On 21 and 22 September, in the basement of Sweden under the ad hoc chairmanship of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Nordic Cooperation of Sweden, Mrs. Margaret af Uglas, the 23rd meeting of the CSCE Committee of Senior Officials was held with the participation of 52 member countries and 4 observer countries. At this meeting, whose focus was the discussion of the role and functioning of the CSCE in conflict prevention, dispute settlement and the possible consequences of conflicts in different regions of Europe, as well as several other issues, the Albanian representative, Mr. Ylli Popa, particularly valued the fact that the Kosovo issue had taken a significant place in today’s discussions. Taking this as a sign of the special attention paid to the continuing crisis in Kosovo, he forcefully raised the need to find a solution through talks and peaceful means. On behalf of the Albanian government he stressed on this occasion that the way to a peaceful solution of the Serb-Albanian conflict in Kosovo and in the other Albanian ethnic areas in the former Yugoslavia runs through the recognition of the Republic of Kosovo. Mr. Ylli Popa stated that since the CSCE has officially placed the Kosovo issue on its agenda, it is up to it to keep it under observation and monitoring in order to prevent the outbreak of a new war in the Balkans. Pointing out that the solution of the Kosovo issue, which is a matter of security and stability in the region, is in the interest not only of ethnic Albanians but also of the neighboring countries and all of Europe, Mr. Ylli Popa said that it is universally recognized that only through a political solution that takes into account the interests and human dignity of Albanians can peace and stability in the Balkans be established. Referring to the regional crises as a whole, Mr. Ylli Popa said that the CSCE monitoring mission in Kosovo, Sandžak and Vojvodina should be restored without delay, since in Bosnia-Herzegovina the war continues to claim more and more lives every day. Supporting the measures proposed by the current chairman of the CSCE Council of Ministers, Mr. Ylli Popa said that Albania supports the idea that deep reforms should be carried out within the CSCE to increase the effectiveness of the organization’s work, so as to respond better to the new demands of security and interstate relations in Europe. In the first session of the work, besides other issues, the CSCE Committee of Senior Officials also dealt with the situation in the former Yugoslavia, which continues to remain one of the most serious threats to stability and security in Europe. In the afternoon session, the representative of Albania, Mr. Ylli Popa, had a meeting with the New York representative of the CSCE for the former Yugoslavia, Ambassador Gustav Feissel, with whom views were exchanged and information was provided about the situation in Kosovo, emphasizing the fact that if preventive political measures are not taken, the situation in Kosovo could become explosive. (ATSH)

At the request of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Hungary, Dr. Jeno Szabo, this morning at 11:30 on 20 September, the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Hasan Halili, held talks with his Hungarian counterpart. During this meeting the ministers reconfirmed their joint decision to expand relations in the agricultural sector. The ministers assessed the achievements to date and also presented an overview of future prospects and priorities in different areas of the agricultural sector. At the meeting, the two ministers decided to make every effort to increase cooperation and further bring their respective governments closer in the sectors of agriculture, agro-processing, veterinary services and in the implementation of concrete programs in favor of farms, food industries and seed production. The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Hasan Halili, on behalf of the Albanian government, put forward the proposal to draft an Albanian-Hungarian cooperation agreement in the agricultural sector and asked for the understanding of Minister Dr. Jeno Szabo, who approved it and considered the request valuable, also proposing the establishment of a bilateral group of experts to implement the cooperation agreement. On the same day, with the participation of Minister Hasan Halili and his Hungarian counterpart Dr. Jeno Szabo, the cooperation agreement in the agricultural sector was signed between the agriculture ministries of the two countries. Minister of Agriculture Hasan Halili presented his counterpart Dr. Jeno Szabo with the ministry emblem and, as a sign of gratitude, the medallion with the portrait of Skënderbeu, while the Hungarian Minister Dr. Jeno Szabo presented the Albanian minister with a personal document of sincere hospitality during the visit as well as the artistic model of the coat of arms of the Hungarian ministry. (ATSH)

From 19 to 21 September 1993 in Karachi, Pakistan, the Albanian delegation headed by the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Albania, Mr. Nazmi Rushiti, took part in the work of the 6th meeting of the Economic, Trade and Information Committee of the Islamic Organization at ministerial level. In the work of this committee and in the bilateral meetings held within its framework, the Albanian delegation focused on discussing the possibilities for Albania’s cooperation with Muslim countries in the field of trade, attracting foreign investment and information exchanges, as well as on enriching the legal framework and the necessary instruments for the future development of these relations. Representatives of the member countries of the Islamic Conference were informed of the decision of the Albanian government to establish diplomatic relations at embassy level with all countries of this organization. At the plenary session on 20 September 1993, the Albanian delegation gave an overview of the current situation in Albania and presented the short- and medium-term orientations of economic development, highlighting the opportunities presented by foreign investments in Albania, especially in priority sectors such as electricity and energy, the food industry, deep processing of timber, transport, tourism, telecommunications services, etc. Members of the Albanian delegation held separate meetings with senior officials of the secretariat and of the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Islamic countries based in Karachi, with the trade ministers of Egypt and Pakistan, with the secretary general of the Arab-Albanian Chamber of Commerce based in Cairo, etc. During these meetings, concrete ways of cooperation between Albania and the Islamic world in areas of common interest were discussed, especially the promotion of foreign investment, the opening of the markets of Islamic countries to Albanian products, the creation of free trade zones, etc. Hasan Shtylla and dr. Bujari from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and dr. Ali Mentor Nazarko from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, members of the Albanian delegation, also held a series of important meetings with senior officials of various economic and financial organizations of Islamic countries, which will continue in the period ahead. (ATSH)

Heading for those who naturally have Nano’s freedom Pensioners cry out for Nano’s release Hundreds of signatures from pensioners in Korça have been sent to the People’s Assembly of Albania, the Court of Cassation, the Chairman of the State Control Commission, the Helsinki Committee, the European Ombudsman, the “Human Rights Commission” at the UN, the Council of Europe and the US mission in Tirana. In their letter, the pensioners of Korça protest and describe as unfair and one-sided the decisions of Albanian justice against Fatos Nano and call his 12-year prison sentence absurd. In this letter, the pensioners ask the Presidency of the People’s Assembly to examine why the Court of Cassation is dragging out the trial proceedings and to pronounce itself in favor of the immediate release from prison of the chairman of the Socialist Party. They call on the institutions of justice and the highest bodies of the Albanian state to put an end to political sentences, setups and traps against the democratic opposition. For the pensioners, Nano’s arrest and conviction are considered a flagrant violation of human rights and democratic freedoms, with serious consequences for the stability of the political situation in Albania. The signatory pensioners express their concern that the bias of the government and Albanian justice risks compromising political pluralism and democracy in the country. Written by: T. Nertiti

During an official meeting with the leader of the Democratic Party of Albania, Sali Berisha, the President of the Confederation of European Conservative Parties and Director of the European Democratic Forum, Thomas Jansen, expressed his view on the need for close cooperation between the democratic forces of Eastern Europe and those of Western Europe. “This will be an important condition so that democratic processes can move forward at a faster pace,”

Articles by (?) (Continued on page 4) ... [The text of the article is partially unreadable in the image and the page was photographed rotated; the column contains fragmented passages such as:] “... developments of post-communism ...”, “... Albanian democracy ...”, “... the state’s consciousness ...”, “... the harshness of conflicts ...”, “... so that in Kosovo there will not ...”, “... in the interest of stability ...”