Press conference of the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha Summer '95, a good season for Albania; from admission to the Council of Europe to decisive steps for economic reform Unity of the people comes by respecting the truth and the law I greet the anti-Marxists of the PS The visit to the USA is very important The electoral law should be majoritarian The press must be freed from pseudonnews First of all, I want to greet you and, although you are so few, there is before you a balance sheet of the progress and development of reforms in Albania through the weeks and dates, I would like to [?-] emphasize the very important developments of these last two days in our region. NATO's attack in Bosnia will bring peace. Albania again offers its bases to the Atlantic Alliance The combined air and ground attack of the forces of the Atlantic Alliance. United values, the latest responses of President Clinton's administration have increased the likelihood of a faster and decisive peace and stability in the region. The Albanian government has considered and continues to consider that the objective aim of the opposition is very important, the air strikes on Serbian military targets, which are not only a response to aggression, but are also temporarily an imposition on the terrorists and Serbian aggressors in Bosnia, to sit at the negotiating table, to accept the settlement of the conflict in Bosnia. The latest attacks are at the same time very positive, because they mark a broad consensus with American opinion, which for two years has been in favor of massive air strikes and not pinprick strikes, as if it were the immobilization of a tank or a truck on a road far out in the forests of Bosnia. They are a great success for Admiral Leighton Smith and General Bernard Janvier of France, who carried out an excellent combination of actions from the air and from the ground. And indeed the latest statements by the Serbs show that they have begun to feel the pain of this strike. Albania has always been and remains open to providing the North Atlantic Alliance with all airport and port facilities for its mission to impose peace and stability in the region. By adopting this position, Albania, I believe, has the duty, as a regional state, to contribute as well to the fastest possible achievement of peace and stability. As I have told you, the purpose of this meeting with you is to analyze the progress of the reforms under way and the progress of the reforms in these last one month. As for the material presented and any other problem, I remain open. PRESS RELEASE From the analysis of political, economic, legislative and institutional developments over the last 100 days in Albania, it can be confirmed that this summer was characterized not only by a noticeable acceleration of the pace of reform, but also by achievements, I would say, great and historical, such as Albania's membership in the Council of Europe, the settlement of the foreign debt, laws on land use, the entry into force of the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. Thus, I can affirm before you, and with the conviction that you too agree, that Albania at the beginning of September 1995, in the political, financial, legislative and property spheres, is a completely different country. This is not in comparison with 1990 or even with 1992, but in comparison with the beginning of June 1995. Therefore, the summer of 1995 will remain as one of the best seasons in our history. The Democratic Party has supported during these months the major and historical objectives of its program. Let us speak in data and facts: I. In the political sphere On 29 June, Albania was unanimously admitted as a full and rightful member of the Council of Europe. This constitutes one of the greatest and most historic achievements of our nation, consequently placing Albania among the democratic countries of Europe, where it belongs, and also marking the most fatal failure of all activities of the groups, clans that in Albania and abroad tried by all means to prevent this membership. -On 31 June, the PD was admitted as a full member of the EUCD, while the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party joined the Youth Forum of European Democrats (DEMYC). -The EUCD constitutes the strongest union in Europe, of the forces that govern in prosperous Europe and that today govern in the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Great Britain and many countries of the continent. I think that, although these are unquestionably party events, they are at the same time important achievements for all Albanians, because for the first time in their history Albanians have the strongest alternatives, the alternative that unquestionably represents the most successful democratic dictatorship, known, interested in the most successful, strongest, most democratic alternative in Europe. -The visit of President Demirel to Albania. This visit marked a significant contribution and a great impetus to the development of the friendship, cooperation and long-standing relations that exist between our two countries. -The visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahatir. This was Mr. Mahathir Ben's second visit to Albania within three years and is unquestionably an important contribution to the friendly relations between our two countries. -The visit of the Egyptian Foreign Minister to Albania. Albania attaches special importance to friendly cooperation with Egypt. -The visit of the American Secretary for the Armed Forces of Defense. -The visit of the Foreign Minister of Slovenia to Albania. -The visit of Minister Serreqi to Macedonia. -The visit of Minister Serreqi to Argentina, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore. -Visits by other government officials and parliamentarians from friendly countries such as Italy, Turkey, Greece, Poland, etc. -Albania opened its embassy in the Kingdom of Spain. During these 100 days the following agreements were signed with other countries: -Agreement for the protection of investments with France. -Agreement to avoid double taxation with the Czech Republic and the Arab Republic of Egypt. -Agreements in the field of transport with the Republic of Croatia and the Arab Republic of Egypt. -Agreement in the field of technological cooperation with the Republic of Korea. -Agreements in the field of military cooperation with the Republic of Turkey and the Hellenic Republic. -Protocol of economic cooperation with the Republic of Romania. -Protocol of professional cooperation with the Republic of Italy. II. Reform in the legislative and institutional field. The milestones of this period are: -The new Penal Code -The new Code of Criminal Procedure With these two Codes, criminal law in Albania is based on or adapted to that of the countries of [Continues on page 2]

