According to the News Agency, the President of Albania, Sali Berisha, at the head of a delegation comprising 14 members, arrived in Malaysia for a four-day visit. According to the Associated Press news agency, Albania and Malaysia signed five agreements on trade and bilateral cooperation at a ceremony attended by the Albanian president, Sali Berisha, and the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad. The agreements concern trade, the promotion and protection of investments, double taxation, and the expansion of economic, scientific and technical cooperation. According to the same agency, speaking at a press conference, Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that Malaysia had expressed its willingness to share its experience with Albania in many fields, such as privatization, the tourism industry and defense. Abdullah said that Albania had requested Malaysia’s experience and assistance in establishing a free-trade zone. The leaders of the two countries also discussed the need for an international conference on Bosnia, modeled on the international talks that led to the peace agreement for Cambodia, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Martinez: Albania is at the front of the queue for admission to the CoE Yesterday, the parliamentary delegation headed by Mr. Selami, which is following the proceedings of the 45th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, was received by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE, Mr. Martinez. Mr. Eduard Selami conveyed to Mr. Martinez the warm greetings of President Berisha. Mr. Selami then gave a general overview of developments in the democratic processes in Albania. He singled out the efforts to build a state governed by the rule of law, emphasized the importance of the separation of powers as a basic principle, respect for and protection of individual rights, the drafting of modern legislation in line with European standards, as well as efforts toward economic reform. Mr. Selami further stressed that Albania had fulfilled all the conditions to become a full member of the Council of Europe. Membership, he continued, would also serve peace and stability in the Balkans. In his remarks, Mr. Martinez stressed that Albania was at the front of the queue for admission as a full member of the CoE. The remaining matters relating to Albania’s admission were technical: the submission and drafting of reports and their presentation to the relevant committees. Albania, Mr. Martinez continued, had no obstacle to becoming a full member. As for minorities in Albania, he continued, he believed that all legal guarantees for the realization of their rights had been established, but the minority also had to be loyal in fulfilling its obligations. Mr. Martinez also expressed his wish to visit Albania during this year, after its admission to the CoE. Through the delegation, he conveyed his best wishes to President Berisha.

I can still hear ringing in my ears the repeated, enthusiastic chants in the halls and rallies of the election campaign, where one of the participants would ask loudly, “Will we win or not?” and hundreds of voices would answer, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Albania answered: “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Democracy won... Although very little time has passed since then, such changes have taken place here that our people today no longer even want to remember the perversities and countless failings of the communist political and social system. They do not want to remember that back then they were afraid simply to speak, to hear a song, to read a book, to put up a television antenna, to meet a relative who had come from abroad... they were afraid to learn and speak a few words in a foreign language. It is a great blessing that Albanians have managed not to want to remember, because for almost half a century they listened to the dictator’s ranting and kept body and soul together on cornbread and cold forty-lekë slabs. They no longer want to remember the backwardness of that backward time, because it would spoil the beauty of the days of democracy and freedom in which they are now moving forward; but they also do not want to forget anything, because they do not want even the shadow of that accursed system to return. They do not want to forget anything, because there are still those who did not die along with the system that was overthrown, but who take revenge and spew their bile over every success of democracy, trip it up at every step and raise their rusty sieve to cover its beautiful sun. These people with no future, whose old feathers sprout whenever they hear that somewhere in the East their brothers are polishing their boots, are the incorrigible types described so well by the German writer in the following poem: “There are incorrigibles who believe that everything will come back. There are incorrigibles who know that nothing will return, but pretend not to understand. There are incorrigibles who proudly recall: surely in already exist between Albania and Italy.” I know they dispute this with arguments, but, tolerant as they are, they put up with them even when they spew the poisonous bile of their communist gall as soon as they see a crack anywhere in democracy’s crystal-clear mirror. These incorrigible types are unwittingly helped in their vile campaign because some of the most dedicated Democrats are resting on the laurels of their achievements; some are busy with work and making money from the opportunities democracy has created, and have forgotten it; some disgruntled and embittered people chew over their own merits and forget the heavy crosses they have come through; some think they have done enough for democracy and try to convince themselves and others that they are tired. All those who in December of the nineties found themselves aboard the ship of democracy must not forget the danger that the incorrigibles still alive may pose to our fragile democracy, and that today is the time to heed the powerful bells—the powerful bells—of Brecht’s poem, which ends with the lines: “Those fighters who tire the most, they lose the war!” No, we will not tire! We will not lose the struggle we began that December and in which we have won so many battles! Those who fell as martyrs, with hands and feet bound, will not allow it; nor will the joyful children who have yet to be born. To the incorrigibles still alive, who shout themselves hoarse with the “Voice of Skrofull,” I will recall what Senator Marshall said to people like them exactly two hundred years ago: “Ah, you quarrelsome troublemakers! You friends of anarchy! How rich in noise and insults, how poor in reasoning and judgment are your objections!” As for someone who was in the PD until yesterday and today has come out barking against it, ladies and gentlemen, do not worry: it is nothing but a time that trails the lion badly. PETRAQ KOLEVICA

