In recent days, the Mirditë branch of the DP held its meeting, where it discussed how to approve the Constitution, the system of government, and the election of delegates to the Extraordinary Conference. The meeting was attended by members of the National Council, MPs Pjeter Pepa and Alfred Sergi, as well as the area chairman, Ndue Gjoka. In his remarks, the chairman of the DP branch, Mr. Gjon Noka, declared his support for the National Council’s decisions on approving the Constitution by referendum. Taking the floor to speak, the chairman of the district council, Mr. Pashk Gjoka, declared himself in favor of the National Council’s decisions, describing as acceptable the actions to submit the draft Constitution to Parliament. Those who spoke took positions in favor of the National Council’s stance, supported the current system of government and the draft Constitution–referendum approach. All speakers emphasized the idea of making the alliance with right-wing forces concrete as soon as possible. Messrs. Pepa, Serreqi and Gjoka expressed their views on current developments within the DP, offered explanations, and raised awareness among the many representatives of those attending. At the end, the meeting elected the delegates who will take part in the proceedings of the DP’s Extraordinary Conference. PAL REÇI

History follows its own logic. The culmination of this logic in relations between Albania and Germany, two nations with ties reaching deep into history, was the two-day visit of President Roman Herzog to our country. What this visit represents stems from a tradition of great statesmen—from Strauss and Gensher to K. Kinkel last year: no other country in the world has seen so many high-level personal visits by German politicians within such a short period. Albania has. The high point of this historic visit was the Joint Declaration, signed in Tirana in the presence of the two heads of state, which laid down the foundations for future bilateral relations. The foundations laid in this Declaration, like any foundations in life, herald further high points. History seems at last to be coming into its own. Albania is reaffirming and giving concrete form to its natural Western orientation; ties and friendship with the Federal Republic of Germany, the “locomotive of Europe’s development,” are consolidating the foreign policy of the Albanian state along its natural course. In three years of democracy, what could not be made a reality throughout all of history is being achieved. What does Albania seek to gain from friendship with Germany? “From this friendship, Albanians want only one benefit: the development and consolidation of democracy in Albania and their integration into Europe.” President Berisha’s statement brings together the noble purpose and humane, civilized outlook of the Albanian side, and the Federal Republic of Germany’s vision for the foundations of their relations. This document of extraordinary importance highlights the great values of friendship and the mutual respect the two peoples have for one another. The Declaration states at the outset: “Albania and Germany are guided by the desire to develop their relations of friendship and cooperation in every respect and to give them a new quality. These aspirations are based on a shared conviction of the need for a united Europe, to transform the old continent into a new continent of peace and stability, security and cooperation. With this aim in view, both sides undertake to respect the principles of the CSCE and support efforts to end the bloodshed and conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Both sides emphasize that this also includes resolving the Kosovo question, in which not only we Albanians are deeply interested, but so too are peace and stability in the Balkans and beyond. Our country’s integration into Europe presupposes the consolidation of the principles of the rule of law, respect for human rights, and the development of a market economy. Cooperation and our country’s gradual acceptance into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions will integrate Albania into Europe. The Declaration confirms the two countries’ readiness to cooperate within the framework of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council and to participate actively in the Partnership for Peace program offered by NATO. Germany commits to supporting and helping our people with the greatest possible assistance for improving living conditions, or a quarter of a billion marks over six years during the period covered: the Declaration also attaches special importance to the development of bilateral cooperation. This cooperation will, among other things, be institutionalized through the operation of the Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Technical Cooperation. Germany will continue to support our country through technical and financial cooperation instruments so that it can build a future on the basis of a market economy. As confirmed in the joint declaration, Albania will also benefit substantially from cultural cooperation in all fields, including education and science, as well as from learning the language and culture of the German nation, so admired by Albanian intellectuals of past and present generations. What does Albania hope to gain from its their integration into Europe.” President Berisha’s statement sums up the entire noble, civilized and humane purpose of the Albanian side, its dream and aspiration as a nation. And the German side has responded with a generosity befitting a great, powerful and democratic state and nation: Germany is and will be Albania’s advocate for its integration into Europe. President Herzog has confirmed his country’s commitment, bolstering the hopes and strengthening the optimism of Albanians in pursuit of the noble goal they have set for themselves. It is precisely this civilized desire of the Albanians and this remarkable readiness of Germany that are set out fully and anew in the Joint Declaration of the Republic of Albania and ...our country’s advancement within European and Euro-Atlantic institutions integrates programme offered by NATO. Germany undertakes to support with all its strength the further development of Albania’s relations with the EU, given the extraordinary importance of this cooperation, and to give new impetus to dialogue with EU institutions, helping us become a full member of the Council of Europe as soon as possible. Albania, whose lungs have begun to function and breathe freely after the long asphyxiation of dictatorship, also has great needs in the economic sphere. The generous hand of the great friend called Germany, which has given it A natural further rapprochement between the peoples. The visit of the Number One of the Federal Republic of Germany, the frank talks held in a spirit of full leading figures and representatives of Albanian politics as a whole, and above all the highlight of the visit, the Joint Declaration, which both sides have considered equivalent to a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, constitute a historic success for the Albanian state and its foreign policy, and a major event on the difficult but certain path toward integrating our country and nation into Europe. They represent powerful support on the road to democracy. And not only for our country. Albanian-German friendship and cooperation are also a guarantee and a special contribution to peace and stability in the troubled region of the Balkans.

