Today, on 7 February 1998 at 12:00, the political formation “Union for Democracy” is organizing a rally in “Skanderbeg” Square in support of the hunger strikers among the politically persecuted. Their lives are in danger. Let no Albanian stay at home. Tomorrow will be too late. “UNION FOR DEMOCRACY”

The US and EU spotlights are trained on Kosovo

The Albanian government yesterday accepted with evident satisfaction the forced return of Albanian refugees from Germany. German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel must surely have been surprised not to encounter any resistance from Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano and Minister Paskal Milo on the extremely sensitive issue of Albanian refugees in his country. At the joint press conference that concluded the German head of diplomacy’s two-day visit to Albania, it was stated clearly that Albanians who have been living in Germany for some time will soon be returned to their country, in accordance with the agreement reached with the authorities in Tirana. But while Mr Kinkel tried not to portray this situation—which affects more Albanians living in Germany and their families here in Albania—as dramatic, Paskal Milo felt not the slightest responsibility for this new problem his government is creating for its own citizens. While the German foreign minister stressed that the return of Albanian refugees would not be immediate, Milo called all the Albanians who would sign [the remainder of the text is cut off at the edge of the image] to submit to forced return from Germany. While Mr Kinkel stressed that, for Germany, Albanians from Kosovo were a greater problem because of their large numbers than those from Albania, Minister Milo said cynically, with a smile like Judas, that criminals would be sent back. The issue of returning Albanian refugees from Germany has long been on the agenda of Albanian-German talks, but when the Democratic Party was in power, senior Albanian state officials firmly asked Bonn to include their problem in the aid package Germany had for Albania. It is important to stress that their return home at that time would have been far less painful than now, because they would have found Albania developing normally, whereas now they will return to the Albania of Fatos Nano’s gangs. The forced return of thousands of Albanians under Nano’s signature is not only a deep wound for those being returned, who are already integrated into German society and have seen on television the horrors of Albania during the rebellion and post-rebellion under Fatos Nano, Sahit Brokaj, Arben Malaj, Neritan Ceka and Skënder Gjinushi. It is a severe blow to tens of thousands of others who have lived on the support of relatives working in Germany. A few months ago this government was in [unclear] over the refugees from last March in Italy. After the agreement was signed, Rome began the operation to return them; painfully for Albanians, it only stopped after appeals from the opposition, the Holy See, Pope John Paul II and the international community. The ease with which the left-wing coalition government signed an agreement to the detriment of Albanian citizens is unimaginable. The heavy burden of the new government falls on Fatos Nano, but it is borne not only by Albanians living in Albania, but also by those working in other EU countries. At a time when most Albanians are ready to leave their homeland in order to find salvation on foreign soil, the government of self-proclaimed [unclear] has set out, it seems, to exterminate every Christian family in power. Astrit PATOZI

Kinkel to Berisha: We’ll meet as old friends

Berisha - Karamitro - Bode for a wage policy that fights poverty With a PD government, the minimum wage in the public administration would be over 10,000 new lekë, while the average wage would be 18,000–20,000 new lekë. The minimum subsistence income would be 6,000 new lekë per month. Minimum pensions would be 6,000 new lekë per month. Pensions would increase by 30 percent, including higher pensions. The same would apply to pensioners in rural areas. Justice, Public Order and Customs: an increase of 40–60 percent. Education, health and culture: an additional 40 percent on top of the current wage.

Photo: Armando BABANI Berisha talks with Germany’s Foreign Minister, Kinkel: We meet as old friends Photo: Armando BABANI. Berisha talks with Germany’s Foreign Minister, Kinkel: We meet as old friends

Kinkel assured Mr. Berisha that local initiatives cannot prevent Germany and the EU from becoming directly involved in resolving the Kosovo problem Berisha talks with Germany’s Foreign Minister, Kinkel: We meet as old friends ON PAGE 3

Criminal-police officer shoots student FIER — A high-school student was seriously injured yesterday in the city of Fier and was immediately rushed to a hospital in Tirana because of his critical condition. Sources in Fier report that Edin Hyshi suffered serious injuries, while there is no new information about his health. According to the same sources, the victim was shot by an employee of the city’s criminal police, who fled to an unknown destination after the incident. Police officer Emilian Fetahu, who fired several shots with a pistol, had been assigned to guard the high school where Edioni studied; the motive that prompted him to commit the crime is unknown.

New facts implicating government officials in illegal trafficking The Qafë Thanë–Librazhd–Elbasan route is controlled by them Germany calls for respect for the opposition Francke: Parliament should be led by normal people ON PAGE 3

Breaking news Following the historic programmatic meeting between Prime Minister Nano and television executives, at which the ministers in his cabinet were informed about the state of the country, the parties in the governing coalition reacted immediately. Neritan Ceka, as chairman of the AD party, said that before this meeting he had reviewed the work of the interior and public-order ministers, and that thanks to [unclear] there had been failure and new ideas for replacements or resignations. Skënder Gjinushi, for his part, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, said that his small party had done very good work in monitoring public opinion and public attitudes, and that they had reached an agreement to support the new government. [Unclear] Berisha was added, the PSD chairman concluded his statement, also mentioning the professional and competent leaders of the Albanian parliament, headed by its chairman? Vasil Melo confirms that one of the most successful ministers in the coalition government is the Minister of Health, who is being led with a certain degree of responsibility by the minister. In a statement, the chairman of the Agrarian Party also praised the good work done by the Minister of Agriculture and expressed that he is entirely [unclear] for one year, this statement being based on [unclear].

Gunshots near the American Embassy A businessman was shot with a firearm last night near the American Embassy in Tirana, and his condition is extremely serious. Ervin Gjec[i] was shot in the dark at around 20:00 by masked men while he was escorting his fiancée home. Sources at the scene say the crime may have been committed with robbery as the motive, but other possibilities have not been ruled out. The victim was immediately taken to hospital, while the assailants, as usual, fled to an unknown destination. Night-time crimes in Tirana are becoming increasingly frequent, while the police have almost completely lost control of the capital.

Formerly persecuted people threatened with death Protest outside the OSCE Mission in Tirana ON PAGE 2

The National Association of Former Anti-Communist Political Persecutees appeals to Meidani, Nano and Gjinushi In a letter addressed by the Executive Board of the National Association of Former Anti-Communist Political Persecutees to Meidani, Nano and Gjinushi, it asks them to intervene urgently to save the lives of the strikers, which are in danger. “Your statement,” the letter says, “will show whether even a little civic conscience remains in you. Repealing the amendment to the law on the verification of public figures’ backgrounds and restoring it to its previous state would show Albanian and international public opinion your efforts to break away from the former criminals of the Sigurimi and other organs of the dictatorship, which have now returned to state structures,” concludes the letter from the Executive Board of the National Association of Former Anti-Communist Political Persecutees.

Security major Çupi continues his immorality The PD press spokesperson dismisses as an immoral fabrication ATSH’s report following the meeting, according to which the German foreign minister told the former Albanian President: “You are making many mistakes by taking such positions toward parliament and the constitution.” This fabrication, worthy of the government’s lackeys and time-servers who are trying to cling to power through deception, has nothing to do with the truth. At the meeting with the former President, the German Foreign Minister told him that they were meeting as friends, praised the PD’s commitment to implementing the Troika’s recommendations, and also praised the PD chairman’s stance in refusing to accept a role as a mere façade. There was complete agreement in the conversation, but ATSH, initially, is [unclear in source]—the testimony to these old methods used by this institution to misinform public opinion, directed by former State Security major Çupi.

Germany calls on the Albanian government and parliament to implement the recommendations of the European Troika