The congress for consolidating and carrying forward the political platform of 22 March! DEMOCRACY IN ALBANIA WILL NOT TURN BACK 4-5 DECEMBER 1993 THE SECOND NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ALBANIA The congress for consolidating and carrying forward the political platform of 22 March! DEMOCRACY IN ALBANIA WILL NOT TURN BACK - Press conference of the PD parliamentary group, Mr. Eduard Selami - Two sides of the same letter appeared in the Albanian press on 13 October 1993. On one side are the notes of an Italian socialist, Palmiro Togliatti, on the events of 1943 in Albania, published 2-3 weeks earlier by a party from the broad Albanian political spectrum, while on the other side there was published a decision of the Presidium of the People's Assembly, signed 30 years ago by Hamit Beqja and others similar to it. The first document, left for a long June 1st, tries to prove that Albanian communists are communists by birth, one fraternal, with whom there can be no dialogue and no struggle against anti-communism, anti-communism which they have called an expression of social democracy. The second was also voted, certainly in full consensus, by the predecessors of those who published the first in the Albanian press. They create not only the spirit of struggle against the opposition, but also an arsenal of laws and institutions for the elimination of the opposition. Taken together, the two are almost the same thing. In January of this year our Assembly spoke about the end of the Marxist state in Albania. In these days the Albanian political class will also put an end to its nostalgias. Just as befits a country seeking to enter Europe, especially on 22 March 1992. We know all the movements that followed and not only their dates. We know the clichés and the mindsets cultivated for decades in the other institutions of the country and their mandate. We have spoken, as we said, in the Assembly, very carefully about this period. We have done this because the PD is clear that history cannot be moved forward with pressure, but not with hatred. Equally clear to us has been that democracy cannot move forward with nostalgia. The Democratic Party of Albania and its parliamentary group, with the Second National Congress, enter the final phase of their consolidation, not by moving from one policy to another, not by bringing another platform in place of the one the Albanians voted for on 22 March. We are entering this Congress to carry our political platform further, to develop it further in the new conditions of a society that is overcoming the wounds of a failed order. That is why this Congress is important not only for the PD, but for the entire Albanian society. Our Second National Congress will be held on 4-5 December 1993. It will be a working congress, a congress of consolidation, a congress that will answer many of the questions raised today by citizens and by the PD membership itself. Its preparation has begun and will continue with a broad discussion in the party organizations, in its forums, and in the parliamentary group. At the moment we are dealing with the preparation and approval of its rules of procedure. The Congress will also have special importance for the way the internal life of our party will be organized, the relations between its forums, the responsibilities of each, and the role of the membership. Like any free political force, the PD must also have a functioning that responds to the needs of the time and its progress. The Democratic Party of Albania and its parliamentary group have shown that they know how to bear the responsibility of governance and reforms, without losing their identity as the force that brought pluralism and change. The government emerging from this majority has taken important steps and on this path there will also be debate, corrections, and improvements. But no one should doubt that the path has been chosen and that there is no turning back. If part of the opposition wants to remain tied to the symbols, mindsets, and spirit of the past, that is its choice. We will not make Albania hostage to that choice. Albania has a European future and that future requires democratic institutions, a market economy, respect for the law, and a new political culture. We will work toward these goals calmly, decisively, and with full political will. In this sense, the Second National Congress of the PD is also an important moment to reaffirm that the platform of 22 March remains our political and moral foundation. It was born from the free vote of the Albanians and will develop through concrete reforms, not through empty slogans. This platform aims at building a rule-of-law state, a free society, and an open economy. Precisely for this reason, democracy in Albania will not turn back.

The first official document of this kind marks the relations between our two countries. The President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Sali Berisha, yesterday received in Tirana the Minister of Defense of the United States of America, Les Aspin, who is in our country for an official visit. During the meeting, the latest developments in Albania and the region were discussed, as well as ways to further strengthen relations between the two countries, especially in the field of defense and military cooperation. President Berisha described Mr. Aspin's visit as a very important event in Albanian-American relations and as a concrete sign of the support the United States gives to democratic processes in Albania. He stressed that Albania is interested in further developing cooperation with the USA in all fields and especially in the military field, where our country needs experience, assistance, and modern standards. For his part, Minister Aspin expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in Albania and assured that the USA will continue to support democratic and economic reforms in the country. He underlined the importance of stability in the region and the role Albania can play in this framework as a factor of peace and cooperation. Afterward, the memorandum of understanding in the military field between the Republic of Albania and the United States of America was signed. This is the first official document of this nature in relations between the two countries and opens the way for broader cooperation in training, exchanges, technical assistance, and reforms in the defense sector. Senior officials from both countries took part in the signing ceremony. The memorandum was seen as a step of special importance for institutional rapprochement between Albania and the USA and for the country's gradual integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.

The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, received in separate meetings the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova and representatives of the European Community. The meetings discussed bilateral relations, developments in the region, and opportunities to expand economic and political cooperation. President Berisha stressed the importance Albania attaches to relations with European countries and with the institutions of the European Community, underlining the clear Western orientation of Albanian foreign policy. He also expressed our country's readiness to strengthen ties with Moldova in fields of common interest. For their part, the interlocutors praised the democratic changes in Albania and expressed interest in deepening cooperation. In conclusion, the need for more frequent contacts and for concrete projects that could bring the parties closer was emphasized.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia has submitted a protest note to the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the banning of the so-called “Assembly of the Municipality of Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja”. The note claims that Albania's position on the Albanian issue in the former Yugoslavia constitutes interference in its internal affairs and that official statements from Tirana are inciting tensions. The Albanian authorities have rejected these claims, stressing that defending the rights of Albanians outside Albania's borders is a moral and political duty and that Tirana's positions are in line with international human rights norms. The Albanian response points out that developments in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja are the result of discriminatory policies and the lack of basic rights for the Albanian population in those areas.

In Amsterdam, “Albania” was opened by the Albanian organization members of SAPA. A. MIKRUBALLI In Amsterdam, the “Albania” event was opened by the Albanian organization members of SAPA. According to information received from this organization, the activity took place in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and with broad participation from compatriots. Cultural, artistic, and informative materials about our country were presented, with the aim of strengthening ties with the homeland and presenting the Albanian reality to foreign public opinion. Within this framework, handicrafts, books, and photographs were exhibited, while meetings and discussions were also held with representatives of various associations. The organizers stressed that this day aims to serve as a link between Albanians living abroad and Albania. (ATSH)

B.B.D. the Democratic Businessmen’s Union, in cooperation with Gecajne Industry, Gamma from Italy has bought Albanian exports and an order in Tirana - For the press it asks about the return of eurodovensues, Clifias and the growth of Italian products, supplier and concrete cooperation. The Democratic Businessmen’s Union, in cooperation with Gecajne Industry and the Italian company Gamma, has reached a trade agreement for the purchase of Albanian goods and for the expansion of economic contacts with Italy. According to the information provided, this initiative aims to encourage Albanian exports, open new markets, and create greater opportunities for cooperation between Albanian entrepreneurs and Italian partners. In the meetings held in Tirana, the possibility of regular supplies, product quality, and the prospects for expanding this cooperation into other fields were discussed. The organizers described this as a positive step for Albanian private business and for strengthening economic ties with Italy.