The district of Dibër, with its chromium, food-processing, marble and other industries, which are important to the country’s economy, with developed fruit growing and a population of nearly 90 percent living in the countryside, has a road network that needs improvement. Why do we say this? With 60 kilometers of paved roads alongside the 450 km administered by the road maintenance enterprise, without counting the other roads serving villages and other inhabited centers (all of them single-lane), one cannot speak of high economic efficiency in transport, of speed and circulation that efficiently serve the movement of material goods and people. The Peshkopi-Muhur road, only 11 km long, which has carried millions of tons of sand and gravel over these 45 years, helping build not only Peshkopi and its surrounding areas but also part of Bulqizë, has remained narrow and single-lane. Last year the road maintenance enterprise began asphalt paving on its own initiative. Although only the first layer of asphalt has been laid on half of it, the construction enterprise has doubled the quantity of aggregates thanks to doubling the volume of work done with the same equipment. Workers at the marble mine now get to work nearly half an hour sooner over the same distance. What has been lost on this road (and what is being lost because of the “patchwork” approach to its construction) would have been enough to repair it—not merely to make it a single-lane asphalt road, but, so to speak, to pave it “in marble.” From Kuben to Kastriot there are no more than 3–4 km of road. This stretch, like the section from Kastriot to Kala e Dodës, began to be covered with single-lane gravel 8–9 years ago. Had it been planned in conjunction with the other two hydroelectric power stations at Radomirë, more than 3 million additional kilowatts would have been generated. The road-and-bridge specialists, the construction enterprise, and their ministry could calculate how many kilometers of road the economic losses resulting from this situation amount to. At the “Eles Isufi” Agricultural Enterprise in Shumbat, production of plums, apples, and other fruits is going very well. The managers are working hard to secure crates and other packaging so that they can prepare properly for this year’s obligation to export 5,000 quintals of fruit. They have promised to supply 500 quintals more as well. They have done all this, but there is one other thing they do not have: the road from Kuben to Kastriot. It is 3–4 km long and impassable. For several hundred meters it has been covered with gravel, while for several hundred more it is full of large potholes. Work on the Brestik bridge began 3–4 years ago, and no one knows when it will be finished. Large export vehicles cannot get through. Other trucks cannot either. Thus this short road consumes—and continues to consume—hundreds of thousands and millions of lekë every year. Just the loss of one grade in the quality of the Agricultural Enterprise’s fruit (from the shaking and jolting along this road) costs around one million lekë every year; that alone would be enough to rebuild this stretch of road from scratch each year. We are talking about a gravel road using material from the Drin, which is no more than 4–5 km away, not an asphalt road. Chromium has been and remains one of the country’s greatest riches. Alongside the well-known deposits at Bulqizë, deposits such as Tërnovë, Livadhi i Dashit, Kala e Lamës, and Kodra e … have recently been discovered and put into operation. The road was taken over by the Ministry of Transport and the Peshkopi road maintenance enterprise. The users of this road—the vehicle depots of Dibër, Mat, Krujë, and others—were kept at a distance. The result is this: buses transporting 600–700 workers to each enterprise do not climb this road at all, even when there is no snow or ice. The drivers who do manage to go up and down, as the saying goes, do so “with their heads in a sack.” For lack of data, we have not calculated the millions of tons of chromium that have spilled onto the unpaved, single-lane roads in Zone D, nor the tires, fuel, lost time, physical exhaustion, and stress experienced by drivers. (These last costs alone, if added up “drop by drop,” would be enough to asphalt this road year after year.) Let us consider one “small” calculation: at the southern mine, solely because half an hour is lost during every shift in the winter months, when workers have to climb on foot from Zone One to Zone D, production under the planned output rate is reduced by so much chromium that, if exported, it would bring in nearly 500,000 dollars. The numerous links through which planning, construction, financing, implementation, handover, operation, and so on currently pass, along with responsibility being spread across three ministries and several enterprises, have bureaucratized road construction in Bulqizë. Some links can be eliminated, just as responsibility must be increased for the money pointlessly poured into roads, both during construction and operation. It is paradoxical to think that, at a time when roads in villages and village neighborhoods are being asphalted in the district of Fier (according to press reports), roads serving chromium, fruit growing, potatoes, and so on in Dibër are impassable for part of the year. [The article text then breaks off and continues with unrelated conference coverage.] It would be enough for them to show it, to make it not a single-lane road with asphalt, but, so to speak, a two-lane road with 3–4 km of road. This section, to be laid with gravel as a single lane 8–9 years ago. Conceived as a case of starting a little here today and stopping work tomorrow by the Elbasan Road and Bridge Construction Enterprise, it is now passable only in places, and with difficulty. Important projects for the development of the remote mountainous area of Kalisë së Dodës are being postponed year after year solely because road construction is dragging on. The construction enterprise works here only symbolically, for 2–3 months a year, on the construction of the hospital, the cultural centre, the collection depots, and the Radomira hydroelectric plants. Funds are being wasted simply because vehicles cannot pass along the road. If the Radomira hydroelectric plant above the Peshkopi water-supply system had been built last year, this year it would produce 4.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. If, then, they were built this year more than 4–5 km away, and not just built but also put into when roads in villages and village neighbourhoods, roads to springs, orchards, potato fields, etc., press reports), in Dibër some roads are impassable for part of the year. The privilege Fier enjoys with its bitumen-surfaced road network, or the privilege enjoyed by one district or another, should not serve as an excuse to turn inward and pull back. Chromium, agriculture, construction, and so on have paid dearly enough for the weaknesses of Dibër’s road system. There is a wise saying: “If you don’t spend five today, you won’t get six tomorrow.” The new economic mechanism calls for fresh thinking in organization and management, in saving and spending. A road and bridge construction enterprise based in Elbasan, with a branch in Kala e Dodës, 300 km away, cannot be effective.

