Albright writes to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shehu In a letter addressed to Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tritan Shehu, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright states: “As I begin my work as Secretary of State, I hope to work with you on the most important issues between our two countries and to jointly promote our common interest in a safer, democratic, prosperous and peaceful world. I am confident that, through continued cooperation, we will be able to further advance these common goals. The United States remains committed to ensuring an undivided Europe. In this regard, consolidating peace in Bosnia through implementation of the Dayton Agreement is vital to the stability of the region. It is also fundamental to regional stability that every country in the region move rapidly toward building democracy, respecting human rights, and establishing a solid foundation for economic progress.” The letter from U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Tritan Shehu, concludes.

Leading PS officials in the districts, such as Eduart Alushi, Pëllumb Binaj, Kadri Dimri, Niko Pandeli, Kujtim Rusha, Tajar Bregasi, Sokol Hazizi, Fadil Nasufi and many others, organized and dispatched the terrorists who burned Berat, Lushnje, Vlorë, Fier and Korçë—cities that, during this century, have not been burned even by the most brutal occupiers. These groups are now demonstrating with the slogans “Down with Parliament,” “Down with dialogue,” “Down with PDSH,” and “Let’s rush to Tirana, because that’s where the Government will be brought down.” The Democratic Party calls on all Albanian citizens to remain calm and condemn the violence organized by terrorists and red Mafiosi who seek to destroy democracy, the economy and everything we have achieved during these years of freedom. The Democratic Party reminds these adventurers that in Albania, power obtained through the free vote cannot be seized by violence, and that Albania’s stability does not stem from your failed schemes and scenarios, but from the free will of the people. The red Mafia will never defeat Albanian democracy. The Democratic Party calls on all Albanian citizens, regardless of party affiliation, who cherish freedom and its values, property, their own dignity and that of Albania, and our achievements and sacrifices on the path to democracy, to assess with the utmost calm and civic and national responsibility the violence and red terror organized by the PS in close cooperation with groups of former Sigurimi agents, red Mafiosi and some ordinary criminals. Pellumb Bino, Kadi Kadri, Ndini, Niko Pandeli, Kujtim Rusha, Tajar Bregasi, Sokol Haxhia, Fadil Nasufi and many others, organized and sent Government will be brought down.” The red Mafia now wants to free the arsonists, looters, traffickers, road blockers and perpetrators of violence—in other words, the terrorists who burned and set fire to several Albanian cities. To show whom it works for and its anti-national allegiance, today it declared in its press that Vlorë, the city of Ismail Qemali, is Belgrade; it denied Albanian soldiers their mother tongue, terrorized schoolchildren and disrupted their lessons. From PS offices in these districts, party officials, former disinformation experts, [krabas] organizing gangs, alongside organizing gangs, distribute slogans, slander and lies every day in order to manipulate desperate people. Party once again expresses its solidarity with all those citizens who have lost their assets in pyramid schemes. It assures them that it will ask the government to mitigate, through concrete measures, the consequences of the losses caused by the loss of their money. The Democratic Party invites the investors of the former “Xhafica” company to form their own assembly to decide the fate of the former company’s assets. It calls on citizens not to blindly follow those forces which, for political purposes and according to an inhumane and anti-national scenario, seek to inflict on the country and all Albanians a tragedy far greater than the losses in pyramid schemes; not to allow their despair to be manipulated by those who organized the pyramid schemes in Albania and who, together with their bosses, created the red front, ran failed election campaigns around these schemes, and were also financed with money stolen through the terrorism of the organization “Hakmarrja e drejtësisë popullore.” Do not be deceived by those who, on the orders and directives of the press and other services, publish fantastic fraud-related percentages in their newspapers every day, with the aim of collecting as much of your losses as possible. The Democratic Party warns, with the utmost resolve, the organizers, instigators and perpetrators of violence, road blockades, fires and explosives that their violence will have catastrophic consequences for them. people. The red Mafia will never defeat Albanian democracy. Drunk on their intrigues and destruction, the extremists now want to protest with a demand for the release of the terrorists. In this way, they hope to use violence to defeat the independent Albanian justice system and the rule of law. The Democratic Party assures them, and expresses its complete confidence, that the independent Albanian justice system will give the terrorists the punishment they deserve. As for the wretched Esadists, who today declare Vlorë to be Belgrade, the Democratic Party reminds them that Vlorë—the city of the Flag and the Great Old Man, the city of noble men and women, honorable and hardworking people, the Vlorë of brave and patriotic Labë—is never going to be the city of the red Mafia and narco-traffickers, who will soon meet the end they deserve. In conclusion, the Albanian Democratic Party calls on all Albanian citizens, its activists, members and supporters to redouble their efforts to consolidate democracy and the market economy in Albania.

Interview with PD chairman Tritan Shehu, given to BBC Radio - I do not think Albania is in crisis, whether economically, financially or politically. This is because Albania’s development over these four years has not been based on pyramid schemes; it has been based on investment, production and integration. It has been based on democracy, democratic institutions, the law and respect for them, and it has chosen to follow this path—the path of democracy. Undoubtedly, this was a problem, a financial loss suffered by some citizens. We share their sorrow and will do our utmost to minimize their losses, but this will certainly not hinder Albania’s economic development and integration. Page 3

Tritan Shehu for “Voice of America” Radio Page 3

“Everyone should understand clearly that, with the bankruptcy of some of the pyramid schemes, the far left is exploiting the situation, seeking to overthrow democracy through violence.” “Everyone should understand clearly that, with the bankruptcy of some of the pyramid schemes, the far left is exploiting the situation, seeking to overthrow democracy through violence. The appeal by Brojka, leader of the PD in Tirana, was addressed to all residents of the capital, asking them to demonstrate peacefully and send a clear message to the far left: when it comes to defending democracy, its defenders are more powerful than those who want to destroy it.”

Vejsiu and Memia condemn today's rally by the far left Page 3

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Statement by the PD Branch for the Vlora district Page 3

- Anyone who follows them and their calls to break the law—the extremists gathered under the so-called “Forum for Democracy”—seeks to destabilize the country and, as such, will receive the response they deserve. - The Democrats will under no circumstances allow a minority of red terrorists to create instability in the country. Page 3