Speech by the President of the Republic Sali Berisha at the cocktail held in honor of writer Ismail Kadare on the occasion of his membership in the A.S.A.P. of the Institute of France Nations that killed men like you are great nations, not wicked nations, but nations that feel great men . [History?] is shorter [and] successful has sacrificed this land for more than 450 years in a row. So for us Albanians of every time and of all times, the voice of humanity is civilized and enriched, but Ismail Kadare has carved it in entirely special dimensions. Distinguished attendees! Ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to express the great pleasure I have in taking part in this ceremony in honor of our distinguished writer Ismail Kadare, on the occasion of his election as a foreign member of the Assembly of Moral and Political Sciences of the Institute of France. Thus, on this occasion as well, I extend my warmest congratulations to our French friend, Mr. René Monory, for coming to Albania and taking part in this special joy. The great honor bestowed on writer Ismail Kadare, the distinguished son of Albania and of the Albanian people, in one important aspect expresses the deep respect and appreciation of the Assembly of Moral and Political Sciences of the Institute of France for the values of freedom, humanism and creative thought that he embodies. For us Albanians this is a great event. Because the great writer Ismail Kadare has been and remains the most authentic voice of the soul of the Albanian nation. In his work have been poured, with the greatest artistic force, the drama, dreams, tragedies and centuries-long resistance of our people. On its pages we find the historical memory, the cultural identity and the spiritual nobility of a nation that did not bow. His work has become part of European and universal consciousness. It has crossed the boundaries of language and geography, because at its core it speaks of freedom, dignity, truth and the fate of man. For this reason, Mr. Kadare’s admission to this high Assembly constitutes not only an honor for him, but also a deserved recognition of Albanian culture and of our nation. Albania has always felt France to be a great hearth of civilization and free thought. The spiritual relations between our country and France have been stable and fruitful. Today, this lofty act strengthens even more this bridge of friendship and mutual respect. Ismail Kadare is one of the brightest personalities in Albanian and world literature. He has known how to defend the Albanian truth with extraordinary courage in difficult times, making literature not merely art, but also testimony. In this sense, his work is an encyclopedia of Albanian truth. It has served and will serve as a guide for whole generations in understanding our history, our national character and our aspirations for freedom and dignity. Congratulating Mr. Kadare once again for this high honor, I express my conviction that his name and work will continue to honor Albania in Europe and in the world. In the center Ismail Kadare and his wife

Berisha’s new President congratulated Romania’s newly elected President Constantinescu Meanwhile Romanian Prime Minister Ciorbea, who today must depart for Paris for an international conference. In the middle of the presidential and parliamentary elections in Romania, regarding the victory of the country’s new president, Emil Constantinescu, European countries’ positions on the overturning of the situation created in Bucharest continued to be published yesterday. German Chancellor Kohl sent congratulatory messages to the new president of Romania, stressing that Germany is ready to support this country in democracy and the market economy. In a message of his own, French Prime Minister Juppé said that in Romania the ideas of democracy and freedom had won and that, for him, this country now has a real chance to move forward on the path of reforms. The special French envoy is traveling to Bucharest on this occasion, where he will in particular meet with the leader of the Romanian Christian Democrats, the new president of the country Constantinescu. The latter was also congratulated on his victory by Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, who, on behalf of Austria, promised full support on the road to building a market economy and establishing the rule of law. The same was also stated by Czech Prime Minister V. Klaus, who in his message to the new president of Romania expressed hope that Romania would quickly take the road of reforms. A more powerful support from the region for the new head of state in Romania came from his Turkish counterpart, Demirel, who in his message praised the electoral process in Romania as being in line with the standards of democratic countries. In his message to the new Romanian president, the President of Turkey called his victory an expression of the democratic will of the Romanian people. A congratulatory message for the victory of the new Romanian president, Constantinescu, was also sent to him by Croatian head of state Franjo Tuđman and his prime minister Zlatko Matesa. After Sunday’s elections, Bucharest mayor Victor Ciorbea has been appointed to lead the talks on forming the new government. Romania’s free elections were also welcomed yesterday by the European Union. “This is a great victory for democracy and the market economy,” German Foreign Minister Kinkel told television. In Washington, according to the AP news agency, a senior official of President Clinton’s administration said the following: “Romania has made major progress in creating civil society. Free and fair elections are a good model for the whole region. As for the assessment of the new government, much work still needs to be added.” In Moscow, the spokesman for the Russian presidency stated that Russia is pleased with the election results. “The Kremlin is closely following the development of events in Romania,” the spokesman said, describing the vote as “an excellent demonstration of respect for the rules of the democratic game.” When asked whether K. Iliescu would now leave the Romanian political scene, the spokesman said humorously: “We hope that in politics Iliescu will be as restrained as he has been as president.”

President Berisha received the Executive Director for nine Baltic Republics, Paskualando At the President of the Republic’s residence, President Berisha yesterday received the World Bank delegation headed by its Executive Director, Mr. Paskualando. Assessing positively the rapid progress and the success of reforms in Albania, Mr. Paskualando, on behalf of the World Bank, described Albania as one of the most successful countries for economic reforms among countries in transition. He underlined that the successful development of the market economy in Albania is the result of clear commitment and political determination to implement reforms. During the conversation, the problems and prospects of economic development, privatization and the deepening of institutional reforms were discussed. President Berisha valued cooperation with the World Bank and expressed his conviction that this cooperation would continue to produce concrete results in support of economic growth and the improvement of citizens’ living conditions. The meeting emphasized the importance of macroeconomic stability and the continuation of structural reforms.

Letter sent to Zyber[?]mini, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the People’s Party, Deputy Wolfgang Demoraktike Prof. Dr. Tirana Shahu In a speech presented before the working group in the European Parliament on the theme “Partnership for peace and democracy,” the author stresses the need for the integration of the countries of Southeast Europe into Euro-Atlantic institutions. The letter underlines that the concept of a common Europe must be built on respect for national identities, political pluralism and economic cooperation. According to the author, Albania must take its natural place in the European family and strengthen relations with neighboring countries and Western partners. The letter also expresses support for the consolidation of democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Speech by the President of the Republic Sali Berisha delivered at the World Food Summit, Rome Albania supports a European vision of rural development and the implementation of reforms to increase agricultural production. In his speech, President Berisha emphasized the importance of a national plan to guarantee food supplies and support farmers. He underlined that the modernization of agriculture, the improvement of infrastructure and the encouragement of investments are essential conditions for increasing food security. The summit also addressed issues related to international cooperation, poverty reduction and the strengthening of productive capacities in developing countries.

The dismissal of Halilaj as chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Order and SHIK will be requested From sources within the PD parliamentary group it is learned that the leadership of this parliamentary group will discuss and propose at Wednesday’s parliamentary group meeting the dismissal of MP Halilaj from the position of chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Order and SHIK. In the leadership of this group, it has been requested that Halilaj be replaced by another MP, on the grounds that Mr. Halilaj cannot lead this committee because he is linked to certain political circles. According to these sources, if the proposal is approved, then the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party will submit it to the Assembly for a decision. The sources said that the debate over the chairmanship of this committee is also related to its role in overseeing the public order organs and SHIK.

Albanians on the Swiss vision of the officials of mobility and of the offices of the deputy minister and minister for the evaluation of Albania Albanians in Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu in Austria