TIRANA — How should we act when we meet someone who is HIV-positive? First of all, we should shake their hand. Not only as a matter of good manners, and because there is no risk of infection in this gesture, but because an HIV-positive person—and everyone exposed to the risk of an illness—needs help and solidarity. When, on Tuesday evening during the television program about AIDS, a woman called asking how it was possible that HIV-positive people were “still free,” the full extent of people’s fear was laid bare. People are afraid of being infected and, not knowing how to avoid it, risk slipping into discrimination. The same thing happened in Western Europe during the first years of the AIDS alarm, when, instead of studying ways to treat the disease, efforts were made to isolate HIV-positive patients. Later, with time, it became clear—and the doctor who spoke on television last night explained it plainly—that isolation is not a measure for preventing the disease, and that it cannot be treated in this way. There is no worse illness than AIDS—which, in fact, is the only great one that can be preve…[?] or, rather, the spread of its virus can be pre-vented through broad and accurate information. And in this regard we should understand the efforts being made by the Ministry of Health and state television at this time. Isolating HIV-positive people is useless; what must be known is what should be done and how to act to avoid infection. That is why we must talk to everyone about AIDS, because we all have the right to know and understand. Only in this way can the virus—yes, that one—be isolated. And only in this way, when we meet someone who is HIV-positive, can we offer and shake their hand without fear and give them a smile. To help them, and to help ourselves.

From 1988 through 1991 Italians and Greeks sold 77,000 quintals of tobacco CARLO BOLLINO TIRANA — Italians and Greeks sold tobacco to Albania and thus deceived the European Community. This fraud took place between 1988 and 1991, was uncovered today, and cost the EC more than 10 million dollars. The European Parliament has opened an investigation into the affair: the Minister of Foreign Trade, Artan Hoxha, has promised to disclose the names of the European officials responsible for this major fraud. An investigative committee of the European Parliament is expected to arrive in Tirana in the coming weeks. Sources in the Community Assembly in Brussels have confirmed the frauds, which were carried out during the period when responsibility for tobacco revenues in the European Commission lay with Antonio Quattraro, an Italian official in Europe who died just three months after an internal investigation into his activities was opened. From 1988 to 1991, 58,000 tons of Italian tobacco and 19,000 tons of poor-quality Greek tobacco were “exported” to Albania in order to receive the payments provided by the European Community for tobacco producers and exporters. The tobacco, which certainly could not be used to manufacture cigarettes, was buried or burned by the Albanian “buyers.” The locations chosen for this operation were near the ports of Durrës and Vlorë and in the fields of Elbasan. All Albanians still remember those bales of tobacco being pushed along the roads, and no one was able to explain where they came from. One of the many secret mysteries of the communist regime. Now that light is finally being shed on Albania’s past, the question is how much of the 10 million dollars defrauded from the European Communities was deposited in the accounts of Albanian government officials of the time by the Italian and Greek producers. Sources in the European Parliament also confirmed yesterday the report that a second investigation may be opened into the export of Italian tobacco, which during that period was sent to post-communist European countries and to the Third World (100 million tons by 1990 alone). According to the Swiss newspaper “Journal De Geneve,” which has conducted an in-depth investigation into this theory, fraud in the European Community’s budget may already amount to 10 percent (around 7 billion dollars) of the Community’s annual budget. To fight corruption within the European Community, the EC’s executive secretary-general, the Englishman David Williamson, has proposed that European officials suspected of corruption be automatically reported to the courts in their own countries.

DURRËS — This photograph, taken just a few metres from where many holidaymakers have set up their umbrellas, was taken at the new beach of Shkëmbi i Kavajës, near Durrës. It shows another problem becoming increasingly evident on most of our beaches: environmental pollution. A longstanding problem in countries that began developing their tourism industry some time ago, it emerged alongside the “explosion” in the consumption of soft drinks packaged in aluminium cans. Albanian beaches still lack the necessary facilities to deal with this new problem. The beach where this photograph was taken has many kiosks, which are quite useful to holidaymakers, but no designated place for disposing of rubbish.

