Conversation with artist-photographer Pirro Naçe p. 7

President Berisha visited the museum city of Berat President Berisha’s speech at the meeting with the intellectuals and citizens of Berat The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, visited yesterday the museum city of Berat, a city with great historical and cultural traditions, mentioned in Albania’s centuries-old history as an important urban center. President Berisha’s first visit was to the tourism hotel in the city center, now a tourist and business center, completely reconstructed over the past two years. Otakel Rybovica and Lameja, its owners, invested more than 140 thousand dollars after purchasing it and promptly turned it into comfortable, high-class premises. Here President Berisha was received by the mayor, Ylli Ruli, and met with a group of intellectuals from Berat, some of whom now also live and work in other Albanian cities. “Berat,” President Berisha said, “has an excellent outlook and is undoubtedly, in the true sense of the word, a rare jewel throughout the region. This city, with its hill, its mountain, its plain, its grain crops, and its river, is exceptionally interesting. Anyone who comes to Berat is left amazed, because in a short time they read and learn our history, our civilization, learn our roots, and learn about our prospects and our future. I see this monument, whose buildings are constructed according to a plan, and I congratulate you for that, just as I will ask you to open up the area for other plots of land.” Berat under UNESCO’s care “We,” President Berisha went on, “do not pursue a policy of abandoning areas; on the contrary, we pursue and will continue to pursue a policy of developing rural areas. We are, and will remain, in favor of freedom of movement, which is a fundamental right. You cannot restrict freedom in any project of this kind. More than that, we want everyone to contribute to Berat. So what we need to do is make an effort in the areas, and we can make suggestions, not impose them. I see that they are building on the hills, and we can help with loans and introduce forms of clean architecture, because it is excellent architecture that has stood the test of time.” Speaking about the prospects for this city, President Berisha said: “Berat will have two projects. The first will be tourism development, and the other will be spiritual development. We will give the residents of the castle loans so that they can quickly turn it into a usable asset for the benefit of the castle. 600 million lekë will be allocated next year to the city of Berat for infrastructure, water supply, and telecommunications.” Supporting Deputy Musaraj’s view on the additional amendment concerning Kuçova, which could serve to develop tourism, Mr. Berisha said in his speech that, for the purposes of this season, the development of the [unclear], and tourism in Poliqe and Berat are more important for tourism development, while [unclear] will be a further avenue of development. “We will make Berat, and UNESCO, and Berisha; we will have a meeting with the Director General, Naim Frexha, who will come to Albania soon. We are one of the cities under UNESCO’s care.” “Investments…” (Continued on page 3)

