Readiness to strengthen cooperation in all fields The President of the Republic is invited to the high-level meeting in Salzburg in July, where several other heads of state will also participate Yesterday, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Austria, Dr. Georg Calice, who presented his Letters of Credence. The Austrian ambassador conveyed to President Berisha the warm greetings of President Klestil and reiterated the Austrian president's invitation to participate in the high-level meeting, together with several other heads of state, in Salzburg during July. President Berisha expressed his gratitude for the assistance and support of Austria, this friendly country, and asked him to convey his warm greetings to President Klestil and thank him for the invitation, which he had accepted. President Berisha and Ambassador Calice once again expressed their countries' readiness and will to strengthen friendship and cooperation in all fields.

The Red Front continues to lose At the meetings and talks that the leaders of the Red Front held in Brussels, the position already known in Tirana was reiterated once again: partial elections after identifying the areas in which serious violations had occurred. Initially emerging from the offices of the Democratic Party and at the same time supported by pro-European institutions, the above proposal has now gained acceptance and is at the stage of being implemented. A few days after May 26, the electoral commission verified four areas with violations, which it declared invalid. Several parties, including the Democratic Party, have submitted complaints concerning specific areas. So far, facts and documents have emerged from the Blue Headquarters proving manipulation by the socialists, including the application of heavy psychological pressure on voters in specific areas. As was also emphasized in the statement by the U.S. Department of State, the socialists and the rest of the Red Front bear responsibility for boycotting the voting process, thereby also losing the moral standing to confront others over, for example, or other issues related to election day. Their departure was an act that is directly understood as anti-state action, which would sabotage the voting and bring disorder to the country's political, economic, and state life in the days that followed. Nothing else can be said of the actions of the far left, even if they went to Brussels driven only by their anger at Berisha, the Democratic Party, and democracy in Albania. In their suitcases, apart from complaints, they had no document substantiating their anti-election memoranda. Each of them was left looking foolish while the Brussels commissioners waited for the dossiers of violations. Demagoguery that may work with the three-hundred and the fifty-year-olds in Tirana and Fier cannot work with the continent's parliamentarians. Insulting Berisha in Brussels earns you no standing, just as you are no longer within the bounds of credibility for them. Yesterday's announcement by left-opposition newspapers that violations were to be verified shows that their withdrawal from the voting, as well as all the anti-state activity they engaged in afterward, was unsupported by convincing facts and arguments. The election boycott and the attempt to hold illegal rallies in Tirana are based solely on the Marxist prejudice that power can be seized by any means. At a deeper level, they have pursued their opposition in ways that directly harmed the Albanian economy, its relations with Europe and beyond, and its reputation, restored over the last four years—things that, had they succeeded, would have been directly against the country and must be judged as anti-national acts. No realistic opposition with developmental aims could have contributed to the country's isolation as much as the Albanian far left. They attempted this only with the aim of blocking the functioning of the state in Albania so that conditions could be created for their rise to power, which would have led to the blocking of Albanian reform as well as many other restrictions for the country and its people. Their presence in Brussels was an opportunity for them to receive a good lesson in democracy from European parliamentarians and commissioners there. Of course, talking to Pellumbi, Ceka, Gjinushi—not to mention Kallaku—about democracy is difficult and yields little result. This was clear from the outcome of their stay in Brussels. The three of them, along with Kallaku, managed to bring back to Tirana only their misinterpreted news that Santer's visit to Albania had been cancelled. If that were so, they could rejoice; but Santer has only postponed his visit to Tirana because the electoral process has not yet been completed.

