The United States’ views on Albania — According to the Voice of America radio The United States’ views on Albania The May 26 elections must consolidate the gains of the past four years — According to the Voice of America radio U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher recently met with Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi. The meeting discussed the parliamentary elections of May 26, which are being held at a critical juncture in the development of democracy in Albania. The elections will be monitored by American and European observers. Mr. Serreqi assured Mr. Christopher that the elections would be fair and free. More than 12 parties will participate. According to polls, the Democratic Party is likely to win the largest number of seats in parliament. The Democratic Party came to power in 1992, winning the first free elections in 70 years. Under the leadership of President Sali Berisha, the Democratic Party has set the country on the path of economic and political reforms. Opposition parties hope to benefit from accusations of corruption in the government and from the difficulties created by economic reforms. The U.S. Secretary of State and the Albanian Foreign Minister also discussed the situation in Kosovo. Like Albania, the United States is concerned about the increase in violence and tensions in Kosovo. The mistreatment of the Albanian majority in the region continues. Some Albanians have been taken away by Serbian police. The United States has a strong interest in the process of establishing democracy and the rule of law in Albania. Albania has made great progress in its efforts to create a market economy and a democratic government. In the May 26 elections, the Albanian people will have an opportunity to consolidate these gains.

President Berisha in Tropojë, Has, Kukës and Pukë — The Mayor of Tropojë, Zenel Neza of the Socialist Party, called on his fellow citizens to vote for the DP and distance themselves from the Socialist leadership. — At the same rally, their candidates Guxim Byberaj, candidate of the PBSD, and Ram Muja, candidate of the LDSH, also called on their supporters to vote for the DP. Yesterday at noon, President of the Republic Sali Berisha held an enthusiastic meeting with the residents of the town of Bajram Curri and the surrounding areas, who had filled the town’s main square. The mountaineers of Tropojë greeted President Berisha for several minutes, expressing their confidence in the Democratic Party’s victory in the May 26 elections. Addressing his fellow citizens at this magnificent rally, Berisha said: “You voted for freedom on March 22, and on May 26 you will vote for your prosperity, because prosperity comes after freedom. That is why we say that everyone wins with us, because we care about the prosperity of all the people.” President Berisha then spoke about the Democratic Party’s program, which opens up new prospects for the Tropojë district and all of Malësia e Gjakovës through investments in infrastructure, mines, tourism, etc. “Valbona,” President Berisha said, speaking of this beautiful and renowned valley, “will no longer be a pearl only of Tropojë and Albania, but also of foreign tourists.” Speaking about the issue of Kosovo, President Berisha said that its cause has now become a cause for the whole world, and that “we will not give up the struggle for Kosovo, to defend the national and human rights of our brothers.” President Berisha expressed his firm belief that the democratic people of Tropojë would vote for the Democratic Party’s platform, and invited Socialist Party members as well to vote for the DP’s program, because, he said, “this program is not based on ideology but on concrete objectives.” rally, of the LDSH, also spoke as candidates, calling noon, President of the Republic Sali Berisha met with residents of the Has district. At the rally held in the town of Kruma, President Berisha expressed his deep gratitude to the people of Has, who had strongly supported the Democratic Party from the very days of its founding. President Berisha said that the Democratic Party was created by the desire of the sons and daughters of Albania, who believed in the ideals of freedom and despised dictatorship. They wanted to be free people, free citizens of a free country. Highlighting the achievements of the Democratic Party’s four years in government, President Berisha said they showed that Albania was now a land of free people. Today, he continued, Albania is 100 times stronger and more secure than it was four years ago. The Democratic Party’s platform, President Berisha told the thousands attending the rally, is your platform, the platform of your identity and of free people. He described the Socialist Party’s platform as one of Albania’s isolation and the distortion of people, a platform that destroys freedom and property. “For this reason,” President Berisha concluded, “I appeal to you to vote for the Democratic Party, because with us everyone wins; Albania wins.” The DP parliamentary candidate in this area, Maxhun Peka, said he was confident that the people of Has would vote for the Democratic Party and for Albania’s integration into Europe. Around 20,000 residents of Kukës and its surrounding districts gathered yesterday at a rally held in the town center, attended by President of the Republic Sali Berisha. DP parliamentary candidates Urim Muja and Jemin Gjana also spoke at the rally. Yesterday afternoon, the Shëmri commune in the Kukës district. Greeting the mountaineers of this commune for the support they had given the Democrats, President Berisha emphasized that this support had been transformed into individual freedom and the establishment of free movement for people. Practically every citizen, he continued, finds their freedoms and rights in the Democratic Party’s program. Through its work, the DP made it possible to create hundreds of thousands of property owners, enabling Albania to have the highest economic growth in Eastern Europe. This is where the success lies for all those who voted for the DP on March 22, 1992. President Berisha then focused on the assistance the democratic government would provide to these areas, especially for improving infrastructure, irrigation and telecommunications, as well as organizing seasonal emigration. DP parliamentary candidate Bashkim Kopliku also spoke at the meeting. Yesterday afternoon, President Berisha also met with residents of the town of Fushë-Arrëz. Thousands of residents of the town and surrounding villages, who had filled the town square, greeted President Berisha with loud cheers. Berisha told the residents of Fushë-Arrëz that the dictatorship had taken revenge on them in the most inhuman and tragic way, burning dozens of innocent people alive. Fushë-Arrëz, he said, was turned into an arena where the dictatorship clashed with its martyrs. Those who committed the hideous and macabre crime of burning citizens would be brought to justice. But, he said, the concealment of the evidence of the crime was just as vile as the crime itself. “Over these four years,” he said, “we would have liked to accomplish more. But what matters is that we created the greatest opportunities for the next four years.” He called on Socialists and unaffiliated people in this town and throughout Albania to vote for the DP, because, he said, they were much closer to the DP’s program than to the criminal leadership and Marxists of the SP. The residents of the town of Pukë also filled their main square to capacity as they awaited President Berisha. “Free movement,” Berisha said, “is the driving force of democracy.” He promised the people of Pukë that he would support free movement, particularly in this area. Pukë, he said, now has close ties with Switzerland. This is because we have shown that we know how to build democracy. We have shown that we are serious partners. “No one supports the Red Front today,” he said. “Albanian Enverists are more isolated than ever,” Berisha said. Speaking of the Socialist leaders’ visit to the United States, Berisha said that they found no welcome from any state institution because they had joined forces with the most extreme anti-Albanian extremists. He promised the people of Pukë investments in infrastructure, reforestation, and especially the development of the wood-processing industry. He also promised links with powerful corporations in Canada and Australia for the exploitation of mineral resources. In contrast to this tax program, President Berisha rejected the program proposed by the Red Front, saying it would sow unemployment and poverty; “therefore, I urge you not to trust the principles of the Marxists.” — The Mayor of Tropojë, Zenel Neza of the Socialist Party, called on his fellow citizens to vote for the DP and distance themselves from the Socialist leadership. — At the same rally, their candidates Guxim Byberaj, candidate of the PBSD, and Ram Muja, candidate of the LDSH, called on their supporters to vote for the DP.

