Press conference of the President of the Republic SALI BERISHA PHOTO: G. XHENGO In this meeting with you, I wish, through facts and data, to present the political, legislative, economic and institutional developments and reforms of these last 100 days. I can say that this autumn has been characterized by major achievements in Albania’s foreign policy, including the visit to the USA, Italy and Brussels, and by important achievements in the economic and legislative fields. Parliament approved fundamental reform laws, while it also passed numerous important new laws and decisions. Albania now, after 50 years, has its first shareholders; it is ending the year with inflation equal to that of the developed countries of Europe; it achieved wage increases for budget employees. In the field of culture, the autumn that has just passed was characterized by a noticeable enlivening of the country’s cultural life. A new strong impetus to Albania’s relations and cooperation with the EU and NATO During the last 100 days, a series of visits at presidential, parliamentary and governmental level have been carried out. Thus, during these 100 days, on 10-15 September, at the invitation, after a visit to the USA where I held fruitful meetings with President Clinton and members of his Cabinet Kinsolfer, Perry, Rubin, Deutsch, with the leader of the Republican majority in Congress Bob Dole, with the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Benjamin Gilman and other members of this committee, as well as many senators and businessmen from the USA. I held meetings with the leaders of the World Bank and the IMF, with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Boutros Ghali, with the Administrator of UNDP of Spd, in many circles of the diaspora and America. The visit to the USA was successful, especially fruitful and aimed at deepening friendly, political, economic and military cooperation between our two countries. On 20-26 September the 50th anniversary conference of the UN community was held, in which I took part on behalf of Kosovo, also in several of the main sessions, and I held a series of meetings with OSCE representatives, the head of state of Germany, the Prime Minister of Austria, the Foreign Minister of Italy, the Foreign Minister of Germany Karl Dieter Spranger. Minister of the Federation Armed of Culture and Education Chief of Staff of the Army and Admiral John Shalikashvili. Secretary of State for the Army of Germany; Romanian Defence Minister Gheorghe Tinca Defence Minister of Malaysia Deputy Foreign Ministers of China and Iran Leaders of Italy’s major political forces such as Butlione, Fini, Fassino. Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, etc. During the last 100 days, Albania has signed agreements, specifically: the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with Italy, the Agreement between NATO Party States and other states participating in the Partnership for Peace concerning the status of their forces, the additional protocol to this Agreement, Agreement on Cooperation in Defence with Italy, Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Defence with Germany, Agreement on the Protection and Promotion of Investments with Germany, Agreement on Air Services with Egypt, Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation with Israel, Agreement in the legal field and Agreement in the field of Tourism with Russia, Agreement of Cooperation with the European Patent Organisation, Agreement with the German Foundation “Konrad Adenauer”. All these activities, visits, signed agreements and discussions held have served and are serving to consolidate Albania’s international position, its integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions, and the strengthening and consolidation of friendship and cooperation with friendly countries. Albania was separated from crime During this period Parliament approved about 56 new laws, among which the most important are the law on privatization: - telecommunications - banks - mines With these laws the Democratic Party is completing and projecting forward its program to turn Albania into a free shareholding society. The law on the state contribution to bankruptcy. It is another law that expands the social dimension of the present state. This law obliges the state to provide interest-free credit, for short- and long-term purposes, to the unemployed in Albania, and this constitutes a very great burden on the state for these families. In accordance with this law, the state will also pay rent and housing costs for families and citizens in need of shelter. The law on compensation for former owners of occupied plots, agricultural land and other land occupied for tourist and residential centers. The coastal initiative has laid its legal foundation and its implementation will begin. Several districts are ready. The beginning of this process will be in the coming weeks. The law on punishment of communist genocide During the electoral campaign, the punishment of communist genocide had been discussed. With this law Albania aims to separate itself from the past of the grave crimes of the communist dictatorship, which carried out in Albania for half a century crimes that culminated in the massacre of Tivar and before that, and ended with the killings at the border; the February massacre and that of Shkodër in 1991; the execution of around 10,000 Albanians; the violation of property; the persecution of over 400,000 others; total collectivization; the destruction of more than 2,000 religious institutions; the internment of Albania among hundreds of thousands of bunkers and the imposition of the deepest isolation that Albanians have known throughout their history. This law aims to give the greatest guarantees to the project, and to prosecute or support communist genocide against the Albanian people. The almost complete support of the press and public opinion showed that this law is a necessary law to condemn the crime, to break with the past, and to open the way to national reconciliation, this major act that Albania