Yesterday morning, in one of the halls of the Palace of Congresses in Tirana, the 14th Conference of the National Commissions of the Balkan Countries for UNESCO began its work. The conference is attended by the delegation of the Commission of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, headed by its vice-president, Prof. Lubomir Dramaliëv; the delegation of the Commission of the Greek Republic, headed by Nikolas Papageorgiu, the Commission’s president; the delegation of the Romanian Commission, headed by its president, Mihai Golu; and the delegation of the Commission of the Republic of Turkey, headed by Gaye Oymak, the Commission’s secretary-general. Also present are the delegation of the Commission of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, headed by Dr. Punisha Pavlloviç, its president, and the delegation of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, headed by Prof. Sofokli Lazri, chairman of the Albanian National Commission for UNESCO. Also taking part are Federico Major, representative of the UNESCO Director-General; Ahidi Ngoma, director of the Higher Education Center for Europe; Karin Berg; and others. Present as well are Prof. Alfred Uçi, chairman of the Committee for Culture and Arts of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania; Muhamet Kapllani, deputy minister of Foreign Affairs; and others. The conference is conducting its work according to the following agenda: the delegations present reports on the main activities of the national commissions during the period 1988–1990, between the two conferences. Cooperation among the Balkan national commissions within the framework of the programme and budget for 1990–1991 and of the programmes to strengthen Balkan cooperation in UNESCO’s fields of competence. Activities carried out, opportunities for cooperation, and implementation of joint studies within the framework of the World Decade for Cultural Development by the Balkan national commissions and other national institutions. Reports on the activities of the Balkan national commissions within the framework of International Literacy Year. Reports concerning implementation of the decisions taken and recommendations adopted during the multilateral consultation of experts on the study and review of school textbooks in the Balkan countries, held in Patras, Greece, in November 1988. Assessment of the recommendations for organizing a “Cultural Balkan Games.” Assessment and implementation of new activities envisaged in the Third Medium-Term Plan. Adoption of the final report. The delegations present elect Prof. Sofokli Lazri chairman of Countries for UNESCO. Taking the floor, he said, among other things: “The changes taking place in the international arena in general, and in our region in particular, cannot fail to engage the thinking of the many scientists and intellectuals working in education, science, and culture. Bearing in mind the opportunities offered to us as a result of these new developments, we must make use of everything possible to encourage this thinking, not only for cultural reasons but also for political ones. I would like to emphasize this point: the important transformations now taking place make it essential to create a new spirit that will favor the building of a Balkans of peace, friendship, and brotherhood; I would also say, of a shared present and future. In the Balkans, as we are all aware, there are divisions, prejudices, and misunderstandings. This is neither the only occasion nor the place to discuss them. I mention them only to ask a question that continually comes to mind: Can we overcome this situation and enter the modern European and world currents of civilization? A negative answer would deprive us of hope for a good future and of the confidence to struggle, to improve, and to advance. The Balkans on the threshold of the 21st century must strive to show itself to be civilized and modern, not only materially but also spiritually and politically. Its historically renowned freedom-loving and progressive traditions become lasting and inspiring when joined with a democratic and humanist spirit, with a willingness to engage in dialogue, tolerance, and understanding among its states and peoples. I wish to express the hope that the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Balkan countries, to be held this autumn in Tirana, will contribute not only to improving the political atmosphere in the Balkans, but will also create better conditions for economic and cultural cooperation and for successfully carrying out the noble initiatives they have undertaken, both bilaterally and multilaterally. I believe that culture can serve not only as a meeting place for illuminating our common roots and destinies, but also as a means of linking the individual and collective responsibilities that creators have for preserving peace and advancing humanity, and for continuing the contribution they must make to humanity’s spiritual enrichment.” Ahidi Ngoma then took the floor and greeted the conference on behalf of UNESCO Director-General Federico Major. After thanking everyone in Albania for the warm and generous welcome extended to all conference participants, he said, among other things, that … (Continued on page 4) fundamental point: the important transformations now under way make it essential to create a new climate conducive to building a Balkans of peace, friendship, brotherhood, and freedom. The Balkans are not merely a geographical concept, but above all a historical one. At the same time, they are also a cultural and spiritual concept, with a conscience that has at times been good and at times bad. The winds of East and West have blown across them. At times they have been gentle, at others powerful; warm and cold; beneficent and destructive. Their traces are indelible. But what these winds have not been able to change are the historical roots of the peoples of the Balkans, their identity and unique originality, and their folk culture, which represents one of the great values of European civilization. It is this shared historical fact that has determined not only the... (Photo: ATSH)