. President Clinton decided to provide a fund of $30 million for Albania’s needs, which will be used to promote private business in Albania. The fund will cover investment, credit and technical assistance, with the aim of supporting and encouraging the creation of new private firms, new entrepreneurs and the private sector in Albania in general. The fund’s chairman says that the fund is an important source of advice and assistance, as well as capital for small businesses. According to Mr. Xhonson, the fund will operate as an independent private enterprise, with an office in Albania; it will depend on neither the American nor the Albanian government and will make decisions independently as it sees fit, working with new Albanian businesspeople. The announcement of the $30 million fund is an important moment for Albania. President Berisha welcomes Clinton’s decision to announce the start of operations of the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund. President Berisha welcomes the decision of the President of the United States of America, Clinton, Fund. “This fund,” he said, “is a major contribution to encouraging American investment in Albania and will increase the volume and intensity of cooperation between our two countries.” Consultations on various issues and at various levels, ongoing contacts and cooperation between parliaments and social and political organizations, and free contact between citizens will naturally deepen the further rapprochement between the peoples. The visit of the No. 1 figure of the Federal Republic of Germany, the frank discussions and spirit of complete understanding between him and President Berisha, as well as with other prominent figures, show that this political and social visit—and especially its high point, the Joint Declaration—will contribute to a better future. Particular attention will be given to small and medium-sized enterprises and to the creation of joint ventures between Albania and American or other investors. This will be achieved by assisting small and medium-sized enterprises that lack the necessary funds, so that they can expand their activities. For this purpose, cooperation will be undertaken with local authorities in order to identify investment priorities and provide the appropriate information to firms. This fund, together with the other agreement approved earlier this year between Albania and the United States in the field of investment protection, is, says the Albanian ambassador in Washington, Lubin Ollila, another indication of American concern and assistance in promoting private business in Albania. moment for Albania. I would analyze its importance in several respects: first, it is an expression of the will and support of the American administration for the development of democratic and economic processes in Albania. Second, this fund is directed at encouraging and developing private activity in Albania, private initiative and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises—in other words, the sector that represents Albania’s future within the market economy it has begun to build. This fund is also another encouraging factor for American businesses and investment in Albania and will certainly attract additional resources for development of the private sector in Albania. The fund will be administered by the American Agency for International Development over a period of three to four years. This will be achieved by signing agreements with that they can expand their activities. To this end, cooperation will take place with local authorities in order to secure investment incentives and provide the appropriate information to firms that need American assistance. The establishment of this fund continues the practices followed by the U.S. government to help private businesses in Eastern European countries, which come from a legacy of centrally controlled economies. Raf Xhonson, director of the office for assistance to these countries at the State Department, says that experience with such funds in Central Europe has been successful. This fund is considered a vital element in the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Albania. Members of the fund’s governing board

