PS is a party that has inherited the entire old communist nomenklatura A strict immigration law, but a special solution for Albanians From the visit to Albania of the President of Italy’s “National Alliance” Party, Senator G. Fini EDI PALOKA The visit of the President of the party “National Alliance”, Italian senator Gianfranco Fini, who arrived yesterday afternoon at Rinas Airport, was highly anticipated. Fini, who was accompanied by Senator Tatatella and a large group of journalists, was welcomed at Rinas Airport by the General Secretary of the PDSH, Mr. Tritan Shehu, the Deputy Chairman of the PDSH, Mr. Tomor Dosti, and the Head of the Information Department of the PDSH, Mr. Pjeter Pepa. Also present at the airport was the Deputy Chairman of the PR, Mr. Fatmir Mediu. Regarding the purpose of his visit, Mr. Fini told “RD” that he was in Albania to establish relations of greater knowledge, friendship and cooperation. “We recognize Albania as a country that can and must be considered by Italy as a friendly country above all. We will discuss what full integration of Albania into Europe should be and the relations that Albania should have with Italy,” Fini said. Fini and Tatatella’s first meeting was with the Italian ambassador in Tirana, Mr. Paolo Foresti. At 15:15, the President of the “National Alliance” party, Fini, and Senator Tatatella were received at the headquarters of the Democratic Party by the General Secretary of the PDSH, Mr. Tritan Shehu, the deputy chairman Tom Dosti, presidency members Bashkim Kopliku and Ylli Vejsiu, as well as the Head of the Press Department, Mr. Pjeter Pepa. First, the general secretary of the PDSH gave the guest a brief overview of Albania’s development in these years as well as the relations of cooperation between the two countries, while at the same time thanking the Italian people and government for the help they gave Albania in the difficult moments as well. President of “AN” Fini, after thanking them for the hospitality, emphasized the long-standing friendly ties between the two countries. “... Today, as Albanian democracy is trying to consolidate itself by fighting those who would like Albania to turn back, Italian democrats must feel it their duty to help and support Albanian democracy and the Albanian people just as before in entering Europe. We are sure that Italy, which has never had sympathy for totalitarian ideologies, helped the Albanian people and the Albanian parties that seek the country’s development. We will contribute because we are also interested in Albania’s development, since a developed Albania is also in Italy’s interest,” Fini said. Shehu spoke to his guest about the situation in the organization of the PDSH, its political and economic goals, and the relations with other parties. Then Mr. Shehu and Fini discussed the problems of relations between the two countries. One of the delicate points addressed was immigration. Mr. Shehu made clear the situation in Albania and stressed the efforts the Albanian government is making to block clandestine immigration. Meanwhile, Fini stated that although his party is the initiator of the immigration law in Italy, taking into account the rigorous requirements that Europe today has on this issue, for Albania the “AN” party believes there should be a special status and that it will work for this. Speaking to the press, both sides agreed that the Italian press can make a great contribution by realistically reflecting the situation in Albania. It is important for us to have a clearer picture of where democracy in Albania started from. If one considers the fact that Albania has only been separated from communism for 3-4 years, and also knows what the communist regime in Albania was like, one can clearly see the steps Albania has taken forward. Fini and Shehu agreed that the return of former communists in Albania would bring destabilization not only in Albania but perhaps also in the region. Fini also expressed the wish to be present at the upcoming congress of the PDSH. When asked by Italian journalists about his opinion and knowledge of the political situation in Albania, Fini stated that it should be kept in mind that Albania has emerged from one of the harshest communist regimes. Speaking about the Albanian political parties, he emphasized the great role that PD has played in the development of democracy in Albania, while about PS he declared that it “is a party that has inherited the entire old communist nomenklatura.” The next meeting of the President of “AN” was with the chairman of the PR, Mr. Sabri Godo. In the meeting held at the Government headquarters, the discussion with Prime Minister Meksi focused mainly on cooperation relations between the two countries, highlighting Fini’s interest in the issue of immigration. Speaking about the immigration problem, Fini noted that Italy is obliged to apply certain rules established by the Schengen member countries, but for Albania a way must be found to regulate immigration. Fini agreed with Mr. Meksi’s proposal that the liberalization of movement would bring better control of clandestine immigration. Later, Fini recalled the visit that President of the Republic Sali Berisha will soon make to Italy, assuring that on that occasion his party would strongly support in Parliament and in local administration the goal of strengthening relations between the two countries and would commit itself to the full and as rapid as possible integration of Albania into Europe. Continuing his conversation with Prime Minister Meksi, Fini declared that in Albania what happened in other former communist countries must not happen, where former communists returned to power. After the meeting with Prime Minister Meksi, the President of “AN” was received by the deputy speaker of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Tomor Malasi, and then by the President of the Republic himself, Mr. Sali Berisha, who also hosted a dinner for the guest from Italy.

