From August, wages for state employees will also rise One kilogram will cost twice as much From August, wages for state employees will also rise The price per kilogram will double FATOS BAXHAKU TIRANA — Starting today, citizens will find new price lists in bread shops. The old prices, which Albanians had become accustomed to since the last increase in January, have been abolished. The government's latest decision to raise the prices of bread and the wheat from which it is made takes effect today. The latest measure, which has prompted considerable discussion, as does anything related to the most widely consumed food product in Albania, has also been accompanied by another piece of news: the government will raise the wages of its employees by 30 percent and pensions by 15 percent in one month, beginning on 1 August. The measure is intended to soften the consequences of this increase. This was announced by the Minister of Labour, Emigration and Political [?] Prisoners, Dashamir Shehi, at a meeting held in Vlora. The positive news has gone almost unnoticed in the face of fears about the latest change. Here are the new bread prices: mass-produced bread made from wheat flour with a 96 percent extraction rate will cost 21.7 lekë per kilogram; bread made from flour with an 85 percent extraction rate will cost 22.9 lekë per kilogram, and then, respectively, flour with an 85 percent extraction rate 24.2 lekë, an 80 percent extraction rate 25.8 lekë, and, finally, the most expensive, bread made from flour with a 75 percent extraction rate will cost 28.7 lekë per kilogram. The prices of wheat used to produce bread in Albanian factories and workshops have also risen accordingly. Starting today, the following wheat prices will apply: flour with a 96 percent extraction rate will cost 22.6 lekë per kilogram, with a 90 percent extraction rate 23.7 lekë, with an 85 percent extraction rate 24.6 lekë, with an 80 percent extraction rate 25.8 lekë, and with a 75 percent extraction rate 29.6 lekë per kilogram. Implementing this government decision presents several practical difficulties, first and foremost: where will the difference between the old and new prices go for the quantities of flour already stockpiled by the many state and private enterprises that produce [?] bread? To avoid any kind of speculation, the government orders that these differences must be paid into the state budget for all quantities supplied by the state and currently held in the warehouses of these enterprises. The new purchase prices for wheat from farming families will also be set on the basis of the new prices for bread and flour. These will be established by separate decisions of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economy. From an administrative standpoint, everything has been provided for. What remains to be seen is how the increase in bread prices will affect the economic situation of Albanian families in practice. together with the girl, had withdrawn to a separate room. 90 percent will cost 22.9 lek per kilogram, then at 85 percent extraction 24.6 lek, and at 80 percent extraction 25.8 lek; and, more expensively, bread made with flour at 75 percent extraction will cost 28.7 lek per kilogram. percent will cost 22.6 lek per kilogram, at 90 percent extraction 23.7 lek, at 85 percent extraction 24.6 lek, at 80 percent extraction 25.8 lek, and at 75 percent extraction 29.6 lek per kilogram. The implementation of this Government decision causes some difficulties. A long queue to buy bread

A girl jumps from an apartment building: they tried to assault her TIRANA (Ed.La.) — An 18-year-old girl jumped from the window of the third floor of an apartment building in Tirana as she tried to escape forced sexual intercourse. The girl, S. S., is now in hospital, but is out of danger. According to the initial investigation by Police District 3, the person who forced the girl into this extreme act, L. K., 30, is still being sought by the authorities. More than 15 high-school boys and girls had gathered in an apartment building on “Myslym Shyri” Street, at the home of a young man who had just finished Jordan Misja Lyceum, and had improvised a “disco.” After they had spent four hours in this setting, the neighbors—who had seen the half-dressed girl fall from the window—immediately notified the fire brigade, which managed to get her out of the separate room. L. K. was also absent there, who, a few minutes earlier,