Nothing has changed in the EU's position regarding the elections in Albania, even after the visit there by the Red Front delegation. In an interview given to the BBC, the EU spokesperson, Niko Vafter, reconfirmed this institution's position that elections in Albania should be repeated only in those areas where irregularities have been identified. The answers of the EU spokesperson, Mr. Vefter, finally dispel the fog cast by the Albanian left-wing press and some foreign media over the postponement of the visit to Albania by the President of the European Commission, Jacques Santer. Thus, Mr. Vatter confirms that Jacques Santer has not cancelled his visit to Albania but has postponed it, because, according to him, the electoral process in Albania is not yet complete and it would not be appropriate for Mr. Santer to make this visit during the electoral period. Regarding the EU's further position on the elections in Albania, Mr. Vatter says that the EU will decide on the basis of reliable information from reliable sources. Thus he makes it clear that this Red Front delegation, which set off for the EU to complain without first possessing any proof or concrete facts about irregularities in the elections—its only “fact” being its display of Marxist zeal for applying Leninist methods of seizing power—does not offer reliable information or constitute a reliable source. In his interview with the BBC, Mr. Vatter says he hopes that all parties, including the party in power, will be ready to find a constructive solution in Albania's interest. Asked about the future of Albania's relations with the EU, Mr. Vatter says: “As you know, since 1992 we have had a cooperation and trade agreement with Albania. The Foreign Affairs Council has given us a mandate to present proposals shortly to negotiate a new type of agreement to deepen relations with Albania. Essentially, we aim to deepen relations with Albania, since it is in our mutual interest for relations to become more intensive, but this will be done in accordance with the general values of democracy and the principles of a market economy.” It is therefore plain to see that the leaders of the Red Front who went to the EU to complain came back with nothing but confirmation of their deserved defeat, demonstrating that they represent nothing else in Albanian politics but its severed-off remnant: that past which Europe has long denounced as dictatorship, isolation, and human barbarity. These leaders of the Red Front received from Europe what they truly deserved. They received the message that Albania is determined to follow the path of democracy, a market economy, development, and integration, and that it divorced itself from socialism back in 1992, demonstrating the highest values of European civilization. The elections of May 26 this year were nothing but a reaffirmation of these values. N.GJINI

He will participate in the conference of the speakers of the parliaments of European countries Yesterday, the Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, departed for Budapest to participate in the conference of the speakers of the parliaments of European countries, being held in Hungary from June 7–9, 1996. According to the planned program, the conference will discuss the following main issues: -The role of parliament in establishing and operating democracy under the conditions of a market economy. -The role of parliament in resolving social problems under the conditions of a market economy. -European integration and cooperation among national parliaments, with particular regard to the 1996 intergovernmental conference of the EU. The rapporteurs on this issue will be Ms. Leni Fisher, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Mr. Kalus Hansh, President of the European Parliament; Ms. Rita Sismuth, President of the German Parliament; Mr. Filip Segen, President of the National Assembly of France; and other prominent European figures.

“ZP” and “KJ” sound the “alarm” over Albania’s isolation In the past two weeks, Albania was accepted as a member of the Central European Initiative, Serregi was invited to Austria, Zhvalulli was invited by the NATO Secretary General, Arnordi heard about the meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Europe, NATO, Arbënori, and set off for the meeting of the heads of the Parliaments of Europe; the EC approved 3 million ECU for Albania, and US President Clinton called for the extension of Albania’s most-favoured-nation status. And President Berisha repeated his invitation to you to take part in the high-level meeting with heads of state in Austria.

PBDNJ and “Omonia” refute “KJ” I did not formulate the statement published in “KJ”

Conference for the Italian press agencies, by the secretary for foreign relations, Mr. Albert Brojka, Mr. Marinacci, and three representatives of Italy’s Christian Democratic Party, on the premises of the Italian Parliament PAGE 2

“Thirdly, foreign mercenaries should be invited to come to Albania before the elections, to marvel at the delights of Sali Berisha’s democracy and praise him and the DP so that they would remain on the throne beyond the year 2000. And these European and Asian mercenaries were MPs, ministers, presidents, and businesspeople. Indeed, one of them, the president of Italy, Mr. Scalfaro, could not resist hanging an Italian horseshoe on Sali Berisha’s chest for good luck.” (D. Agolli, “ZP”, dated 6.6.1996) PAGE 3

-Musa Dobrovoda: “The police and special units will continue to conduct military drills...” -People like Dobrovoda always mistake tolerance for weakness PAGE 3