Officially invited by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Zhelyu Zhelev, the President of the Republic of Albania, Dr. Sali Berisha, will pay an official visit to Bulgaria at the beginning of 1995, as well as to Greece at the end of July this year. These two visits will have a very positive impact on the development of bilateral and multilateral relations, especially within the framework of strengthening regional cooperation for the benefit of peace, stability and economic development in the Balkans. Officially invited by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Zhelyu Zhelev, the President of the Republic of Albania, Dr. Sali Berisha, will pay an official visit to Bulgaria at the beginning of 1995, as well as to Greece at the end of July this year. These two visits will have a very positive impact on the development of bilateral and multilateral relations, especially within the framework of strengthening regional cooperation for the benefit of peace, stability and economic development in the Balkans. On this occasion, the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Zhelyu Zhelev, sent President Berisha the following message: Your Excellency, Recently I had the pleasure of meeting your Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Pëllumb Xhufi, who conveyed to me the invitation to make an official visit to Albania. I wish to sincerely thank you for the warm invitation and to express my deep regret that, due to my urgent commitments, I will not be able to make such a visit before the summer. Recalling with pleasure our very useful conversation, which we held in Vienna in July 1993, I believe we agreed on the importance of direct contacts for the further development of relations between our countries. I am pleased to inform you that I will be able to visit Albania after 22 June this year, with a short stopover on my way to a meeting in Madrid. In addition to your invitation to visit Albania, I also had the pleasure of receiving from Mr. Xhufi an invitation for an official visit to Bulgaria. I would like to take this opportunity to officially invite you to make an official visit to Bulgaria at the beginning of 1995. The many facets of our bilateral relations and current issues of common interest will give you the opportunity for a fruitful exchange of views, which will contribute to the expansion of our friendly and partnership relations. I am convinced that your visit to Bulgaria will give further impetus to the good relations between our two countries and will expand our bilateral and multilateral cooperation in our region. Your Excellency, Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration. ZHELJU ZHELEV President of the Republic of Bulgaria In connection with the official invitation, President of the Republic Dr. Sali Berisha sent this message: Your Excellency, I wish to thank you warmly for your cordial message of 22 April 1994, through which you invite me to pay an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria. I gladly accepted your generous invitation to visit the friendly country, the friendly people and you personally. I am very grateful to you and very happy that I will soon have the opportunity to host you in Albania. This will be your first visit to our country, which as such will open new paths for the further development of good-neighbourly relations and cooperation between our two countries. The visit I will make to Bulgaria at the beginning of next year, at your generous invitation, will serve to further strengthen Albanian-Bulgarian friendly relations. This visit will also be a strong testament to our political will to comprehensively expand bilateral and regional cooperation between our two countries, in the interest of peace and stability in the Balkans. Sending you my warmest wishes, dear friend, please accept the assurances of my highest consideration. SALI BERISHA President of the Republic of Albania

At the invitation of the British government, Saliu arrived. At the invitation of the British Government, Sali Berisha began his visit to London yesterday. "This is my first arrival in Western Europe after 5 years," he said.

The Austrian right-wing press, led by Die Presse, published on 22 March 1994 a report by Verena Späth on its pages, which refers in highly suspicious tones and examines Berisha’s and the Tirana government’s involvement in the fabrication and the military coup of 25 March 1994 and the subsequent conspiracy of accusations against the Kosovar and Dalmatian left [?[]. In the editorial titled "The Right Pact, a Threat in the Adriatic", the well-known journalist Walter [?[]. refers to the rise of Albanian and Croatian nationalism and clearly portrays the political leaderships in Tirana and Zagreb. The author of the article analyses and sheds light on the backstage of the Vienna meeting between the leaders of the Party of Rights, Dobroslav Paraga, and the chairman of the PDSH, Dr. Berisha, before the outbreak of the coup in Albania. He reveals that Paraga had been a friend of the arrival in Tirana of two active officers of the Croatian army, namely General Martin Špegelj and Colonel Ivan Tolj, sent as an instructor of paramilitary forces near the Serbo-Bosnian president Radovan Karaxhiç. Apart from being close to them, Tolj is known as one of the advisers who came to organize the first police structures and the SHIK. The appearance of the Austrian right wing, [?[]., especially the statement by the president of a right-wing faction, Alojz Mock, has led European circles to view the rise of Albanian and Croatian nationalism with concern. Meanwhile, [?[]. on the other hand, in Vienna’s political commentaries it has been said that without a clear distancing from such adventures, Albania risks becoming diplomatically isolated. The Verena Späth report says that, alongside the two Croatian officers and several foreign advisers, links with far-right circles in the region are also mentioned in the scenario of the events of March 1994. (continued on page 4)

