World Bank: Marshall Plan for Albania comes to an end. RTV: Governing Council elected. F. Lubonja appointed Director General. Çupi refuses the post of ATSH chief Page 2 Pangallos in Tirana. Agreement signed on seasonal employment for emigrants. An iron curtain is demanded at the border; Athens donates 2.5 billion drachmas Nano and Pangalos yesterday at the Prime Minister’s Office Photo: GENT SHKULLAKU

. Still catching his breath after returning from Rome, following a visit marked by an intense schedule of meetings with Italian government officials and representatives of donor countries, Nano and his government hosted yesterday a high-level Greek delegation led by Foreign Minister Teodoros Pangallos. At first glance, one gets the impression that the Greeks’ return visit to Tirana is dictated by a desire not to fall behind the Italians, who not only played the leading role in Operation “Alba,” but whose position at the Rome Conference made it clear that Italy will continue to enjoy a privileged status in Albania. The very composition of the delegation, which represented almost all departments of the Greek government, from defence to labour, demonstrates Athens’ great interest in being present in Albania. Certainly, in the current spirit of integration processes prevailing in political developments in Europe, it is truly anachronistic to think of territorial claims at Albania’s expense. Ultimately, no one could possibly entertain the idea of annexing a country like Albania. Let us remember the problems that the annexation of the eastern part of the country created for the German giant. Playing the nationalist card at this point only backfires on whoever plays it. Lacking the necessary potential to compete economically with its partner across the sea, the expanded Greek delegation that arrived in Tirana yesterday carried ready-made proposals for an agreement on legalizing Albanian emigrants in Greece. Despite the seasonal character of the agreement on the legalization of emigrants signed yesterday in Tirana, it is undoubtedly seen not only as an oxygen cylinder for the new Albanian government economically, but above all it may also be interpreted as recognition of the new direction in our country’s foreign policy, which gives priority as never before to relations with its neighbours. But, in addition to the agreement on seasonal employment for Albanian emigrants, which would be considered their legalization, even if only temporary, the Greek delegation also put forward a request to open a consulate in the city of Vlora, as well as to open private Greek schools in Albania. Indeed, the latter has been one of the issues that has repeatedly erupted, disrupting the warm climate of Albanian-Greek relations. In view of this, one gets the impression that the Greeks may have sought this as a reward in exchange for legalizing Albanian emigrants in Greece. Accepting the last two requests would undoubtedly give the opposition grounds to attack the government from a nationalist position. But if Albanian government officials are guided by what is called “realpolitik,” there is no reason for them to fear passing a law permitting foreign private schools in Albania. Alongside Greek schools, Italian schools or schools from other countries could very well open, and that would be enough to reassure those who fear Hellenization. What matters for Albanian foreign policy is avoiding crises in relations with all its neighbours, so as not to be held hostage solely in the chamber of one of them. Being in agreement with all the neighbours simultaneously is a step away from traditionalism in Albanian diplomacy. K.J.

Last night in parliament, the new RTSH Council was elected Yesterday, a parliamentary session was held to add 10 more members to the RTSH Governing Council. Of the 11 former members, Luan Rama will resign, since serving as an MP is incompatible with membership of the RTSH Governing Council. Although, according to the law and the rules of parliament, candidates for the new governing council should be proposed by the Parliamentary Committee on Mass Media, this was not done. Ten minutes before the session on this important issue was due to begin, one of the parliamentary secretaries asked MP Nikollë Lesi, in his capacity as secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on Mass Media, to sign a letter stating that the Parliamentary Committee on Mass Media had met (!) and approved the candidates in question. In fact, however, the committee had not met, and Secretary Lesi had no knowledge whatsoever of the candidates. It should be noted that throughout yesterday morning Nikollë Lesi had waited for the committee to meet, but no representative from the PS had come. As soon as the parliamentary session began, the secretary of this committee strongly denounced the way the socialist parliamentary majority on the committee had acted, secretly and clandestinely pushing through the candidates for the RTSH Governing Council. Parliament Speaker Gjinushi interrupted MP Lesi, but the latter insistently asked to speak again to denounce these actions, for which the PD has been criticized until now. “We are talking about candidates for a very important institution, one that has acquired a bad image among the public, so we cannot allow the majority to repeat the past mistakes of the PD. I believe the session should be suspended and the candidates submitted in secret discussed.” After this, Speaker Gjinushi suspended the session. The Mass Media Committee discussed the matter at length, suspending parliamentary proceedings for an hour and a half. It must be acknowledged that most of the candidates approved by a majority vote in parliament are professionally incompetent and distinguished only by their party militancy. A.cj

Nano and Pangalos yesterday at the Prime Minister’s Office. Photo: GENT SHKULLAKU