Press conference by the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, held a press conference. At the beginning of the conference, Mr. Berisha surveyed the achievements of the past 100 days and then answered journalists’ questions. As has been announced, the DP, Parliament, the Government and state institutions have declared the acceleration of reform and fulfilment of the commitments and objectives in the DP programme that have not yet been achieved, as well as consolidation of the progress made so far, to be the motto for 1995. An analysis of the facts and developments allows us to state with satisfaction that over the past 100 days the pace of reform genuinely accelerated, and a series of important objectives in the DP programme were achieved through concerted efforts. Reform as a whole underwent very significant developments. Let us refer to the facts: Reform in the legislative and institutional field During this period, the following were adopted: 1. THE CRIMINAL CODE; Albania now has a codified central body of law, comparable to that of the more developed European countries, thus breaking with communist legislation, whose backwardness and absurdities had become notorious throughout Europe and beyond. 2. THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE; The Code of Criminal Procedure, together with the Criminal Code, represents a major achievement in the history of Albanian justice. The Code of Criminal Procedure provides full legal guarantees for the freedoms and rights of citizens as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. These two codes are the result of close cooperation between Albanian specialists from the Ministry of Justice and renowned experts from the Council of Europe, as well as the fruit of the considerable work of the Government, Parliament and its committees. All those who contributed deserve the highest praise. With the adoption of these two codes, one of the major objectives of the DP programme has been achieved: replacing the old communist laws with laws modelled on Europe, a sine qua non condition for building a state governed by the rule of law. 3. THE LAW ON THE NEW TAX SYSTEM, OR THE VALUE ADDED TAX LAW; Through this law, Albania will introduce the most contemporary tax system, one based on added value, which is applied by EU member states and other developed countries. The rate set for value added tax, 12.5 per cent, is the lowest in Europe. It was determined with regard to the country’s level of economic development and the liberal principles of the DP’s economic platform. This law is the result of cooperation between specialists from the Ministry of Finance and international institutions such as the IMF, as well as the Government, Parliament and its committees. 4. THE LAW ON NOTARIES; This important institution is being placed on a new legal footing. 5. THE DECREE ON THE ISSUANCE OF PRIVATIZATION VOUCHERS AND ON THE PRIVATIZATION OF MEDIUM-SIZED AND LARGE ENTERPRISES THROUGH SECURITIES; These decrees mark a major and decisive step in building, consolidating and developing the market economy in Albania. These decrees also fulfil a major objective of the DP’s economic programme: the full privatization of national assets through securities. This mechanism will bring about mass privatization and provide citizens with a free financial instrument for purchasing national assets. This is also the final stage in the process of full privatization in Albania. 6. THE LAW ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF STATE ENTERPRISES INTO COMMERCIAL COMPANIES; This is another fundamental economic reform law envisaged in the DP programme. Under this law, enterprises will be transformed into joint-stock companies, and Albanian citizens, without distinction, will be able to become their owners by purchasing shares with securities or money. 7. THE STATE BUDGET LAW; 8. THE DECREE REDUCING COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE TO ONE YEAR; In accordance with this decree, one-year military service began in Albania this month. Shortening the period of military service was another demand in the DP programme for military reform. On this matter, the programme states: “...we will seek to reduce the time spent in compulsory military service.” This decree fulfils that objective as well. 9. The law on privatization of pastures and forests; Point 4 of the DP’s agricultural programme states: “We will strive to extend privatization to pastures and meadows as well.” Under this law, pastures and forests will be returned to their owners. Thus, another major objective of the DP programme is achieved, affirming the rights of owners. Private property thereby gains an even greater dimension. These laws and decrees are connected with the Government’s programme and the country’s economic development, as well as with the liberal principles of the DP’s economic platform. This is the result of cooperation between specialists from the Ministry of Finance and international institutions such as the IMF, the Government, Parliament and its committees. FOREIGN POLICY During these 100 days, Albania recorded important and historic achievements in drawing closer to and cooperating with its traditional friends and allies, as well as in its integration into Europe. Thus: * The historic visit of President Herzog to Albania and the signing of the Albanian-German Joint Declaration were landmark events in the close and friendly relations between Albania and Germany. * President Klestil’s visit was a historic event in relations between Albania and [unclear in source]. * President Clinton’s approval of the Albanian-American fund of 30 million dollars was an important friendly, political and economic act by President Clinton and the U.S. Government towards Albania. * The high-level meetings held by the President of the Republic with Chancellor Kohl, the Prime Minister of Japan, European Commission President Santer, as well as many heads of state and government in Copenhagen and during the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in London, Paris and Moscow, were other important events of the past 100 days. * President Jelsku’s visit to our country made a major contribution to friendly relations between our two countries. * The visit of Karolos Papulias to Tirana, the meeting between the President of the Republic and the President of Greece, Stefanopulos, in London—the first meeting between the two heads of state—and the improvement of relations with Greece are important milestones in relations between our two countries. They demonstrate Albania’s unwavering commitment to pursuing a policy of peace, stability and understanding with Greece and with our neighbours in general. * Mr. Arbnori’s visit to Italy was a genuine impetus to the close and friendly relations between our two