After a telephone conversation between the Albanian president, SALI BERISHA, and the Greek prime minister, KOSTANDIN MICOTAQIS - The President’s spokesperson reports that the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, held a telephone conversation on Monday afternoon with the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Kostandin Micotaqis. The conversation focused mainly on relations between the two countries and the situation created by the expulsion of Albanian refugees from Greece. During the conversation, President Berisha and Prime Minister Micotaqis agreed: 1. That the operation to expel Albanian refugees would be halted. 2. That the Ministers of Public Order of Albania and Greece would meet as soon as possible to discuss these problems together in Athens. 3. That a joint Albanian-Greek commission would be established to discuss and work on legalizing the refugees’ status, which would facilitate and normalize their stay in Greece. The conversation also addressed the necessary preparations for Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s visit to Athens. The conversation took place in a spirit of friendship and complete understanding. (ATSH)

- The bitter fate of an Italian investor - With the good intention of investing in Albania, last August the entrepreneur providing funeral services for the city of Catanzaro, Mr. Gentile Ettore, came to our country. Initially, Mr. Gentile brought here some photocopiers, refrigerators for preserving corpses, a fax machine, three buses, etc., which noticeably improved funeral services. I believe all citizens who have found themselves in need of this kind of service have noticed this. Two or three newspapers also wrote about this foreign investor. At NK Dekor - Funeral, they were optimistic that at last all the problems this enterprise faced in meeting the needs of Tirana’s citizens had been resolved. We saw Mr. Gentile rushing around the offices of the Tirana Municipality and the ministry, and his passion for work impressed us. We were impressed by his determination to achieve his aims: the enterprise that was to be established would also provide other services urgently needed by the city, such as: road and street marking; preparation and installation of traffic signs and street-name signs; parking for the enterprise’s vehicles and those of others; urban and interurban transport; festive decorations for Tirana; decorations for meeting halls, conference halls, congresses, rallies, etc.; the design and production of signs bearing na-[...] things were going. In any case, I thought he had resolved everything. How could I think otherwise? We can hardly wait for foreign investors, so that the way may be opened and the people’s hope revived that something is being done for them. Under the contract signed at the Dekor - Funeral enterprise, Mr. Gentile undertook to invest the core capital of approximately 400 thousand dollars, while the Albanian side was to contribute approximately 159 thousand dollars. Besides funeral services, the joint enterpri-[...] …foreign investor, two or three newspapers also write. At NK Dekor - had been resolved. We have seen Mr. Gentile rushing between the offices of Tirana Municipality and the ministry, and his passion for his achieve the purpose for which he was in Albania. A calm and smiling man. A man whose eyes always showed goodwill. We would meet by chance on the steps of the municipality, and Gentile would greet me first: Ciao giornalista! Ciao, I would reply, and each of us would go about our own work. Although I greeted Mr. Gentile, I never stopped him in the street to ask him how… …this, which it would establish, would also provide other services, many of them essential for the city, such as: marking traffic routes on streets and squares, preparing and installing traffic signs and street-name signs, signs for buildings, parking for the enterprise’s vehicles and for meeting halls, conferences, congresses, rallies, etc., designing and producing signs bearing the names of various enterprises and institutions, producing national and other countries’ flags, etc. The director of NK Dekor - Funeral, Mr. Perikli Shomo, agreed to all these activities proposed by our friend from Catanza­ro; he signed the contract and the statute, as did the Municipality of Tirana, its chairman… ZEF LLESHI (Continued on page 4) …democratic [processes] of the ’90s. - important factor for peace and stability in the region troubled by the war in the Balkans. Krijo considers in greater detail the Ki­ës position in favor of a political resolution of the crisis in our region and, in the economic sphere, order to facilitate the implementation of reform in Albania.

Regarding the controversy surrounding the gold medal of the French Courtesy Committee, which its organizing committee awarded to the President of the Republic last summer, we clarify as follows: - The French Courtesy gold medal was recognized by General De Gol, and since then it has been awarded to numerous political, social, literary and scientific figures, including heads of state such as Sandro Pertini, prime ministers such as Zhak Shirak and Michel Debre, and distinguished writers such as Moris Dryon, etc. The president of the committee for this medal is Mr. Aleins Poner, former Prime Minister of France and currently President of the French Senate. - The person tasked with bringing the medal was not appointed by the Presidency or its protocol office; he was sent by the committee for this medal, and this was undoubtedly a mistaken choice. There was also negligence on the part of the Presidency Protocol Office, which considered it sufficient that this person had delivered the medal to the former President of Italy, Sandro Partini, and had other documents. In any case, following this incident, the Presidency Protocol Office has reviewed and reorganized all protocol procedures for such cases. - Finally, regarding all these matters, as well as those who attended the medal-awarding ceremony, the Protocol Office has all the documents. Therefore, all the disinformation and insinuations are unforgivable for those who invent them.

