Priority for traders’ visas Ambassador Foresti says: “Food aid is no longer needed” CARLO BOLLINO TIRANA — “Food aid is no longer needed today. Albania needs something else altogether.” From emergency relief to cooperation for development: Italian-Albanian relations are shifting gears and changing their role. “The country's economic situation is showing clear signs of recovery,” confirms the Italian ambassador in Tirana, Paolo Foresti, “and so, in agreement with the European Community, we have concluded that economic aid is now something unnecessary and, except in wholly exceptional cases, we have discontinued it.” What factors did you take into account before making this decision? “First of all, the agricultural harvests: crop production has risen considerably. Wheat production has increased by as much as 50 percent. Under these circumstances, outside food aid could even be harmful. Besides agriculture and the food-processing industry, trade has also developed considerably in Albania, above all thanks to income sent by emigrants. The situation therefore seems to me to warrant a change in aid policy.” What will the new measures be? “We intend to transform food aid into a form of cooperation for development. Our initiatives have already begun in the electricity sector (work which, after Tirana, will also extend to Durrës and Shkodër), water supply, rail transport, health care, food and agricultural production, and assistance to small and medium-sized businesses. We are also setting in motion the project to supply heating equipment; deliveries began last spring and have encountered some obstacles.” Is it true that you have launched a special initiative for villages in the northern mountains as well? “Yes, and it is a very interesting initiative. For the moment, we have started with the small village of Bricë. It is a remarkable story: one day a delegation led by the village elder came to the embassy and presented us with a list of requests. In practice, they were asking for help to get through the winter as well as possible. They need everything there, so we are sending various supplies to carry out small construction projects and install water tanks. The initiative will be extended to other villages too.” Are there any projects in the field of culture? “Certainly. In fact, I consider this sector a major priority. I am very interested in the university community, where there is a very good technical and scientific education, while there are shortcomings in the humanities. On the other hand, demand for Italian culture is very high, and so we are trying to respond to Albanians’ needs while respecting their identity. Among other things, we are starting an Italian-language course on television and, beginning next year, will organize seminars at universities led by distinguished Italian lecturers selected by the Albanian authorities themselves. This is a young country, whose people are finally beginning to show affection for their homeland. By helping them, we make small contributions and provide too.” What about Italy? “Unfortunately, the difficulties are linked to the large number of requests we receive. Every month we issue at least 1,000 entry visas. We are now studying new systems to shorten waiting times. For example, business visas, and those for business and medical reasons, will take priority over other visas; soon, Albanians holding service passports may be able to travel to Italy without needing a visa. The only ones who will still have to be patient will be Albanian citizens applying for visas for tourism. But we will do everything possible to accommodate them too.” Italian Ambassador in Tirana Paolo Foresti (Photo Gani Xhengo)

THE AID SCANDAL / The former official’s defense The former Deputy Foreign Minister is accused of abuse of office and misuse. His name appears in the Çela report TIRANA — (fa.ba) — The list of former officials arrested over the Italian aid scandal is growing. Following the high-profile arrest of former Prime Minister Fatos Nano and two former senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, this time Sokrat Plaka, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nano's first government, has ended up in Tirana prison. Plaka's arrest was ordered on Friday by the Tirana Prosecutor's Office, which is conducting the investigation into the abuses involving the aid. According to official sources, the charge is the same as that against the other arrested individuals: “abuse of office and misuse of Italian humanitarian aid.” The Deputy Minister's name was among those of former government officials accused and mentioned in the report of the Control Commission, in connection with one of the most important questions in this scandal: why did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal with this matter, which was not normally within its remit? As a rule, this activity should have been handled by the Ministry of Foreign Trade, which was not what happened. But it is precisely here that one of the most delicate aspects of the investigation arises: what role did Fatos Nano play, and what was the position of former President Alia? This is an aspect of the affair that Plaka may be able to clarify. During the confrontations conducted by the inspection body, he always defended himself by repeating that the order to deal with this matter had come from his superior. Sokrat Plaka stated that the purchase prices of many food products had also seemed very high to him compared with the market prices at the time. Then, in response to the Commission's questions, Plaka had said: “All these goods were specified by the Italian side and confirmed by important people, former Albanian government officials. In fact, they asked us to hurry with our replies. I received orders to do this from former Prime Minister Nano and former Foreign Minister Malle. We were sent specific forms already prepared for the replies we were to give according to the wishes of the Italian Embassy, and we merely signed them as a formality.” It is not known how Nano might respond to this point, especially since his questioning has not yet begun. Meanwhile, responsibility also rests with former minister Malle, who is mentioned in the “Çela report”: “I received an order from former President Alia. He told me over the phone that the food aid would be transported by ‘Illyria Holding’ and ‘Levant Co’.”

