Did Berisha meet with Fatos Nano in Tepelenë? A source says that Fatos Nano will vote in favor of the draft Constitution page 3

I stand here as a bishop on the basis of the prayers and insistence of the Orthodox Christians of Albania Interview with Archbishop Anastas for the newspaper “Koha Jonë” page 3

Yesterday, the President of the Republic, Dr. Sali Berisha, received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, Xhozef Leik, accredited to the Republic of Albania, who presented his credentials. Deputy Foreign Minister Arjan Starova and others attended the ceremony for the presentation of credentials. The ambassador was also accompanied at the ceremony by other diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Tirana. photo A. BABANI During the reception for the new American Ambassador

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—He manages to sleep with her only one night page 2

Tirana: Trial over expired pesticides Judicial investigation concludes Defendants attack the prosecution While the pesticides have begun to be removed from Albania, the judicial investigation into the case opened concerning them has concluded at the Tirana Court. The defendants Neritan Kodra, former Plant Protection specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, and Pirro Trebicka, former commercial attaché at the Albanian Embassy in Bonn, once again had to face the charge of abuse of office. At yesterday’s court hearing, two witnesses appeared and explained how the pesticides had arrived in Albania, confirming that the defendants’ actions had not been contrary to the performance of their official duties. Although the other witnesses had not appeared, their statements made during the investigation were read in their absence. Meanwhile, at yesterday’s hearing, presided over by Mr. Martin Dede, the two defendants presented their defense. Neritan Kodra described the charge as “tendentious” and called those interested in his conviction “malicious people trying to build their happiness on another person’s misfortune.” Like the other defendant, Pirro Trebicka, he pleaded not guilty, expressing confidence in the triumph of truth. The Tirana Prosecutor’s Office opened a case against the defendants last year, while their arrest took place six months ago. According to the indictment, they were accused “of abuse of office, as a result of which the conditions were created for economic and ecological damage to Albania.” The charge concerned the arrival from Germany of expired pesticides at the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992, when the German firm “Shmid Kreton” offered Albania pesticides free of charge, or, as they are otherwise called, “pest killers”; the shipments would prompt the investigation of the two defendants. Mr. D.