1995 - the year of speed
Press conference of President Berisha
At this meeting, the President of the Republic first presented the results of his visit to the Federal Republic of Germany and secondly greeted all journalists and press workers in the mass media on the occasion of the New Year.
From 18 to 21 December, President Berisha, at the invitation of Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Roman Herzog, paid a four-day official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.
This visit was, for Albania and for President Berisha personally, a historic visit, as it was the first by an Albanian Head of State to Germany, although Germany and the German nation have always been great and generous friends of Albania and the Albanian nation.
The visit to Germany was not only a historic event, but also a very fruitful and successful visit across a broad range of issues addressed, and President Berisha thanks all the warmly hospitable people, first and foremost President Herzog and Chancellor Kohl, as well as the Speaker of Parliament Mrs. Süssmuth, the Bavarian Prime Minister Stoiber, federal ministers Waigel and Spranger, the President of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Günter Rügge, representatives of the CDU and SPD, the Speaker of the Baden-Württemberg parliament Mr. Fric Pompajer, and also many ministers, parliamentarians and business representatives from the Länder of North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, with whom President Berisha met during these talks.
During the visit to the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn on 18 December, President Berisha met and held talks for 45 minutes with President Herzog, who that same day also hosted a dinner in honor of President Berisha at his residence in Hammerschmidt.
During the morning meeting and at the dinner hosted by President Herzog, referring to the Albanian people, President Berisha expressed his deep gratitude and thanks for the primary help, support and great solidarity that President Herzog and Germany have given Albania. He also expressed his deep gratitude for the broad German support, especially from those who, with their income, not only support their families but also help the Albanian economy. Presidents Herzog and Berisha discussed bilateral relations, achievements and reforms in Albania, Germany’s assistance and support for the further consolidation of the rule of law and the market economy in Albania, Albania’s integration into Europe, as well as the situation in the region. President Herzog said that Albania is a factor of stability in the Balkans and is important for Europe. It has made great, valuable and irreversible progress in state-building. He personally and Germany will support Albania on a long road of processes. In his conversation with President Herzog, President Berisha valued Albania, religion, and acknowledged that everywhere, President Herzog removed from the series that related to his needs in Albania.
Berisha thanked President Herzog, who is recognized by President Berisha and rightly so, for helping the goal and for having all the freedoms of wisdom and peace in the region, and they will be together with him in understanding and impartiality.
Chancellor Kohl and the German government recognize the full importance of the Kosovo issue and are committed to supporting the Albanian nation and the rights and support of Kosovo’s freedom.
Helmut Kohl in the Albanian visit with the President accepts it as very important.
57 million marks free of charge
During his stay in Bonn, President Berisha also met and held talks with the Speaker of the Bundestag, Mrs. Rita Süssmuth. She accompanied the visiting President to the state of Baden-Württemberg, where he paid a visit to the Daimler Benz company, the most powerful conglomerate in Europe and the world. It was agreed with the company’s representatives that this company should soon have a representative office in Tirana and expand its activity in Albania.
President Berisha was also received at the City Hall of Stuttgart by the mayor of that city, Fric Pompajer. At this meeting, the expansion of bilateral cooperation between Albania and Baden-Württemberg in the fields of investment, education, culture and other areas was discussed.
On the afternoon of 20 December and the morning of 21 December, President Berisha visited the state of Bavaria, where he held talks on the plane with the Bavarian Prime Minister, Edmund Stoiber, with whom he also held a round of talks on all fields and signed a memorandum of cooperation with him.
President Berisha also visited the Bavarian parliament. With the ministers of finance Theo Waigel, economy Vischo and agriculture Bockl, bilateral relations between Albania and Bavaria and the possibilities for expanding cooperation in various fields were widely discussed.
President Berisha thanked Mr. Stoiber for his friendly feelings and his support, as well as for Albania. In these talks it was agreed to set up joint commissions to define the priorities of economic, financial, agricultural cooperation, etc.
During his stay in Bavaria, President Berisha also met representatives of the powerful companies of this Land, among them Siemens; Bavarian investors showed special interest in the tourism potential, infrastructure, car trade, etc. in Albania.
In conclusion I can say that the first visit of the Albanian Head of State to Germany was a historic visit, fully successful and fruitful. It was characterized by a spirit of great trust and full understanding between the two sides. Germany, Chancellor Kohl and President Herzog gave unconditional support to Albania on the road it is taking and seek to achieve its pace, expressed their determination to increase cooperation in assistance in all fields so that Albania consolidates and resolves the Kosovo issue as well as establishes a lasting peace in the region, and committed themselves to contribute to this issue, expressed their determination to support Albania’s integration into Europe.
During this visit, technical and economic cooperation agreements worth 64 million DM were signed, bringing German aid to 310 million DM, a very high figure.
This visit arouses particular interest among German investors.
For all this, President Berisha expressed his deep gratitude to President Herzog, Chancellor Kohl and the German government for the warm and friendly reception they reserved, for the great support and friendly assistance they showed toward Albania.
Then President Berisha answered journalists’ questions
The victory of ’96 is a certain victory for the Democratic Party and the other democratic forces
NAMIK AJAZI, TeleNorba:
President, your visit to Germany concludes your program of visits around the world and in Europe, while for ’96, elections remain an important issue. In an interview given recently to the Italian station TG1, you stated that the Democratic Party would win the upcoming elections. On what does President Berisha base this confidence? And the second question: political forces have outlined their positions, and there is also talk of possible alliances in the upcoming elections? Will emigrants also be included in the upcoming elections? And finally, does the state guarantee security and social stability during the election process?
Answer: Not only on the Italian television channels, but also in other Albanian and world mass media, I have declared that the victory of ’96 is a certain victory for the Democratic Party and other democratic forces. I base this on the fact that the Democratic Party has proven over these four years to be the most serious political force that Albanians have ever seen in their history. Its constructive alternative placed Albania in Europe, placed it on the fast model of development, replaced dictatorship with the rule of law, and the planned economy with the market economy.
I base this above all on the program and alternative that we will present in the future. I think that on the basis of what this party has achieved, the lines of its program are now clear, and they consist once again in maintaining the speed of Albania’s development, deepening the consolidation of the social character of the state, integrating Albania into Europe, and the more active involvement of Albanian women and youth in the process. These and many others are the lines of our program, which have attracted and received the support of democrats. I have read and emphasized that the apparent difference is negligible; it would be a real misfortune, because we must preserve and accept history and view it realistically, not with exaggeration. In addition to the positive socialism and in our past and in our efforts for freedom, we are a time-exhausted people, we are a country that has lost a great deal of time. I emphasize this because today we aim to have in the future what most European peoples have at this moment. To remember how much time we have lost, I ask you to consider how much has been achieved in these 4 years and imagine how much would have been achieved if this had started 50 years ago.
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