on these roads, 3.5 and 3 km long respectively, were carried out by the local construction firm within three months.

The rural road Qelez-Puke, 12.5 km long, was recently rehabilitated with 50 000 dollars, provided by ADF. /led/lm/

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[02] Minister of Order asks criminal police to attack criminals

Participants in the meeting stressed that: " 5 051 penal acts have taken place this year, out of which 4 032 or 80% of them have been uncovered. 5,173 have been made evident of whom 3 430 have been caught in the act and arrested".

They dwelled on the increase of the criminal police figures towards the fight against illegal trafficking such as prostitution, arms, drugs and illegal emigrants, the spokesman of the Ministry of Public Order told ATA.

After praising the achieved results Minister Poci said that " You are requested to better handle the work, to make evident the criminal activity and attack its realizing elements". The coordination of work with Special Forces and Rapid Intervention as well as the planning of the attack, said Poci " should be of priority for 2000, year in which we have declared war to the organized crime". /so/

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[03] PRESS REVIEW

Koha Jone, independent daily,

"Meta rejects Premier Simits on the �am issue". Premier Meta in Athens yesterday opposed the statement of his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis regarding the �am property issue. "Reformers: We declare platform with Berisha". The Democrat yesterday Athens yesterday opposed the statement of his Greek leader, Sali Berisha, has been invited by the reformers' group to the Opera and Ballet Theatre to declare the reforming platform. "Lazarat, attack against police". Police roadblock at the entrance of Gjirokaster was the target of a volley of gunfire, which came from the Kordhoce hills, the lower quarter of the Lazarat village, on Tuesday by midnight.

Gazeta Shqiptare, independent daily,

"Owner of speedboat also killed for Kozeta'. In the Vlore town one of the persons suspected of massacring student Kozeta Hyseni was killed in the Vlore city. "Meta in Athens, polemics with Simitis: Return the �am properties". The visit of Albanian Premier Ilir Meta in Athens once again brought to the fore the �am problem and of their properties in Greece. "Arapi: How to get the money lost in pyramid schemes". The deputy chairman of the Supervising group, Farudin Arapi, held a news conference yesterday and explained the procedures of returning the money lost in pyramid schemes.

Shekulli, independent daily,

"Simitis: There is no Cameri". This is what Greek Premier Costas Simits said at a meeting in Athens with his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta yesterday. "Beginning from today, visas for Italy are given also in Vlore". The inhabitants of Berat, Fier, Gjirokaster, Kucove, Lushnje, Mallakaster, Permet, Sarande, Skrapar, Tepelene and Vlore, who wan to legally go to Italy, now will not queue for visas in Tirane but in Vlore as the Italian consulate will open there. -DP reformers group legalised".

Albania, national daily,

"Tribes buy the festival". "The government defines the amounts of money to be reimbursed" Greece does not recognise the �am properties".

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

"Money by turn, the people of M. Leka to be reimbursed the first". "Special forces in January with U.S. advisor".

Rilindja Demokratike, daily of the Democratic Party of Albania,

"Government privatises citizens' savings without any guarantee" "VEFA's $90 million disappearing in July 1997".

Republika, daily of the Republican Party of Albania,

"Simitis :We do not recognise the �am issue" "Reforming within the DP without creating faction". /lm/

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[04] Albania, Greece, history texts to be reviewed

Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta and his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis declared in Athens on Wednesday that had agreed to set up a joint commission to review history school books so as to propagate the spirit of friendship between the two peoples.

"I hold this review will be mutual, it will not mean change of history, but will help evade an old language, which does not conform with the new concepts."

"I believe it will mutually help draw lessons from the past, which has not been very pleasant, not to repeat it in the future," said Meta. /lm/

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[05] Greece earmarks US$ 500,000 for investments in minority area

This fund will be utilized for the construction of a school in Jorgucat as well as for the improvement of two roads, one in Gjirokastra and one in Saranda district. Regarding them, the Albanian party made known to the Greek party to have the projects ready. The whole fund will be accorded in January. /pas/so/

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[06] Premier Meta meets with U.S. ambassador in Athens

Albanian Premier Ilir Meta has met with U.S. ambassador in Athens Nicolas Burns in "Grande Bretagna" hotel, in which the Albanian government delegation is staying.