NATO and Rapid Reaction Force aircraft over Mount Igman continued yesterday for the second day their bombardments against Serbian positions near Sarajevo, said the United Nations spokesman, Mirjam Sushak. The situation in Sarajevo was calm in the morning, after Wednesday morning's Serb attack, which caused the death of eight civilians, AFP and DPA agencies reported. NATO aircraft flew again over Sarajevo on the night between Wednesday and Thursday, 24 hours after the start of the military operation, the largest international move against the Bosnian Serbs. The suspension of the NATO operation, launched in Bosnia on Wednesday, depends on the position of the Bosnian Serbs, the UN envoy to the former Yugoslavia, Yasushi Akashi, declared on Thursday, specifying that discussions with them are continuing. General Ratko Mladić, chief of staff of the Bosnian Serb forces, declared on Wednesday evening that there was no question of withdrawing Serbian heavy weapons from the areas of the exclusion zone. In that case, we will respond harshly to any attack, he added. French Defense Minister Charles Millon pointed out on Thursday that the two French pilots whose plane was shot down on Wednesday over the Pale area in Bosnia were detained. The only information we have is that they are alive, and we have currently been informed of this through technical means located on Bosnian territory, Millon noted. The minister expressed hopes for an operation in the coming days to make it possible to recover these soldiers and secure them.

Today Albania woke up with half a billion dollars less debt. 31 August marked the full concretization of the agreement signed with 41 private banks, according to which Albania had the obligation to pay 100 million dollars in cash by this deadline. From now on Albania will have 500 million dollars less to allocate to construction, roads, water supply systems, housing, etc. This was the most important achievement and development in these years of democracy. SH. LUKU

When I published some aphorisms in RD three years ago, I had the idea that Minxhozi (Ymeri) would support democracy. But Ymeri, full of aphorisms, quickly changed course and turned into aphorisms in ZP. Now aphorisms are no longer enough for him; he has started writing articles and he understands that the time has come again to go back and repaint the ragged remains of “New Albania” with socialist victories and justificatory capacity. To risk Albania for 50 years in the eyes of the world. Ymeri thinks that the time has come again to pull back to the front. But the whole comedy of Ymeri is that this painter of dictatorship, now that freedom has come, is turning up as a Marxist of democracy. Nothing pleases Ymeri. He says that Mr. Meksi must have gone into the prime minister's office and found the national wealth on the table, from the glass windows to the pine forests and the hydroelectric plants. Ymeri is “right.” But then, if Meksi had been that great Bolshevik, why did people stand in line from two in the morning for a liter of milk, for two loaves of bread, why did the peasant suffer for his daily bread, why did mothers storm the doors of embassies in 1990? Ymeri has no time to explain these things, the great “joker.” He only accuses the Meksi government of starting the privatization process. Minxhozi compared this whole process to a “giant clock lying on the table and overfed with Meksi.” Now, he says, “the other one is finished except for having to justify himself.” An opponent of privatization, Minxhozi has nostalgia for the time when the world used to watch the portraits and cards of Enver, with the privileged lower levels outside the state, then on the side. He is nostalgic because he has learned to laugh only at aphorisms; he thinks he will make others laugh too. But some tough guys have not aged much; he has remained the same liar-painter, only now he uses no white paint, only black. But black spots also fall on his face. He does not care at all. F. NINI