The role of propaganda and the press is well known, even in countries with established democracies; some of them value these so highly that they have dedicated ministries for them. It is clear how essential they are for us, especially in this difficult period of transition. But it seems to me that propaganda and the press are perhaps the weakest part of the PD’s work in the regions and at the center. The lack of genuinely high-quality propaganda, organized as a unified system and conceived as a major political commitment of the PD, weakens the influence of the PD’s ideas and program and their implementation, allowing the deafening tones of the destructive opposition of the PS (PP) and its declared or hidden sister organizations to grow artificially stronger. We have entrusted and assigned the entire heavy burden of propaganda to “RD,” which realistically cannot bear it with so much responsibility. (It is strange that it has not complained itself so far.) But “RD” has also been dealt a blow because it rarely, if ever, goes to the countryside as a guest, whereas it is there first and foremost that it should be mistress of the house. It is enough to remember that the outcome of the next elections will be decided and determined mainly by the rural electorate, not only because it makes up the majority of the population, but also because visible economic, socio-political and psychological developments are expected in the countryside. Their details must be processed and brought out by our press and propaganda, which is not doing so as it should and could. To clarify matters and prevent the broad PD electorate from becoming confused or drifting away. To continually bring new contingents into the PD, not just during campaign periods. To continually confront the opponents. They have three main anti-propaganda aims: To paralyze the Reform in general, by preserving and activating its leftist contingents within us. They have not managed to paralyze it, but they have managed to delay it in some areas. To prolong the transition period by causing political and psychological fatigue and, consequently, creating a state of continual destabilization. To exploit every internal and external opportunity and difficulty to sway public opinion, bring down the Meksi Government and call early elections. To prevent these aims from being achieved, propaganda must be developed and tailored to the psychological and political characteristics of different social groups and strata, and even to specific individuals. With the transition from opposition to government, initial enthusiasm is known to decline; the direction of propaganda must then also be changed and greater attention paid to building its quality, to counter the advantages the governing party gains when the opposition comes to power. Under conditions of an entirely abnormal, destructive and nihilistic opposition, when attacks on the PD come from every direction, our propaganda must withstand the constant deafening campaign of the PS (PP), joined, unfortunately, by “And Feridi, who changes face: Yesterday he cursed, today he praises / He puffs out his cheeks and trumpets.” That the soot turns white... The absence of a tradition of pluralism and the limited culture of democratic political conduct, along with certain negative psychological traits stemming from the sometimes extreme Albanian temperament—which favors swings from one extreme to another—make the terrain for political and propaganda work difficult, especially during this hard transitional period. The press

Our propaganda has three fundamental aims: To clarify matters and prevent the broad PD electorate from becoming confused or drifting away. They not just during campaign periods. To continually counter / period. The press

Most of the population lives in the countryside, so there is also greater scope there for propaganda work. and television, slabs. They do not want to remember how they stood in long queues before dawn, barely managing to get a tiny packet of coffee, or a packet of butter, a packet of minced meat, a piece of cheese, a bottle of oil, a kilo of olives, a bottle of milk. They do not want to remember that they sent their children to school in the middle of winter wearing an old sweater and ragged shoes, and that it was considered a great honor when someone brought them a piece of chewing gum from abroad for those children who had never known chocolate or bananas. They do not want to remember that on May 5 only the families of martyrs, with authorization from the neighborhood, could get a kilo of wormy apples to put decoratively on the table, for the leadership to see when it came on a visit. They no longer want to remember the pointless drills and marches, and how everything was gathered up or sorted out by some clever scheme, while at the crack of dawn the music blared and the priest danced out of sheer misery. The peasants no longer want to remember the “names” “cooperative,” “little flock” and “little field” that left them with nothing, nor the cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Public Order of the Republic of Albania and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria. For the Albanian side, the agreement was signed by the Minister of Public Order, Mr. Agron Musaraj, and for the Bulgarian side by the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Viktor Mihajllov. Members of the two delegations were present, as was the Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to our country, Stefan Naumov. The parties agreed to cooperate and assist one another in the fight against international terrorism, illegal trade and the trafficking of drugs, narcotics and psychotropic substances; against organized crime, illegal financial operations involving large sums, dirty money and the smuggling of works of art of historical value; and to prevent the illegal trade in arms, etc. After the two ministers signed this agreement, they issued a joint statement to the press.

