Today the national environment week begins. This activity is being held on the occasion of 5 June, International Environment Protection Day. Mediterranean countries have decided to proclaim 5–11 June «Mediterranean Environment Week». The problems of environmental protection are increasingly taking their place in the work of Party and state-power bodies, both centrally and in the districts. This is reflected in a range of hygiene-related, organizational and scientific measures. Especially after 1988, when this problem was specifically analyzed by the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and subsequently by the Council of Ministers, a series of measures was taken, particularly organizational ones, and concrete tasks for implementation were assigned to the ministry and to the executive committees of the district people’s councils. In many institutes and industrial departments, units were established to study and resolve environmental problems. Within the Academy of Sciences, a section for the protection of the natural environment was set up. The Central Commission for Environmental Protection was organized under the Council of Ministers. For facilities with a high potential for pollution, measures and funding were allocated to eliminate or reduce pollution levels. At some polluting facilities, the measures taken led to noticeable improvements. Worth mentioning are: the installation of a purification plant at the soda-PVC factory, which reduced dust levels by up to six times; the reconstruction of the technological process at the Laç chemical-metallurgical combine, which reduced sulfur-gas emissions into the atmosphere threefold; and the increased production of construction-material products, etc. Applying ecological standards and criteria from the design stage of industrial and urban works is one of the most important aspects of efforts to protect the environment from pollution. In practice, mistakes and omissions have sometimes been made on this matter, with the danger of pollution underestimated: here and there, polluting facilities have been allowed to be built without adequate study in accordance with the legal provisions stipulated by the decree of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly on protecting the environment from pollution; cities and urban centers have been allowed to expand near industrial zones without considering the future and the consequences, etc. This is what happened at the factory in Berat, where the concentration of pollutants exceeded the permitted standards by 2–3 times from the outset, after the facility was put into operation. For this reason, the government decided to suspend production until ... ...district people’s councils and the polluting enterprises themselves, which have not examined the matter deeply or properly enough to seek and find appropriate organizational, technical and scientific solutions. The difficulties in resolving these problems are often explained and exaggerated by citing a lack of funds, but there are also many cases in which funds allocated by the state for environmental protection are not spent or are used for other purposes. This happens because awareness of these problems is lacking; as a result, the danger and the consequences that could arise in the future for human health and for the damage to the country’s natural resources are not properly assessed. decided to suspend production until ... Given the scale of industrial, urban and agricultural development in our country, the ongoing monitoring and control of environmental-protection problems cannot be carried out to the required degree by the existing bodies, which were established mainly on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, accession to the Barcelona Convention, participation in the Adriatic Initiative, and our other international obligations make it necessary to establish a separate state body for environmental protection in our country. Meanwhile, specific responsibilities also fall to institutes with specialized environmental-protection departments, such as the Hydrometeorological Institute, the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Biological Research Center, etc. To monitor and control environmental-protection problems, each ministry must, within its own remit, make arrangements as soon as possible to obtain the necessary equipment and instruments for continuously monitoring pollution levels, and to train the relevant specialists who will deal with these problems. …tants, as a result of the measures taken, there were visible at the soda-PVC factory, which reduced the amount of dust process at the Laç chemical-metallurgical combine, which cut sulfur dioxide emissions into the atmosphere threefold and increased sulfuric acid production twofold. Likewise, a gas collector was installed at the ferrochrome plant in Burrel, preventing carbon monoxide from polluting the atmosphere. With the completion of the reconstruction of the electrolysis department at the soda and PVC factory in Vlora, sea pollution by mercury compounds was reduced to a minimum. The construction of settling dams at all mineral-enrichment plants created the conditions needed to prevent rivers from being polluted by tailings, and so on. Despite the measures taken, environmental protection has encountered problems and concerns. These include the metallurgical combine in Elbasan, copper-smelting plants, thermal power plants, paper mills, cement factories, and others, whose discharges have become a major source of pollution of the atmosphere, surface waters, and the surrounding land. It must be said that implementation of the measures stipulated in government decisions on environmental protection has not kept pace with the demands of the times. There has been a lack of due attention on the part of ministries, scientific institutions, and the executive committees of the dis- Environmental pollution problems are numerous and varied. Some of them are connected with the level of technology, and solving them requires specific investment; in most cases, however, environmental pollution appears to result from violations of technical and technological discipline. It is important that propaganda for environmental protection be better organized and given its proper place. The education of the public, especially the younger generation, should begin at school. To this end, curricula need to be reviewed, starting with those of eight-year schools and continuing through higher education. In addition, it is advisable to increase the number of green spaces in cities and urban centres. Specialists’ figures show that we have the capacity to plant up to twice as many saplings for forest renewal as are planted today. This cannot be achieved without the participation of… …of cities and urban centres, without being near industrial areas, par-