"The meeting, which had been scheduled, was interesting and focused mainly on an exchange of views and concepts for the development of our region and the Stability Pact in general", said Meta . /led/so/lm/

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[07] PM Meta meets with Albanian emigrants

At this meeting the emigrants expressed their concerns not only on problems dealing with emigration but also on various issues related to the property or perspective of the Albanian emigrants' return home.

Meta briefed tha emigrants on the content of the talks he had with Greek statesmen as well as with the parliamentary parties chairmen from whon he asked a favouring treatment regarding legalisation procedures.

Meta also asked from the local massmedia not to identify all Albanian emigrants with several wrongdoers among them and stressed that "just as there are Albanian criminals, there are also Greek, Italian and American criminals".

Meta asked the same thing at the meetings with leaders of parliamentary parties Costas Caramanlis (New Democracy), Aleko Papariga (Communist Party), Nikos Constandopoulos (Left coalition-Synaspismos) and Dimitris Tsovaias (DIKKI). /lm/

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[08] Some US$ 300 million to be invested in Durres in 2000

According to specialists, the increase of the working rates will enable operations of Sukth-Durres and Durres-Rrogozhine highway be completed by the end of 2000.

In the meantime, according to the director of the sea port, in 2000 will begin the second phase of the extension of ferries' terminal and operations to construct the big terminal of containers, with a fund worth US$ 100 million provided by several U.S. companies.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has provided a fund worth US$ 30 million for investments. This fund will be utilized to construct the industrial park, where about 10 thousand persons will be employed.

Nearly US$ 17 million are estimated to be private foreign investments in tourism and food industry.

Other investments from the state budget during 2000 will improve infrastructure of Durres district, which ranks second in importance in Albania and will help realize several other projects. /so/

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[09] Fight against land degradation evident also in Albania

According to experts' observations in Albania, there is a partial degradation of the land due to climacteric and human factors. High temperatures, heavy seasonal rains, erosion, destruction of forests risk the spread of this phenomenon.

Although Albania is located far from the torpical areas, these factors have caused that whole areas of land degrade.

For this purpose AKM, as an institution protecting the environment, has participated in several international conferences against land desertification of land. Recently, AKM had a special meeting with foreign experts regarding the actions that should be taken against disturbance of the land's biological balance.

Although there aren't any typical signs of desertification yet, the appearance of typical spots in denatured lands, which have lost the qualities and characteristics of a normal reproductive land, make up an evident risk against which preventive measures should be taken.

Desertification of land in the world extends up to 15-20 km towards the lands far from the tropical zones. Each year about 1,5 billion tons of earth is removed as result of erosion by by rivers, while the creation of 2 mm of land takes no less than two centuries.

The U.N. Convention against land desertification precedes this phenomenon. This convention has been signed by 100 countries of the world. /so/lm/

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[10] Currency exchange-rates in Tirane

Foreign currency exchange-rate versus the Lek

Currency Buying Selling US$ 134 134,5 DM 69 69,3 ITL (1000) 69, 5 69,7 GRD (100) 40,5 40,7

/lm/

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[11] Albanian children unprotected against family violence

Data available from CRCA show that life in the family is not that easy for the children who are faced with problems of their families each day.

In several cases children have committed suicide for the only reason that parents continually quarrel or beat each-other.

But the problem children face more often is physical violence, in emotional or sexual forms.

As regards the emotional violence against children, it is a problem many Albanian families can hardly realize. While sexual abuse against children inside the family, made recently evident in several cases, is punished by Albanian Penal Code, which defines punishments for this penal act.

The phone number (334-08) serving as a psycho-social consultation service with specialists on violence issues, functions in protection of children in Albania. /sm/so/

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[12] WB finances $ 22 million worth of forests and pastures

Thousands of hectares of degraded forests will be regenerated until 2002. Meanwhile, the parameters regarding the way of operation to improve forests through planting saplings, adjustment of forest passages, administration of forests by communes and creation of protected zones, have been defined.

According to current estimations, the general wood capacity is nearly 82,3 million cubic meters, or 10% less than that of 1950.

