Statement by the Albanian political parties after the meeting with President Berisha 48-hour deadline for surrendering weapons, 48-hour suspension of offensive-combat military operations The political parties invited to the meeting of the President of the Republic, Dr. Sali Berisha, to discuss a solution to the serious situation created in the country, viewed the situation responsibly and unanimously agreed on the following: They declare: The parties present express their determination to help the country emerge from the serious situation into which it has fallen and to create conditions for the normal functioning of economic life, social peace and democracy. They consider the armed rebellion in the south of the country to be an extremely serious unconstitutional act, which endangers the fate of the Albanian nation and state. They strongly condemn the terrorist and criminal acts of the armed forces in Vlorë, which have killed police officers and SHIK employees, and have carried out acts of destruction against institutions and military schools, throwing the city and beyond into chaos. They consider any act that incites regional and class hatred to be very serious. They welcome the initiative of the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, to announce amnesty for all those persons who, by 9 March 1997, hand over weapons and other instruments of crime. They call for a ceasefire by the rebels and for a suspension of offensive military operations by the law-enforcement forces for 48 hours from 6:00 a.m. on 7 March 1997, in order to begin the process of surrendering weapons and creating the conditions for establishing calm and public order. To begin contacts with the rebels and to implement the blockade of the port of Vlorë and that of Gjirokastër for a certain period. To set up a commission with representatives of the political forces to ensure cooperation among government structures in dealing with the state of emergency, under the direction of the legitimate state authorities. To organize a meeting of the parliamentary political parties, parliament and all other factors in the country to create the consensus government as soon as possible. The composition of the government should be based on the broadest possible consensus of the parliamentary political parties. To set up a commission to draft the platform and program of the consensus government. To expand the efforts of the government and the People's Assembly for closer ties with foreign partners in order to restore order and create guarantees for the continuation of democratic processes. Present at the meeting were the chairman of the Democratic Alliance Party, Neritan Ceka, the chairman of the PSD, Skënder Gjinushi, the chairman of the Party for Human Rights, Vasil Melo, the chairman of the Republican Party, Sabri Godo, the chairman of the Union for Human Rights Party, Abdi Baleta, the secretary-general of the Socialist Party, Rexhep Meidani, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Paskal Milo, the vice-chairman of the National Unity Party, Idajet Beqiri, as well as representatives of the Agrarian Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Right Front.

A frightening and chaotic night in the city You find automatic weapons, bread is hard to come by In Vlorë, 25 dead and since last Friday, before the political agreement, everyone should be silent Within two weeks the police, the army and the citizens of Vlorë, worn down by killings, robberies and destruction, have repeatedly appealed to force, to the President of the Republic, urgently demanding the restoration of order in Vlorë. Nor have the authors of the Albanian and foreign media, who have conveyed the dramatic nature of the Vlora uprising in words and images, found a word to denounce the criminals who made the city of independence responsible. In the relentless and bizarre rush to label the citizens of Vlorë as anarchists and hooligans, politicians and various organizations ignored a bitter fact: that in Vlorë, which rose not against the state, but against the Meksi government, a river of blood was shed. As a result of political misunderstanding and hidden interests, Vlorë, flooded with weapons, with thousands of families terrified by terror, with hundreds of homes destroyed and burned, with hundreds dead and wounded, was silently lynched by Tirana politics and by the whole country. Even yesterday, although the political agreement in Tirana was announced, the city of Vlorë was once again plunged into a frightening and chaotic night. Beyond politics and with the sole desire to restore calm and hear only the crackle of bread and the voices of children, the mothers and women of Vlorë poured into the streets last night to protest. Perhaps also driven by fear of an attack from the north and by terrible insecurity, they crossed the city with banners, demanding the immediate end of any military action, the release of political prisoners and a solution to the situation through dialogue. A group of women went into the port, where they forced the police to stop firing for a few hours. The whole city, disoriented by the grave situation, obeyed the women’s will and remained calm last night until around midnight, when the guns erupted with renewed ferocity that, according to some sources, came after the failure of an attempt to send about 2,000 people by ferry. Police soldiers and armed civilians blocked the port for several hours, preventing the departure. During the night, the city experienced scenes of horror: cars packed with armed, drunk and drugged men sped through the streets of Vlorë, shooting at everything that moved. In addition to the police with military hardware and armed citizens, the city’s military administration also intervened in Vlorë last night to stop any further escalation of the situation. Nevertheless, the night’s toll is tragic. Today at least 25 dead are reported, including 4 police officers, and more than 100 wounded. For this macabre toll, as of these hours, no one has been found responsible. Everyone shoots and no one kills. Beyond the deaths, last night left Vlorë with the most horrifying images. The exact number of shops, houses and institutions burned is still unknown. Last night Vlorë went through the hardest hours of its postwar history. The city is without electricity, without bread, without water and completely undefended. The smell of death is felt everywhere. Crime, theft and kidnappings in the city are preparing the ground for an inevitable civil conflict. Today the weapons do not stop. What the police began with a sudden attack on Wednesday is being continued with the same logic by criminals and irresponsible people, who are pushing Vlorë toward self-destruction. While the government seems to have decided to talk with the rebels and the citizens of Vlorë, the bullets will continue to tear the city apart for some time, because too much blood has been spilled. The last night showed that Vlorë today is the scene of a brutal war, where, in addition to police officers, soldiers and civilians, anyone can become a victim.

