The Bulgarian ship’s mission with “Marlboro” was successful ON PAGE 5

Another 175 Albanians return ON PAGE 5

The Vlora dossier. The anxiety of a terrorized city ON PAGE 5

The plan for transporting the money the administrators will find is ready Nano’s government commission goes on the attack to destroy the borrowing companies. It starts with VEFA

. The CoE dissatisfied with a socialist Albania. The Secretary General of the CoE, Daniel Tarchys, has stated that his organization, which includes almost all the countries of Europe, may review Albania’s membership in this large grouping. The reason is that Albania has recently strayed considerably from the principles of the Council of Europe, which it signed two years ago when it was admitted as a full member of this organization. Tarchys has warned that Albania will be kept under strict observation, in order to prompt it to react more strongly to this backsliding. According to him, there have recently been many such cases, but, in the event of an analysis at an appropriate time, its membership in the CoE may be reviewed. It took only a few months of government by the Albanian communists for all the European integration ... secured by the Democrats to be at risk of collapsing immediately. The CoE resolution presented three days ago is among the harshest ever drafted for any member country. In this case Albania surpasses even Croatia, the country most criticized in connection with human rights or other conditions arising from membership in this major European body. The resolution pointed to serious violations in the independence of the country’s judicial system, something now institutionalized through the amendment to the law on the High Council of Justice. It also cited the demand for broad, multi-level investigations into the crime that occurred in Parliament, where a DP deputy was wounded by a PS deputy; the creation of the necessary space for the press and freedom of speech; the dismantling of pillars [unclear]; and the abandonment of censorship of the opposition, while limits were being placed on the statements of left-wing leaders that they would make the constitution themselves as well. Albania is farther from Europe these days than ever before. It is seriously at risk of political and economic isolation, which could also severely damage the country’s European benchmarks, in view of the criteria established in Albania over its history, and mainly during the last five years. Naturally, for a country debilitated by the communist rebellion, it will be very difficult to cope with the prime minister’s credo of erasing five years from the nation’s memory. It is threatened by the ambition of a communist ruler, established over a state, and also by the ideology of the Albanian Socialists, who are currently carrying out an unprecedented revanchist offensive against all the country’s democratic sectors. Europe cannot conceive of communist bullets in Parliament, nor bullets fired at journalists; it cannot conceive of all its efforts coming to an end, or of efforts in the south of the country being brought to an end by deputies who are positioned by a Kalashnikov to create all kinds of criminal organizations. For Europe, Albania is a concern that may be voiced by its own, I think (?). The blame for this is entirely apparent. Albanian leaders in political life want to join a democratic gathering representing the country. They cannot emerge from the forms that have brought them to power: terror, communist rebellion, killings, rapes, arson, looting

Albanians in America appeal “Vatra,” an association of Albanians in the United States, called on the Socialist Party to “leave the path down which Nano and his associates are leading it.” “The Socialist Party must leave this They are making changes throughout the state structure. There are many people, both in the Socialist Party and among the public, who are dissatisfied with this situation, especially because of the close ties with Greece; I don’t know where they are headed,” said the chairman of “Vatra,” Agim Karagjozi. This statement was made while Prime Minister Nano was in the United States. Albanians in America did not react very negatively to Fatos Nano’s accession to the head of the Albanian government. USA: The road to democracy has been open for a long time The United States said on Thursday that Albania’s road to democracy ...

The ninth day of protests in “Skënderbej” Square ON PAGE 3

The Democratic youth and Eurosocialists issue a joint statement Being concerned about the situation in Kosovo, caused by Serbian police repression and the denial of all the rights of Albanians. Bearing in mind the unacceptable situation in primary and secondary schools and at the University, resulting from the violent expulsion of pupils, students and professors from their school and university premises. Bearing in mind that the agreement signed a year ago between the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Rugova, and the President of Serbia, Millosheviç, has not been implemented in any of its provisions. The Eurosocialist Youth Forum of Albania and the Youth Forum of the Albanian Democratic Party strongly support the initiative of the students of the University of Prishtina for unity and [?], to organize peaceful demonstrations starting on 1 October 1997, with the aim of restoring the school and university premises to Albanian pupils, students and professors. We call on the Serbian state authorities to accept the declaration by the foreign ministers of the Contact Group for the former Yugoslavia, published on 24.09.1997 in New York, which calls for the immediate implementation of last year’s education agreement, as well as the start of serious dialogue to resolve the Kosovo issue. FRESSH and FRPDSH consider that the return of Albanian teachers, pupils, students and educators to their school and university premises is their right, [?] and reasonable. In particular, in this Kosovo, pupils, students, professors, as well as every Albanian person in Kosovo, have our full support in pursuing the demand to return to their school and university premises. The Albanian youth organized in FRESSH and FRPDSH will continuously and resolutely pursue the path of negotiations for the return to school premises in Kosovo and, in every case, will raise their voices and organize the actions they consider appropriate to secure the return and meet the just demands of our brothers in Kosovo.

The unconstitutional law on the High Council of Justice cannot be defended ON PAGE 3

is Thursday that Albania’s road to democracy has been open for years. “Albania’s road to democracy has been open for years, but the difficulty lies in achieving domestic political consensus,” said the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State.

Havier Solana writes to Berisha The leader of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, received a message today from the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mr. Havier Solana. After thanking him for the letter addressed to him on 9 September ’97, Solana, among other things, emphasized NATO’s commitment, through its Partnership programme with Albania, to help restructure the armed forces under civilian control in a democratic society. Secretary General Solana considers that progress in restructuring state institutions in a free and democratic society is an obligation of all those who want to see Albania play its role in the Euro-Atlantic region. NATO, he emphasizes, wants to help Albania fulfil this task.

Spranger’s letter to Berisha These days, received a letter from the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karl Dieter Spranger. In it, Mr. Spranger expresses his satisfaction with and appreciation for the successful cooperation he has had with Mr. Berisha, and also acknowledges the latter’s contribution to the country’s development and to overcoming the heavy burden of the communist system. The Federal Minister expresses his conviction that Mr. Berisha will contribute to the well-being of Albanians.

October 1, 20,000 creditors begin peaceful protests in front of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office: “Don’t play with our sweat and blood” Association for the return of money lost in pyramid schemes: “We do not accept politicians in our ranks” October 1, 20,000 creditors begin peaceful protests in front of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office: “Don’t play with our sweat and blood” Protesting even under “Sude” Association for the return of money lost in pyramid schemes: “We do not accept politicians in our ranks”

Azem Hajdari in a wheelchair, going down the steps of the Military Hospital. At a press conference, he declared that on Monday he would go to Parliament