Zero customs clearance. Now a special force to fight smuggling Page 5 Zero customs clearance. Now a special force to fight smuggling Page 5

BY ANDI BETTJA Because of yesterday’s disagreements in the Contact Group, Kosovo remains an orphan. While Russia continues to be “Mother Russia” to Serbia, the United States could not become the same for Kosovo yesterday. The four European countries took a somewhat neutral position, insisting that no further sanctions be imposed; Russia opposed them, describing Kosovo, as always, as an internal matter for Serbia; America supported supplementary measures; and the result: another four weeks for Milošević, until he begins a meaningful and unconditional dialogue with the Albanians. It seems that the education agreement signed a few days ago between the Serbian authorities and the representatives of the Albanians was a real bait by Milošević for the Contact Group and the international community in general. This is not the first time Milošević has managed to defy international policy with such games, meeting the minimum possible demands and demonstrating that he understands international dynamics very well. And, as if that were not enough, yesterday he mounted an open military challenge when he again sent troops to destroy and burn Kosovo’s villages, and when he appointed Šešelj to the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia. Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, who was present at yesterday’s meeting and had said before setting off for Bonn that he would seek “the maximum possible within the Yugoslav Federation,” did nothing other than silently accept the Group’s final statement. What happened yesterday in Bonn was nothing but a delay in resolving the Kosovo problem. Keeping the sanctions imposed on 9 March in London in force leads nowhere. Time has shown that an embargo produces no results. The latest reports that Russia supplied Serbia with helicopters and surface-to-air missiles last December pose a threat not only to Kosovo, but also to the very fate of the Dayton Agreement. Milošević is once again disregarding the United States and Europe, and it seems that unless there are other, greater interests at stake, Kosovo could very easily be left to its fate.

Hundreds of police officers from Tirana took part in an operation to remove the hunger strikers from VEFA’s headquarters. It all began last night at around 21:00, when the intersections leading to “Avni Rustemi” Square were blocked. Police officers from four police stations, the “Eagle” unit, special forces and SHIK took part in the major operation. At 23:30, the Chair of the Association of People Who Lost Money in Pyramid Schemes, Mis’thret Saiti, told “KJ” that “the VEFA hunger strikers are being forcibly removed from the strike.” Two days earlier, a meeting had been held between the hunger strikers, who had been barricaded inside for a month, and the government, mediated by the OSCE. A statement was signed in which the creditors—

Partial photograph, with no readable text within the visible area.

MEIKO—After Meksi and Zhulali, bank chiefs are next on the list Arms: prosecutors in China The $7.7 million scandal expands. Investigations in Beijing. Contract mysteriously disappears Albanian prosecutors will travel to China. Following the publication of information about the financial scandal in the army involving its company MEIKO, Albanian prosecutors will make the journey to Beijing to find out how far the roots of this scandal extend. The Supreme State Audit had referred to a contract with the Chinese army for arms imports, and it is not known whether the weapons arrived or not.

was signed in which the creditors agreed to be parties to the transparency process, which the hunger strikers later opposed. The OSCE criticized this action, siding with the government. After this, at midnight last night, according to the Ministry of the Interior, “the hunger strikers were removed from the premises where they were barricaded without incident.” Absent from the Democratic Party headquarters for two days Berisha is ill Page 5 Financial experts’ report completed T. Shehu, on the verge of being expelled from the DP Page 5 Who is the prime minister’s political bureau? Nano, the advisers and ... the ministers Page 3 More than 500 migrants returned within 24 hours Greece concludes Operation “Broom”

President Rexhep Meidani was compelled yesterday to convene the heads of the anti-smuggling services