- Albania meets the requirements to become a member of the Council of Europe. - I am confident that within this year Albania will become a member of the Council of Europe, fulfilling a long-standing dream of democratic and progressive forces and one of the ideals of the democratic movement of the 1990s. - Albania’s membership in the Council of Europe will affirm Albania’s democratic processes, help them advance even faster, and be an important factor for peace and stability in a region troubled by war in the Balkans.

As part of the Democratic Government’s open policy, without prejudice or any nostalgia for the friendship of the past, we will undertake the first visit by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the People’s Republic of China. I would like to stress that this visit is not a routine continuation of the former relations, which were based on ideological grounds; rather, it is a visit that takes into account China’s role in the world arena and in the international community. China’s membership in the Security Council, as well as the new political, economic and social realities within China itself, mean that bilateral Albanian-Chinese relations should be brought as close as possible. This visit takes into account China’s position in favor of a political solution to the crisis in our region and, in economic terms, the possibility of increasing the contribution of this cooperation in order to facilitate the implementation of reform in Albania.

The statement of the Social Democratic Party, published on 2.2.93 in the newspaper «Alternativa», says: «...both sides described as irresponsible and malicious certain statements made by particular individuals in Parliament and in the press about nonexistent alliances». The matter stated above was not discussed at this meeting. PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

We invite you to discuss. Is this necessary Pursuant to Article 16 of the Law «On the Main Constitutional Provisions», upon the proposal of the Council of Ministers, the People's Assembly of the Republic of Albania: RESOLVES: Article 1 No one may be denied the right freely to disseminate and communicate their opinions through the press and other means of public information. Article 2 No publication made through the press and other means of public information may be subjected to censorship. Prior restriction of the freedom to publish may be imposed only in cases involving pornography, violation of public morals, calls for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order, terrorism, or the commission of other serious crimes. Article 3 Everyone has the right to own or establish means of public information. The establishment and registration of private means of public information, as well as authorization for their use, shall be carried out according to the rules established for legal entities. Article 4 The means of public information have the right to obtain the necessary information, where it is not otherwise possible, through spokespersons, managers, or other persons from various bodies, institutions, organizations, and entities. Article 5 No one has the right to prevent or compel the publication of information by the means of public information. Article 6 Anyone may publish information anonymously or under a pseudonym. The means of public information is obliged to disclose the authorship of material only in cases of criminal proceedings, with the authorization of the court. Article 7 Newspapers, publications of news agencies, and periodicals of every other kind must indicate the place and date of publication, the location of the printing house, the title, and the first and last names of the publisher and editor. Failure to comply with these requirements is punishable by a fine of up to 50,000 lekë. Article 8 In the cases provided for in Article 2, the district prosecutor has the right to ask the court to prohibit the distribution or sale of newspapers or other publications. In urgent cases, the district prosecutor has the right temporarily publications. An appeal against this order may be lodged with the court, which is required to issue a decision within 24 hours of receiving the appeal. Article 9 Anyone who publishes or distributes unregistered or prohibited press material is punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 lekë or imprisonment for up to one year. Article 10 For criminal offences committed through the press, liability is borne jointly and severally by their perpetrators, the owner, and the publisher. Article 11 Violation of the rules provided for in Article 2 of this law is punishable by a fine of up to 150,000 lekë or imprisonment for up to 5 years. Article 12 This law enters into force 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

…foreign investor, two or three newspapers also write. At NK Dekor - Funeral they were optimistic that at last all the problems this enterprise faced in meeting the needs of Tirana’s citizens had been resolved.

…this, which it would establish, would also provide other services, many of them essential for the city, such as:

On the part of this Municipality, the foreign investor Mr. Gentile Ettore; as well as the possibility for Mr. Gentile Ettore to invest in this sector of the Dekor-Funeral enterprise; taking into account the current situation and the conditions stipulated in its contract and statute; as well as the advantages offered by Law No. 7594, dated 08.92, “On Foreign Investments”: we are of the opinion that permission should be granted for the creation of a joint enterprise with the investor in municipal services. Mayor of Tirana SALI KELMENDI Tirana, 5.1.1993