A new galvanizing department has recently been established at the Cërrik SMT, making it possible to recondition equipment for tractors, motor vehicles, etc. IN THE PHOTO: Engineer Vilma Çekani and outstanding worker Afërdita Mesiti discussing the quality of the reconditioning of bearings. (Photo: L. Likaj - ATSH) A new galvanizing department has recently been established at the Cërrik SMT, making it possible to recondition equipment for tractors, motor vehicles, etc. IN THE PHOTO: Engineer Vilma Çekani and outstanding worker Afërdita Mesiti discussing the quality of the reconditioning of bearings. (Photo: L. Likaj - ATSH)

OBSERVATION In the district of Dibër, the damage caused by demand for firewood and mine props is enormous! The ratio between felling and natural growth is deeply worrying, three times lower than the national average. Nevertheless, every year thousands of cubic meters of timber are cut to meet the villagers’ firewood needs, while dozens of hectares of young forest continue to be felled for the district’s many mines—we emphasize, young forest, cut before it can provide its greatest yield. And yet, as if all this were not enough, every year several tens of thousands of cubic meters of timber and firewood are planned and cut for the account of other districts. A simple calculation shows that within a short period of less than 15 years, if no other energy sources are found, even the district of Dibër, known for its rich forests, will have to be supplied with firewood from elsewhere. Under these conditions, with signs that the situation is worsening, what is urgently needed is not more study—there is plenty of that—but concrete steps to replace wood with other, less costly fuels, as well as to find other energy sources. It is by no means too early to begin using the hydroelectric resources of mountain streams for heating or cooking. Likewise, the service life of mine props could be extended from 2 to 12 years through impregnation, and especially by replacing them with reinforced-concrete props—studies on these proposals have remained in the files. We believe the time has come to reassess the tariffs and prices of timber, because the current tariffs do not reflect the true value of forests. We rarely remember the value they provide through the products we obtain from them, including textiles, and through their role in protecting and stabilizing the soil and climate and preserving bioecological biodiversity, although these benefits are theoretically well known. Last year, the district of Dibër launched an initiative to establish village forests. Radomira in Korab and a few other villages, which have adopted strict village rules, now not only have experience but also have undamaged forests, while meeting the villagers’ needs at the same time. Work has also got off to a good start in several villages in Kalia e Dodës, Sllovë, Sllatinë, Bellovë, etc., while in some other villages the initiative has remained on paper. The situation cannot wait for a mindset that sees the forest as nobody’s property to take root. There are good examples in many villages, as well as at the forestry enterprise. For several years now, this enterprise has been implementing a study on establishing poplar and willow groves along the banks of the Drini i Zi and some streams, with the aim of creating an area of 400–500 ha within 5–10 years and, within 20 years, meeting all the villagers’ needs for timber and construction wood from this source alone. These plantations will not only help balance the timber supply, but will also greatly ease the work of the water-management and land-reclamation enterprises, which for years have committed considerable equipment and investment to protecting land along riverbanks. MUNIR HOXHA engineer FRANO CAKA

