—Interview with Eduard Selami, Chairman of the Albanian Parliamentary Permanent Delegation to the Council of Europe— QUESTION: It is now a well-known fact, Mr. Selami, that the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will send a high-level parliamentary delegation to Tirana to consider Albania's membership in the Council of Europe. How would you assess this moment? ANSWER: I would assess it as a special decision, because this is the first time the Bureau has taken such a decision. Sending this delegation exclusively to Albania, as Mr. Kiebes also said on behalf of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, is intended to send a political message in support of Albania. Naturally, the delegation will also include rapporteurs who have been appointed for some time. I think that setting the date for 5 to 7 April is, in addition to political support, also concrete assistance. In cases like this, since there are four or five rapporteurs, delays arise because it is difficult to find a suitable time for them. So, by setting the date, I think the process of accelerating Albania's full membership in the Council of Europe is being helped. QUESTION: Do you think the Bureau's decision also reflects the efforts of the Albanian side? ANSWER: No, of course. It is a fact that you cannot make an effort if you are not present. (TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

—ALBANIANS ARE AMONG EUROPE'S OLDEST AND MOST RESILIENT PEOPLES —THE GOVERNMENTS AND PARLIAMENTS OF NATO COUNTRIES VALUE ALBANIA'S SOLIDARITY —WE WILL HELP YOU MOVE FORWARD— —WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE AN ENERGETIC ALBANIAN DELEGATION AMONG US AND ARE READY TO HEAR YOUR SUGGESTIONS. —I COMMEND MR. SELAMI, WHO HAS DONE A GREAT DEAL TO HAVE ALBANIA ACCEPTED AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF NATO. —THE NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE LED BY PRESIDENT RUGOVA DESERVES GREATER RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. —THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL CIVILIAN AND MILITARY INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE IN KOSOVO SHOULD BE STUDIED WITHOUT DELAY. —THE PROGRESS YOU HAVE MADE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS DESERVES THE CONGRATULATIONS SENT TO YOU BY THE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. —THE EUROPEAN UNION AND NATO REGARD ALBANIA AS A BROTHERLY COUNTRY. —WE EAGERLY AWAIT THE MOMENT WHEN ALBANIA'S ENTRY INTO NATO WILL BE POSSIBLE. The President of the North Atlantic Assembly, Mr. Loik Buvar (Bouvard), before the Albanian Parliament.

Honorable Members of Parliament, Dear friends and guests, Today, Mr. Bouvard, President of the North Atlantic Assembly, accompanied by the Secretary General, Mr. Kortene, joins the distinguished company of friends who have visited Albania over the past two years. At the age of fifteen, Mr. Bouvard was decorated for his participation in the Resistance Movement. All the titles, appointments and elections he has earned over the forty years that followed are a beautiful and precious ornament upon this monolithic pillar that no one can move. Above the titles and doctorates, I would add another distinctive quality of Mr. Bouvard's: he is a sincere friend of Albania and of Albanian democracy. He did everything possible until the country was accepted as an associate member of the North Atlantic Council. Albania, the first former communist country to apply for NATO membership, now cooperates with all its organizations in order to make its full contribution to stability and peace in the Balkans. It signed the Partnership for Peace, promptly accepted the embargo measures concerning the remnants of former Yugoslavia, and, together with the other Balkan states, is working to prevent the spread of aggression by… (Continued on page 4)

