Berisha calls on Albanians to cooperate with NATO against Millosheviç “I have welcomed and continue to welcome the initiative of British Prime Minister Toni Bler, who is trying to persuade the member countries to send ground troops to Kosovo, since every day and every hour Millosheviçi is consolidating his destructive aims concerning Kosovo” ON PAGE 3

Çuli stores the aid at the driver’s house ON PAGE 5

The PD deputy chairman’s intensive diplomatic activity in the US Congress and State Department on Kosovo and resolving the crisis in Albania The US Secretary of State assured him that the partition of Albanian lands “was not intended by the US” and that “NATO would win this challenge” The United States guaranteed that dividing Kosovo is not part of the plan for resolving the crisis in Kosovo. US Secretary of State Madlen Ollbrajt assured Genc Pollo, deputy chairman of the Democratic Party and head of the PD parliamentary group, in Washington that the further partition of Albanian lands “was not intended by ...” He expressed to Mrs Ollbrajt the Democratic Party’s view that “ground forces must be sent to Kosovo urgently.” During his stay in the US, Pollo took part in a session of the Foreign Affairs Committee, at the invitation of the committee’s chairman, Benjamin Gilman. The Republican congressman announced ... the US Atlantic Committee and the organizing committee, to take part in the celebrations NATO had prepared for the organization’s 50th anniversary. PD deputy chairman Genc Pollo met US Secretary of State Madlen Ollbrajt after a question-and-answer session on Kosovo held by the head of US diplomacy before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Sources in Washington said that at the meeting Pollo thanked Mrs Ollbrajt for her commitment, and that of President Klinton, in support of a Kosovo where Albanians could live freely and with dignity. Addressing the resolution of the Kosovo issue, the PD deputy chairman expressed the opposition’s view that “dividing Kosovo in two would be a victory for Millosheviç, would legitimize the genocide and mass deportation, and would realize his violent plans.” At the meeting, Pollo also chairman, Benjamin Gilman. At the start of the session, the Republican congressman announced Pollo’s presence as one of the leading figures of the Democratic Party and the opposition in Albania. The staff of the PD parliamentary group chairman said that “in Congress, Mr Pollo also met with the chairman of the Budget Committee, Bill Young, with whom he discussed at length the situation in Kosovo, Albania and the region. At Mr Young’s invitation, Mr Pollo also attended a session of the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations, where Secretary of State Kohen and the Chief of Staff, General Shellton, presented the latest developments in NATO’s operation in Kosovo and its results, and requested additional funding to see it through to the end.” PD deputy chairman Genc Pollo also held separate meetings at the State Department with the head of the Office for Southeastern Europe, Larent Ross, and the official responsible for Albania, Handry Hade, where the issues of Kosovo and Albania were discussed at length. A.K.

After destroying the Socialist Party, NATO strikes Millosheviç’s residence in Belgrade Extraordinary accuracy of the allied missiles. The entire building is flattened. The noose tightens around the butcher of the Balkans NATO: Defending our values By Javier SOLANA ON PAGE 2

Fierce fighting between freedom fighters and Serbs in the villages of Batushë, Koshare and the surrounding area of Junik Among them were Russian and Belarusian mercenaries, killed by the freedom fighters. Commander Çeku was also killed during the fighting Sali Çeku, deputy commander of Brigade 134

Kosovo Prime Minister Bujar Bukoshi held talks yesterday in the middle of the week in Vienna with Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Shusel and EDU president and former Austrian foreign minister Alios Mok. During Bukoshi’s conversation with the two senior Austrian figures, they discussed the grave situation in Kosovo, ways to resolve the crisis, etc. After the meeting, Bukoshi also held a press conference in the Austrian capital, which attracted extraordinary media interest. He also gave several interviews to various Austrian newspapers and television stations, as well as others. Prime Minister Bukoshi has held a series of meetings in recent days with important figures in European politics, and these will continue in the coming days, including in the US.

Kukës has been in chaos for a month. District chairman Shefqet Bruka speaks about the dire situation and the many problems that must be dealt with At present, although it has been a month since the arrival of the Albanians from Kosovo, I still do not know which institution is responsible for feeding these people in need. Sometimes it is left to the local authorities, sometimes to NGOs, sometimes to the prefecture, and sometimes to the government. The same applies to transporting and evacuating people: sometimes UNHCR steps in, sometimes the government, sometimes the local authorities. The same goes for shelter. The municipality is asked to accommodate the arrivals, but it cannot shelter 130,000 people. The same applies to other matters concerning medicine, hygiene, city cleaning and other issues . ON PAGE 2

Black-market trade in identity cards. Under-the-table payments to get one Brutal police terror in Korçë. The PD headquarters, the court and the prosecutor’s office are assaulted ON PAGE 3

Black-market trade in identity cards. Under-the-table payments to get one ON PAGE 5

The Municipality of Tirana informs all intellectuals from Kosovo who have been accommodated in camps or private homes that a meeting will soon be organized to facilitate their integration into the cultural, artistic and scientific life of the capital. To register and obtain more detailed information, you can call 277 14.

If you wish to contribute money for the exhausted children of Kosovo, you can send your donation to account number 34220/00/0376 at “Dardania Bank” in the name of the association: “The Children of Kosovo, Our Children”.

To assist those expelled from Kosovo, the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike” is making its pages available free of charge for various notices, such as requests and offers for accommodation, messages from arrivals from Kosovo to other members of their families, and so on. You are welcome to visit the editorial office or contact us by calling the numbers provided: 303 29 and 323 55. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE