Western jealousy in Rome over the US. Ceka returns to Tirana with armoured vehicles. ALBA leaves, other military personnel arrive
Preparatory Conference of donors for Albania concludes. Positive presentation by the Nano government, but figures will be discussed only in the autumn
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Albania on the test bench
BY GAVROSH LEVONJA
Nano returned from Rome empty-handed. As expected, what could be considered positive for Albania and the government headed by Mr Nano was the Westerners’ commitment to support the process of rebuilding the Albanian police forces and restructuring the army, as well as the promise that financial aid would be discussed only in October, when another conference of donor countries for Albania will be held. Thus, until October Albania will find itself on a kind of test bench, under the international community’s careful scrutiny. Indeed, before the October meeting, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the donor countries has been planned, at which the development of the situation in Albania and the steps taken to meet the conditions set at yesterday’s meeting will be analysed. Alongside restoring order throughout the country, the Albanian side was also asked to meet other conditions concerning respect for human rights and the strengthening of democracy in the country, with a particular place given to cooperation with the opposition. But the most important of these conditions were those relating to the implementation of financial policies. In this regard, the IMF and the World Bank are expected to send experts to Albania with economic programmes that include establishing banking systems to block the way to pyramid schemes. In addition to the present situation, the setting of conditions for providing aid also took account of the recent past, when Albania was notable not only for abusing aid but also for its inability to disburse it. The fact that, after 1992, the Albanian state was not in a position to absorb more than 1 billion dollars in foreign aid is a highly significant indicator. If Mr Nano bears this in mind, during this probationary period he should endeavour to establish the appropriate institutions for absorbing, controlling, administering and effectively managing this aid, presenting well-researched projects to foreign partners.
However, when aid is discussed in the multilateral context, a key role is also played by pursuing a foreign policy ... [part illegible/covered by the fold] and avoiding any kind of preference in only one particular direction. In Rome, the Italian government officials could not conceal Italian jealousy over complaints about the new government in Tirana’s overt “pro-Americanism”. It was no accident that Prodi and Dini lavished praise on Prime Minister Fino and his Government of National Reconciliation, to which they attributed the achievements made so far in Albania. Given that Italy will be the country with the leading role in the process of Albania’s comprehensive recovery, there is room ... [part illegible/covered by the fold] for foreign policy, while always maintaining a constant balance in relation to Albania’s and the region’s interests.
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NATIONAL LIBRARY TIRANA
1997
...rotor
...milla one
...Lamberto
...the Franc
...the press
...Italian
...he once
...Fino
...organiz-
...even
...that first
...prime mi-
...this phase
...is also
...Dini
...reference
...all
...of the Council
...SBE and the
...helped
...the realization of
...its.
...the countries of
...because
...the old ones
...because
...the final
...only one
...Nano said.
...for inter-
...will not
...votes
...in this
...votes of
...Albania
...we have
...jungle
...one thousand
...prepared
...OSCE
