Evert congratulates the chairman of the PDSH on his post in the new government The chairman of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu, received congratulations on his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Greek party NeoDemocracia. Its chairman, Miltiades Evert, sent Mr. Shehu his congratulations, emphasizing that “the high mission you have undertaken deserves the very best wishes for the complete success of the new Albanian government.” A similar congratulatory message to Mr. Shehu was also sent by the Secretary for Foreign Relations, Greek parliamentarian Marietta Kutsiku, a former minister and Member of the European Parliament.

Yesterday the ministers of the new Albanian government took the oath. All that remains now is to obtain Parliament’s vote of confidence, bringing the government’s and ministers’ appointment phase to a complete close. Immediately afterward, the government must begin the practical development of its program. Albania now has a sound situation for governing. Much of the legal framework has been formulated so far, while the capitalist superstructure has been on trial for four years. Naturally, some have passed this test and some have not. Those in government must know how to select. This, too, is another duty of government officials. Together, they must avoid indifference toward various social problems, manifestations of corruption, and so on. There have been quite a few complaints about the middle-level administration over these years. It has often abused the needs arising from the capitalist economy, sometimes because of a lack of knowledge and sometimes because of tendencies toward personal gain. This is an important area for putting ordinary relations with people in order, including relations with those who need to visit government offices. The fewer people who have to turn to them, the better the administration has done its job. Despite these shortcomings, the individual has emerged in Albania, both in the moral and the economic sense. This was a major task of the previous government. Through the new spaces of freedom, an initiative unprecedented in our country has continually been emphasized. This government has only to perfect this individual and give direction to the freedom that people have won so dearly. People who are well oriented in their freedom create a progressive environment for the country. Any government that succeeds in securing the conditions for individuals to flourish will find governing much easier. The various fields in which reform has been carried out so far have created ground for further progress. To date, privatization has been one of the most important aspects of Albanian reform. Now there is deeper privatization. This concerns the concessions in the economy, such as telecommunications, energy, mining, and so on. This is also the greatest test of the ability to absorb capitalism at its highest level. Every delay works against improving the structures of the Albanian economy, just as every careful step serves the quality of privatization. The social situation has improved. The unemployment rate has fallen to Western levels, while inflation is almost frozen at a single-digit rate and the Albanian currency is stable. Financial indicators point to stability, as do the indicators of a deeper achievement of economic security for Albanians. According to surveys conducted a few months ago, more than 70 percent of people had achieved major improvements in their lives during this year alone. Wages have weathered inflationary fluctuations, while the private sector has reached wage levels acceptable in view of needs and the prices of goods in Albania. It remains for the program of the Albanian government to embody the program of the Democratic Party and exceed the figures cited above. Yesterday at the Presidency, the new government of Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi took the oath before the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha. All the ministers recited the oath: “I swear on my honor that I will faithfully uphold the Constitution and the law and will perform with integrity the duty for which I am appointed to the Council of Ministers.” President Berisha took the opportunity to express his appreciation for all the work of the previous government, conveying to all members of that government his deep gratitude and respect for their valuable contribution. The president also wished the new government success in its very important work, focused on reforms, their completion, and Albania’s integration into Europe. “I am convinced,” President Berisha said, “that this government will implement its programs successfully and with popular support among the Albanian electorate.” Alongside the Democratic Party ministers, the following are serving in the government with ministerial rank: Teodor Laço, from the Social Democratic Union Party; Arjan Madhi, Secretary of the Council of Ministers; and Arben Babameto, State Secretary for Transport at the Ministry of Industry, Transport and Trade, from the Republican Party. There will be deputy ministers from these and other parties, including the Democratic Party, and so on. “This is a government with a dignified representation, fully responding to the aspirations of the voters who, on 26 May, voted for the advancement and further deepening of reforms,” President Berisha stressed. “They voted for Albania’s integration into Europe. 26 May was a historic day for Albanians and Albania.” Speaking about the significance of that day and the recent efforts to reform the Socialist Party, the main party of the Albanian opposition, which has not accepted the election results, President Berisha said: “26 May was a historic day in the sense that it definitively separated Albania from the past and shifted it toward the West. But I want to assure you,” he stressed, “that this defeat was historic for the Albanian left as well.” Recently, a process of seeking reform has begun in the Socialist Party following a motion by its chairman, Fatos Nano. The motion presented proposed, alongside the renewal of the Socialist Party (formerly communist), changes in its stance toward Marxism and a decisive break with the past of Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia. But this process has unfolded more as a class struggle within the party leadership, without changing its foundations. “That defeat in the election—R.F.—gave it the opportunity for a genuine revival and renewal, changes that are now reflected in us, and I congratulate it,” Berisha said. Then, addressing the journalists present and the new ministers on the need for transparency in information, President Berisha said: “In cooperation with the two journalists’ associations, we will establish an information act, so that these government officials are fully transparent with you.” The new government will comprise 16 ministers, 9 of whom are from the [unclear in source], and 8 state secretaries. Five of them are taking on senior duties for the first time. Four women are part of the government, two as ministers and two as state secretaries. “The program of the Democratic Party and the state is more advanced than the first one and sets out higher demands as well; therefore, our commitment will be just as strong,” Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi said after the ceremony. Both ministers, Shehu and Meksi, also added that the entire new government would be committed to the issue of government development. The focus would be not only on Albania’s integration into Europe, but also on strengthening government institutions. “At the end of a goal that we will manage to achieve in the future,” Sali Berisha said. The oldest minister was Teodor Laço, aged 63, while Abdyl Xhaja, 53, has served as a minister four times in a row since 1991. The youngest member of the cabinet is the State Secretary for Youth and Women, Roza Pati, aged 31. Nano’s motion causes a fight in Fier —Slaps, punches and vulgar insults directed at the chairman of the Socialist Party PAGE 3 Effort to conceal the weakness of the prisoner from Bënçë Nano isolated by his own indecision PAGE 3 Chairman of the PSD branch in Mallakastër resigns PSD has veered toward the far left “The elections of 26 May were free, and the will of the Albanian people for democracy triumphed. The red front received its deserved punishment.” PAGE 3 The new Albanian government taking the oath before the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha.

President Berisha received the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag and CDU envoy, Dr. Karl Heine Hornhues Yesterday at noon, President Sali Berisha received the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag and CDU envoy, Dr. Karl Heine Hornhues. President Berisha gave a full account of the results achieved in consolidating the rule of law and the market economy, as well as of the latest political developments in the country. President Berisha expressed his gratitude to Germany for the important support and assistance it continues to provide to Albania. He described Germany as a powerful supporter of Albania’s efforts to integrate into Europe. President Berisha emphasized the successful course of bilateral cooperation with Germany in all fields, including the military sphere, and noted that all the other areas—primarily infrastructure, but also other fields—have been among the most successful and are making steady progress. President Berisha asked Mr. Hornhues to convey his best wishes to President Herzog and Chancellor Kohl. For his part, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag thanked him for the warm and friendly reception and expressed his pleasure at the friendship and the high level of bilateral relations. Mr. Hornhues praised the Democratic Party’s position in favor of open dialogue with all political forces and inquired about the upcoming local elections and the preparations being made for them.

Interview with Prof. Dr. Besnik Gjongecaj, Secretary General of the PDSH and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research I can therefore say that although two names are used to describe this structure of the state administration, it is unique; that is, we are dealing with one structure, not two, because science and higher education have many points in common. Together, they have a symbiotic character, that is, a strong capacity to coexist. PAGE 3