ECONOMY On page 5

Photograph of a mobile phone.

THE ICE IS THAWING On page 3

ARSENAL FOR SMUGGLING Ministry: We also found mountain guns On page 7

Arian Çani When the former Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis set foot in Sh- was to happen soon, indeed, after the situation created yesterday, it is hard to believe that the Greek villagers will be interrupted. The official Tirana and the opposition wi-

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The partisan memorial is blown up. One day after Nano and the other political leaders honored the anniversary of the founding of the Dibër brigade, a hidden hand destroyed the main part of the memorial with explosives. At the same time, this incident marked the second attack on memorials commemorating the National Liberation War, following the explosion at the monument to the Five Heroes of Vigu, the previous day in Mirditë. On page 6

Arian Çani When former Greek Prime Minister Micotaqis set foot in Albania in 1991, PD chairman Sali Berisha would not have dared, even for a moment, to remind him and the Greek government of a file called “Çamëri.” Because at that time, Micotaqis came precisely to support Berisha’s accession to the throne. Yesterday, by contrast, the leader of the Albanian opposition “unexpectedly” put before current Prime Minister Simitis the demand to put this issue back on the agenda. Across all the frequencies, along with Berisha’s, was—by coincidence—the position of the Albanian Government yesterday, albeit on a different tack. Majko and Meidani, facing Simitis and Papandreu, could not reach agreement on Kosovo’s future. Official Tirana strongly defended the principle of the self-determination of peoples in the Balkans, while Athens insisted on a Kosovo within the Federation. Thus, yesterday’s Albanian-Greek day in Tirana seems to have ended gloomily for both sides. Beyond the obvious, purely protocol-level fact of the signing of two projects—the joint patrol of the sea between Sarandë and Corfu, and the opening of a new customs checkpoint near Përmet—the high-level diplomatic meeting between the two neighboring states ended yesterday at 0–0. Simitis did not hide his government’s support for Belgrade and himself promised to legalize Albanian refugees in Greece, while Majko and Berisha—each separately—waved two powerful national cards at Athens: Kosovo and Çamëria. Under these circumstances, there is little chance that the legalization of the refugees will happen soon; indeed, after the situation that unfolded yesterday, it is hard to believe that the Greek-Albanian relationship will not be interrupted. Official Tirana and the opposition deserve applause for the diplomatic courage and consistency they showed at a table where their interlocutor continues to demand a Kosovo under Serbia. Until recently, we were used to seeing only nods of assent and complex-ridden embraces from Albanian officeholders at diplomatic tables with our foreign partners. During and after the war in Kosovo, and with the strengthening and growing awareness of the Albanian factor in the region, Albania’s official and unofficial politics deserve praise. Nevertheless, the more than 300,000 Albanians living in Greece must not be forgotten; they are systematically endangered by our southern neighbor’s sudden crackdowns. Yesterday, if the Albanian Government and opposition did not waver at all in their position in favor of an independent Kosovo in the near future and the return of Çam properties, the issue of Albanian emigrants in Greece once again remained unresolved. Since Micotaqis’s visit during the communist government of Adil Çarçani in 1991, yesterday was the first time a Greek Prime Minister had arrived in Albania. Of course, between these two visits over these eight years, some things have changed in relations between Tirana and Athens, but not the most fundamental ones: Albanian emigrants in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania have been, at least until yesterday’s meeting, the two most delicate “files” that the two sides would throw at each other whenever the weather turned bad. And if Athens now seems satisfied with the respect shown for minority rights, it is expected to use the Kosovo file to mistreat Albanian emigrants.

On page 7 Boycotts the Championship IN LAZINA On page 23