Press conference of Presidents Berisha and Tabone “Albania and Malta are determined to develop friendly relations and close economic, political and cultural cooperation,” said the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, at the joint press conference with his Maltese counterpart, dr. Cencu Tabone. Assessing President Tabone’s visit as an important moment in the friendly relations between Malta and Albania, President Berisha informed journalists that, in the talks held, agreement had been reached on expanding bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation at the multilateral level, between Albania and Malta. The objectives of Albania’s foreign policy, aimed at its integration into Europe, resolving the national question and preventing conflict in the region, were also made clear. “The option of partitioning Bosnia is ultimately a hopeless option for stopping the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina and establishing peace in the region,” President Berisha emphasized once again. This was also clearly demonstrated by the latest bloodbath in Sarajevo, and it makes the punishment of the Serbs, the perpetrators of this massacre, absolutely necessary. We also insist that there can be no solution to the Balkan crisis without resolving the problem of Kosovo. In this regard, we welcome the help of Malta and all friendly countries in linking the embargo against Albania to the state of progress toward a solution for Kosovo. Speaking about the areas of cooperation between Albania and Malta, President Berisha said they were numerous, mentioning tourism, industry, various sectors, the creation of joint ventures, and, in particular, the completion of an agreement to establish a joint venture for repairing oil platforms, etc. In his remarks, dr. Tabone said that the two countries had discovered one another in the sense that they shared common goals on international humanitarian and security issues. After mentioning the establishment of an organization to help Albania, he stressed that ties between Malta and Albania would develop further in the future, in various areas benefiting both countries. Regarding the situation in Bosnia, President Tabone said the bloodshed in that country must be brought to an end. Speaking about the problem of Kosovo, whose inhabitants are mainly Albanian, he stressed that they are seeking rights they had previously enjoyed: to live according to their customs and to have their own internal self-government. Then the two presidents answered journalists’ questions. Asked what results were expected from the Conference of Regional Countries, held on the initiative of mediators Owen and Stoltenberg, President Berisha replied: “This Conference is being held within the framework of the Geneva Conference on the conflict in Bosnia and is strictly consultative in nature. I hope this Conference will contribute to greater understanding in the region and, in particular, encourage NATO to punish those responsible for the massacre in Sarajevo.” Asked by a journalist about the decision to station U.S. reconnaissance aircraft on Albanian territory, President Berisha replied: “The Government of Albania has repeatedly expressed its willingness and readiness to cooperate with the UN and NATO in support of UN resolutions concerning humanitarian aid in Bosnia and ensuring compliance with sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro. “We have stood by our decisions, rigorously observing the sanctions, something that has been recognized by the international community. We have also allowed our territorial waters to be used by NATO and EU vessels to strengthen the sanctions and take other measures. “In October 1993, Albania and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding which, among other things, also makes it possible to expand military cooperation between the two countries. The latest reports concern the extensive description of a cooperation mission with the U.S. Department of Defense, assisting and supporting the already well-known missions of the United Nations and NATO in Bosnia.” Answering a question about oil platforms, President Berisha said that METSER was a very well-known company in the field of these platforms. Since the Adriatic is now becoming a sea in which several platforms are operating, METSER has expressed interest in a joint venture with Albpetrol for this purpose. Negotiations are proceeding well, and among the offers, METSER is one of the preferred ones. Malta’s Foreign Minister, Guido de Marko, answering a question about the changes he had noticed during his three visits to Albania, said that Albania was taking major steps not only in the fields of freedom and democracy, but also in the economy. Albania is moving forward, politically, economically and socially. All this is the result of the fact that the entire Albanian people understand that real progress can be achieved, and I have indeed seen that great progress has been made in Albania over these three years.” ...with rights, and you implement them correctly. “The wounds of 50 years,” he continues, “cannot be healed in two years, but we should not expect everything to be put right from above. Is it right for the Government to have to concern itself, for example, with putting a pane of glass in the school window as well as fixing a water pump? Why do you have a municipality here? You yourselves voted for them, and they should work together with you to solve your immediate problems. The task of every democratic state is to give people the freedom to act for themselves,” Mr. Shehu concluded. THE CAPITAL OF ALBANIAN COMPANIES HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY The meeting was warm and very intimate (Continued on page 4)

