The Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Comrade Ramiz Alia, received yesterday morning at the Palace of Brigades the president of the 45th Session of the UN General Assembly, Guido de Marko. Comrade Ramiz Alia conveyed his welcome wishes to Mr. Guido de Marko and expressed his confidence that his high-level mission’s visit would be successfully completed. He said that we had awaited and prepared for this visit as an important event in the country’s political life, and considered it an honour bestowed upon Albania and its people. Last year, continued Comrade Ramiz, we had the great pleasure of receiving here the UN Secretary-General, Perez de Kuelar, and pluralism has now become fully established. I can assure you that there is no longer any obstacle to freedom of conscience, including religious freedom. There are no legal or practical restrictions on people’s movement, inside or outside the country, just as there are no longer any obstacles to any kind of communication with the world or to the exchange of information, books, etc. Our state will spare no effort to realize universal freedoms and rights in accordance with international standards. Continuing, Comrade Ramiz noted that a thorough review of all our legislation has been undertaken and is under way, in order to democratize it. European rights and those of the peoples of the Balkans and the Mediterranean. He dwelt in particular on relations between Malta and Albania, two small countries whose geographical positions in this basin are nevertheless of particular importance. Both interlocutors agreed that relations between our two countries should develop and advance at a faster pace. The president of the 45th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Guido de Marko, after thanking the president for the meeting and for the warm welcome he had received in Albania, said that the country’s democratic developments set a good example for other countries. (Photo: ATSH) Secretary-General of the United Na-tions, Mr. De Kuelar, whose noble work for the benefit of peace and general security, throughout the world and in our country as well, enjoys the deepest respect and admiration. With your arrival, we hope that relations between the UN and my small country will finally enter a new phase. Taking advantage of this meeting, on behalf of the Albanian state and government and the country’s highest authorities, I thank the United Nations Organization for the interest it is showing in Albania and in its development and progress. I assure you that the Albanian people have appreciated this interest and will always prove worthy of it. In Albania, Comrade Ramiz emphasized, we believe that the United Nations Organization has managed to play an increasingly powerful role in preserving general security and peace, as was demonstrated once again by its condemnation of Iraq’s aggression against Kuwait. But it can also contribute to the world’s balanced economic development, particularly to the wider democratization of international relations. For this, he said, we believe that very favorable conditions have now been created. Then, Ramiz Alia continued, he spoke at length to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Guido de Marko, about the political situation and the democratic developments that have recently taken place in Albania. The democratization processes about which I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Perez de Kuelar around a year ago, he said, have advanced much further than was anticipated at the time. In this spirit, at that time we were subjectively committed and very eager to pursue democratization, including comprehensive developments such as democracy. Dem with a simpler way of life and faithfulness to the life of the people, or to return our Albania within a short time to an organization based on pluralism. Furthermore, Ramiz Alia went on, regarding development— He continued, and to bring it into line with the most advanced democratic values and standards. The People’s Assembly will approve a new Constitution, the draft of which has been widely discussed among the people. This Constitution, which establishes the foundations of a state governed by the rule of law, and the laws that will be approved after it, will recognize citizens’ legitimate rights to ownership, free initiative, individual or collective, and self-government for their own benefit and that of society. Speaking further about the development of the election campaign, Comrade Ramiz said: In one month, new elections for the People’s Assembly will be held. All measures have been taken to ensure that they are entirely free, democratic and pluralist. Foreign observers will be able to come and verify this in person. We wish, and will make every effort, for the election campaign—and political competition among the various forces in general—to be conducted properly and in a democratic spirit. It is precisely for this reason, and in view of the country’s vital interests and its future, that we have called and continue to call for wisdom. The democratic life we all desire must be built together; it must be built by the whole people. That is why we emphasize that the expression of the people’s will, and the bearer of its sovereignty and power, must be the assembly, not the street. What we need now is a parliament elected in free, democratic and pluralist elections, which would bring the first phase of the democratization process to a close and become the foundation and instrument for advancing it for the benefit of all our people, without exception. We must therefore give the people the opportunity to choose for themselves the alternative they prefer. To this end, we must strengthen political pluralism and political dialogue; dialogue cannot take place with hot heads or through mass rallies, but by bringing issues forward for discussion. Afterwards, Comrade Ramiz spoke to his distinguished