— It is the first agreement of its kind with a former communist country — The article by Stefania Pensabene in the Italian newspaper «Sole 24 Ore» is published under this headline. “The United States has signed a cooperation pact with Albania for military cooperation... a state belonging to the former communist bloc... The agreement is of particular strategic importance in terms of strengthening the American military ‘presence’ in the Balkans and of the discussions now under way on NATO expansion,” Pensabene writes, and continues: “For Albania, strengthening ties with Washington in the military sphere provides security in the face of tensions with its neighbors.” In her article, Pensabene explains that after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Albania found itself facing numerous incidents with its neighbors in the neighboring states where a considerable number of Albanians live, such as Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Greece. Under such circumstances, Albania sought membership in NATO. The Italian newspaper’s article reflects the latest developments. “Now,” Pensabene continues, with the signing of the military agreement with Washington, “Albania is given a more privileged status in relation to the former members of the Warsaw Pact. Agreements of this kind are in fact being considered for implementation with other Eastern European countries as well.” The memorandum signed by the authorities in Washington and Tirana sets out the need to establish relations between the two countries in the area of military defence through military training programs... under conditions of international security. “Among other things, it includes the notification of military attacks against either of the two countries, through the countries’ embassies in their respective capitals.” Prepared by: E. PALOKA

— INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT RUGOVA — Fak Lutaj of the BBC section interviewed the leader of the Albanians of Kosovo and chairman of the LDK, Dr Ibrahim Rugova, and first asked him how this initiative and the discussions of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia were influencing matters. — We have always supported the government of the former Yugoslavia, or a regional conference for the Balkans. We do not want this conference to be a repetition of the London conference, because it has not produced sufficient results so far. We want all the parties formed in the former Yugoslavia to be directly present, and not as in London, where there was a second hall or a first hall; otherwise, there will be no solution and the situation will not be calm. In this respect, we support the second conference. Question: Most Western governments, as well as international political bodies, do not support the complete independence of Kosovo. Does this concern you? Answer: We have our own support, and we also have the results of the referendum we held two years ago. It is a major democratic expression and must be respected by the international community. Naturally, different states make different proposals, but we insist, and will continue to insist at the conference, that the demand and political will of the people of Kosovo be affirmed, and we will work in this direction. Question: Mr Chairman, based on past experience, when elections have been held in Serbia there has been a certain amount of pressure from the West to participate in them. Do you think there will be such pressure this time as well? Answer: I think there will be less pressure, because these elections are only for the Serbian parliament. We held our own elections a year and a half ago, so we have no reason to take part, since we gain nothing from these elections. We insist on Kosovo’s sovereignty and neutrality, and I believe that in this situation and around the world these elections are increasingly understood as a power game. Question: Mr Chairman, there has recently been talk of renewal and the reorganization of the LDK’s personnel. Does this mean that the peaceful policy followed so far might be replaced by a more active form of resistance? Answer: These were regular elections within the party, before the LDK; naturally, there will be renewal and new personnel, while the policy will not change. We will follow the path of peaceful and active resistance; therefore, we are a party that brings together all forces in Kosovo. In this situation, we will continue along the political path. Question: Mr Chairman, are there differences within your government regarding political strategy? Answer: There are no differences as far as the government is concerned. As you know, the government has been temporary; it is a coalition made up of representatives of five parties. The government, which is based in the same area as us, works mainly to clarify the situation, naturally in good coordination with us, and there are no differences.

— 28 Croatian firms expressed their willingness to invest in Albania. — The day before yesterday, a group of Croatian businesspeople invited by the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Albania arrived in Tirana. At the meeting held on Wednesday with Albanian businesspeople, the 28 representatives of Croatian firms presented their activities and sought partnerships with Albanian firms. The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr Zenel Hoxha, was present at the meeting. He spoke about the assistance provided in this regard by the Chairman of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Mr Paviç. The group’s arrival was also made possible thanks to the negotiators and leaders of the Democratic League of Albanians of Croatia, specifically Messrs Tom Berisha and Tom Marku. Yesterday, the group of Croatian businesspeople also held meetings in the city of Durrës. «RD» correspondent

Greece carried out new mass expulsions of Albanian refugees on Tuesday and in the evening. More than 2,200 people were expelled on Tuesday and the operation is continuing, Ludmilla Pajo, spokesperson for Albania’s Ministry of Public Order, told AFP. The expulsions continued until midnight on Tuesday and resumed early Wednesday morning, a police officer in Gjirokastër, Mr Ajet Selibashi, told AFP when asked. Around 2,105 Albanians were escorted to the Kakavijë border post on Tuesday, the officer said. Another 500 refugees were expelled on Wednesday.

DATES OF THE ACTIVITIES AND CONFERENCES OF THE DP BRANCHES.