-The DP did not promise riches, but showed the ways in which people can become prosperous -The Secretary General of the DPA, Mr. Tritan Shehu, Minister Manushi and MP Vasil Gjika meet residents of the Përmet district. On Tuesday, Mr. Tritan Shehu, Secretary of the DPA, Mr. Ilir Manushi, Minister of Construction, Housing and Territorial Planning, and local MP Vasil Gjika met with residents of the Përmet district. First they went to the commune of Sukë, where they spoke with residents of the 14 villages in the area, and in the afternoon they met hundreds of Përmet citizens who had filled the hall of the city’s Palace of Culture. IN THE COMMUNE OF SUKË, LAND TITLES ARE NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE FORMER OWNERS! The most pressing concern raised by the residents of Sukë was the failure to implement the land law. Thus, although most of the farmers in the area have been issued land titles, the former owners, emboldened by the inertia of the local authorities, have occupied their land. Among other things, it was said at the meeting that the land-allocation commission itself had, to some extent, encouraged this situation. “This commission,” one of the speakers said, “has taken the best land for itself, while instead of receiving the amount we are entitled to under the law near our homes, we have been sent off to poor-quality land.” As is known, seeking to ensure implementation of the land law at all costs, the Government has also introduced additional amendments that strengthen the powers of local government. Even so, the villagers are still caught between these efforts and those of some of their former landowners, who sit in offices and take satisfaction in the percentages reported by commune officials. And since, as MP Gjika pointed out, land-allocation problems exist throughout the district, the concern carries even greater weight. A participant at the meeting said that the Socialists had won in this commune and were not interested in implementing the land law. But without prejudging the commune chairman as having acted deliberately, I say that any person, Socialist or Democrat, who fails to implement the law must be held accountable. The relevant ministry must act urgently on this. Because the land law is not being implemented, not only are the farmers dissatisfied, but the state treasury is also suffering significant losses. In this commune, the leadership has openly agreed to provide social assistance to many farmers because they supposedly “have no land,” and matters have reached the point where many farmers say: “What do we need land for? We’d rather get free money from the state than tire ourselves out working(!)” It should be said that failure to implement this law has also been influenced by the somewhat unclear wording of the relevant legislation, or by the way it is being exploited. “For trespassing on land, we have issued 76 fines so far,” said the commune secretary, “but nobody pays them because the law does not set a deadline. Thus, someone who is fined is free to pay the fine ...” For this purpose, a fund of 18 million dollars has been approved for intervention using the appropriate equipment. “As for your problem,” he said, “prepare the project and the cost estimate and send them to the relevant ministry; send the estimate so that paving can begin on the 15 km Këlcyrë–Ballaban road.” He gave the same instructions regarding the village water-supply systems. In any case, the problem of supplying water, electricity, etc., will be resolved definitively only if they are privatized. Tirana has 2,000 liters of water per second; this amount would be normal for 2 million inhabitants, and yet Tirana suffers from water shortages, Mr. Manushi explained. If private water companies were established, water would be controlled and managed much better, as has been done in other countries. IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN BECOME PROSPEROUS -There were also questions such as “What have you done for us in two years?” and so on, which Mr. Tritan Shehu answered. “You should be clear about this,” he said, “the DP did not promise that, after democracy won, good things would fall from the sky. We promised fairer paths along which people could advance and become prosperous. And this is now becoming a reality day by day. If there are land-allocation problems in your communes, we are continuously addressing matters relating to your work and the relations among you. The Government’s door is open ... laws ... as has already been made known. estimate and send them to one of the relevant offices, better, as has been done in other countries. so that we could receive what we are entitled to under the law near the house, they have sent us off to poor-quality land. As is known, the Government, seeking at all costs to implement the land law, local government. Yet the same thing continues to happen: when villagers find themselves facing the claims of some former owners, they are not protected by the local authorities. “I,” said the villager Safet Spahiu, “have 7 children. I don’t have a government job; the land deeded to me by the commission has been taken by the former owner, who has lived in the city for 30–40 years. What am I supposed to do? Where can I turn?! I go to the Municipality and the chairman tells me to go to court! I go to court and they tell me to go and have the municipal chairman resolve it!” There is a Commission at the Ministry of Agriculture that deals with the progress of implementation of the land law. Reports are also sent there stating that such-and-such a percentage of land has been distributed. It has indeed been distributed, but still the villager complains. So what should be done? It would be appropriate for this commission’s officials to look into such cases; there is no reason for them to ... It must be said that indications of the law’s non-implementation also include the somewhat unclear wording of the relevant law, or the way it is being exploited. “For land seizure we have imposed 76 fines,” said the municipal specify a deadline. Thus, the offender who is fined is free to pay the fine at any time—even after 100 years(!)” ILIR MANUSHI: THE GOVERNMENT IS DRAWING UP A SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE During the discussion with the villagers of the Suke area, many questions were put to Minister Ilir Manushi. “We don’t have drinking water,” said one villager. “Our road, Kelcyre-Ballaban, should be asphalted,” someone else asked. “The telephone lines aren’t working,” a third person interjected. It is clear that none of these problems arose today. Today they are being pressed forcefully because confidence that they can be resolved is also greater. And the Minister replies: The Government has a general plan for infrastructure in Albania. The situation ...