Experts have concluded that the average annual increase of forests in Albania, despite the relatively favourable environmental conditions, is among the lowest ones in Europe, but the implementation of this project until 2002 is expected to increase not only the areas of saplings but to regenerate thousands of other hectares in the main massifs of the country. /sm/lm/

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[13] Wife takes revenge by killing one of the bandits

The even took part late in Wednesday in the village of Ardenice, district of Lushnje, when two armed persons wearing masks have threatened the citizen Kudret Zoto, owner of a local. After having asked him to give them all the money he had, the robbers opened fire and killed the local's owner.

According to the official sources issued by the Ministry of Public Order which confirmed the news, after the death of her husband the wife of the victim has taken the weapon and shot towards the two robbers killing one of them.

The police carried out quick operations for the investigation of the event and they managed to identify the other robber, Bledin Kuka who fled the spot. The arrest of Kuka, aged 21, was made some hours later after a cooperation of police of Lushnje with that of Fier. /A.A/

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[14] Silva creditors to be compensated by 20% of deposited value

According to the head of Supervising Group on the Transparency of Pyramidal Schemes, Farudin Arapi "The compensation process for the creditors of former pyramidal company "Global Foods" at the beginning by 50% of the deposited value, "Silva" company to 20% of the value, "Universi" by not less than 50% of the deposited value and "Cenaj" and "Kamberi" companies by 12-20% of the deposited value, will be presented to the Government in 2000".

At the moment, there are 12 companies in the compensation scheme of the creditors of Supervising Group on the Transparency of Pyramidal Companies.They are VEFA, Gjallica, Cenaj, Kamberi, M.Leka, Silva, Global & Food, Nanel, Flora Company, Fabiona, Arsid and Univers.

According to Mr.Arapi the total number of the creditors in this compensation scheme for 12 above-mentioned companies is 185 thousand. Meanwhile, the distribution of the money will start in January and it will start with 3630 creditors of "M.Leka" company by 34% of the deposited value equal with 2,7 million dollars, in Saving Banks in Tirana, Vlora and Durres.

The bankrupt of pyramidal schemes in March 1997, where thousands Albanians lost their life savings, caused anarchy in Albania. /linda/

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[15] Some 25 Chinese illegal smugglers halted

She explained that early on Wednesday the police forces in cooperation with the riot police forces have arrested in the village of Velipoje, about 30 kilometers away from the city, 25 Chinese nationals out of whom 19 were males. They had illegally entered Albania from Monte Negro and they aimed to go in Italy. The Chinese citizens were accompanied to Shkoder police commissariat.

Since March of 1997 this zone has become the epicenter of illegal pass of clandestine smugglers tempting to reach to Italian coast and for the arrival of many contraband goods, mainly cigarettes, from Monte Negro. /lh/A.A/

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[16] Italian consulate established in Vlore

Attending the formal ceremony held on this occasion in the consulate compound, were the Parliament Speaker, Skender Gjinushi, Prime Minister Ilir Meta, SP chairman Fatos Nano, Italian Ambassador Mario Bova, deputies, representatives of political parties, etc.

The Albanian Prime Minister cut the inauguration ribbon. The problem of the establishment of the Italian Consulate in Vlore was treated concretely in the meeting between two prime ministers, Meta-D'Alema, on Nov. 10, 1999 in Rome.

Later those present visited the Consulate compound.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paskal Milo and the Italian Ambassador gave a news conference for the reporters present in the ceremony. /xh/

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[17] Albanian Telegraphic Agency commemorates its anniversary - President of Albania Rexhep Meidani attends ceremony -

Present in the ceremony to mark this anniversary were also Albanian President Rexhep Meidani, protagonists of the several- year life of ATA, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps in Tirana, writers, sociologists, etc.

The General Director of ATA, Frrok �upi, spoke in the name of his institution, stressing that "although the date of ATA's creation is not yet fixed in one day, its first elements have emerged together with the first independent state of Albania, as an important part of it." /xh/ (more)

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[18] 4 000 Albanian emigrants return home for Christmas

According to police of Kakavija, "Friday is expected to have the greatest flux of Albanian emigrants coming home."

The number of emigrants returning from Greece has amounted to 4 000. "This number is expected to increase until Saturday," he added.

In the mean time, some hundreds of Albanians have crossed the border point of Kakavija towards Greece to celebrate Christmas there with their relatives. /s.sh/xh/

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