“Benz” will open a general office in Tirana and several offices in other Albanian cities The long-standing ties between Albania and Bavaria are being revived President Berisha's visit to Germany continues A major boost for German investments in Albania “Benz” will open a general office in Tirana and several offices in other Albanian cities The long-standing ties between Albania and Bavaria are being revived LAZER STANI Bonn, 20 December The Tuesday activities of President Berisha's visit to Germany concluded with an evening reception in his honor at the “Maritim” hotel in Bonn, hosted by the Albanian ambassador Xhezair Zaganjori. Present at the event were the President of the Bundestag Ms. Rita Sysmuth, parliamentary state secretary for defense Bernd Wilz, state secretary for foreign education Nor Bryhd, state secretary at the Ministry of Economic Cooperation Herdel, President of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation I. Darnstuh, as well as parliamentarians from the Christian Democratic Union, the Social Democratic Party, and various parliamentary groups. Also present was the head of the Kosovo government Dr. Bujar Bukoshi. Many businessmen, friends, and Albanians from Kosovo, Macedonia, etc., residing in Germany also took part. High-ranking German figures congratulated President Berisha on the success of his visit in Bonn and assured him that Germany would continue to support Albania because it regards it as a friendly country. Yesterday morning, President Berisha and the delegation led by him went to Stuttgart. President Berisha's first visit there was to the well-known company “Mercedes Benz”, one of the leading manufacturers in Germany and in the world. Its director, Mr. Klanse, congratulated President Berisha on the success of his visit in Bonn. It is a wonderful sign for us that there have been Benz cars in Albania for more than 40 years. We are following with interest the rapid development of cooperation and business in your country, he said. President Berisha said that four years ago Albania was among the four countries that did not have a Benz. In Albania, foreign investors put their trust in the future. [?] Continuing his visit, President Berisha went to the Municipality of Stuttgart, where he was received by its mayor, Manfred Rommel. “It is an honor for me to welcome you in our city, one that has a name of great value,” said the mayor, adding that “we respect and admire the Albanian people for their resilience.” President Berisha thanked him for the hospitality and expressed his conviction that the city of Stuttgart has very lively ties with our regions, including Kosovo. Albania, he said, needs the help of its friends. Stuttgart has been one of the main centers where the rights of the Albanian people have been defended; we need friends and support. At the beginning of the conversation, the mayor of Stuttgart said: “The city of Shortit” [?] is a very vibrant center in the field of industry. On 7 November 1992, the association “Shqipëria” was founded here, with the aim of cooperating with Albania and building bridges of friendship between our peoples. President Berisha warmly welcomed this initiative and said that it would help bring our two countries closer together. At the company “Mercedes Benz” there is a plan to open a general office in Tirana and several regional offices in important Albanian cities. At the end of the conversation, a cooperation agreement was signed between the University Municipality of the city of Bonn and the University of Vlora. A notice from the [?] agency of Bavaria, based in Munich, reported that the foundations have been laid for important economic cooperation between Bavaria and Albania. President Berisha stated that he highly values the fact that there are major opportunities for economic cooperation with the most powerful industrial region of Germany. In Stuttgart, a cooperation document was signed between an investment organization of the state and deputies, businessmen, etc. At 16:00 President Berisha and the delegation accompanying him were at the “Franz Josef Strauss” airport in Bavaria by state minister Max Streibl. After the ceremony, President Berisha left for Berlin, where he was to stay at the invitation of the chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Wolfgang Schauble. The President of Bavaria expressed satisfaction with the visit and said that relations would be further encouraged. President Berisha praised the support Germany has given Albania and said that our country needs investments, technology and expertise. At the conclusion of the meetings, it was emphasized that Albania remains a country with great potential for German business.