and Albanian democracy need. In general, deputies from all political forces in parliament acknowledged that genocide had occurred and described it as a crime. Only the group of former socialists and part of the Socialist Party and some elements in other political formations opposed this law, whom they accused of being supported by democida? I sincerely thank all the journalists, editors-in-chief and editors of the Albanian press for their stance in supporting and fully explaining this law. The Albanian press, in my opinion, by its change has rendered a service to Albanian democracy and to the future of this democracy in Albania. The other law is the law on verifying the background of public figures. This is also a very necessary law. From the outset on these major issues, two lines have been defined; two main lines have stood out. The line of the Democratic Party, which called for the condemnation of genocide and, as stated in its program, insisted on the closing of files, with the exception of political and state officials themselves, the full transparency of their activity and conduct, even when that was necessary for governing the people. So the Democratic Party demands: “open the files only for politicians and high state officials” and close them for the entire Albanian society. In this millennium the Democratic Party fully realized this objective of its program, cleansing Albanian political life and separating Albanian society from the activity of the secret police, the State Security and independence from it in the national manner. In contrast to this line were those who claimed that the PDS aimed to legitimize crime and project crime into the future, as well as to incriminate and manipulate Albanian society through the opening of files; it sought to settle scores between clans within this party. This line was clearly demonstrated by the following fact. In 1991, when the Albanian socialists had 23 seats in parliament, they signed and in no case spoke of opening the files because at that time they did not agree to open files, thinking their power would continue into the 2000s, believing that it was legitimate to govern with it. Likewise in 1992, after losing parliamentary power, they had not uttered a word about the law on opening files for selected employees of the state administration, with the aim of discriminating before the world against Albanian society, continuing to divide it in another way, by creating a persecutory apparatus and part of an internal score-settling among their old cadres. Without this law the rights of voters would be violated; public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of its opening, while the Albanian Socialist deputies are supporting their own interests. For this reason, double standards cannot be established in Albanian democracy. Property? [? For property] the privatization of housing, mines, telecommunications, banks and other enterprises is in the process of being transformed into shareholding companies. 927 enterprises were privatized during the last three months by direct auction method, or 33% more than three months earlier. Since the beginning of the year up to now, 2,316 enterprises have been privatized by this method, 80% by auction and 85% in value-based money. The rest was given in cash in the process of conversion with foreign aid. Agricultural production has seen a 5% increase. Mineral energy production increased by 11%. Construction materials production increased by 30%. Exports increased by 45% over the 10-month period, while imports rose only 11% compared with the same period in 1994. Citizens’ deposits increased significantly by around 56% compared with the same period last year. Inflation is 3%, that is, 5 times lower than last year’s. Unemployment recorded a significant decline today. The latest data show that in Albania the unemployment rate has fallen by 13.4%. That means that only families out of 1,000 unemployed have fallen from over 200,000 at the end of 1994 to last year. Data according to the BERZH 1995 Transition Report, released two months ago, show that: Albania ranks with the Visegrad countries and the Baltic states in terms of the share of GDP coming from the private sector (that is, the gross product of the country coming from the private sector), ahead of 16 Eastern European countries and 2 Balkan countries. Albania ranks among the 4 countries with the lowest inflation in Eastern Europe for 1994, and this year it is one of the countries in this group with single-digit inflation. Albania not only has the highest GDP growth for Eastern Europe for 1994, but this growth is more than twice that of the next 3 countries, excluding Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Albania is the only country that doubled investment from 1992 to 1994. Albania’s GDP takes first place in the Balkans During these 100 days, the most important developments have been: The average 10% increase in budget employees’ wages, while raising the lowest pensions the most. With this increase, for the first time in the history of Albanian workers, they are paid better than in some Eastern European countries. The average wage is around 4-6 dollars a day. The increase today is around 82 dollars. The wage increase to 1/11 with around 25% compared with an inflation increase of 3% is a substantial real increase in the living standards of these workers. The first Albanian shareholders were created in Albania. The first 20 enterprises transformed into shareholding companies were successfully privatized at auction. The market value relative to nominal value for a given enterprise reaches up to 200%; today, after 50 years, Albania has its shareholders. And this is a qualitative, historic achievement in building the market economy. Other enterprises have been transformed into shareholding companies and are following the privatization process. 22 other enterprises are in the process of transformation into shareholding companies. 