I am very pleased to welcome you today and I am convinced that this visit is a very important contribution to the friendly relations and cooperation between Albania and Italy, the Democratic Party, your party and the Tirana Pole. On this occasion I also want to thank once again the friendly Italian people and its government for the great, generous help it gave us during this extremely difficult but very important period for our country. I look forward with great interest to my visit to Italy in October, during which I will sign many agreements expanding the legal basis of cooperation and friendship between our two countries, President Berisha told Mr. Gianfranco Fini at the meeting they had yesterday at 18:30 at the Presidency. Mr. Fini, for his part, emphasized that the Albanian dictatorship, with its harshness, wounded the conscience of Europe. Although it has been a short time since the fall of the dictatorship, you have created a miracle here and I want to assure you that Italy and Europe are very interested in having Albania in their midst, and I greatly value your country’s role in preserving peace and stability in the Balkans. Both sides feel friendly toward each other, Mr. Fini continued. In all Italian political forces there is broad appreciation for Albania. President Scalfaro and the Italian government will surely confirm this to you during your next visit. Press and Information Office of the President

“If an economy has managed to make such great strides, this naturally deserves more support, but above all from the political forces that have governed the country.” This is what Mr. Gianfranco Fini said during yesterday’s meeting with the Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Tomor Malasi. At the meeting, Mr. Malasi made clear the results achieved in Albania in the legislative field, offering a brief retrospective that contributes to the further development of relations between the two countries. For his part, the Secretary General of the Italian National Alliance said that “not only does Albania need friends like Italy, but it is equally true that Italy and Europe need a stable democracy in Albania,” considering our country a neuralgic point in the region. In this way we will strive for the signing of a bilateral agreement of cooperation and friendship between our two countries. The meeting took place in a friendly spirit.

During the meeting that the President of the “National Alliance” Party, Fini, had with the Chairman of the Republican Party, Mr. Sabri Godo, among other things, while speaking about the possibility that former communists could return to power in Albania, just as has happened in the former communist countries of the East, he declared (according to well-informed sources) that: “The return of former communists to power would be a catastrophe for Albania.” Fini is the latest among the world’s well-known politicians to make such a statement regarding Albania’s political future. RD correspondent

On 25 September, the Permanent Delegation of Albania to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe took part in the fourth meeting of the current session of this Assembly for the year 1995. The delegation, headed by Arbnori and composed of Ali Spahia (PD) and Ethem Ruka (PS), began its work by taking part in political groups. This session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will examine membership applications from Ukraine and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and a large number of very important visits are expected, beginning with King Hussein of Jordan, His Eminence Cardinal Sodano, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, etc. The situation in the former Yugoslavia is also expected to be widely discussed. RD correspondent

“Forgetfulness?! Certainly not, it is afraid of the truth” “The statements of Mr. Langguth are extracted together with those of John McGouth. Under this heading, the spokesman of the Socialist Party of Albania is authorized to declare: “In the press conference organized by the Democratic Party on 23 September 1995, the Chairman of the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Mr. Gert Langguth, declared that: ‘It would consider it a misfortune for Albania if the former communist forces returned to power. It would be a bad thing if this were to happen in a country like Albania. This would lead to a loss of confidence in Western democracy toward Albania, a confidence Albania greatly needs.’ The Socialist Party of Albania rejects...” continues further the statement of the SPA spokesman. This press statement in the newspaper “ZP” of 26.09.1995 is not complete. Part of Langguth’s statement is missing there, or as it has declared and continues: “The Albanian Socialist Party rejects the view...”, what it rejects, the reader must not know. ZP, because it is the organ of the PS leadership, therefore naturally censors it, because the old communist ossified leadership knows something more than what it should publish from its political and ideological opponents. The non-citation of Mr. Langguth’s statement can by no means be a forgetfulness. ZP has always been afraid of what is written in its pages because it fears the truth. ZP knows very well the weight of Mr. Langguth’s figure. It knows very well his political reputation in German politics, but it also knows just as well that he is a truth which, in the opinion of this newspaper’s readers, would play the role of a mine against the authority of the PS if it were published. Hence it censors. In the statement of the SPA spokesman, toward the end it says: “Mr. Langguth’s statements are not heard and are not believed by anyone in Albania.” The whole of Albania heard them, madam “ZP”, even if you did not publish them out of the blind desire for your members not to be ‘infected’ by such truths that discredit the PS. MENTOR SHEHU

Statement by the spokesman of the Democratic Party In recent times, some extremists at the head of the PS have openly revealed their anti-Western platform, attacking both Albania’s cooperation with the Northern Alliance and other Western institutions, as well as the leaders of important European institutions and prominent personalities and great friends of Albania. This campaign also includes the attack launched in the last two days by these extremists against the distinguished friend of the Albanian nation, the chairman of the largest German foundation, the “Adenauer” foundation, Mr. Gert Langguth, for the sole reason that this figure of German politics and friend of Chancellor Helmut Kohl kindly warned Albanians about the real danger facing Albania from the return of the old forces to power. On this occasion, we remind the PS that Albania’s integration into the Western world is not only the interest of the PD, but is the vital interest of the entire Albanian nation, and that the only path to playing a constructive role in the ranks and development of democracy in Albania is not denouncing the great democratic forces and distinguished friends of Albania, but deep reform and a break with the communist past, with Marxism, Stalinism and Enverism. Tirana, 26.09.1995