Socialist deputy M. Zeqo did not do anything particularly notable either when he threatened fratricidal bloodshed or later when he tried to deceive by twisting his own words. The persecutor of Albanian culture, who dared in the Albanian Parliament to threaten bloodshed, merely repeated himself, repeats his myths at the head of the PS, whose members have often uttered fratricidal cries. In Parliament Zeqo threatened that the militants of his party would one day take revenge when the power they had lost returned to them. It is unbelievable. But apparently Zeqo used his words quickly for his statement and the next day in “ZP” and in other newspapers, by his order or someone else's, the statement was published and later he, with the courage given only by those responsible, repeated the words he himself said in Parliament and also threatened to blacken them publicly. Here once again is the statement of M. Zeqo in Parliament: “Every devoted deputy was responsible, responsibility could not be evaded, the memory of the people is extremely accurate, everything is manipulated, they tune and manipulate the achievement themselves from one and the same to the other from day to day, not from everyone, it turns you into a Saint Bartholomew massacre, notwithstanding perhaps the honorable parliamentarian.” These words are recorded in Parliament and Zeqo can go and listen to them again by the cassette with some other lie. So now Molotov Zeqo will be remembered by everyone not only as a persecutor of Albanian culture, not only as a destroyer of religious objects, but also as an instigator of bloodshed among Albanians. In any case, such hotheads today in Albania cannot have a place in the Parliament of a democratic country, and the vote of Albanians, not of criminal scoundrels, will show this to Zeqo and company. E.P.

Yesterday talks began between the two delegations and today Foreign Minister Serreqi will be received in a special meeting by the President of Greece, Stefanopulos Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi left yesterday for Athens, invited by his Greek counterpart, Papoulias. Yesterday afternoon official talks began between the Albanian and Greek delegations, led by the heads of diplomacy of the two countries. At the center of the meetings is the balance of bilateral relations after the first meeting of the joint Albanian-Greek commission held in Athens, which was followed by meetings of the joint subcommissions in the capitals of the two countries on various aspects of cooperation, up to the meeting of their second commission, an important development recently in Tirana. Another topic of the talks is cooperation between the two countries in the multilateral framework, for Albania's further integration into the European community, in international forums and organizations. Undoubtedly, the points that will also need to be addressed are the situation in the region and especially the crisis in the former Yugoslavia. Sources from the Albanian delegation close to AP in Athens made known to ATSH that the talks continue today, when the agreement on seasonal employment between the two countries is expected to be signed. According to these sources, Minister Serreqi will be received today in a special meeting by the President of the Greek Republic, Stefanopulos, by the Speaker of Parliament, as well as by the leader of New Democracy. Also included in the visit program of Foreign Minister Serreqi are meetings with representatives of the communities and of Albanians who currently live and work in Greece, as well as with other protocol deputies. At the end of the visit, Minister Alfred Serreqi and Karolos Papoulias will hold a joint press conference. ATSH (Continues on page 8)

Light and shadows of the "Shehu" file In today's issue: SECRET Minutes of the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania on 17 and 18 December 1981 AGENDA: Analysis of the grave mistake committed by Political Bureau member Mehmet Shehu, regarding the engagement of his son to a girl of very bad political background Read on pages 4 & 5

Mr. Hajderi: the uniform of an active Sigurimi man is something you are simply wearing yourself, RD did not dress you in it! Instead of the three-year “pro-American” passport of the “PS”