P. 5

They gave rise to crime P. 5

A pact does not mean governing together P. 5

P. 9

By Aleksandër GARULI It is not the first time that our government officials, after meetings with their Greek counterparts, have expressed enthusiasm about the results of these meetings. Only a few days have had to pass, and often this enthusiasm has turned to disappointment. Several times, senior representatives of the Greek state have promised in Tirana goodwill in the treatment and legalisation of our emigrants; at the same time, the most high-profile promises have been made to our government officials in Athens, but, strangely, the opposite has happened. Mistreatment, violence and Greek contempt directed at our young men in Greece have increased. In this context, we would like to believe the promises of the Greek Minister of Defence, Xoaxhopulos. But are we right to believe him?! Could it be that our government officials are so naïve in their trust, or does their servility toward the Greeks impose this naivety on them? There is no way the Greeks could wish for Albania’s strengthening and development when, at the most difficult moment for our nation, they sided with Milosheviç. It is difficult to believe that in only two or three months their pro-Serb and anti-Albanian stance has changed radically. At the same time, it is striking how quickly our government officials have forgotten this Greek stance. Everyone would wish for good and sincere relations with their neighbours; such relations are not established through verbal statements, but through concrete actions. And if you judge by these actions, you see the Greeks’ anti-Albanianism, which is being expressed more than anywhere else toward our emigrants. The falsity of the Greek state is clearly apparent in Minister Xoaxhopulos’s statements. These statements speak of a sweet future to conceal a bitter reality. We will pass a law... We will pass a law... We will legalise the emigrants..., we will... and we will... endlessly. These “we will” promises have been repeated for years and have never been fulfilled. Meanwhile, the Greeks know how to be “concrete” about certain things. They approved 1.2 billion drachmas to completely reconstruct the military base in Durrës. We do indeed need this kind of investment, but its strategic aspect should make us cautious. This brings to mind, more or less, the people’s wise saying, “The wolf’s legs hang on the fence.” As for the food-related concessions, at least formally, Parliament should decide. The political and economic restructuring of the Balkans will certainly bring a new era in Albanian-Greek relations, but until then we must proceed carefully in this relationship. The hostility the Greeks show toward us should not be answered with servility. We do not protect our emigrants by remaining silent about the violence inflicted on them, but by denouncing the Greek government before international institutions.

[Drawing: a figure wearing a cloak bearing the words “ANTI-ALBANIANISM”, holding a stick over a broom; below, small figures running. Signature: C. [?] M. [?]] The American strategy for institutionalisation, the National Question and the fight against crime P. 3

P. 5

Speaking: Mediu, Islami, Ceka, Jupe P. 5

They refused to declare their assets P. 2

556 million lekë lost P. 8

P. 11-12

P. 1