WORKING MEETING AT THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ORDER TIRANA:- A working meeting was held at the Ministry of Public Order between delegations from the Ministry of Public Order of Albania and the Ministry of the Interior of Bulgaria. The Ambassador of Bulgaria to our country, Stefan Naumov, also took part. The Minister of Public Order, Agron Musaraj, gave an overview of the situation and the problems currently troubling public order in our country. He emphasized the police’s work to prevent crime first and foremost, as well as to identify its actual perpetrators. He briefed them on the restructuring of the public-order bodies, the acceleration of specialists’ training, and the reforms under way in the programs of the Public Order Academy, which has now become a school with a genuine police profile and is completely depoliticized. For his part, Mr. Viktor Mihajllov spoke about the situation of the Bulgarian police and its concerns during this difficult period of transition, as well as the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. He expressed confidence and readiness to deepen cooperation further in the future.

TIRANA:- A signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Public Order for a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Public Order of the Republic of Albania and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria. COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN OF THE INTERIOR OF BULGARIA TIRANA:- A signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Public Order for a the Republic of Bulgaria. On behalf of of Public Order, Mr. Agron Musaraj, and on behalf of Viktor Mihajllov. Members of both international terrorism, illegal trade and trafficking in drugs, narcotics and psychotropic substances; organized crime; illegal financial operations involving large sums; money laundering; as well as to prevent the illegal arms trade, etc. The parties signed this agreement; both ministers issued a joint statement to the press.

-Youth, one of the DP’s main pillars -By improving ourselves, we will improve society -February 18, 1994—the FRPDSH conference Yesterday at midday, the national assembly of the DP Youth Forum held its proceedings at the Democratic Party headquarters in Tirana. The DP Secretary-General, Mr. Tritan Shehu, also attended the assembly’s proceedings. Presidency member Mr. Lorenc Ligori opened the assembly and informed participants of the agenda. Mr. Ligori then presented the draft statute of the DP Youth Forum, which was reviewed in greater detail, article by article. Along with the suggestions and comments made by the discussants, the assembly decided to submit the draft statute to the conference for approval. The main report, delivered by Presidency member Mr. Krasniqi, highlighted the Youth Forum’s achievements and weaknesses during this period. Krasniqi stressed that the Youth Forum’s positions had been consistent and well-considered, bringing about a clear growth in its standing in Albanian political life. In his discussion, Bislm Ahmetaj, a member of the FR Presidency, called for new ways of thinking about and conducting the Youth Forum’s work and activities, so that it could withstand the erosion caused by harsh politics. By improving ourselves, we will improve society; we will be politicians and incorrigible, as aptly described by a German writer in the following poem: “There are incorrigible people who believe everything will come back again. There are incorrigible people who know nothing comes back, but pretend, somehow, that they do not understand. There are incorrigible people who understand what has happened, but believe everything will come back again and that things will fall into place once more. There are incorrigible people who have understood what has happened, but do not believe what they have understood, and think things are going to change. but cannot let go, so they polish themselves up like old coins. There are incorrigible people who act as if nothing has happened and bear the pain with a washed-out grandeur. still want to do things as before, wandering around us, the incorrigible ones still alive... People who witnessed the birth of democracy from its very first hours and walked, and continue to walk, alongside it encounter these loathsome, incorrigible types every day; they discuss things with them

In a telegram of congratulations on the founding of the Italian People’s Party, addressed to its chairman, Mr. Martinazoli, the Secretary-General of the PDSH, Mr. Tritan Shehu, expressed his wish to establish and strengthen ties between the two parties, which would certainly contribute to the expansion and development of the very good relations that already exist between Albania and Italy. Press and Information Department of the PDSH