— Interview given to TV by the EU Ambassador, Mr. Germano In terms of foreign policy, the decision taken in recent days by the EU Council of Ministers concerning Albania undoubtedly constitutes a major event for Albania’s policy. On this matter, we spoke with the Ambassador of the EU Commission in Tirana, Mr. Elio Germano, who said: “As is already known, at its meeting on May 13, the EU Council of Foreign Ministers announced that the European Commission would soon submit a mandate for concluding an agreement with Albania, which constitutes an important step toward association. “The action of the Council of Ministers is not only important but also expected, because it clearly emphasizes that the ultimate objective of relations between Albania and the EU is your country’s inclusion in this union.” — When do you think negotiations could begin? “— Taking the action of the Council of Ministers into consideration, I would say there will be no technical delays, and I believe everything will be settled within June, under the Italian presidency.” — What will the content of this agreement be? “— As I said at the outset, the issue of association is not in itself a new development. “The issue highlighted by the EU Council of Ministers is when Albania, despite the commendable political, economic and social reforms it has carried out, will be able to withstand the economic consequences of a new and much closer relationship with Europe. “Thus, the content of this agreement will be preparatory, until Albania is able to integrate into much broader economic relations with the EU. This does not, of course, mean that we will have to wait a long time. I emphasize once again that, through the evolutionary clause for Albania, the EU is clearly expressing the objectives of this union in its relations with your country.”

THE PEOPLE’S VOICE ORGAN OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF ALBANIA 10th CONGRESS A new struggle for the party? [?] DECISION Of the 10th Congress of the PLA Page 5

Signing of two agreements with Greece Page 3

SP at a press conference The “illegal” decision is legal Page 3 Following American statements in support of the DP — Islami: “I am not answering on behalf of the State Department”