New scholarships for Albanians

Decisive hours for Bosnia

The camp will be near Peqin

FIER, 18 MILLION SUBSTANDARD CHOCOLATES DESTROYED — Following an operation carried out jointly by the Financial Police and the Fier Hygiene Directorate, a very large quantity of chocolates was seized and sent for destruction: 18 million pieces of Turkish production. All were found to be expired during the inspection. IN KORÇË: GOODS WORTH 480 MILLION LEK SOLD BY LIGHT INDUSTRY — In the first six months of this year alone, the light-industry factories of Korçë invoiced 450 million lek from the sale of their products. The Tricotage Enterprise, the Sugar Combine and the NPV had the highest revenues. ALBANIA HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION — based in Brussels (IOM). Founded in 1951, this organization aims to address migration issues comprehensively, the migration of seasonal workers, as well as assistance and training for migrant workers. The IOM has 46 member countries. COMMANDER OF THE PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN MACEDONIA: “IF WAR BREAKS OUT IN THE SOUTH, IT WILL BE WORSE THAN IN BOSNIA” — The commander of the peacekeeping troops in Macedonia, General Thompson, expressed concern about the risk of the Balkan conflict spreading south. “If the war spreads south,” he told journalists at a press conference in Tirana, “we will have a war worse than the one in Bosnia.” According to Thompson, sending peacekeeping troops to Macedonia is the best way to prevent the conflict from escalating, adding that this mission is a warning to the Serbs. The military mission in the former Yugoslav republic comprises more than 1,000 personnel. Most of the soldiers, around 600, are from Scandinavian countries. The remainder belong to the American contingent. The American general expressed satisfaction with the cooperation and understanding he found on the part of the Albanian authorities.

TROPOJE — Another serious incident has been confirmed near the northern Albanian border. On Thursday night, near the village of Lugu i Zi, a Serbian border patrol opened fire with automatic weapons, seriously wounding an Albanian border guard, Ali Shehu, 18, who was left unconscious. According to Albanian sources, the Serbian patrol had advanced 60 meters into Albanian territory. A local young man, Xhavit Ferraj, 25, who hurried to his aid, was wounded by a volley of shots coming from the same direction. The seriously wounded soldier was rushed to the Military Hospital in Tirana. The young villager is in better condition.

New scholarships for Albanians TIRANA — Scholarships to study in Italy are available for Albanians intending to specialize in the tourism–hotel sector. The initiative is sponsored by Regione Abruzzo and the Development Cooperation Office of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two-year course gives participants the opportunity to obtain a qualification certificate (recognized in Italy) as an assistant cook and assistant waiter. In addition to the scholarship, Albanian students are provided with lodging and meals, textbooks and books, stationery, and a contribution toward the cost of various equipment. Registration is free, while travel expenses are the responsibility of the participants. Young Albanians aged 18 to 25, with a good knowledge of Italian and at least a secondary-school diploma, may take part in the selection process. The application to participate—which must be sent by August 31, with a return-receipt form—must be accompanied by a photocopy of the passport, a certificate of good health, the diploma, a certificate from the workplace (for those in employment), and two passport photographs. The application should be sent to: Ufficio Cooperazione Allo Sviluppo, at the Italian Embassy in Tirana.

The camp will be near Peqin TIRANA — Albania is ready to receive refugees from Bosnia, which is engulfed in the flames of war. However, this will happen for a limited period and only for a limited number of people. Soon around 5,000 people will be settled in a refugee camp near Peqin, according to sources at the Presidency. The agreement, which had been planned for some time, was reached after Minister Serre met with the diplomat from the Bosnian mission in Tirana. At this meeting, Sarajevo’s chargé d’affaires, Muharrem Zejnul-lah, complained that many refugees who had been taken in in Croatia “are being used as a shield on the front line,” and requested that a certain number of Bosnians be accepted. This issue had also been discussed at several other meetings between the Albanian authorities, including President Berisha, and representatives of the Bosnian Republic. The promise had been made some time ago, but concrete steps were taken only now. According to Egerem Meta, a director at the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the refugees will remain in the country until the end of the war being fought in Bosnia. Albania had also received proposals to establish a refugee camp from Saudi Arabia, which had shown its willingness to invest around 20 million dollars in building a fully equipped camp somewhere in the northern areas of the country.

Decisive hours for Bosnia: tomorrow a decision will be made Cuba: Castro may leave the government The Belgians bid farewell to King Baldovino

Aries 20/III 20/IV The right moment to put all your cards on the table and discuss things openly, provided you do not let yourself be the only one doing so; the others must respond to you as well. Taurus 21/IV 20/V You will be able to remove from your mind and heart a series of events you are anticipating and that are taking your breath away. You will manage to do so in a less traumatic way. Gemini 21/V 20/VI You will have a chance to take a quick look at what your future will be, but some elements will continue to remain rather unclear to you. Cancer 21/VI 22/VII You will have far more financial resources and means of support at your disposal than you expected. Make sure to use them in the best possible way. Leo 23/VII 22/VIII You will be able, with a single choice, to double your financial resources and increase your economic strength for the near future. Virgo 23/VIII 22/IX A series of questions and answers will help you clearly see the unknown aspects concerning a matter that is already very nearly concluded. Libra 23/IX 22/X You will be forced to defend yourself against a series of accusations you did not expect. You can manage it easily, as long as you keep your composure. Scorpio 2/X 21/XI You will have favorable long-term projects. You will be able to make your decisions and plan for the future with a clarity of mind you have lacked for a long time. Sagittarius 22/XI 21/XII You will have the opportunity to express some opinions that are not very popular among your acquaintances, and succeed without provoking overly negative reactions from them. Capricorn 22/XII 19/I It will be essential to be ready at the right time to make your decisions, but before putting any solution into practice, you must resolve a delicate personal problem. Aquarius 20/I 19/II You are being urged from many sides to make decisions about which you are not very certain and in which you have little confidence. You must remain faithful to your ideals. Pisces 20/II 19/III You must consider certain risks much more clearly if you want to gain something more from a romantic situation that seems to have been going through a period of stagnation.