Prime Minister Gramoz Pashko held a telephone conversation with the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Klaus Hensch. During this conversation, Prime Minister Pashko assessed that the situation in the country needed the support of the European Parliament. Mr. Klaus Hensch expressed to the Albanian Prime Minister his solidarity and that of all the members of the European Parliament. Pashko informed Mr. Klaus Hensch that the dramatic developments the country was going through had dictated new priorities for the government, the main objective being to preserve stability and public order. Mr. Klaus Hensch praised the maturity of the Albanian political forces and Prime Minister Pashko, stressing that the European Parliament would do everything possible to help Albania in these difficult moments. During this conversation, the need was underlined to preserve and consolidate Albania’s proper relations with foreign organizations and other countries of the continent in order to receive the necessary aid. Albania needs the trust of foreign opinion. In this conversation, Prime Minister Pashko assured the President of the European Parliament that the government is taking all necessary measures to stabilize the political and social situation in the country. PRESSELAFP

WASHINGTON, 6 March (Reuters) - The US does not plan to evacuate its citizens from Albania... WASHINGTON, 6 March (Reuters) - The US does not plan to evacuate its citizens from Albania, despite the tense situation in the country, said the spokesman for the US State Department, Nicholas Burns, referring to the expansion of the armed conflict in the south. “The US or any other country is not thinking about withdrawing its embassy staff from Tirana. We think we should focus more on finding a political solution, which would give the green light for negotiations,” Burns said. “The State Department continues to recommend that Americans not go to southern Albania, where the situation is troubled. According to Albanian media, 29 people were killed on Thursday in the unrest in the city of Vlorë,” he said at a press conference in Washington. According to Burns, the Albanian government is mobilizing the army and police vehicles. “We are in close contact with our embassy in Tirana, but so far we do not think it is necessary to change the staff at the embassy there. We have made our citizens in Albania aware of a warning about travel to southern Albania through leaflets from our embassy, placed at the points where they gather, such as the library, restaurants and travel stations,” the spokesman said. Burns added that there had not been a specific incident on which to base this warning, but he stressed that it was “a general observation of the situation and not an indication of any specific threat against Americans.” Foreign observers claim that the unrest began in the southern city of Vlorë on 28 February after demonstrations against the collapse of pyramid schemes in Albania.

The delegate of the current Presidency of the European Union, led by the Irish minister, Mr. Van Mierlo, will be in Tirana today. Page 2

Order banning speculative price increases Stands Page 2

Those who did not commit direct crimes are pardoned The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, on the proposal of the Defence Council, decreed yesterday an amnesty for all those persons who, by 9 March 1997, will hand over the weapons and ammunition they took from army depots. This decree also includes all those persons who carried out unlawful acts, but not direct crimes as provided for by the Council of Ministers’ decision. The decree was published yesterday in the Official Gazette in three languages: Albanian, Greek and Italian. This type of publication was made in order to make the content of this decree known to the entire population, especially those in the most troubled areas. The decree states that the amnesty measure does not include persons who have committed direct crimes such as: intentional killings, kidnappings and terrorist acts. This decree enters into force immediately after publication in the Official Gazette.

Page 3