927 enterprises were privatized during the last three months by direct auction method, or 33% more than three months earlier. Since the beginning of the year up to now, 2,316 enterprises have been privatized by this method, 80% by auction and 85% in value-based money. The rest was given in cash in the process of conversion with foreign aid. Agricultural production has seen a 5% increase. Mineral energy production increased by 11%. Construction materials production increased by 30%. Exports increased by 45% over the 10-month period, while imports rose only 11% compared with the same period in 1994. Citizens’ deposits increased significantly by around 56% compared with the same period last year. Inflation is 3%, that is, 5 times lower than last year’s. Unemployment recorded a significant decline today. The latest data show that in Albania the unemployment rate has fallen by 13.4%. Greater government support for culture and art The country’s cultural life has experienced very important events this autumn, such as: The Berat Folk Festival The theatre festival in Vlorë The International Music and Opera Festival in Tirana Other very important performances An exhibition by many well-known painters. On this occasion I would like to congratulate all the organizers, competitors and winners of these performances and activities, and to assure all artists and people of culture that the government will do, and I will encourage the government to do, more in different ways in support of all sectors of culture, art and their important activity. In the next 100 days the major objectives remain: The beginning of the restitution of plots of land The establishment of the securities market and the stock exchange Approval of the decision and declaration of free zones Privatization of banks, telecommunications, mines Drafting and parliamentary approval of the privatization strategy for water supply 2. The law on genocide has been welcomed by Albanian society and opens the way to national reconciliation Conversation with Enver. APF: How would President Berisha categorize this Albanian policy after the law on genocide and the opening of the files of politicians? Do you believe in the peace achieved in Dayton, and what are your hopes for Kosovo? Answer: I have had and continue to have the view that the idea of the law on the punishment of genocide is a non-partisan law. It is a law that concerns all political forces; it concerns the entire Albanian society. My view is also that some very important elements that stand out in the political life of this time are being reformed through the debates in parliament; the overwhelming majority of parliamentary deputies, as never before in the history of the Albanian parliament on the major problems of Albania, responded with a force and a spirit of responsibility greater than Albania has ever had. Responsibility, stance and the loss of decision-making with a carried-out awareness. Only a communist-conservative faction played the role of class struggle in the panel, but it did not stop after the majority of deputies, of the entire Socialist Party. Thus, the Albanian Parliament almost reached consensus on the problem of the existence of communist genocide. What other arguments do I have in support of the non-partisan character of this law? With a journalist, note that one thousand and one thousand. I think that from 1992 until today it is more than doubtful for everything, with only a very broad participation of lives in the union of other opinions for the condemnation of this phenomenon. I do not believe that they have supported it as a major objective of the Democratic Party. The extremely important survey study of four thousand people, published by the newspaper “Albania” and others, shows the broadest consensus that I have seen so far in a year and a half, for the condemnation of genocide and the clear break with it. This consensus remains an important element; that law is one thing, but this is another matter. The law may be the issue, or without hesitation, this is the first act, one of the factors, regardless of the polemics, of the need to break with this and unite ourselves. The culture of Albanians, with its voluntary and historical desire, are the main causes for reconciliation and for moving its projection toward the future and breaking with the past, to build bridges for national reconciliation. This is the general message of the broad parliamentary consensus, of the broad consensus of the fourth power, of the sovereign people’s consensus. So we see Albanian society freed from an anxiety from which it was fully longing to be liberated. I believe, as regards Dayton, that it has had an impact and I consider it a historic achievement in many respects. In that respect, the Dayton Agreement, together with NATO, I would stress the wearying of fatigue. I believe that NATO troops will be stationed as a factor in Bosnia, and on the other hand, the Dayton Agreement has opened the way, or through changes in the agreement and its mechanisms, for the progressive resolution of Balkan issues, among which the main problem is the Kosovo problem (Continued on page 2)

President BERISHA met President RUGOVA President Berisha and President Rugova discussed extensively the situation in Kosovo and in the region, as well as the prospects opened by the Dayton Agreement for resolving the Kosovo problem. Both presidents consider the Dayton Agreement and the deployment of American and NATO troops a major achievement of President Clinton and the American administration. They believe that this agreement has created the conditions for resolving the Kosovo problem in accordance with guaranteeing the freedoms and rights of Albanians in Kosovo. They also consider the commitment of President Clinton and the American administration decisive in resolving the Kosovo problem through dialogue...

He will take part in the NACC meeting Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi departed for Brussels. He will take part in the regular meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the NACC countries (North Atlantic Cooperation Council). The meeting will open on 6 December.