The “Dinamo” Stadium will be called “Stërmasi” TIRANA — (Fa.Ba). The names of many schools in the capital will also be changed. The decision was made by the Tirana Municipal Council, which approved a proposal submitted by the Municipality’s Cultural Section. Ten eight-year schools, three secondary schools, and the children’s home will henceforth have different names. Schools in Tirana, like all schools everywhere in Albania, have until now mostly borne names associated with “the years of the Party era.” The Municipality has now decided to name them after personalities whose stature has stood the test of time. There will be no schools named after dates. Here are some of the changes: 20th Anniversary will be called Dora D’Istria, Ali Kondo will be renamed Pjetër Budi, and Red Star will become Ahmet Gashi. The technical secondary school (until now the 7 November Polytechnic) will take the name of its well-known founder, Harry Fultz. The Children’s Home will also be renamed. Until now it bore the name of the dates of the founding of the PKSH; from today it will be called Zyber Hallulli. Two secondary schools will be named after well-known Albanians. Karl Gega and Eqerem Çabej will be the names of the construction secondary school and the “Qibrie Çiu” secondary school, respectively. One of the sports venues best known to the capital’s fans will not be left out of the changes either. Tirana’s second stadium, until now called Dinamo, following a tradition familiar from the former communist countries, will take the name of a well-known Tirana athlete, Selman Stërmasi.

A citizen from Vlora is looking for the unknown author FATOS BAXHAKU TIRANA — It is a story that will remind many people of childhood books with exotic landscapes and pirate adventures. It is the story of a bottle thrown into the Albanian sea, near Vlora, with a message that has come from far away, from Germany. A citizen from Vlora, Myrteza Kadria, writes to the “Gazeta” in a letter: “A few days ago I found a bottle in the sea,” Kadria says, and continues, “it was completely sealed and aroused my curiosity. Then I opened it a little, under [unclear], and found a letter on which an address was written: Sillona Triantafillidi, 4000 Mönchengladbach 1, Wildenberger Allee 82, W. Germany. I sent a letter some time ago, but received a reply saying that the person no longer lives at this address. I am hoping for your help in getting in touch with this person.” Kadria’s letter tells us only a few things about the enigmatic figure. Apparently, she was Greek and in her homeland. As for the address, the letter was evidently written before the Berlin Wall came down; this is made clear by the way the end of the address is written: West Germany. At that time, East Germany still existed. It is also not known why the Greek woman threw the letter into the sea. Was it during the summer, or did she want to recall a childhood dream? The important thing is the message stirred up by this whole story. There is a citizen who has set out in search of a Greek woman in Germany. He is looking simply to make her acquaintance, to see what the person is like whose letter he found under such unusual circumstances. Perhaps someone will remember to help him. His address in Vlora is very simple: Myrteza Kadria, Ndërmarrja e Kripës në Vlorë.

BELGRADE — Serbia will never grant the status recommended by the European Community to the province of Kosovo, whose population is 90% ethnic Albanian. The head of the province, the Serb Milos Simoviç, said: “We will settle accounts with the Albanians of Kosovo who want to unite Kosovo with Albania, who want independence, and with those seeking special autonomous status for Kosovo.” At a meeting held on 22 June in Washington, the foreign ministers of Spain, France, Great Britain, Russia and the United States had urged Yugoslavia to grant Kosovo the same autonomy that the Serbs of Krajina in Croatia had demanded. No official reactions are yet known from international organizations to the latest political statements made by the Serbian authorities, whose harshness—specifically on the question of ethnicity—has inflamed tensions in the Balkans.