It is always a special pleasure for me to be in Berat, the city of Albanian identity throughout the ages. Berat, with its great historical values, its antiquity and eternal renewal, its precious cultural treasures, valuable traditions, hospitality and architecture, its natural and architectural whiteness, but above all the purity of spirit and outstanding virtues of its people, and their profound spiritual and religious harmony, represents the temple city, the spiritual capital of the Albanians, our cultural pride. The people of Berat are more beautiful and richer in spirit than their city Berat symbolizes Albania and the Albanians more beautifully than anything else. To those who want to know Albania and the Albanians, who want to learn about our antiquity, our [unclear], our history and culture, I would suggest that they come to Berat and become acquainted with the city of a thousand and one windows, its churches and mosques, with Onufri and Shpataku, these geniuses of Albanian art; that they become acquainted with its walls, architectural monuments, houses, [unclear], costumes, songs, beautiful dances, joy and hospitality, and with the great spiritual wealth and civic spirit of the Albanians. Those who want to know the roots and values of our European civilization should also come here. [Unclear] before Christ, the contribution of the Albanians to this civilization, their great respect for their faith, and the value of [unclear] in Berat, along with others. Berat is known for its codices and cultures, which are also [unclear] with its [unclear], and people will understand that the people of Berat, even more beautiful and richer in spirit than their city, have a soul. Historically, for Albanians, Berat has been a center of their struggle and great efforts for freedom, identity, development, and progress. The resistance and flag of Berat have become legends since the time of old Baba Tomor, [unclear], and its own castle. The names Muzakaj, Humentas, the great Babë Dude Karbunara, the Tutulavë and others, people forever connected with Berat, and the free Albanian people are bound closely together for all time. The dictatorship waged a satanic battle against Berat, against the free thought and free faith of this city. It imprisoned, interned, [unclear] dozens and hundreds of people, including people from Berat, [unclear], for 30 years, with Berati residents and prominent figures [unclear] appearing once again in Europe’s history, while dozens of religious institutions were destroyed, institutions that had been entrusted with the heritage. These are its great values, this is its national heritage, and Berat is the first place to be [unclear] and to be held in democratic and market-economic esteem. In this city, in this hall, there are dozens and hundreds of you; many more Albanians live in Berat and in the cities of Albania, and there are hundreds of thousands of Albanians in all. In this city, [unclear] and see all Albanians, for the free autumn, the true Albania, and for developing the city. From the final days of freedom, so that it does not remain merely a lofty phrase, you will come to learn all the laws and achieve the progress we have opened the way to. After overthrowing, four years ago, the harshest dictatorship in Europe, we also overcame great difficulties and an extremely heavy legacy, and now we have an entirely different Albania. We came to power because the Albanians trusted us, and we had been in office for only a year and a half. We are a government of citizens [unclear]. We made every effort, because nothing comes by itself. In the countryside, but also in the cities, people, children and the elderly often died of hunger or for lack of medicine, or because they could not afford to buy it. Meanwhile, young people undertook the biblical exodus of the 20th century. The country had been taken over by organized crime, chaos and anarchy. We came to power after years of hardship and ration cards, standing in long queues in front of empty shops, when 50% of the expenditure needed to maintain the administration, education, healthcare and security came from humanitarian aid, which the regime was unable to distribute itself. We came to power when, for many years, the country had been sunk in corruption that grew every day; to secure a job or the right to study, or even a refrigerator or television, one had to do the same thing and pay substantial sums to the minister, his deputy, the director, the inspector, the chairman or the foreman. We came to power when, under the 80-percent law, the dictator had decreed the cessation of production and only 20 percent of agricultural land had been planted, while the government was stealing and selling in neighboring countries the generous aid of the international community, leaving Albanian children hungry and destitute. We came to power at a time when the country had severed hundreds of thousands of ties, formed over centuries and millennia, with Europe and the world, and was experiencing the deepest isolation in its history. That was the situation on the day the communist dictatorship in Albania died, and I have described it not because we might fall into such a situation again. But I believe we must not forget it, because only by recalling it from time to time will we be able to realistically assess what we have achieved and determine what we still need to achieve. If we do not compare today’s achievements with the situation we were in, we will not be able to assess ourselves or determine our future. Without comparative analysis, we cannot make an honest and objective assessment. Without comparative analysis there can be no objective assessment

Scandal PS tries to bribe Pietro Zannoni 100 million lire for false pro-PS news “Two PS figures, very close to Servet Pëllumbi, offered me about 100 million lire to provide news in favor of the PS...” The scandalous news comes once again from the press office of the Italian Pietro Zannoni. Two PS officials, among those close to Servet Pëllumbi, have tried to bribe Pietro Zannoni. After the publication of news about Serbian financing of Socialist MPs and the newspaper “KJ,” the people who had been exposed tried to buy Zannoni. “They offered me almost 100 million lire to provide false news in the service of the Albanian socialists,” Zannoni writes, continuing: “The pressure was quite strong, and the socialists seemed ready to increase the figures.” In a press statement, after denouncing this fact, Zannoni once again says that his press office is independent of any political influence, while the socialists’ pressure and offer constitute an attack on the work of a journalist. Finally, Zannoni stresses that these statements are being made once again to eliminate any future attempt at corruption by the socialists, “who, after this denunciation, must not try to exert pressure again.” This is the latest bombshell to explode in the hands of the socialists in connection with the Serbian-financing scandal. Just a few days ago, the Italian minority magazine “Panorama” also denounced Serbian financing of the former security service and the PS. Meanwhile, Vuk Drashković’s party, in one of its statements, confirms Serbian financing of the PSSH; not only that, it calls the “government” of Namik Dokle to account for misusing Serbia’s money to defend failed communism instead of working for its own nation. All these facts leave no room for doubt about the funding received by the PS and “KJ” to serve the Serbian communists. The attempt to bribe Zannoni is the latest act in the PS leader’s [unclear] affair. Their aim is quite clear: by forcing Zannoni to write in favor of the PS, they will eliminate the accusations about Serbian financing by discrediting the Albanian Pietro Zannoni and the Albanian press. The two witnesses who confirm this denunciation are “EDI PALOKA.” “Two very influential members of the Albanian Socialist Party, very close to Servet Pllumbi (the national secretary of the socialists), offered me around 100,000,000 lire for news in favor of the Socialist Party and to spread news useful to the socialists during this election campaign.” Pietro Zannoni and [unclear] turned the entire Serbian-financing scandal back on the Democratic Party. But the bomb they had prepared exploded in their hands, putting an end to any doubt about the truth of the facts concerning Serbian financing. No doubt tomorrow the PS leaders will come out and declare that they know nothing about the attempts to bribe Pietro Zannoni. Then they will once again issue insulting statements against the press office’s director, but this cannot save them from discredit. All the facts are against them, while, apart from banal attacks on Pietro Zannoni’s press office and the newspapers that published its news, they have offered no argument to refute these accusations. EDI PALOKA