President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, returned yesterday. As is known, he paid a working visit to the U.S. He also met with President Clinton, with whom he discussed the problems of former Yugoslavia and Kosovo. “RD” correspondent

Once again, without distancing itself from E. Hoxha After the repeated accusations made against the head of the SP for failing to distance himself from the criminal E. Hoxha, it was thought that, at least for the sake of demagoguery, they would do so at the latest conference. But there was no distancing either from E. Hoxha or from his crimes. He and the PP fought for that in December and afterward, to hold on to power at all costs. That is what they are fighting for today as well. Dokle’s “new” alternatives. In his speech, Dokle was to present some alternatives from the SP; so, are the Socialists in the dark? PAD is the SP’s main ally. Those who declare themselves fanatical anti-communists do not seem to have any problem helping the communists come to power, provided they too get a ministerial chair. Nano’s “lucidity” Everyone must have noticed that in

After the repeated accusations made against the leaders of the SP for failing to distance themselves from the criminal E. Hoxha, it was thought that, at least for the sake of demagoguery, they would do so at the latest conference. After the repeated accusations made against the leaders of the SP for failing to distance themselves from E. Hoxha or from the PP; indeed, an interesting phenomenon was observed: the PP and SP presented themselves as parties that had brought democracy to Albania. “The Socialists were among the initiators of the democratic processes,” says Angjeli. He surely has the PP and its organic ties with the SP in mind, because in December 1990 the SP did not exist, and everyone knows how the PP “initiated” the democratic processes. This statement is not merely a slip, because Dokle says the same thing. Speaking about “the changes of the 1990s,” Dokle calls them a “phenomenon” that opened up great opportunities for the development of democracy, and says that during this period “the two main Albanian parties emerged with a clear vision of the future, the DP and the SP.” Even E. Hoxha did not dare to change history immediately after the war, but his successors seem to be even more idle than he was. So the SP was supposedly an initiator of democracy and supposedly began this struggle on an equal footing with the DP. Isn’t that the height of absurdity? Nano, whose call to the opposition is now being taken up by those who “made demands in December,” can be excused because he is writing from cell no. 47; but the others resemble someone who, by lying so much, eventually comes to believe their own lies. But was it not the current head of the SP, the former PP prime minister F. Nano, who brought out the meeting Dokle’s “new” alternatives. In his speech, Dokle was supposed to present some of the SP’s alternatives, or so he promised at least at the press conference. But the only thing that stands out in Dokle’s speech is that he mentions the DP 15 times. There are 15 paragraphs in Dokle’s speech attacking the DP (not counting the occasions when the Government is discussed), so the only “alternative” Dokle offers is an attack on the DP. “Voters decided to give the DP a try as well.” “On March 22, voters decided to give the DP a try as well”—that is what S. Pëllumbi said in the report he delivered, making it clear from what he said afterward that this trial had turned out empty-handed. So, according to Pëllumbi, after freely voting for the DP for five years in a row, Albanian “were quickly disappointed,” and will now return to the mother party like the prodigal son. I do not know, but Pëllumbi seems to be sending them back to where they were “because the experiment of change was unsuccessful.” PAD, the SP’s main ally In the Conference report, after the DP is attacked without limit, the SP’s position toward the other parties is also emphasized. The first party listed among those the SP “values” is PAD. So it is no longer a secret that the communists come to power, provided they get a ministerial chair too. Nano’s “lucidity” Everyone must have noticed that in the letters Nano sends from prison (and there are quite a few), he always emphasizes that he is in good physical and moral condition. In the latest letter read at the Conference, too, he writes that he continues to be “lucid.” To mention so often, without anyone asking, that you are “right in the head” gives one some reason to doubt. The SP’s cells around the world As promised at the beginning of the Conference, the Socialists made a change to the statute and decided that cells of the PSSH would be established not only in Albania, but throughout the world. Once, E. Hoxha dreamed of becoming the Chairman of the (real) Socialist International. It seems that Fatos, in the speeches he gives in Europe, will make this “Father’s” dream come true too; only, it is not known whether Fatos has managed to discover where Zhoao Amazo nas is hiding, so he can have him as his successor around the world. “Success” In conclusion, it can be said that the only success the Socialists achieved at this conference was bringing it to an end. EDI PALOKA