The vessel Spatanburg County of the United States fleet, with 989 [?] crew members, which arrived in Durrës as part of a project called "Partnership for Peace", began unloading equipment and logistical aid yesterday. Port authorities said the visit will last several days and that during its stay in the port there will be contacts with local representatives. Sources from the port indicate that this is one of the first stops within the framework of the cooperation programme with the United States. In the port of Durrës, increased security measures were observed yesterday. (Continued on page 4)

An interview with Francisco Alzuos given to the BBC on Albanian-Italian relations (Continued on page 4) Alzuos, who has been a minister [?[]., has stated that political changes in Italy will not affect the course of cooperation with Albania. According to him, the new government will maintain its interest in the development of bilateral relations and in support for democratic reforms. He stressed that Italy remains an important partner for Albania and that joint projects will continue. (Continued on page 4)

In the wake of the scandalous propaganda of the Socialist Party "The deep political crisis the country is experiencing, why? Political trials against the opposition, government surveillance and unconstitutional actions against opposition parties..." "The deep political crisis the country is experiencing, why? Political trials against the opposition, government surveillance and unconstitutional actions against opposition parties... continue to go[?] that of the road of 2 April 1992." In another trevorë[?], the head of the newspaper [?[]. t'i [?[].], has caused that in the name of an organized group with [?[]., he sent a letter, not to President Dr. Berisha, which according to the author contains [?[]. The head of [?[]., when asked whether and [?[]., [?[]. in [?[]. This version, according to the newspaper, is a "coup" and [?[]. in [?[]. It further says that the propaganda of the Socialist Party tries to create a false climate of crisis and to encourage early elections, while the political reality is completely different. According to the article, the opposition’s rhetoric aims at destabilizing and delegitimizing the institutions. ( continued on page 4 )

Protest action by Albanians in Belgium On 23 April, the Coordinating Council of the Association of Albanian Emigrants in Belgium, Brussels branch, organized a powerful protest in front of the Greek embassy in Brussels against the Greek terrorist act of 10 April on Albanian territory. The protest statement calls on the Greek government to refrain from interfering in Albania’s internal affairs, to stop its chauvinist policy and to respect the rights of Albanians. Participants carried banners and slogans against terror and violence, as well as in defense of Albania’s territorial sovereignty. Representatives of the Albanian community, students and activists from emigrant associations took part in the protest. The action was carried out peacefully. ( Continued on page 4 )

EDI PLAKA NOTICE From the Bank of Albania on the issuance into circulation of the new 100 lek denomination, and the withdrawal from circulation of the existing 100 lek banknotes of 1964 and 1976 The Bank of Albania, on 26 April 1994, will put into circulation new 100 lek banknotes issued in 1992, as part of the monetary reform in Albania. The start of circulation will also be announced through the public information media. The new 100 lek banknotes measure 76 x 140 millimetres. On one side appears the portrait of Naim Frashëri and the signatures of the governor and the issue director, while on the other side appears the house of the Frashëri family in Naimin. New security features have been used in them. Banknotes issued in 1964 and 1976 will continue to be in circulation until 31 December 1994. After that date they will be withdrawn from circulation and exchanged at the Bank of Albania. TIRANA, 25 APRIL 1994 BANK OF ALBANIA The latest satirical piece Cartoon: 20DERSA TE RENA [?] Saliu [?] Cartoon of a man in a suit holding a sign reading "20DERSA TE REJA"