Vuk Drashković confirms that Albanian socialists were financed by Belgrade The socialists misused Serbia’s funds The SPO communiqué states that “the vice-chairman of the Albanian Socialist Party, Namik Dokle, who is of Muslim-Gorani origin, should stand up for the rights of his own nation and not work to spread the failed communist ideology, financed by the Socialist Party of Serbia.” Dragash, 14 February The Serbian Renewal Movement Party, led by Vuk Drashković, yesterday confirmed the truth about the Serbian Socialist Party’s financing of the Albanian Socialist Party. In a press communiqué from the branch of the “Serbian Renewal Movement” Party in Dragash, Albanian socialists are accused of being allies of the Serbian socialists and of obstructing the democratization of Serbia through their alliances and illegal funding. Mentioning illegal funding from Serbia for the newspaper “Koha Jonë” and the Albanian Socialist Party, the communiqué also strongly accuses the vice-chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Namik Dokle, of being involved and acting improperly in this matter. The SPO communiqué states that “the vice-chairman of the Albanian Socialist Party, Namik Dokle, who is of Muslim-Gorani origin, should stand up for the rights of his own nation and not work to spread the failed communist ideology, financed by the Socialist Party of Serbia.” The press communiqué from the Dragash branch of the “Serbian Renewal Movement” Party also sharply criticizes the Serbian Socialist Party. The statement says, among other things, that “the funds that the Serbian state and the Socialist Party of Serbia have financed for the Albanian socialists would be better spent on developing Gora, which is still underdeveloped.” The reaction from Drashković’s party branch in Dragash, one of the strongest branches of this party, comes as the Serbian opposition is increasingly trying to distance the Serbian socialists in power from their old historical ties with all the former communist castes of the Balkans, which are considered a useful “instrument” of the Serbian secret service, given the extreme politicization of these countries and the structures of the Serbian secret service. Vuk Drashković leads the largest opposition party in Serbia, the main competitor of Milošević’s party. He is one of the well-known Serbian intellectuals, an anti-communist, although his party has strong nationalist tendencies. In this party’s statement against the financing of Albanian socialists and the confidential manner in which the name of the Socialist vice-chairman, Namik Dokle, is mentioned, it is shown that the latter is very well known in Serbia’s political circles as a liaison between the Serbian and Albanian socialists. The SPO communiqué was distributed yesterday to all Serbian media outlets and foreign news agencies. Drashković leads the largest opposition party in Serbia, the main competitor of Milošević’s party. He is one of the well-known Serbian intellectuals, an anti-communist, although his party has strong nationalist tendencies. The statement by this party against the financing of Albanian socialists and their ties with communist parties in the Balkans mentions that, within sixty days, the Serbian secret service [unclear]. Reprinted from the newspaper ALBANIA Vuk Drashković Namik Dokle

Former member of the PAD Assembly, Dr. Albert Karriqi: p. 3