-With the opening of Parliament, we will have submitted all the additional amendments for compensating former owners in kind -Every owner who is to be compensated will receive a plot of beachside land large enough to be put to use as the owner deems appropriate -The plots will be allocated by lottery, as in many countries around the world, to prevent corruption and favoritism Interview with Prime Minister Aleksander Meksi by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Edi Paloka of the new laws, on the basis of these new views and wishes. -Question: At the meeting held on the initiative of President Berisha concerning compensation for former owners, it was requested that by 13 August the government, that is, the central KRT, [would send them] to the other districts. This part will serve both to compensate for building plots and to compensate former owners of agricultural land. We must bear in mind that Albania belongs to everyone, and therefore the laws must be beneficial to all Albanians. The presence of a community near the sea does not mean that only its residents have the right to what is a national asset; that is, all Albanians should benefit from this asset. And as a democratic government, we are obliged to bear this fact in mind, also in [text cut off]. —Question: The issue of the return and compensation of property is one of the fundamental issues in the Democratic Party’s program. As Prime Minister, how do you assess the implementation of this point of the program so far? —Answer: indeed a fundamental issue in the Democratic Party of Albania’s program. From the very beginning, the government drafted a series of laws on compensation for agricultural assets, the return and compensation of property, and the return of homes in cities. Work is proceeding quite intensively in this area. From time to time, when we have been dissatisfied with the pace, we have increased the number of employees—and we have done so several times—and provided additional funds for consulting the archives, etc. Yet we continue to observe delays, reviews that are inconsistent with the laws, and favoritism toward particular citizens. This is also why we are calling for this work to be intensified so that it can be completed as soon as possible. In other words, whatever belongs to the owner should be returned to them as soon as possible. Of course, we do not regard as a proper return one carried out to the detriment of all Albanians, but rather the return of what is due to an owner in accordance with the laws in force. As for compensation (although laws providing for compensation in securities have been adopted), we will seek to make this compensation in kind, and we are preparing the relevant legal acts for this purpose. After reviewing all the documentation as a whole, we will examine with our group’s experts and other experts all the laws and acts relating to the return and compensation of property, as well as other technical and practical issues, so that within a short time, when Parliament reconvenes, we can submit all the necessary amendments there. This will ensure that they are effective under these rules and allow the process to move forward. —Question: As is known, the National Council of the Democratic Party of Albania met in January and decided that the issue of returning property to former owners should be resolved as quickly as possible under the laws adopted up to that point, while also considering the issue of compensation in kind in Albania. This need is also connected with regulating demographic issues and population developments, since, as was envisaged, the population should have access to the coast, especially where there are the greatest opportunities for industrial and agricultural production, and thus for increasing each Albanian’s contribution to the overall output of Albanian society. Since then, working commissions have been set up with members of parliament, representatives of ministries, the Property Restitution Committee, local authorities, and others. These commissions have worked, but judging from the information we had collected, we thought it necessary to accelerate the pace. The purpose of yesterday’s meeting was, first of all, precisely to adjust these processes and, secondly, to improve the principles and rules we had established, so that implementation would be fuller and more successful. In recent days, Parliament has also adopted an entire package of laws improving issues concerning property compensation, registration, and use, thereby enabling a better system. Accordingly, so that this work can be carried out as firmly as possible, by August 13 the relevant bodies are to assemble complete documentation on the available tourist land throughout Albania, so that further progress can be made in parceling it out on the basis of urban development studies and in identifying those areas to be granted as compensation by the state, as well as those to be left for development through private initiatives. This concerns President Berisha’s initiatives regarding former owners of real estate. According to the government, this program makes it possible to address a major historical issue by treating all Albanians fairly. Thus, in addition to restoring what is fundamentally a matter of ownership, compensation will be completed more quickly than before. In this way, their payment will be effected. The value of agricultural land is to be converted into an equivalent area of building land at the beach. A minimum plot size is to be determined—for example, 70 m², since a smaller plot at the beach would be of no practical use. A minimum area will therefore be set so that the land can be used effectively at the beach, sold, built on jointly with others, or otherwise dealt with as each owner sees fit. In addition, if the government determines that a number of districts—or even a single district—have properly assembled the required documentation concerning applications for housing for the homeless, compensation, and agricultural land held by that district, it will carry out the initial allocation. Each district can then continue administering what it has been allocated, independently of the government. Naturally, everything will be done in accordance with an urban development plan approved in each case by the relevant urban-planning authorities. But we will not intervene in how each district makes its allocations. We will only establish the general rules and standards to be applied in granting these plots. The government’s establishment of these rules and standards is intended to prevent corruption and favoritism. To this end, we will act as in many countries around the world, allocating the plots by lottery so that each person receives the one drawn (with separate lotteries for each group). Within these 10 days, the government must resolve all the issues relating to the implementation of these processes. We would like all the districts to be orderly and comply with the requirements, so that the central group we established to address these issues, headed by Mr. Genc Metohu of the Ministry of Construction and Tourism, can submit all the materials received to the government. The government will follow up whenever irregularities are confirmed.