The ambassador in Greece is immediately summoned to Tirana Berisha: “It is a Greek pretext that raises tensions in favor of the Serbs” The ambassador in Greece is immediately summoned to Tirana Athens: “We will expel all 200,000 Albanians” Berisha: “It is a Greek pretext that raises tensions in favor of the Serbs” TIRANA — (p. re.) Relations between Greece and Albania continue to deteriorate. Yesterday evening, Greek government spokesman Vasilis Maginas declared that “All 200,000 Albanians who immigrated illegally to Greece will be expelled.” The grave statement contradicts what Greek Prime Minister Konstandin Micotakis said in May, when he had promised to legalize the status of all Albanian refugees. Greek police said that since Saturday—the start of the campaign—they have already apprehended 12,500 Albanians. They are forcibly loaded onto buses and taken to the border. Tirana reacted immediately. The Albanian ambassador in Athens, Cabei, was called back to his homeland “for consultations.” On Monday, this ambassador had witnessed the protest demonstration held outside the Albanian diplomatic mission “without intervention by the Greek police.” President Sali Berisha also intervened on this issue. Following the diplomatic note sent to the UN, in which he described the expulsions as “a grave violation of human rights,” he directly accused the Greek government of seeking “to artificially create a pretext for a conflict with Albania, on the one hand to help the Serbs Milosheviç and Karaxhiç, and on the other to make up for the diplomatic loss over the Macedonia issue.” The President Berisha also stated that “Greek politicians are prey to pre-election fever, which pushes them to win easy votes by inflaming nationalism.” Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi also lodged a strong protest over the incidents outside the embassy in Athens: “The Albanian government,” Serreqi said, “will know how to defend the rights of its citizens by force and with the appropriate means, and will not allow anyone to play games with them.” The Greek Foreign Minister denied Berisha's accusations regarding the Greek protests over the expulsion of the cleric. Relations between the two countries suddenly deteriorated last Friday, when Albania expelled from its territory the Greek priest Chrysostomos Maidoni, whom the Albanian authorities accused of anti-Albanian propaganda. The expulsion of the Orthodox priest prompted immediate protests from Athens. The Orthodox Archbishop of Tirana, Anastas Janullatos, also intervened on the matter with an appeal to all the competent authorities at home and abroad “not to allow false or one-sided information, or extremism, to increase confusion.” He called for a return to truth and justice “through clear and serious dialogue among the responsible and competent authorities.” A demonstration by Albanians in Greece

Assistance from the European Community for Albanian agriculture continues. After funding projects, organizing seminars and providing other forms of assistance, this time a group of French agricultural experts has come to Albania. The experts, who are part of a mission from the French Ministry of Agriculture, have spent the past few days in the southeastern region, near Korçë. They visited many agricultural centers. The French experts offered Albanian specialists short training courses in Albania and France, particularly in the field of livestock farming.

The “Ilios” store is struggling with high rent and the banking system TIRANA — (“Fa.Ba.”) “Ilios Supermarket,” the first supermarket opened in Tirana, is facing serious financial difficulties. The news comes from the principal Greek partner in the joint venture that runs the capital's well-known store, Ernetos Stavropulos. Opened a few weeks ago in Tirana, just a few meters from the central “Skënderbej” Square, Ilios supermarket quickly became an object of curiosity for the citizens of Tirana. Christmas had finally arrived in Albania, along with one of the most obvious symbols of Western consumerism. But only a few weeks after the store opened, its foreign co-owner is making serious complaints. Very high rent and the lack of banking facilities: these are the main reasons which, according to the Greek entrepreneur, put Ilios's future at risk. “Rent of 3,600 dollars a month is a lot even for us in Greece,” says Stavropulos, “and besides that, I also have to pay a lot to store the food in refrigerators owned by state enterprises.” The state of the Albanian banking system is another obstacle encountered by the supermarket's business. The inability of Albanian banks to convert lekë into foreign currency and the considerable delays in processing transfers for companies abroad are what worry Stavropulos most, although he has decided to persevere. “The country is going through a phase of regeneration, and we hope things will improve in the coming months. Doing business in Albania today means taking a lot of risks, but there are signs that encourage us,” added the Greek entrepreneur. A grocery store in Tirana

LAÇ — Over ownership of the land and house, Sinan Meta from Shënmëria kills his brother and seriously wounds his father. The 35-year-old Sinan, according to police sources, fired a gun at his relatives. According to the same sources, his wounded father, Sabri Meta, 84, had been sentenced to death twice in his lifetime for the crime of murder. Although this has nothing to do with the latest incident, local authorities emphasize that the issue of land ownership “is becoming an ever greater concern.” It has not yet been made known whether the perpetrator has been apprehended by the police. It is only noted that the investigation is continuing.