From President Berisha’s visit to extend Eid greetings to the Albanian Muslim Community Yesterday morning, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, accompanied by his wife, went to the Muslim Community of Albania in the capital to extend greetings for the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. He was received by the chairman of the Community, Haxhi Hafiz Sabri Koci, the director of the office for religion at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bardhyl Fico, clerics, and others. Greeting the Muslim clerics, President Berisha said that today was a great and holy day. “The contribution you have made to the revival of religion is extraordinary and great, and for this you have, and will always have, the gratitude of the faithful.” After thanking him for the visit and the greetings, His Eminence said that it was a great blessing that we had been given democracy; we found ourselves amid silence, and it strengthened our hearts. Everything would get better. “Every day brings something better,” said President Berisha. Naturally, he continued, we do not claim that we can overcome the difficulties immediately, but what matters is that we are moving quickly and confidently toward overcoming them. Soon, Parliament will pass a law that provides for support to religious institutions, because restoring spiritual infrastructure is extremely important. Speaking then about the contribution and value of faiths in our country, Berisha said that, in religious terms, Albania is historically rich and demonstrates and spreads in all dimensions the great message—the message of religious tolerance, which is also anti-fundamentalism. Expressing his conviction that there has not been, and will not be, any kind of fundamentalism, President Berisha concluded by saying that Albania is and will remain the cradle of outstanding religious tolerance. Yesterday, the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjeter Arbnori, also visited the Muslim Community to greet the Muslim faithful; he was present there during President Berisha’s visit.

The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, attends On the occasion of the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, a grand festive concert was organized at the “Migjeni” Theatre in the city of Shkodër, with the participation of a group of intellectuals and with ...

Yesterday the Namazgja square in the capital filled with many worshippers, who had come there before daybreak to celebrate Eid al-Adha. The celebration began with several Quranic passages, after which the Chairman of the Albanian Muslim Community, His Eminence Haxhi Hafiz Sabri Koçi, spoke. Among other things, he said that, thanks to democracy, it had also become possible for us to turn freely to God and express our love for Him; although the previous regime tried to prevent us from doing so, our hearts were with God and we lived with Him. Highlighting the humane spirit we had gained during the days of the month of Ramadan, he stressed that this year should be a year of virtue for all people, for all Albanians, regardless of their faith, since we all pride ourselves on one God. His Eminence then stressed that we have always regarded religion, and continue to regard it, as unity, as an element in the development of our national conscience, as a unifying force for the nation. Therefore, we Muslims of Albania, while receiving and extending all the fraternal greetings of our Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters, wish you a Happy Eid. At the end, Haxhi Hafiz Sabri Koçi and the other clerics made a dua and prayed for prosperity and a better life for our people and nation.