Yesterday, Senator Eleni Maranuri, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Health of the Italian Republic, arrived in our country for a friendly visit. At Rinas Airport she was received by Doc. Lutfi Alia, secretary-general of the Ministry of Health, and others. Also there to welcome her was Paolo De Nikolo, chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Italian Embassy in Tirana. (ATSH)

In the district of Gramsh, during the year, every child born in 88 villages enjoys full health. In the villages of Dushkhan, Branik, Sulman, Kotkë, Funar, Nartë, Sulë, and others, all the children born over the past 5 to 10 years are alive. Qualified medical personnel, the “Mother and Child” service, and the 10 health centers have worked hard to raise mothers’ health awareness. Mothers have been given information about children’s nutrition and first aid for children. Health-center workers in the remote areas of Vidhi deserve particular recognition, where children born during the last five years have … [source text unclear]. Compared with previous years, seminars combining theory and practice have been organized in these villages, and the experience of the best practitioners has been shared, among other things. Thus, the “Mother and Child” competition was held in five areas of the district, where the women of Shëmrizë, Sonjë, Porocan, the “18 Gusht” Agricultural Enterprise, and others stood out for their broader theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The health section, in cooperation with the people’s council of the village of Graçhdan, [shared] the experience of the nursery-school educator Seta Hoxha, who has achieved good results in the care and upbringing of the children of this village. Likewise, as a result of more systematically organized educational work by the BG organizations, the number of births attended by a doctor has increased in this district. In the villages of Shemrizë, Përrenjas, and Vidhan, 100 percent of births take place with medical assistance. (According to ATSH)

Prepared for what lies ahead - GJIROKASTËR - The metal plant, the “Libohova” agricultural enterprise, and the artisanal enterprise, the first in the district, will begin the second half of the year operating under the new economic mechanism. Preparation for this undertaking is the main task for this month. We spoke with Zilfor Cobani, director of the “Libohova” agricultural enterprise. The five-month targets for milk and meat production have been met, but the enterprise has fallen behind on its vegetable plan. There has been success in reducing the cost of pork production, owing both to changes in protein feed and, in particular, to improvements in organization. During these months, work on a piece-rate basis has also begun. The main concern is how to link everyone’s wages more closely to production. The work-measurement specialists understand this clearly and are working on a study concerning work norms, eliminating unnecessary stages, and removing slow-moving stock from circulation. The director says that increased productivity and savings are the two ways to ensure the effectiveness of the new economic mechanism. Lowering costs is also a requirement for pork production. By the end of the year, costs will be reduced by a further 30 percent compared with the results of the first five months. To address the poor state of the vegetable sector, land use will be increased from 1.3 harvests at present to 1.7 times. Although we are facing new and unfamiliar problems, we are optimistic and say that we will come through with credit. THANAS DINO

- LIBRAZHD - For the working class of the Librazhd district, the new economic mechanism has become a means of increasing its effectiveness, carrying out contractual obligations, fulfilling and exceeding export targets, and implementing forms of savings and economy. Seventeen of the district’s 19 enterprises met or exceeded their targets for the January–five-month period. Total industrial production exceeded the plan by 6 percent through increased labor productivity. Exports delivered products worth 8 million lekë, the investment plan was fulfilled at 108 percent, and so on. The period’s targets were met while saving more than 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than 500,000 lekë in wage funds. But alongside the achievements overall, the outstanding items must not be forgotten. It is true that the iron-nickel mine, in terms of output, exceeded its plan, but in May it failed to meet the targets for either iron-nickel production or bauxite production. The same is true of the woodworking industry: although it exceeded its output plan, in May alone it failed to meet seven targets. The woodworking comrades blame the freight depot for failing to carry out transport contracts, and indeed the latter met neither its plan for tons of goods nor its ton-kilometers. They explain this here by the shortage of tires, which they were not supplied with as specified in the contracts. As can be seen, responsibility is passed back and forth, which does nothing to improve the work. Therefore, to fulfill the six-month plan, accountability must be strengthened for anyone who obstructs the fulfillment of the targets. XHIJEVDET ALMETA

- MIRDITË - Industrial production across the district reached 100.4 percent of the plan; targets for copper concentrate, blister copper, refined copper, geological work, and other items were exceeded. At the forefront, as always, are the geologists, who completed 109 percent of the geological work plan. The metallurgists at the Rubik copper plant carried on the tradition of achievement. Despite difficulties caused by the shortage of raw materials, better use of reserves enabled them to produce several dozen tons of copper above the plan. The “Kongresi” shift, led by Nikollë Shalshi, stood out in particular, producing 50 percent of the factory’s copper. The plant’s workers also produced copper above the export plan. The Spaç mining enterprise completed its industrial production plan at 100 percent, while copper concentrate reached 104 percent. In the lead are the miners of the Gurth mine, where Mark Nikolli is in charge, who managed to produce 2,741 tons of copper ore above … (Continued on page 2)