… could not overcome the legendary resistance of the “Sons of the Eagle.” With an unprecedented will and determination, you rose up again. Although you were despised and persecuted, today you are displaying an unparalleled eagerness to draw closer to Europe and Western democracy. Dear friends, to show how much your steps toward Europe have touched our hearts, I decided to come myself to visit your country. I have come to strengthen the ties that already unite us, now that Albania has, on my proposal in Berlin almost a year ago, become an associate member of our Assembly, with the unanimous support of all our delegations. Yes, we are proud and happy to have you among us. The fraternal, warm welcome you are giving us once again assures me that your country is unquestionably part of Europe, this Europe of wonders, and that you will duly fulfil your very important role. Who, indeed, could doubt your determination to become a full-fledged partner in the alliance of Western democracies? Membership in NATO—which you have insistently sought—is not an empty phrase for you. You have demonstrated this most clearly over the past few months. By allowing NATO and WEU ships freedom of manoeuvre in your territorial waters for the operation to monitor the embargo against former Yugoslavia, you demonstrated the reliability of your support for the decisions of the international community. Without hesitation, you placed the interests of regional stability above your own interests. We owe you for this. Last month, you demonstrated your solidarity with NATO sufficiently clearly by offering it the use of your air bases to implement the measures envisaged by the ultimatum addressed to those attacking Sarajevo. You knew well the danger you were exposing yourselves to on this occasion. Nevertheless, you agreed to undertake this, convinced that the decision would help speed up the restoration of peace in Bosnia. You also offered your cooperation to several members of our Alliance in carrying out a number of key missions assigned to them. Thus, by allowing American reconnaissance aircraft tasked with monitoring military movements in the territory of former Yugoslavia to come to your country, you once again placed the interests of regional security above your immediate advantage. Believe me, these acts of solidarity have not gone unnoticed by the governments and parliaments of NATO countries. A few weeks ago, your President of the Republic signed in Brussels the documents that will enable your country to strengthen its cooperation with our Alliance under the Partnership for Peace arrangements. We have not forgotten that Albania was one of the first countries to respond positively to the Partnership for Peace offer made by NATO's Extraordinary Summit in January of this year. I see this as proof of your determination not only to continue, but also to accelerate the reforms you have undertaken to change your defence structures, so that the capabilities and methods of managing them may be better aligned with NATO's principles, resources and procedures. We will help you move forward in this direction. The Assembly I represent here before you provides assistance within its remit. The seminars and meetings we organize among parliamentarians, and the opportunities we create for them to compare their views with those of our political and military colleagues, are an integral part of this process of open debate, which we consider a fundamental feature of discussion on security and defence in our democratic systems. By offering parliamentarians a forum for reflection on this issue, we help them become respected interlocutors for our governments and defence institutions. We are happy to have an energetic Albanian delegation among us, and we are ready to hear your suggestions on how to make our work better suited to your needs. By accepting Albania as an associate member last year—and on this occasion I commend Mr. Selami, who has done so much in this regard—the North Atlantic Assembly intended to contribute to preventing the escalation of the war in the region around you. We hope this gesture will encourage the leaders of our countries to be more attentive to your concerns. Because security in the Balkans is security for Europe. You are rightly concerned about the fate of the two million Albanians in Kosovo. The non-violent resistance led by President Rugova deserves greater recognition and support from the international community. Believe me, one of the reasons for the Serbian decision to expel the CSCE mission several months ago and to minimize its role was… Personally, I am convinced that our Alliance must do everything to have this decision reconsidered; it must also study without delay the possibility of establishing a much more substantial civilian and military international presence in Kosovo, as is being done in Macedonia. It is also fitting that our Alliance use all its influence to support the organization of talks that should lead to the establishment of a status respecting the fundamental rights of Albanians in Kosovo, because without a solution to this problem there will be no long-term stability in this region. We also know in advance of your efforts to ensure that the many Albanians in Macedonia are granted full recognition of their rights… (Continued on page 4) Photo: G. Xengo

THE NANO DOSSIER □ —BY FAX, LEVANTE CO REQUESTS THAT ILIRIA HOLDING BE ITS ALBANIAN PARTNER. SHANE KORBECI EXPRESSES THE OPINION THAT AGROEKSPORTI, A COMPANY SPECIALIZED IN THIS FIELD IN OUR COUNTRY, SHOULD HANDLE THIS MATTER. NANO DOES NOT TAKE HIS SUGGESTIONS INTO ACCOUNT AND DECIDES AS LEVANTE CO WISHES! □ —THE ALBANIAN TRADE REPRESENTATIVE IN ROME INFORMS TIRANA THAT PIETRO CORTESI, DIRECTOR OF CEROL ITALIA, A FERRUZZI GROUP COMPANY, HAS DECLARED: “EVERYONE HAS CONNECTIONS AND IS INTERESTED IN AND BENEFITS FROM THIS BASIS UNDER LAW 49, PARAGRAPH … (AUCTION), AND WINS MOST ADVANTAGEOUSLY; IN THIS COMPETITION, THE BENEFICIARY (ALBANIA) IN PARTICULAR MUST NOT GET INVOLVED. WE ARE NOW PREPARING TWO SHIPMENTS FOR TUNISIA AND WILL TAKE PART IN ANOTHER COMPETITION ON 21.3.1991, BUT ALBANIA DOES NOT APPEAR THERE.” DESPITE OTHER COMPANIES' INTEREST IN TAKING PART IN THE TENDER, IT DID NOT TAKE PLACE BECAUSE NANO HAD CHOSEN LEVANTE CO AND ILIRIA HOLDING. □ —IN CONNECTION WITH THE IRREGULAR HANDLING OF AID FOR ALBANIA, PASK FILARI SENDS F. NANO AN URGENT TELEGRAM, EMPHASIZING THAT “THESE ACTIONS SEEM TO US INCOMPREHENSIBLE, BUREAUCRATIC AND INTENDED TO COVER UP THE SHORTCOMINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED.” □ —GAVROSH POGACE ALSO PRESENTS FATOS NANO WITH A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS CONCERNING HUMANITARIAN AID, SUCH AS THE VERY HIGH PRICE OF THE GOODS DELIVERED; THE SENDING OF GOODS THAT WERE NOT EVEN SECOND-NEED ITEMS; THE LACK OF DOCUMENTATION SETTING OUT THE TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL CONDITIONS, WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE TO REQUEST ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RELATIONSHIP AND MUTUAL OBLIGATIONS DURING IMPLEMENTATION, ETC. FATOS NANO REPLIES BRIEFLY TO THESE ASSERTIONS: “MR. GAVROSH. AGREED. YOU FOLLOW UP ON IMPLEMENTATION.” More clearly, this means: I know about these matters; you monitor their implementation regardless of your objections.

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