Not just for laughs The lead editorial of the 1st issue of «ZP», in large print, spoke of the complete failure of the investigative bodies and of the «Nano» case management to complete the investigations. It considers this “a valid official act.” I read and reread it several times, but the words remained there, black on white. For a moment I thought perhaps something was wrong with my head. So I opened the «ZP» newspapers from a few days earlier once again. There it was again: the lead editorial, in italics. The petition of 700,000 signatures for the release of Fatos Nano is described as “the only democratic act,” putting the justice system before two alternatives: either release Fatos Nano immediately, which would also determine its democratic character, or keep him in prison, which would mean a lack of justice and democracy and the subjection of these bodies to the diktat of the party-state. As always, «ZP» offered no middle way. And lo and behold, three days later (not several years later, as is customary with «ZP» texts), the very same newspaper, on the very same page, in the same large type and taking up the same space, writes that it is official to keep the socialist leader in prison, thereby invalidating a petition with more than half a million signatures! The petition demands the immediate release of Fatos Nano, immediate release of Fatos Nano, while the court calls for further investigations. The petition calls for neither investigations nor further inquiries, neither a trial nor imprisonment, and «ZP» propagated this as “the greatest...” Meanwhile, the court is asking only for investigations. So, how should one read «Zëri i popullit»? To tell you the truth, I am one of this newspaper’s most regular readers. Just a few days ago this newspaper insisted that Fatos should be released as soon as possible, but since it has crossed out the justice bodies and handed judgment in the case to the petitioners, who, without needing either investigations or a court panel, have delivered a definitive verdict: Fatos Nano should be released as soon as possible! Here «ZP» determines the verdict and the order. Instead of taking another path and seeking the help of the court, not of people in the street, what is this poor man to do with his life? Choose between a three-person court panel or a petition signed by 700,000 people? «ZP» says both sides are right. That is its business. Just as it is the reader’s business whom to believe. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow, “as we know.” The “Voice” of truth may help us grow old and, without being unfair, become a third party! And what fault does this newspaper have if readers decide to keep believing it, even though it has a century-old memory of deceiving us? ZYMBYL HASANI

In its very first issue, «RD», responding to the accusations of others, declared that it was not a black cat. And the black cat, as was understood, was accepted as harmless by the crowd’s punishers, but now the time has come when black cats want to stop progress. The first misfortune is that today’s black cats are precisely those who, during yesterday’s dictatorship, enjoyed the privileges of the dictatorship and the support of all the rulers. If you look at today’s political spectrum, the most extreme opponents of progress and democracy are precisely those who until yesterday enjoyed the high privileges of the red nomenklatura. Neither Dokle, nor Nano, nor Beqiri, nor Ceka, Pëllumbi, nor Agolli, nor Zoga, nor Tozaj, nor Pobrati, nor Braho... ever tasted Spaç or Burrel, Qafë-Bari or Gira. Their “dissidence” was always in the fact that they were seen and remembered, always on the platforms. This category of people, with party credentials and a PPSH diploma, made its way through politics from the moment communism was mixed up. From that moment on, without offering a public apology, they have raised their moral heads and now talk about democracy and having a government for life supported by a big family? These dictators of democracy are dictatorship. The misfortune is that these orators have put their rhetoric at their own disposal, the patriots of political equality, while at the same time running away from... Likewise, politicians and their communist clans brought Albania into this chaos and terror. They destroyed the psychology, morality, mentality and history of their own people. The misfortune is that their crime lies in the fact that these “politicians” are supported today; what do these three things defend? The only possibility for survival is communism, which needs fear and help from conservatives and its defenders, not to mention those on the left who grow up on its platforms and in its institutions, without fighting conscientiously, not to mention the media on the third platform and the newspapers, which have their power there... Indifference...

This category of people, unaccustomed to pluralist sentiment and unfamiliar with the principles of democracy, are deaf to the opposition that has been given to them, turning it into clans of the corrupt, terrorists and anti-communists. Accustomed to the cult of Enver, they identified the opposition with F. Nano and the latter’s financial deals, shared them among themselves, and gave ordinary crime a political color. The tragedy of such actions was that democracy in Albania came to have no political opposition, but instead sworn opponents of reform and progress. In this way they managed to draw onto the scene even militant people and the D. Mugoshas, Sh. Pepas and S. Lazrats..., so corrupt and thieving that they claim and imagine that all the killers’ gangs are democratic, while... The PS, now anti-PD, and the PAD, as anti-reality, have been taken over by black cats. For 1–2 decades they have exchanged open and closed letters among themselves. They complete and compete with one another to see who can first win Belgrade’s favor. They deny and suppress everything that belongs to the party; everything is dying, everything is... truly, the democrats are enemies, the Western courts are traitors; they never saw anything happening in Albania, only darkness; some have turned into black cats, and the PAD leaders are now before... If you want a reading now: PD AND THE BLACK CATS. This has now been shown: put the PS and the Alliances at the helm and they will take us decades backwards. If you want the truth, read «ZP» and its sister paper, which has three lies for every two words. Another misfortune stems from the fact that there are so many populists among us, so new, with so much “noise and passion”; the preoccupations and laments of the political “black cats” try to make us the first victims of the future. They want to throw us into Serbia’s barbed-wire-and-bullets traps or Greek chauvinism; they want to lead us down the road to becoming beggars, with no future and no hope. Black cats constantly emerge from cafés and head toward the boulevards, sowing terror and panic because they are black in their flesh, clothes, hair, spirit and heart. Because black cats are against the DP, and by opposing it they do not remember the statements in which the DP distanced itself from them, saying that it is a cat and, moreover, “it is not a black cat.” The DP is a popular party, a party of students and intellectuals, in favor of tolerance and justice, a party of progress and national advancement, a party that enjoys the people’s absolute vote and carries out its project of institutionalizing democracy, without being afraid at all... AFRIM KRASNIQI