ENGLISH: President BERISHA met President RUGOVA US engagement decisive in solving the Kosovo problem President Berisha and President Rugova discussed extensively the situation in Kosovo and the region, as well as the prospects opened by the Dayton agreement for resolving the Kosovo problem. Both presidents consider the Dayton agreement and the deployment of American and NATO troops a major achievement of President Clinton and the American administration. They assess that this agreement has created the conditions for solving the Kosovo problem in accordance with guaranteeing the freedoms and rights of Albanians in Kosovo. They also consider the engagement of President Clinton and the American administration decisive in resolving the Kosovo problem through dialogue. Serreqi in Brussels Will take part in the NACC meeting Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi left for Brussels. He will take part in the regular meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the NACC countries (North Atlantic Cooperation Council). The meeting will open on 6 December. Press conference of the President of the Republic SALI BERISHA Anti-genocide law: morality and culture of Albanians In this meeting with you I wish, through facts and data, to present the political, legislative, economic and institutional developments and reforms of these last 100 days. I can say that this autumn has been characterized by major achievements in Albania’s foreign policy, such as the visit to the USA, Italy, Brussels, by important achievements in the economic and legislative fields. Parliament approved fundamental reform laws, while it also passed many important new laws and decisions. Albania now, after 50 years, has its first shareholders; it is ending the year with inflation equal to that of developed European countries; it achieved wage increases for budget employees. In culture, the past autumn was marked by a noticeable enlivening of the country’s cultural life. A new strong impetus to Albania’s relations and cooperation with the EU and NATO During the last 100 days a series of visits have taken place at presidential, parliamentary and governmental levels. Albania broke with crime During this period Parliament approved about 56 new laws, among the most important of which are the laws on privatization: telecommunications, banks, mines. The law on condemning communist genocide With this law Albania aims to separate itself from the past of the grave crimes of the communist dictatorship. The anti-genocide law has been welcomed by Albanian society and opens the way to national reconciliation. Dayton is considered a historic achievement and opens the way for the progressive solution of Balkan issues, among which the main one is Kosovo. (Continued on page 2) ITALIANO: Il Presidente BERISHA ha incontrato il Presidente RUGOVA L’impegno degli USA determinante per la soluzione del problema del Kosovo Il Presidente Berisha e il Presidente Rugova hanno discusso ampiamente della situazione in Kosovo e nella regione, nonché delle prospettive aperte dall’accordo di Dayton per la soluzione del problema del Kosovo. Entrambi i presidenti considerano l’accordo di Dayton e il dispiegamento delle truppe americane e della NATO un grande risultato del Presidente Clinton e dell’amministrazione americana. Ritengono che tale accordo abbia creato le condizioni per la soluzione del problema del Kosovo nel rispetto delle libertà e dei diritti degli albanesi in Kosovo. Considerano inoltre determinante l’impegno del Presidente Clinton e dell’amministrazione americana per risolvere il problema del Kosovo attraverso il dialogo. Serreqi a Bruxelles Parteciperà alla riunione del NACC Il Ministro degli Affari Esteri Alfred Serreqi è partito per Bruxelles. Parteciperà alla riunione ordinaria dei Ministri degli Esteri dei paesi del NACC (Consiglio di Cooperazione del Nord Atlantico). La riunione si aprirà il 6 dicembre. Conferenza stampa del Presidente della Repubblica SALI BERISHA Legge anti-genocidio: morale e cultura degli albanesi In questo incontro con voi desidero presentare, attraverso fatti e dati, gli sviluppi politici, legislativi, economici e istituzionali e le riforme di questi ultimi 100 giorni. Posso dire che questo autunno è stato caratterizzato da importanti successi della politica estera dell’Albania, come la visita negli USA, in Italia, a Bruxelles, e da importanti risultati in campo economico e legislativo. Il Parlamento ha approvato leggi fondamentali di riforma e molte nuove leggi e decisioni importanti. L’Albania ora, dopo 50 anni, ha i suoi primi azionisti; chiude l’anno con un’inflazione pari a quella dei paesi europei sviluppati; ha realizzato aumenti salariali per i dipendenti del bilancio statale. Nel campo della cultura, l’autunno trascorso è stato segnato da un notevole risveglio della vita culturale del paese. Un nuovo forte impulso alle relazioni e alla cooperazione dell’Albania con l’UE e la NATO Durante gli ultimi 100 giorni si è svolta una serie di visite a livello presidenziale, parlamentare e governativo. L’Albania si è separata dal crimine Durante questo periodo il Parlamento ha approvato circa 56 nuove leggi, tra cui le più importanti quelle sulla privatizzazione: telecomunicazioni, banche, miniere. La legge di condanna del genocidio comunista Con questa legge l’Albania mira a separarsi dal passato dei gravi crimini della dittatura comunista. La legge anti-genocidio è stata accolta favorevolmente dalla società albanese e apre la strada alla riconciliazione nazionale. Dayton è considerato un risultato storico e apre la strada alla soluzione progressiva delle questioni balcaniche, tra cui la principale è il Kosovo. (Continua a pagina 2)