Interview with the President of Albania, Sali Berisha, given to Deutsche Welle radio Interview with the President of Albania Sali Berisha, given to Deutsche Welle radio German politics supports democratic forces in Albania Full assurance from Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Herzog to strongly support building a market economy and consolidating the rule of law in Albania Mr. President, what are the concrete results of the political talks you held in Bonn? - The concrete results of the political talks I held in Bonn are a full assurance from Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Herzog to strongly support the building of a market economy and the consolidation of the rule of law in Albania, Albania's integration into Europe, the acceleration of Albania's participation in the region's infrastructure projects, whether those of the European Union or the plan for Bosnia and the Gulf, as well as Germany's commitment to a solution, within the framework of respect for international principles, to the issue of Kosovo. - Has concrete aid been extended to Albania? - Concrete aid has been extended, and I believe German aid is among the most concrete and among the most important that Albania receives from other countries. - Today a financial cooperation agreement between the two states will be signed. What does this agreement provide for? - This agreement provides for a very important contribution by the German government to the revitalization of the Albanian economy, amounting to around 60 million Deutsche Marks, of which 40 are grants. It is a more than favorable commitment and truly a sign of what Albania receives from any country. - The German president Roman Herzog emphasized in his speech last night the importance of the rule of law and the independence of the courts. Are concrete efforts being made in this direction in Albania? - Albania is fully committed to consolidating the rule of law and to a completely independent judicial system. - How do you assess the German side's stance toward political developments in Albania at a time when election campaigns have begun? - The German side's position is very favorable to the democratic forces in Albania, and I welcome the German political force that expressed itself in favor of democratic forces; this is a great confidence, a first-rate assessment by German political forces of the achievements that Albanian political forces and those in power have demonstrated over these years. This is also an expression of the friendly feelings Germans have toward us, because Germans do not wish Albanians to suffer from the old ties, the ones that caused suffering over the past 50 years. I consider this support very important, and I can say that I find it everywhere, not only from the right wing, which is the equivalent of the Democratic Party with which we have very friendly relations, but also from an important meeting with leaders of German social democracy, who are deeply interested in democratic development and have contributed, have helped in the development of democracy, and very well understand the Albanian political significance. - Has the issue of Albanian asylum seekers in Germany been examined? - This problem was addressed in the sense that I expressed my thanks and gratitude to the German government for the treatment of refugees; I made it clear that behind every refugee stand two families, at least two families are supported by their income, and that they are very important, since this itself constitutes a real economic aid that Germany gives to the Albanian people and to Albania. On the other hand, we again discussed the problem here of short seasonal stay, but people who are trained in various professions. The first experiment was successful because the majority of them came to Albania and are now small businessmen. - In your statements the anonymous report on Kosovo was mentioned. Do you think this is an acceptable solution for the people of Kosovo? - In my statements I advocated a status accepted by all parties. I think it is very important that the issues be moved forward and I would not accept obstacles that would delay the issue of the Albanians of Kosovo. I am convinced that a democratic space may not be the ideal solution that Albanians seek, but it may be an optimal and very realistic solution in the current situation of the Albanian nation, which has no reason to be in despair. Rather, it has many reasons to look ahead with confidence toward its future, the future it deserves.

We are waiting for the facts, Mr. Calverley In a notice received by fax yesterday in the editorial office from Britain, Paul Calverley (Carlton Television (the station that broadcasts the program about Albania), expresses his concern about the article published yesterday in “RD” about this television station. Mr. Calverley was telling you that “The Cook Report” is one of the most popular programs in Britain, while Carlton Television is one of the most powerful television stations. Calverley also clarified that “The Cook Report” is apolitical and has had no connection with the newspapers of “ZP”. Thanking Mr. Calverley for his notice and fully believing that the authors of “The Cook Report” in their investigations have collected the names of Albanian officials who deposited money and goods from breaking the embargo in London, as well as the banks where they deposited them, in order for us to publish them in our newspaper too. We think that in a serious television program, as Mr. Calverley informs us about “The Cook Report”, it should present in due time the names and activities of Albanians who helped Serbia in breaking the embargo and who are spoken of, as well as the fact that they deposited money in London. With the hope that Mr. Calverley's reply on this issue will be just as quick as his reply regarding our first article, we remain in انتظار of the facts. Deputy Editor-in-Chief EDI PALOKA

From the archive of PS heritage The minutes of the Political Bureau meeting of the Central Committee of the PPSH, dated 2 and 3 July 1974 The minutes of the Political Bureau meeting of the Central Committee of the PPSH, dated 2 and 3 July 1974 p.7

Interview with MIKAEL PANZER, Secretary General of the CDU Youth Union, lecturer at the seminar organized by the “Konrad Adenauer” Foundation in Tirana Let us do the impossible so that communists do not come to power Interview with MIKAEL PANZER, Secretary General of the CDU Youth Union, lecturer at the seminar organized by the “Konrad Adenauer” Foundation in Tirana p.2

President Rugova in Tirana p.2

PS defends criminals against victims p.3

Lakrori uses Aesop's language p.3

Only at the border, 58 killed and 8 injured p.3

Ruçi: “Ilir Meta has gotten a big head” p.3