LOBBYING/ “SO FAR WE HAVE NOT ASKED FOR ANY SERVICE. THEY SPOKE IN PRINCIPLE WITH RAMA” Former British Prime Minister: I will be paid by foreign donors. The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance respond to “GSH”’s inquiry: He has not requested to lobby for free LOBBYING/ “SO FAR WE HAVE NOT ASKED FOR ANY SERVICE. THEY SPOKE IN PRINCIPLE WITH RAMA” “NOT A SINGLE CENT FOR BLERI” Prime Minister’s Office: We did not sign a contract Former British Prime Minister: I will be paid by foreign donors. The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance respond to “GSH”’s inquiry: He has not requested to lobby for free By TEDI BLUSHI The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance officially clarified yesterday for “Gazeta Shqiptare” that no contract has been signed with the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. In the answers to the five questions that “GSH” addressed a few weeks ago to the head of government, Edi Rama, and the finance minister, Shkëlqim Cani, it is made known that so far Blair has not been paid a single cent by the Albanian government and that he himself has not carried out any requested service. “GSH” officially asked Rama and Cani about the former British Prime Minister’s role as adviser to the Albanian government after suspicions raised by domestic and foreign media, as well as by the Albanian opposition, according to which the service Tony Blair would provide to the official Tirana would cost the Albanian state budget dearly. The answers to the five questions addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance are published in full today. Continued on page 7

THE MAYOR DOES NOT SHOW UP AT THE OFFICIAL LUNCH “ICE” FOR THE 101ST ANNIVERSARY, RAMA AVOIDS THE MEETING WITH SHPETIM GJIKA IN VLORA Continued on page 3

Opinion of the Day By BEN ANDONI From the outset, we must emphasize that even if Albania obtains candidate country status, it will still be far from the road to EU membership... The real “Disappointment” begins after the status, if... Continued on page 20

Opinion of the Day By ALFRED CAKO During a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, the draft resolution on Albania as an EU candidate country, prepared... EU, chemical weapons and the USA Continued on page 21

GUARDS IN CELLS, FAMILIES IN PROTEST GUARDS IN CELLS, FAMILIES IN PROTEST Former security chief: In Drenovë items were brought in without permission On pages 8-9

Former minister: Political project? Interpretations and claims Genc Ruli, “reply” to Mesila Doda: We did not abandon Koli, there was no war in the PD (In photo:) Former ministers Genc Ruli and Sokol Olldashi. Deputy Mesila Doda at Sokol Olldashi’s funeral Sokol Olldashi’s accident, PD deputy in Parliament: The complete one and the smeared one. Igi Cara: Koli wanted a reshaping of politics, they should apologize to him By VALENTINA MADANI Mesila Doda declared that “in the simplest way of life they should apologize to Koli”. But Genc Ruli does not think so.... Continued on page 5

FULL LIST The 360 pharmacists who enter the State Examination On page 11

CIVIL SERVICE Draft revealed: The government may decide to hire even without a competition On page 6

VIDEO SCANDAL Court secretary: They pressured us, there is no corruption On page 10