Mr. Carl Dieter Spranger, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany, was today awarded the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa. Representatives of the Presidency, members of the government, representatives of political parties, members of parliament, lecturers from the University of Tirana, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to our country, and others attended the ceremony held this morning at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. The address for the occasion was delivered by the rector of the University of Tirana, Nestor Thereska. Prof. Kudret Çela, dean of the Faculty of Law, and Prof. Dr. Aleks Luarasi, head of the Department of Public Law, who recommended awarding Mr. Spranger this honorary title, then spoke. Afterwards, the rector of the University of Tirana, Nestor Thereska, presented Mr. Spranger with the high honorary distinction of Doctor Honoris Causa. Speech by the German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Carl - Dieter Spranger, on the occasion of being awarded the honorary doctorate “Honoris Causa” by the University of Tirana

A decision that further encourages the free initiative of private farmers Farmers will not have to pay outstanding taxes for the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 p. 4

In 1990, you experienced the changing of the times in Albania. You now know what it means to live in freedom. More than 40 years of violent communist rule have left deep wounds in this country. Most of these wounds have not yet healed—and this surprises no one. But what matters most has been achieved. The repressive, totalitarian regime has been overthrown, along with the so-called “security” police, the Sigurimi. But the bloody attack here in Tirana three weeks ago, which claimed the lives of four innocent people, also shows that the dangers have not been completely eliminated. A democracy must be especially vigilant and able to defend itself during this difficult early stage. Albania, Germany, and many other countries have paid dearly for their experience with the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. Both our countries have suffered under the ideology of communism, which dismantles the human being. And I think you have certainly suffered more than we have. p. 2

President Berisha’s meeting with representatives of political parties Yesterday at midday, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, met with representatives of parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties to discuss the upcoming elections. At the meeting, President Berisha once again guaranteed freedom and calm in the upcoming elections. He also called for an even distribution of voters among the different electoral districts. The representatives of the political parties, for their part, requested that the electoral districts be determined, if possible, before the 45-day deadline set by the electoral law, while it was agreed that the election date should fall in the last week of May or in the first two weeks of “[electoral activity.]” I can say that I consider the meeting productive. The representatives of the political forces expressed their views on an approximate timetable for the upcoming elections and discussed issues concerning the electoral commissions and district commissions. I assured the representatives of the political forces that the upcoming elections would be free, and that the districts would be set quickly once the number of voters had been verified, so that this time we could avoid the lack of fairness observed in 1992, when, as the districts were divided, some entered parliament with 27,000 voters while others had 15,000–17,000 voters. This “[fragment missing in the source.]” local government, to verify the lists once again, so that elections in Albania would be completely free and entirely fair. The political forces expressed the view that the elections should take place between the last week of May and the first two weeks of June. There was some suggestion of a later date, but overall this was the period that the political parties considered most suitable, and I will try to take their suggestions into account. The election date is announced by law; since parliament is in session until 3 April, it is not normal to announce an election campaign in it. The date of

My visit is a show of support for the democratic government In politics, going backwards would be like a frost for the young Albanian plant Germany supports Albania’s efforts toward association p. 3

Press conference by Minister Zhulali After the Dayton peace agreement, the possibility of a conflict among the states of our peninsula has diminished, but has not disappeared p. 3

Today in Tirana: Greek President Stefanopullos The President of Greece, Costandinos Stefanopulos, arrives in Tirana today for a two-day official and friendly visit, at the invitation of President Sali Berisha. The Greek president’s delegation includes Foreign Minister Pangalos, Education Minister Papandreu and Finance Minister Papadhopulos, who will hold separate meetings with their Albanian counterparts. At a meeting with intellectuals a few days ago, President Berisha described the visit of his Greek counterpart as an exceptionally important event in relations between the two countries. At President Berisha’s proposal, it is expected that during the Greek president’s visit the treaty will be signed (Continued on page 3)