U.S. Secretary of Defense Perry receives President Sali Berisha at the Pentagon ■ The USA will help Albania with technical, military and logistical assistance for the restructuring and overall strengthening of the Albanian army. ■ Albania’s membership in NATO will be supported ■ The USA will help Albania with technical, military and logistical assistance for the restructuring and overall strengthening of the Albanian army. ■ Albania’s membership in NATO will be supported Yesterday morning, President Sali Berisha, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Triton, Foreign Minister Serreqi, and advisers Pollo and Beja, was received at the Pentagon headquarters by U.S. Secretary of Defense Perry. A prestigious ceremony had been organized in honor of President Berisha. After the reception ceremony, Berisha and Perry spoke to the press. BERISHA: “I want to emphasize the very good relations between the USA and Albania. Secretary Perry is a key contributor to these relations. I am very pleased that cooperation is increasing. President Clinton assured me that he would increase military aid for Albania and support Albania’s efforts to join NATO. I am very pleased with this cooperation and I am convinced that the future will be wonderful. I am also glad that Albania has allowed NATO to use its airports and ports in order to successfully complete NATO operations, and these things should remain open in the future.” PERRY: “I want to emphasize two points; first, I want to thank President Berisha for the honor that was shown in Albania to Dr. Kruzel; second, we want to discuss in detail cooperation in the field of defense. President Berisha asked me for an increase in cooperation between the two countries. We will discuss this with Mr. Berisha and next month Mr. Zhulali will come to Washington and we will discuss it in detail.” After the meeting, which took place without the presence of journalists, President Berisha, when asked by “RD”, stressed: “The meeting was very important. Following the talks I had with President Clinton, with Secretary Perry we agreed on a substantial expansion of military cooperation between Albania and the USA. The USA commit themselves to helping Albania with technical, military and logistical assistance for the restructuring and strengthening of air defense and anti-tank capabilities, and for the overall restructuring of the Albanian army. Broad support from the USA was requested for Albania’s membership in NATO, and I am sure that the USA will support Albania as the first country that has requested membership in NATO. Naturally, criteria are being worked out which will soon become public and which the countries that will join must meet. What is important is that work must be done to fulfill these criteria.”

President Sali Berisha gave an exclusive interview yesterday to the CNN television network. This issue opens with the full questions and answers from that interview. Interview of President Sali Berisha given to CNN President Sali Berisha gave yesterday an exclusive interview to the CNN television network. This issue of the newspaper opens with the full questions and answers from this interview, which are given below: “The southern Balkan nation borders Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Greece. In recent weeks it has played a key role in NATO’s campaign against the Bosnian Serbs. The USA use the Albanian air base to carry out reconnaissance and observation missions. Albanian President Sali Berisha says he is ready to offer the West further military access in his country. On Tuesday the White House announced plans to train and equip Albanian troops in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. At the same time, Albania is under extraordinary economic pressure. It is the poorest country in Europe, but in three years it has moved from a controlled market to a free market, with inflation in the country now under control. Mr. President, thank you very much for coming today to talk with us. I know, because half an hour ago you were at the Department of Defense here in Washington; you met with Secretary Perry. Can you tell us how it went? - Yes, I had a very successful meeting with Secretary Perry and I also followed all the developments of a meeting at the White House with President Clinton. Today I also met at the Pentagon with all the Secretary Perry. We made a detailed analysis of our military and security cooperation, which is excellent, and we thank the American army and the American government very much for the very important assistance they have given our army in order to become a new institution, in order to become an army, • (Continued on page 2)

White House Statement by the press secretary FULL TEXT . President Clinton met with the President of Albania, Sali Berisha, to discuss regional issues, economic and military cooperation, and to encourage Albania’s continuing efforts in the area of democratic reforms in Albania and those of the market economy. The President expressed his appreciation regarding Albania’s measured role in the search for peace in the southern Balkans. He assured President Berisha that the United States had strongly supported autonomy for the people of Kosovo and that it would continue to support it in the future. The President noted recent improvements in Greek-Albanian relations and asked Mr. Berisha about the improvement of the status of minorities in Albania. President Clinton said he was ready to provide the necessary aid and training for reforms in the police and other security structures. He expressed particular satisfaction with the initiative of the Albanian government to make use of the aid given by the Albanian-American Partnership Funds and to secure funds in order to provide assistance for the broad program of various actions in Albania. The President welcomed yesterday’s announcement by the Pentagon that it would provide military aid not only to strengthen Albania’s capacity to be able to repel threats at the border, but also to secure funds in the interest of the Albanian army. He described this as an expression of the U.S. commitment to stability in the region and in the southern Balkans. The President welcomed the increase in military cooperation between the two countries as well as Albania’s active participation in the Partnership for Peace program. He expressed our intention to supply the Albanian contingent with equipment for the training activities of the Albanian contingent with equipment for the Albanian contingent for the military training activities in readiness for the Program. President Clinton noted Albania’s efforts to democratize since the end of the totalitarian communist system. He expressed the conviction that Albania would continue implementing democratic reforms and would take other steps to guarantee the rule of law. In particular, he emphasized the importance of continuing to enhance the institutional and political strengthening of the Albanian legal system. In line with this aim, the President offered help for the launch of a program that serves the professional training of judges, prosecutors and the Albanian police.

Moran: “We must make every effort so that Albania does not become socialist” No to socialism in Albania Moran: “We must make every effort so that Albania does not become socialist” It is the American senator James Moran, who in a group of senators on the Albanian issue has stated without hesitation that the American government must make greater efforts so that Albania does not become socialist.” At the meeting with President Berisha, in addition to the senators from the group on the Albanian issue, many other senators and congressmen interested in Albania had also arrived. Continuing the senator Moran’s speech, Congressman Engel compared today’s Albania with the United States of President Jefferson, when the USA were laying the foundations of democracy. “But the socialist opposition in Albania sees democracy differently,” Engel stressed. “This was an open, direct statement by American politicians regarding their position on the political system in Albania. Apparently the ‘father’ of the socialists has still not reached the USA, whom the PS chief is so persistently hiding lately in order to carry out ၰ? in Albania. But for this there is no need to say that the facts we have now show us that no one will cry or be afraid because of the anti-American passport of the PS. American politicians are wise enough to understand that you cannot enjoy yourself by being anti-American and pretend to be an admirer of the USA. E. PALOKA

President Berisha in Boston and New York Yesterday, at midday, President Berisha left Washington to visit the program of his visit in Boston and New York. The program highlights meetings with Butros Ghali, with the Albanians of the diaspora, etc. Thus, in New York, at the dinner that will be hosted for President Berisha, among those expected to be present are Mother Teresa, Al Gore, senators, congressmen, etc.

Reception in honor of President Berisha On Tuesday, in honor of President Berisha, the Albanian embassy in the USA gave a cocktail reception. Senators, congresspeople, Albanians, etc. were invited. The attendees were also greeted with a short speech by President Sali Berisha.

President Berisha in the American Senate The meeting that President Berisha held on Tuesday with Senator Bob Dole, chairman of the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, was of particular importance. Bob Dole, known for his great interest in Balkan issues, is the favorite Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. Dole expressed his appreciation for the progress of democracy in Albania, showed interest in relations with the neighbors and positively assessed the role Albania plays in the hot Balkan region. The senator also expressed his concern about the situation in Kosovo and assured them of his full support in the American Senate. President Berisha also held a meeting with many American senators and congressmen from the group on Albanian issues, a special meeting. President Berisha held it with Congressman Gilman. L. LIGORI - E. PALOKA Washington 13 September 1995

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