countries. * Prime Minister Meksi’s visit to Moscow was a very important event in the new relations between our two countries. * The visit of Commissioner Van der Broek to Tirana. This visit and Mr. Van der Broek’s support for opening negotiations on an association agreement constitute one of the most important developments in relations between Albania and the EU. * The Slovenian Government’s support, as the holder of the EU Presidency, for opening negotiations on an association agreement between Albania and the EU is an important contribution to the treaty of friendship and cooperation signed by our two countries last year. * The unanimous vote in the Political Committee of the Council of Europe in favour of membership constitutes an important event in the process of Albania joining this institution. During these 100 days, Albania signed around 12 cooperation agreements in the fields of the economy, trade, finance, transport, tourism, investment, culture, science, telecommunications, public order and consular services, as well as 3 protocols in the military field. * With the Federal Republic of Germany: The Joint Declaration on relations between Albania and the Federal Republic of Germany. * With the USA: The agreement between the Republic of Albania and the USA on resolving sovereignty issues between the two respective countries. * With the Russian Federation: Agreements on exchanges of visits; promotion and protection of investments; cultural and scientific cooperation; a consular convention; economic, commercial and technical-scientific cooperation; cooperation in combating organized crime and drug trafficking; and cooperation in postal services and telecommunications. * With the Kingdom of Sweden: Agreements on international passenger transport and the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments. * With Malta: An agreement on cooperation in tourism and a military cooperation protocol. * With Turkey: A military cooperation protocol. * With Croatia: An agreement on the elimination of double taxation. * With Romania: An agreement on economic and commercial cooperation. * With Bulgaria: An agreement on cooperation in tourism and a military cooperation protocol. * With Hungary: A military cooperation protocol. Thus, during these 100 days Albania took major and historic steps forward on its path towards integration into Europe and closer relations with its traditional friends and allies. Albania’s participation in the Second World War commemorations, and the laying of wreaths in remembrance by both the forces that overthrew the dictatorship and [unclear in source], represented another major achievement for Albania and the Albanians. The initiative by democratic Europe to condemn those who perpetrated 50 years of genocide against their own people was also a condemnation of the left-wing extremists who loudly proclaimed that they alone were their heirs. Democratic Europe does not honour, and cannot honour, those who practised genocide against their own people. Through these genocides, the Albanian left-wing extremists merely exposed themselves as apologists for genocide. In the economic field During these 100 days, important and undeniable achievements were also recorded in the area of economic reform. During this period: - registration of the population for privatization vouchers was completed; - privatization vouchers were issued; - distribution of privatization vouchers began; - 810 enterprises were privatized, around 70 per cent of them by auction, and around 80 per cent of their total value was paid for with securities. - Inflation growth was 50 per cent lower than during the same period last year. - Mining and energy production rose by 8 per cent compared with the same period last year, - exports rose by 48 per cent, while imports rose by 34 per cent compared with the same period last year. - [The source text is garbled: “rritja e rritjen si fond total 10 perqind.”] - Citizens’ deposits increased by 17 per cent. - A series of economic agreements were signed, covering projects, roads, construction, water supply, housing and telecommunications works. - The State [“boxing” in source] Committee signed an agreement with the Committee of Foreign Banks on 10 May. This marks a major economic and political achievement for Albania and the fulfilment of another major DP objective, which states: “We undertake before the country to resolve the problems of the foreign debt created by the communist governments.” This agreement concerns the foreign debt created by the communist governments, which was the only unconstitutional debt among the former communist countries, incurred by the red nomenklatura during the final two years of its existence. However, they left as they were, while Albania’s honour and dignity had to be defended before [unclear in source] regarding the debt; and in this understanding, unique among the international financial community towards a European country, due consideration was also given to the dignified and logical conduct of the new forces that came to power on 22 March. The Government took strict and successful measures to prevent the entry of embargoed goods and illegal border crossings. In these operations, around 20 tankers and fuel trucks were seized; 35 people were detained and referred for prosecution; 4 officers and police officers were dismissed, and 20 police officers were transferred. Two police officers were referred for prosecution. In Vlore and Durres, 4 motorboats were also seized and another 81 were subjected to legal verification. -Crime fell by 3 per cent compared with last year. During these 100 days, Albania held its first military exercises with the major NATO countries. All these achievements, the fruit of close cooperation between the DP, its parliamentary group, the Government and other institutions, demonstrate that our alternative is successful and that the machinery of reform under our alternative is working at a rapid pace. They show that we are building the rule-of-law state and the market economy through the precise implementation of the objectives of the DP programme. These achievements demonstrate that our alternative is a good response to the absence of an alternative on their part. They are fuelling tension for the sole reason that they have no alternatives; in other words, they are experiencing a crisis of alternatives and choose to make rising tension their alternative or course of action. But I can tell you that these first 100 days of the year have created the conditions and groundwork for the next 100 days to bring even greater achievements and results. That is what I wanted to emphasize. I would like you to ask questions about the issues I raised, but of course I remain open to questions from you on any subject. (Continued on page 2) Photo: A. BABANI