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Kujtim Deliallisi arrested in Brindisi; the animals are saved BRINDISI — He intended to traffic in land tortoises, knowing how passionate the people of Salento are about this species, but seems to have forgotten that it was a special animal protected by law. For this reason, when he disembarked from the ferry arriving from Durrës, he was stopped with two hundred specimens and reported to the judicial authorities for violating Italian laws in this field. Thus the adventure of 28-year-old Kujtim Deliallisi, originally from Durrës but resident in Casarano, ended badly. He had just disembarked from a “Mjat Regata” bearing license plate LE 467416 and was undergoing a routine border check. But the employees of the maritime health service, led by Antonio Ascano, commander of the station in Brindisi of the Coast Guard, and by Dr. Marcello Agrifani, coordinator of the fish-sector inspectorate, did not overlook the five tortoises—three crammed into the car and two in the trunk—which were moving around. When the sacks’ ties were undone, quite a few medium-sized and small specimens of this species, protected by the Washington Convention, began to walk along at their usual slow pace. The Albanian man was therefore charged with violating the regulations in this sector (set out in Law No. 150/92), and the animals were seized pending the court’s decision. On Monday morning the tortoises were due to be taken to a wildlife reserve, but they will be transferred to a special centre in Alberobello. There, the tortoises—since they are a species similar to the one found there, and are smaller in size—will be quarantined and undergo all the necessary checks to establish whether various bacteria are present in their bodies. Once this thorough examination has been completed, the specimens will probably be transferred to the “Land of Eagles.” slowly.

ALBANIA EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR CLINTON'S ATTACK ON SADDAM — A statement from the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses solidarity with the latest American attack against Iraq. “It is an action directed against state terrorism, an action that is in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter on self-defense.” The statement emphasizes that the Albanian government will continue to show solidarity with any action that condemns and punishes aggressors and is directed against expansionist policies. A NATO DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TIRANA — A NATO delegation led by Admiral Xherald Makjëll Border, Commander of the Southern Command, arrived in Tirana for official talks. The delegation met with the Albanian Minister of Defense, Safet Zhulali, who also explained Albania's position in greater detail regarding the recent incidents arising in connection with the situation in Greece. For his part, the senior NATO officer expressed satisfaction with the role played by the Albanian naval forces in maintaining sanctions against the former Yugoslavia and proposed several concrete ways to increase bilateral cooperation. IN KRUJË AND LEZHË, DIESEL FUEL MIXED WITH HEATING OIL IS BEING SOLD — According to employees at many distribution outlets in Krujë, Lezhë and Milot, fuel mixed with heating oil has been sold at many fuel stations in these areas. Fuel distributors in Lezhë say the mixing was carried out at the Lezhë Fuel Enterprise. Many other distributors confirmed the same thing.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SELL? DO YOU WANT TO BUY ANYTHING? I AM SELLING a German “IFA” tricycle in good working condition. Interested parties should inquire at: Seit Shabani, Skënderbeg neighbourhood, “D. Matlia” street, Shkodër (civil hospital, P.O. Box 1073). condition. Interested parties may (civil hospital, P.O. Box 1073). WE ARE LOOKING TO BUY LAND. We are an Italian company and are looking to buy at least one hectare of land from a private individual, near the sea. You can call us at 24710. company a private Albanian individual, located by the sea. You can call us at 24710. I AM SELLING a television set, Soviet-made, from the early 1960s. Interested parties should call Ardian Cas[?]lli at 32466. I AM SELLING a television set, made in the early 1960s. Interested parties can call Ardian Cas[?]lli at 32466. A VILLA IS FOR RENT in the village of Markat, 20 kilometres from Tirana. The villa has twelve rooms and, together with its courtyard, covers an area of 2,500 square metres. Owner: Blendi Toptani, Qemal Stafa street, building 18/1, apt. 1, Tirana, tel. 32660, 33627.