TRIBUTES TO PROFESSOR ALEKS BUDA — Yesterday at 10 a.m., tributes were paid to Professor Aleks Buda in the hall of the Albanian Academy of Sciences; he had been laid to rest the previous day. Buda, for a long time President of the Academy of Sciences, was born on 16 April 1911 in Elbasan. After completing secondary and higher education in Austria, he made contributions to medieval history, the ethnogenesis of our people, and a range of other studies. TRAINING IN GREECE FOR THE GREEK-MINORITY TEACHERS OF SARANDA — The teachers from the Greek minority in Saranda are setting out for Athens to take part in a one-month training course on teaching the Greek language in the lower and upper grades of the eight-year school. This extensive, long-term course is the first of its kind, following earlier short courses held in small groups. ANOTHER CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST THE BROTHERS OF THE “KOCI” FIRM — The criminal proceedings brought against the “Koçi” firm have been joined by a criminal complaint from 14 citizens, who claim—and possess documents showing—that Skënder Koçi took 233,000 dollars from them, promising repayment with 16 percent interest. According to them, this money, together with the interest, was to be repaid by 30 June 1993, but Skënder Koçi has now left for an unknown destination and is being sought by the Albanian police. The prosecution is continuing its investigation. FINES AND SEIZURES BY THE LUSHNJA FINANCIAL POLICE AGAINST COMBINE OPERATORS — Inspections by the Lushnja Financial Police in several areas of the district found that combine operators, taking advantage of private farmers’ wish to harvest their wheat and sell it as quickly as possible, were violating the set rates and charging more lekë per hectare. Various fines were imposed in 13 recorded cases, while in another case a combine harvester was seized; it was seized.

TIRANA — After a year’s interruption, during which Albanian clubs were barred from the European Cups, UEFA has announced that “Partizani” and “Albetrol” may take part in the European Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup. The announcement was made after UEFA published the blacklist of teams participating in the European Cups for the 1993-94 football season. It was also decided that Albanian teams would be allowed to play their matches on home grounds. A year ago, UEFA had decided not to allow matches to be played in Albania because of instability, a decision that the Albanian authorities did not welcome, considering it “the consequence of deliberate misinformation.” The draw will be held in Switzerland next Wednesday, 14 July.

Schools in Tirana change their names

Conflicts in the world’s hot spots A “powerful” U2 concert in Rome A rocket at the 7th Fuguive meeting in Tokyo Life improves in Third World countries

Everyone dreams when they sleep. This is an entirely normal fact, except that sometimes these dreams are so beautiful or so terrible that they leave you amazed and puzzled when you wake up. But dreams can also be “warning” dreams, that is, they may contain a warning about what could happen in the future. Every week “Gazeta Shqiptare” offers its readers explanations and meanings for the objects and situations most frequently dreamed about. SALT — Psychological interpretation: A dual symbol for this mineral, known among all peoples for its ability to give food flavor. In a positive sense, it symbolizes hospitality, friendship, and well-being. Dreaming of salting food too much corresponds to our unconscious desire to give more flavor to our existence. In a negative sense, salt represents sterility and nervousness. Spilling salt symbolizes the will to ruin something or some situation, precisely to be against it; after destroying a city, people used to scatter salt over the ruins to wipe it out forever and prevent the possibility of revival. Predictions: Tradition warns against spilled salt because it brings bad luck; likewise, dreaming that you see or spill salt is a warning of misfortunes, while salt is an omen of difficulties. CLIMBING — Psychological interpretation: Movement upwards shows that we feel driven towards improvement, towards realizing our plans and ambitions. To assess the meaning of this dream, it is necessary to remember what we felt while doing this. Climbing with difficulty indicates trouble achieving our goals: we feel unprepared to pursue our plans. If, on the contrary, we move with ease, it shows that we are well motivated and confident as we head towards our objective. Predictions: The act of climbing foretells exertion. BLOOD — Psychological interpretation: Once again, a dual symbol. Blood represents hatred, anger, a blind and mad passion, as well as energy, [unclear], and sexual pleasures. Predictions: Blood foretells success and gains, but if we are in a period when we lose it in large quantities, then we must beware of illness. Blood on the ground: foretells mourning. COCKROACH — Psychological interpretation: The appearance of this insect in our dreams is always connected with anxiety, worry, and bad premonitions; in most cases it reflects the dreamer’s pessimistic weariness concerning the future. Predictions: As one can understand, this dream does not suggest optimism: rivalry, deception, and misfortune.