ENGJELL HYSENBEGASI Deputy Chairman of PDSH As had been announced in recent days, PD activists’ meetings were held in all the districts of the country. As on other occasions, but now more noticeably, the maturity of PD members and its structures stood out. The activists’ message was clear and reasoned: full support for the National Council’s course toward the adoption of the Constitution and the convening of the Extraordinary Conference of PD, while generally disagreeing with the PDSH chairman’s positions on this issue. The activists’ meetings reflected free, open and constructive discussions, showing that PD is a mature, free party whose members openly express their views on consolidating democracy and PD itself. Contrary to the unscrupulous slanders of its enemies and some newspapers, the meetings and gatherings within PD are characterized by absolute internal democracy. It was precisely because this internal democracy exists that the broad mass of PD members was mobilized at the activists’ meetings, including its grassroots, which engaged seriously in resolving its important problems. The mature political views of PD’s grassroots, expressed at all the activists’ meetings, converged on one central idea: consistency in adhering to the National Council’s decisions on the method for adopting the Constitution. This consistent adherence the Constitution, the General Chairman’s thanks notwithstanding, once again demonstrates PDSH’s disagreement with all the grassroots structures over the earlier proposal put forward by PD and its members. At the activists’ meetings it was emphasized that PD firmly adheres to its position: no coalition with PS, since an alliance with PS would be disastrous for the fate of democracy. Regarding the major issue of adopting the Constitution, it was stressed at the activists’ meetings that PD has had and continues to have the same positions as its members in its commitment to the Constitution, and that ever since PD came to power it has worked, and continues to work, devotedly to ensure that the country has a Constitution as soon as possible. It was stressed at the meetings that the Constitution—the constitutional provisions on the issue of the Constitution—were PD’s initiative, but that more than once PD’s initiative has been boycotted in the most sophisticated ways by the leaders of democracy, who have thought and continue to think only of political credibility and political weakness, resorting to the lowest actions to prevent the Constitution’s adoption. It is precisely the communist leadership and its circles that are trying to monopolize the initiative for adopting the Constitution, attempting to invent wholly illegal phantom commissions through noise and propaganda. After trying for a whole year, in the most devious ways, to block parliament’s work and provoke early elections, PS, it was stressed at the PD activists’ meetings, finally brought the issue of adopting the Constitution before parliament. Their failure to block parliament’s work has been obvious. This time too they will certainly fail. The opposition leaders’ position is well known: the Constitution should be passed in parliament, and if parliament does not approve it, parliament should be dissolved. It was stressed at the activists’ meetings that the PD Assembly, through the political power of the parliamentary majority and with the aim of avoiding the country’s ongoing emergencies—as PD’s activists’ meetings pointed out—did not make clear in parliament that any attempt to sideline parliament and provoke early elections, and thus any such attempt, regardless of its source, runs counter to this aim. At the activists’ meetings it was stressed that PD is now politically mature enough not to fall into the devious traps of PS’s “qurzi” leadership. It has been and remains against [corrupt?] elections against PS. It has been and remains against and remains firmly opposed to all [unclear] and to its efforts and propaganda initiatives to concoct wholly illegal phantom commissions. clearly of PS’s “qurzi” leadership. It has been and remains firmly opposed to all the efforts and threats of PS’s the efforts and threats by PS’s leadership to sideline parliament and provoke early elections. It was precisely this [unclear]—to destroy the dictatorship and bring the country into [unclear]—that PD’s activists’ meetings highlighted, stressing that every such attempt to sideline parliament and provoke early elections, regardless of its source, is directed against this aim. It was stressed at the activists’ meetings threats of PS’s leadership. It was stressed at the activists’ meetings that the Chairman of PD, with his personal obsession, opposed PD’s structures and their decisions; therefore, the conflict is characterized as the chairman’s opposition to PD’s structures, and not at all as a conflict between individuals. Internal democracy in PD, it was said at the activists’ meetings, means free and open discussion within its structures, collective decisions based on votes, and then respect for the decisions taken. Therefore, the activists’ meetings disagreed with the Chairman of PD’s positions toward the National Council’s decisions, supporting the decision to convene the Extraordinary Conference. It was stressed at the activists’ meetings that PD is determined to fulfill to the end its commitment as an anti-communist party which, in alliance with Albania’s anti-communist political wings and forces, will bring prosperity to the country. In this regard, it was said at the meetings that the distribution of valuable land and the granting of land to workers of the former state farms are right-wing actions, since an economic policy that strengthens private property and weakens the state’s centralized property is right-wing. The activists’ meetings expressed support for the National Council’s decisions and stressed that any other action opposing those decisions runs counter to the interests of PD and democracy in Albania.

“RD”: Mr. Vejsiu, the press has attacked you in recent days over an “incident” at the German embassy. What is the truth? I had been assigned by the PD leadership to attend the meeting between the German President and the chairmen of Albania’s political parties, since the PD chairman was at a meeting outside Tirana. Although the PD chairman arrived shortly afterward, I was invited by the embassy protocol staff to take part. When it was my turn to speak, I was asked to let the Party chairman speak first, although I explained that I had been officially delegated by PD. After the speeches were over, we were invited to discuss. I raised several issues that merely supplemented Chairman Selami’s remarks, without rejecting any of the positions he had put forward. I responded to several positions of the opposition parties, especially those concerning the Constitution. There was no reaction from the German side; everything proceeded calmly.

Today at 11:00, at the Palace of Congresses, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania will hold a press conference for RTV, journalists and correspondents of foreign agencies. PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT

The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, attends , a grand festive concert was held at the “Migjeni” Theatre in the city of Shkodra, initiated by a group of intellectuals and supported by the Shkodra Mufti’s Office. The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, honored the event with his attendance, along with the Chairman of the Council of the People’s Assembly, Pjeter Arbnori, as well as members of parliament, local government representatives, etc. Also present were the Chairman of the Albanian Muslim Community, Haxhi Hafiz Sabri Koçi, the World Bektashi Leader, Baba Reshat Bardhi, and the Chief Mufti of Shkodra, Faik Hoxha. ATSH

Our staff wishes the team of the newspaper “Boua socialdemokrate,” published by BSDSh, every success, hoping that you will soon win the sympathy of readers, to whom you will convey the voice of genuine social democrats. THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF “RD”