PROTEST Amid the continuing terror and savage violence of Serbian chauvinism against the Albanian people of Kosovo, and especially against its best-known figures, these days the fascist regime in Belgrade is preparing a judicial farce against the renowned poet and prose writer Myrteza Nura as well. The ordeal of this unyielding intellectual and patriot has passed through several imprisonments by the Titoist Slavo-communists and now by today’s Serbian dictator. It is highly significant that Milosheviç’s government, alongside the merciless blows it is dealing to Albanians in the economy, education, culture, information, etc., seeks to silence the enlightened minds who never cease fighting by democratic means for national and human freedom and rights. We, the writers, artists, journalists and publishers of Albania, raise our voices in indignation against this judicial terror and the brutal persecution of the Albanian intelligentsia in Kosovo, and appeal to all democratic opinion and the world’s diplomatic community to stand up against these monstrous crimes, which are reaching their culmination at this century’s end. Myrteza Nura, this poet and writer, pioneer of modern Albanian literature in Kosovo and at the same time a patriotic fighter, cannot be kept behind bars and in dungeons, just as courage, freedom and humanism cannot be confined there. The radiance of his work has by now become the spiritual property of the Albanian nation. Freedom for Myrteza Nura and prisons of the Serbian occupier! The League of Writers and Artists of Albania

Two of the captions that have arrived at the editorial office: -G.Tupja: Nano modestly responds to the “ZP” scoundrel-ctor about the article titled: “Fatos Nano is innocent”. Blizz... I.Arapi: “Aha, this time he can’t get away”. We thank everyone who has sent in captions and inform you that they will be published from time to time. For ethical and professional reasons, some captions, although clever, cannot be published. FIND THE CAPTION 500 lek (new) for the best caption. Photograph of a man wearing glasses; caption: “FIND THE CAPTION”

Of the Presidium of the General Council of the Independent Political Organization of Veterans and Disabled Persons of the National Liberation War. The Presidium of the General Council of the Independent Political and Democratic Organization of Veterans and Disabled Persons of the Albanian National Liberation War, at its meeting, after analyzing the internal situation in our country, concluded: Destructive forces, which have not repented of the crimes committed by the dictator Enver Hoxha and have also been encouraged by certain anti-democratic events that have taken place in some states belonging to the former socialist camp, have launched a general, united and organized offensive, both on the legal and illegal fronts, against the political forces fighting to strengthen pluralist democracy in our country, and especially against the Democratic Party, the Democratic Government and the President of the Republic. Their aim is to destabilize the situation in the country in order to realize the very desire they constantly speak of: new early elections in our country. At this meeting, as usual, our Organization expressed its readiness and determination to support without reservation the Party and all other against regressive and anti-democratic forces. In particular, we support the Democratic Party as the leading force that overthrew the Enverist dictatorship, and support the Democratic Government and the President of the Republic in implementing the reforms set out in the Democratic Party’s program, a program that was voted for by the majority of our people, including the members of our organization. FOR THE ORGANIZATION’S PRESIDIUM THE CHAIRMAN PANDELI PERMETI