President of the Republic Sali Berisha yesterday criticized the indecision of the United Nations and the international community in establishing peace in the Balkans. Commenting for the Voice of America radio on the Croatian offensive against the Serbian aggressors, he said: “The latest dramatic escalation of the war in the northern Balkans is another extremely dangerous storm of war, which once again shows that in fulfilling their obligations has very dangerous and irreversible consequences for the peace and security of the Balkan region and Europe. The latest Croatian offensive against Serbian aggression is the direct result of a series of factors that constitute a major threat to Croatia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. This offensive came as a direct result and response to the Serbian offensive against Bihać. The Serbian aggressors, after occupying the safe areas of Žepa and Srebrenica, sought the complete paralysis of the United Nations and Croatian institutions. Finally, I cannot fail to point out that the Croatian President and Croatia appear to feel disappointed by the United Nations’ failure to respect the Security Council resolution, which was adopted after the Croatian government made a compromise concerning the mandate and designation of UNPROFOR troops on Croatian territory. Such an opinion [unclear in the source] is among the main factors that provoked the Croatian offensive. I hope that the will and desire for dialogue will prevail once again, but the Serbs in Geneva clearly demonstrated yesterday that they are intransigent and are not ready for a peaceful solution through dialogue.” President Berisha stressed that at the current stage, the most important priorities in the privatization process are the privatization of banks, large enterprises, water and energy supply, mines, telecommunications, etc. Mr. Liberman thanked President Berisha for his support of his team. He praised the President’s direct support and insistence on the successful progress of the privatization process in Albania. He also expressed satisfaction with the productive cooperation they had established with groups and experts in various fields of privatization. President Berisha and Mr. Liberman discussed the issue of privatizing the banks. “The lack of a developed private banking system seriously threatens the pace of the country’s development,” President Berisha said, adding that it runs counter to the requirements of the DP program and to the deeply liberal economic principles and policies pursued by the Albanian Government. “I am convinced,” President Berisha stressed, “that private banks will become powerful generators of the development of free enterprise and the Albanian economy as a whole.” Mr. Liberman said that he fully supported President Berisha’s assessment of the importance of bank privatization. President Berisha and Mr. Liberman also agreed that informing the public as widely as possible and familiarizing it with the new procedures and concepts of the privatization process are extremely important elements for the process’s full success. Press and Information Office of the President

the Albanian economy President Berisha received Mr. Ajra Liberman, Head of the World Bank Privatization Team in Albania “I greatly appreciate your valuable contribution and that of the team you lead to the privatization process,” President Berisha told the distinguished expert Liberman. Your experts, working with Albanian experts, have prepared a series of important laws and decisions, while Mr. Meksi’s Government is determined to carry out the full privatization of the economy through securities. President Berisha stressed that, at the current stage, the priorities are the most [text cut off].

As the Voice of America radio reported on yesterday morning’s program, the White House announced that President Clinton would meet with Albania’s President, Sali Berisha, during his visit to Washington in September. White House spokesman Michael McCurry said that the two leaders would discuss Albania’s progress in the process of institutionalizing democracy and carrying out market reforms, as well as Albania’s role in establishing stability in the troubled Balkan region. The agenda also includes cooperation between the two countries on economic and security matters.

The Democratic Party, in cooperation with the British Conservative Party, held a seminar entitled “New Membership in the Party and Preparing the National Election Campaign.” The seminar was led by Mr. Donald Stewart and Mr. Mirush Mati, head of the Organization Department of the Democratic Party.

Yesterday, a military delegation headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, General Sheme Kosova, left for the United States of America. He will take part in the ceremony for the Cooperative Nugget-'95 exercise at the U.S. peacekeeping forces training center. The first peacekeeping company of the Republic of Albania will also take part at this training center in Louisiana, USA. Thanks to the dedication of our officers and the assistance of American experts, it has been prepared to a high professional standard. An American military delegation arrived in our country yesterday, headed by Major General George Van Der Ploog, Director of Logistics of the U.S. European Command. Mr. Van Der Ploog’s first meeting was with Major General Armand Vincaçi, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Army, who highlighted the major contribution of the U.S. Army to joint exercises, as well as the value of the ongoing Kristal-'95 exercise. The American delegation then visited the camp of the U.S. troops and the South Carolina National Guard, who are taking part in the joint Albanian-American Ujë Kristal-'95 exercise. The exercise commander, American Colonel Sudeth, gave a short briefing on the results achieved in the exercise. He emphasized the good coordination of the work, the readiness, and the full support of his Albanian colleagues in the exercise, which is proceeding with complete success. Major General Van Der Ploog also visited the Army Central Hospital, where he became acquainted with its wards and facilities, which are undergoing reconstruction to improve the institution’s infrastructure and emergency operating capacity. The senior American officer congratulated the participants in the exercise for the work they have done so far, which will receive further support in the coming days.

—Question: The issue of the return and compensation of property is one of the fundamental issues in the Democratic Party’s program. As Prime Minister, how do you assess the implementation of this point of the program so far?

The 3rd Conference of the Bulqizë branch of the DP held its proceedings Molotov threatens democracy Ceke’s ill-fated dream ASD should ask Mr. M. Ulqini Threats and deceit are dishonorable weapons, Mr. Bollino P6. THE WEEK’S SPORTS PAGE

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