Xhanfranko Fini, leader of Italy’s “National Alliance,” begins his two-day visit today Xh. Fini, President of the National Alliance, arrives in Tirana today for a two-day visit. In addition to meeting representatives of the PR and the PD, he will also meet the highest authorities of the Albanian state. Xh. Fini, President of the National Alliance, arrives in Tirana today for a two-day visit. In addition to meeting representatives of the Republican Party (PR) and the Democratic Party (PD), he will also meet the highest authorities of the Albanian state. One of the leading figures in Italian politics today, Fini is known to Albanians as the most prominent representative of the Right and as a participant in the Berlusconi government coalition, which fell after Umberto Bossi’s Northern League left it. In Italy, Fini is regarded as having consolidated the position of the Social Movement Party and modernized it, going as far as changing its name to National Alliance at the party’s most recent congress. …A meeting with President Berisha has been scheduled for the Italian right-wing leader, as well as with Prime Minister Meksi and the Foreign Minister … …the assessment generally made of Italian politics in Albania. Fini and his former ally, Berlusconi, are expected to be favored in the upcoming elections, which are thought to be held before June, coinciding with the elections in Albania. The standing of the Right in Italy also seems to be rising because of the troubles of the Democratic Party of the Left, the former Communists, following reports that the left-wing leader, Massimo D’Alema, was involved in a financial scandal. Fini’s meeting with the leaders of the PR further consolidates cooperation between the Italian and Albanian right-wing parties, which expect to win their respective upcoming parliamentary elections. This afternoon Fini will meet with the PR leaders at the PR headquarters, and tomorrow morning he will have a …

Today, at 19:00, a major charity concert against the aftermath of the floods will be held at the Palace of Congresses. Around 40 folk groups, featuring their finest performances as presented on the stage of the Berat Festival, will fill the Palace of Congresses’ main auditorium. Seventy percent of the proceeds from ticket sales, with each ticket costing 1,000, will go to charity for those affected by the floods of September 11–20 across Albania. Thus “Fest-Folklori 95” becomes a celebration that will help those affected. “This is the first time in Albania that a national event has taken on this character. According to the discussion… discussion with the inspectors of the Ministry of Culture, this festival reaches its peak with today’s concert, because the international practice of major music figures is becoming a reality in Albania too.” B. Përmeti I am in favor of constitutional protection for human rights. From now on, I want every violation of human rights to be carefully recorded by socialist representatives. No Albanian political force has supported the return of the former Communists to power, with the exception of the Reconstructed Socialist Party. Now, along with milk, anti-great-America leaflets will also be distributed in some places. If we want to take the proper steps toward normalizing relations with our neighbors, and especially with Serbia, the Socialists can play a useful role—first and last, all at once. The speedboats that until yesterday made the trip to Greece and Italy will, after the recent rains, start appearing in the main cities of Albania; in the villages, inner tubes will be used. With all that rain, how come not a single spy drowned, I wonder! The Association of State Security collaborators will soon appeal to the Hague court to restore its trampled honor. Down with those who denounce State Security collaborators! Long live the collaborators!

Yesterday, the Council of Ministers approved the use of 120 million lekë from its reserve fund to cover the damage caused recently by landslides, for the reconstruction and building of damaged roads, drainage channels and bridges, as well as other damage to the water and electricity distribution networks, etc. In implementation of the national action plan for the environment, a decision was approved setting out the duties of ministries and institutions and the legal and physical measures for monitoring and controlling the environment. As part of the privatization of state capital in joint enterprises, the sale of the state’s capital share in “Albitol” Sh.p.k. Tirana was approved. In implementation of the Law on Investment Funds, the establishment of the Supervisory Committee of Investment Funds was approved. At yesterday’s government meeting, two draft laws were considered: amendments to the “Customs Code” and to the law “On Weapons.” They aim to support measures to restructure the customs authorities, including the Customs Police in this system, and to intensify customs-control efforts for carriers of imported goods. These amendments also aim to improve procedures for checking settled customs liabilities and to reduce the payment of these duties. Luan Lazimi has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defense. He was born on 3.1.1949, completed his studies with very good results at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, in the Mathematics department, held various positions in education and, most recently, served as Inspector General at the Ministry of Defense.

For ’95, 11,000 more Albanian emigrants have been returned from Greece than in ’94 Since September 20, our border crossing points on the Greek border have been receiving, at an intense pace, waves of refugees returned by the Greek police and ASFALIA. According to a communiqué from the Albanian Ministry of the Interior, 820 emigrants were returned on 20.09.1995 alone, of whom 350 were at Kapshticë and 470 at Kakavijë. This rate of returns continued on the following days as well. The Greek government’s operation has also been accompanied by ill-treatment. In fact, the Greek police broke the leg of 17-year-old Viktor Kucaj from Lezhë, while the fingers of 20-year-old Selim Duro from Skrapar were broken. Unlike the Greek police’s policy over the past five years, this year’s waves of returns have not been noisy, but have involved more than 500 emigrants every day. Thus, these returns, which have escaped media attention and international awareness-raising, have been greater in number than the “S. Kupa” operation itself in August and September 1994. It is striking that Albanian-Greek relations have been covered with a façade of understanding, but behind it lie many problems, particularly the problem of emigrants. Continued on p. 4

“This meeting is a mass protest against the PD neocommunists, against the demagoguery of the Land Law, against widespread corruption, against the Communists’ intrigues with the neocommunists.” This is how Mr. Kalakula described the meeting of supporters of the Right Democratic Party (PDD), held on Sunday at 12 noon in the hall of the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana. He and Mr. Aranit Kokobobo, secretary of this party, who opened the meeting with his speech, spoke in harsh tones against the government and the President of the Republic. According to Mr. Kokobobo, the state in Albania today means people in power who want to get rich; therefore, one can say that, in practice, there is no state. Both leaders of the PDD described the possibility of a return as a tragedy