Police open fire—19-year-old wounded Following the events at the US Embassy The Embassy informs Albanian citizens The Embassy of the United States of America expresses its concern about certain people who appear to be spreading unfounded information claiming that the Embassy will open its doors to those seeking asylum, or will issue special work visas. The Embassy has no plans to admit those seeking asylum; US laws do not allow American embassies to provide asylum in this way. At the same time, the Embassy has no authority to issue special visas. All announcements claiming that the Embassy will provide asylum or special visas are false and contrary to reality.

—Ylber speaks to “KJ” Hoxha, wounded during the attempt to enter the Embassy.

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Berisha and Iliesku: Toward a Balkan roundtable? Relations are good because there is no reason for them to be bad page 3

It was the Shkodër district council that, on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the 2 April 1991 protest, nominated 20 people who had played a leading role on that day to be declared “Torchbearers of Democracy”. What stands out is that two well-known political figures are at the top of the list, namely Messrs. Arbnori and Spahija, much talked about for their questionable role in the events of 2 April. The reasons behind such a nomination are unknown, since the two individuals in question testified at the trial that they had not gone to the square that April day. /J.SH. On the eve of 2 April in Shkodër page 7

Sport Minister Musaraj, “Master of Sport” He was a wrestler and later a coach page 14

The case of the 300 thousand dollars Zhulali wins the court case in Bulgaria Will the much-discussed sum be returned to Albania? The story begins on 26 February 1993. The “MEIKO” enterprise of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Albania entered into a contract with the Bulgarian private company “BOLID 1990 Petrov” to obtain from it a quantity of IFA-brand trucks for the needs of the Albanian army, for a sum of 300 thousand dollars. Under this contract, payment for the goods was to be made by letter of credit or in cash. Both parties preferred and agreed that payment for the goods would be made in CASH, since this method facilitated the operations required to carry out the contract. Today, two years later, the matter remains unresolved because the Bulgarian party failed to meet its obligation and did not bring a single truck to the Albanian border, where the place for taking delivery of the goods had been designated. Efforts to resolve the matter amicably also failed. Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Albania brought the case before the Court of Arbitration in Bulgaria and tasked the well-known and experienced lawyer, as well as the Ministry of Defence’s legal adviser, Mr. Bardhyl Shehu, with representing the Albanian party in the case. The Sofia court ruled that the 300 thousand dollars be returned to Albania. Thus concludes the first part of the truck case, which has been widely discussed in the Albanian press and parliament. Fortunately, it ended in favour of the Albanian party. We hope that the second part of this case—the return of the 300 thousand dollars to Albania—will also end in victory. page 2