— Impressions from Sunday in Durrës — For years, the people of Durrës have designated a special day as the Sea Festival. There are quite a few enthusiasts of the sea who call it that even earlier, for example in May, or even in April; «Ja ...» ...because just a few hours later around 30,000 people of different ages set off towards the beach. Cheerful faces, good humor, music from tape recorders and radios ... Frashëri». Meanwhile, the students of the sports vocational secondary school gracefully presented a gymnastics display. Further on, in the «Apollonia» section, one could watch tennis matches, folk games and gymnastic exercises. Along the route from the «Teuta» section to «Hekurudha», a canoe race was held again. There were a few waves because it was windy. But that, too, made the race ... beautiful and exciting. And here was another surprise this year: sailing-boat races were held in the «Hekurudha» section. Just look how the wind swept the boats along. A good start. Even better tomorrow. And there was also an athletics ... with thousands watching. The winners received symbolic gifts. Everywhere, across the expanse of water, people were enjoying the sea. The hours passed. But how had they gone by so quickly? It was a question that seemed to be written on everyone’s face. The festival ended with a ceremony marking the close of the outdoor activities organized by the Central Committee of the BRPSH. Also present were the first secretary of the district Party committee, Comrade Muho Asllani, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the BRPSH, Lisen Bashkurti, etc. The festival closed, so to speak, in a «formal» sense, but it will remain open for months, until late autumn comes and people leave the sea, only to return next year even happier and more optimistic. SOTIRAQ GJORDENI The people of Durrës have, over the years, designated a special day as Sea Day. Although many sea enthusiasts say to the sea, even earlier—for example, in May, or even in April—“Here we come,” this holiday is known as the start of the summer season, during which hundreds of thousands of people enjoy the water, sand, and sunshine. This year’s celebration had something new, and it is a good thing for celebrations to be enriched. The day before, on Saturday, the district’s artistic groups gave a concert on the floating quay “Adem Reka.” There, on the seafront at the “Enver Hoxha” maritime port, a very festive atmosphere was created. Hundreds of people watched the concert from the piers and from the ships. Foreign sailors joined in their enjoyment, watching from their ships moored nearby; some spontaneously broke into a dance. A little farther on, at the shipyard, several canoes made by the shipyard workers themselves were launched into the sea. They held a lovely race—the first canoe race of this kind by enthusiasts of this very enjoyable sport. Early on Sunday morning, June 3, music blared through the city from a loudspeaker-equipped vehicle, interrupted by announcements about Sea Day. Even so, the announcement was hardly needed, because a few hours later some 30,000 people of different ages set off for the beach. Cheerful faces, good humour, music from the tape recorders and portable radios they had brought along, guitar sounds, jokes, optimism. Thirty thousand people are not too many for Durrës beach, where, as is well known, up to 120,000 people spend their holidays, especially on Sundays, and there is always room for more sea enthusiasts. But these 30,000 people of Durrës were opening the season, saying to the sea: “We’ve come—welcome the others too!” It was these people who made the day beautiful. A concert by the “Durrësi” ensemble was held on the stage at the “Adriatiku” hotel. After that, there were activities in every section of the beach—water games, races, and sporting competitions. Two events attracted particular interest and curiosity: the hook-and-line fishing contest and the shooting with [unclear] by members of the hunters’ group association. Pupils from “Naim Frashëri” high school performed exercises with colourful ribbons on the nearby sand. In the “Hekurudha” section, enthusiasts from the “Rinia” Palace gave a concert. And then kites rose into the sky. They were flown by the kite-flyers from Enver’s pioneer house. Dozens of other people watched the basketball games between the young people of “Lokomotiva,” “Erzeni” of Shijak, and the “Gjergj Kastrioti” and “Naim F… schools.

The Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Ramiz Alia, sent the following congratulatory telegram to the President of the Republic of the Seychelles, Frans Albert René: «On the occasion of your national holiday, the anniversary of the Liberation of the Seychelles, on behalf of the Albanian people, the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and myself, I send you the warm greetings of the people of the Seychelles, and my best wishes for their happiness and for the progress of the country». (ATSE)

— The 50th anniversary of the first partisan detachment of Peza was celebrated — On Sunday morning, in Peza, in the district of Tirana, where the foundations of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Front were laid and our popular ... was established, the 50th anniversary of the formation of the first partisan detachment was celebrated. Flowers were laid beside the statue of the People’s Commander, our first partisan Hero, of the Peza Detachment, in the center of the agricultural cooperative that bears his name. On this occasion, a rally was held there, attended by cooperative members from the Peza area, Ndroq, Bërzhitë and Vaqarr, former partisans of the detachment, and members and relatives of the families of the martyrs and of Babë Mylym. (Continued on page 3)

In September this year, the 11th Congress of Historians will be held in Turkey. Among those invited is an employee of the museums of Berat, who will present a paper on “The distinctive features of Islamic places of worship in Berat.” The issue is delicate and has not been explored; scholarship has yet to provide a complete answer about what is happening with Berat’s old art. Why is it that the mosques here, unlike those in other areas, have a particular concentration of [unclear], with the anonymous painter placing young Christians together with Arab girls within the same scene, mixing religions? In September, the museum specialist will set out in search of new evidence, to show that the distinctive works in our country have emerged from the spirit of the people of Berat, serving their culture more than their religion. Can these layers be seen, over which the life of the city has flowed? Their roots are even older than the paintings suggest, and perhaps they will appear in brighter, more captivating colours when the city’s 2,400th anniversary is celebrated this year. Because of its abundant vegetation and the pleasant waters of the irrigation channels, which seem like a belt scented with flowers, the Vokopolë cooperative of Tërpan looks as beautiful as flowers blooming at the foot of the mountain. The old man Qani Balla walks alone and points with his hand to the old bridge, as if to say that this has always been his road. Then he gazes with gentle eyes at the fields, taking pleasure in their greenery. There was a time when, in Vokopolë, with its 70 families, only a few dozen produced enough bread for the year. The old man remembers that time well, when everyone carried their flour with a handful of corn, while people went into exile; he also remembers the years that followed, 1957, when the land was brought together and Vokopolë became a cooperative, producing eight quintals of wheat per hectare for the first time. He was a young communist then and, together with his comrades, had to tramp with hoes along the roads, rebuilding by day what the oxen knocked down at night. They did party propaganda work, and the villagers gave them their pledge of support. The cooperative was established quickly, continually expanding its boundaries until it took on the clear form of development it has today. Now Uncle Qaniu sits and watches, not with excessive nostalgia for the past or for what he has done, but asking himself what he will do now that he has retired: will he always remain a fellow traveller, or will he sit alone in a corner, recalling the cooperative’s present-day work and its new chairman?… Two months ago, a letter of complaint about Chairman Tomor arrived at the district Party committee. Beqollari. A villager had written that the chairman had not given his daughter a job as a saleswoman in the cooperative’s shops. But the chairman could not play favourites, doing something that was against the rules. He is 37 years old, one of those chairmen people say “drank the cup to the dregs.” Two years ago, when he took up the post, the cooperative was among the first in the district to be split up. The moment was delicate and difficult. There was no material base, there was a risk that pay per workday would fall even further, and the villagers began to talk. But the chairman kept his attention on his work, trying to reconcile agronomic science with the farmer’s experience and the characteristics of the land. In the shortest possible time he carried out several urgent tasks. He proposed that the cooperative be divided, not to form a new one, but to organize things separately in the villages, while maintaining direct links with the brigade. He put the apparatus to work, assigning each cadre a brigade. He took care not to create [unclear] and to supply the land with the necessary nutrients. This is what can be said… (Continued on page 3) JERINA ZALOSHINJA

Year 1, 48th year of publication Tuesday, 5 June 1990 No. 133 (13 077) Price: 30 qindarka