The transition we are going through has plunged Albanian science into a deep crisis and brought other institutions into difficulties. The market economy has its own ruthless laws: if you have nothing to sell, you cannot survive. We could give dozens of examples of intellectuals with abilities that once kept difficult technical and scientific problems under control, who now engage in wholesale trade or sell from behind the display window of a shop or from some kiosk. I do not want to talk here about the exodus of specialists. The monthly incomes of employees at institutions are such that, if you offer one of them another job, they are ready to accept it on the spot, without even discussing whether the new job suits their profession. Things have reached the point where a good number of intellectuals may be convinced that no one needs their experience and intellect anymore. And it is no wonder that someone who understands reform as a farce might one day say that research and design institutions should also be abolished, since their work has lost its purpose. But is this true? Let us turn to some facts: International organizations, such as the European Community, provide millions of dollars (for 1992, the countries for that study—one day, a foreign team from such-and-such an institution lands at Rinas Airport, having been assigned the task of carrying out that study at a point on the globe. The team consists of competent people who truly know how to get a job started. And the first thing they do in every case is ask for working groups to be formed from Albanian institutions, with Albanian specialists, with whom they will discuss the study on Albania and from whom they will seek data in order to begin and complete the study. And in fact, our institutions and our specialists are ready to stand by foreign scientists at every step and solve every problem they encounter in their research work, to such an extent that we can say wholeheartedly that foreign specialists always congratulate us on our abilities in our fields of expertise, as well as on our strong communication skills—qualities not found in other developing countries, of which Albania is one, whether we like it or not. Thus, one fine day the team sets off again from Rinas Airport, satisfied that it has worked very productively and that it will be paid for the research work it has done. — “Who am I going to work with now? Many of your specialists, whom I once met, [are] representatives of the large German company «PROSAK», which is thinking of doing something in Elbasan ... Albanian scientific [institutions] should participate as collaborators and partners in studies financed by international organizations. Under the PHARE program, 33 million dollars have been provided for technical assistance to Albania for the year 1992.” This technical assistance includes a very large fund (enough to pay the salaries of dozens of scientific institutions) for research topics concerning Albania, because the idea that Albania should be reassessed in every field is a sound one, and the fairest method of reassessment is to carry out studies in every field. In the procedures for approving studies and projects carried out on Albania, besides the primary matter of securing funds to carry out one study or another, our government officials should formalize and require the inclusion in these studies of our institutes or institutions, which have accumulated data and experience over many years. I believe this is the only proper way to save Albanian science and Albanian scientists, because in this way we give them work and pay them. For what actually happens? Once a study has been approved and the funds secured, the procedural aspect of the issue has been mishandled: how should this work be carried out? It is worth repeating that, when a research topic is approved for a particular company, our government officials (especially the Ministry of Finance and Economy, which approves the terms of the agreement) should draw up the contractual agreement with the funders of that topic so that Albanian institutions are also involved in conducting studies on Albania. Because, at present, it is impossible to find a study carried out on Albania in fields such as minerals, energy, tourism, etc., in which Albanian specialists have not contributed substantially—more than 30 percent of the genuine scientific work (not counting the provision of data and statistics, which is essential to every study and is therefore not treated as scientific work). In certain cases, Albanian specialists have contributed more than 50 percent of the scientific work. And when these foreign specialists have found out ... (Continued on page 2)

From the activities of the Albanian delegation at the 19th Meeting of Senior Officials of the CSCE. TIRANA. A delegation from our country also took part in the 19th Meeting of Senior Officials of the CSCE, held in Prague in recent days. The very crowded agenda of this meeting also included Macedonia’s request to be admitted to the CSCE, a request opposed by Denmark, which held the rotating presidency of the European Community. The Albanian delegation read a statement making it clear that our country would not accept Macedonia’s admission to the CSCE for as long as the issue of the Albanians there remained unresolved. The statement pointed out that “Albania is very interested in Macedonia’s existence as a state and in having very good relations with it.” Another item on the agenda was the situation in the former Yugoslavia. In this regard, the head of our delegation, Dervish Dumi, Director of the Directorate of Multilateral Cooperation and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered a speech in which, among other things, he stressed the urgent need to deploy UN preventive forces in Kosovo, in keeping with the decisions of the meeting of the CSCE Council of Ministers in Stockholm. He pointed out that it was essential for the CSCE to adopt the same common standards for all the states that make it up. (ATSH)

TIRANA. A delegation from our country took part in the inter-regional meeting organized in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe on the eve of the World Conference on Human Rights. The meeting’s theme, “Human rights at the dawn of the 21st century,” was addressed in two groups. The meeting was conceived as a preparatory event for the platform of the World Conference in Vienna. (ATSH)

Interview with the President of ICPI AIRLINES, Mr. Sami Dhatar, given to editor Mujë Bupçapaj Question: What does your company represent? Answer: ICPI represents a company that works for people. We try to go mainly to underdeveloped and developing countries. We look closely at their economic weaknesses and, after consulting with the local authorities, choose the most suitable projects for their development and for providing employment to the people of those countries. Then we go to our investors and invite them to invest. We bring the funds and get to work. Question: The Tirana–Istanbul–Tirana route, which begins this Thursday, will fly once a week. What capacity will your aircraft have? Answer: We are now starting with a small aircraft belonging to the Albanian airline, with 36 seats. After three months we will bring a larger aircraft with 50 seats, and three months after that we will provide an aircraft for passengers. We are starting with three flights a week, on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The first flight leaves on Thursday at 15:00. If demand rises significantly, the route will become a daily service. Question: What motivates you to help Albania? Answer: We have come here to help Albania. But we cannot help the Albanians unless they also help us. Question: In what way would the Albanians’ help be needed? Answer: Because we can only make an offer. The rest depends on the Albanians. We offered the Albanians the Tirana–Istanbul–Tirana air route and made it a reality in one month. We will be very quick and sincere. I think Albania has a great future. Your help lies in the fact that you chose the path of democracy, the path of freedom. Democracy means free elections, new opportunities for everyone, for every person, for every party. Therefore, you must have faith in democracy and contribute to it patiently; that will be your help. Question: Can you tell us something about your private life, for the readers of our newspaper? a small one belonging to the Albanian airline, with 30 seats. After that, we must bring in a larger aircraft, with 50 seats, and likewise, three months later, The first flight will depart on Thursday at 15:00. If demand increases greatly, the route will become daily. Question: What conditions will your company provide for passengers who will use this route? What cooperation will you have with our airline? Answer: For the first three months, the conditions will be those provided by the Albanian company ALBANIA in the study it has carried out. Question: Can you tell our newspaper’s readers something about your private life? Answer: I was born in Mecca. I earned my doctorate in America. I am married, have 5 children and live in America. I love Albania, and that is why I am here to invest in other fields as well, which I will agree on with the Albanian government.

Yesterday afternoon, Italian Minister of Justice Klaudio Marteli submitted his resignation from office. The reason was the news he received that a notice of indictment would be served on him. As soon as Marteli was informed of this, even before receiving the notice, he sought to resign as Minister of Justice, explaining that, while he was to be questioned, it was better for him no longer to hold that office, although he was convinced he would soon prove his innocence. Marteli thus becomes one of the victims of the investigation into the tangentopoli scandal. Marteli also resigned from the PSI, which will meet in assembly today to choose a new secretary. Meanwhile, the current PSI secretary, Betino Kraksi, received his fifth notice from the investigating judges, and the Milan judges at the same time submitted a request to the Italian parliament to lift Kraksi’s parliamentary immunity. The PSI Assembly will meet today under these circumstances. Who will be the new national secretary of the PSI? Kraksi has long since lost all hope, but will his rival Marteli also be called into question after this event? E.P. will meet in an assembly to appoint the new secretary. Meanwhile, the incumbent secretary of the PSI, Betino Kraksi, received his fifth warning from the investigating judges, while the judges in Milan submitted a request to the Italian parliament to strip Kraksi of his parliamentary immunity. The PSI Assembly will be held question after this development? E.P.

TIRANA, — We are informed by our embassy in Rome that six thousand Albanian children are arriving in Fiuggi. They will be accommodated at the APUANO pediatric hospital in Masakarra, with support from the Italian Red Cross and the Tuscany region. After them, many more Albanian children will undergo operations at this hospital in the near future. This was made possible thanks to the work of the Minister of Health and Environmental Protection, Tritan Shehu, the Italian Red Cross, and representatives of social security and health services in the Tuscany region, who have recognized and appreciated the humanitarian initiative of the “Zemër” project. (ATSH)

The Youth, Culture and Sports Department of the Municipality of the city of Tirana announces that all cultural, artistic and folk groups, groups performing light and folk music, rock groups, professional artistic groups and young artists active in Tirana should present themselves at this department between 10 and 20 February 1993 to register, so that they can officially become part of the program to be developed for their activities and receive assistance and programming through the state institutions subordinate to the Municipality of Tirana.

— A delegation of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in our country — TIRANA, — Albania, wishing to participate actively in the process of integration into Europe, has sought the support of the states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) for its efforts in the restructuring process, through their participation in the coordinated assistance of the G 24. A Joint Declaration on Continued Economic Cooperation has been signed between our country and the EFTA member states: Austria, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Within the framework of cooperation under this declaration, an EFTA delegation came to our country, consisting of Per Wijkman, Doris Bertrand and Ivan Petersen. In meetings with senior officials of the Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and of other departments, the delegation examined concrete ways and means of expanding and liberalizing trade relations between the EFTA states and Albania, taking into account their international obligations, particularly the principles and provisions of GATT, and of strengthening bilateral scientific cooperation and promoting and protecting investment, etc. (ATSH)