guest about the People’s Republic of Albania’s position on the processes— …democratic processes in your country demonstrate how much Albania wishes to be an active member of the international community, increasing its role and contribution. I bring you, he said, the warmest greetings and support of Mr. Havier Peres de Kuelar for the initiatives you have undertaken, for which Mr. de Kuelar is sincerely grateful to you. Through your example, Mr. President, you are striving to make the newly established political forces in Albania understand that democracy is also a great responsibility toward the nation. The importance of the 31 March elections, he emphasized, lies not so much in which party wins, but in the fact that, for the first time, under your leadership, Albania will have a pluralist parliament. Expressing his approval and support for the efforts being made in Albania to integrate with dignity, while preserving its culture and individuality, into the European family, he stressed that these efforts require full solidarity from the international community, the UN and the CSCE. He pledged to contribute personally to this as President of the Assembly. After speaking about the meetings he had held in Tirana with representatives of the political forces, Guldo de Marko said that a sense of moderation and tolerance was taking shape among them, and that they looked to the president as a point of reference on whom democracy and the rule of law depended. Continuing the conversation, Mr. Guido de Marko also addressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Malta and Albania, which are of interest to both our peoples, as well as cooperation and security in the Mediterranean. He also spoke about the importance of a conference on cooperation and security in the Mediterranean, which belongs to the future but must be considered starting today. The meeting, which took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere, was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Muhamet Kapllani. (ATSH)

Great tasks lie ahead of us, tasks that concern our future as a people and as a nation. The greatest task for now is to bring the election campaign to a successful conclusion and elect a new People’s Assembly with the people’s best representatives. It will approve the new Constitution, which will open up new prospects for the country. It will appoint the new government that will direct the affairs of the state—the state governed by the true rule of law, a modern state. Are we clear-minded enough to carry out these important tasks wisely? We are—and we are not. We are, because we all welcomed political pluralism. We saw it as a path leading to civilization. In a very short time, the Party of Labour took important measures to put pluralism into practice. Such rapid changes have never occurred in the 46-year history of our country. This is evidence of the political maturity of the Party of Labour. This is not said only by us communists. It is said by all those who truly wish us well, at home and abroad. Only the speculators of democracy deny it, those who suffer from an obsession with power. We are clear-minded about advancing the democratic processes because the reformed electoral Program of the Party of Labour makes clear to us which road we will take and where we will arrive. This is a program that reflects the new changes in the life of the country and in the international situation. It is a program firmly grounded in reality. It aims for what the people want, but makes no empty promises to them. For the people know that prosperity and well-being cannot be achieved in a single day. But let us be honest. We also have uncertainties in our minds, uncertainties that at certain moments cloud our reason and disrupt the normal course of the tasks we have undertaken. These are an objective consequence of passing from one historical era to another. Each of us has something within ourselves that we must reject, just as we have something new that we must embrace. We must reject complacency, slogans, bureaucracy, sectarianism and many other phenomena that slow our progress. We must adopt the high pace of work and life, embrace true democracy, and make our own everything that is good in humanity. This is like an operation to remove an unnecessary, old part from the body. But the surgeon’s knife brings pain, and all people must endure these pains alike. Some bear them more easily; others suffer severe shocks. Thus arise disappointments, disillusionment, and the loss of temporary peace of mind. But the road to democracy is not travelled with naïveté. (Continued on page 3)

On 2.3.1991, Comrade Ramiz Alia, Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, held a meeting at the headquarters of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly with representatives of the Agrarian Party, the Democratic Party, the Ecological Party, the Party of Labour, the Republican Party, and other politico-social organizations, including the Trade Unions, the Youth Union, the Democratic Front, the Women’s Organization, and the National Committee of Veterans. At this meeting, in response to the concerns the country is experiencing in the political, economic, and psycho-social spheres, representatives of the parties and politico-social organizations undertook to work to normalize life in the country, respecting social peace and calling on the masses to carry out their duties, particularly to meet the demands of the current period in agriculture. The meeting’s participants agreed that political debate should take place everywhere while respecting ethical and moral standards, and avoiding excesses and insults that could lead to undesirable developments during the election campaign. At the conclusion of the meeting, the representatives of the parties and politico-social organizations reached the following common consensus: 1. The political parties and other electoral subjects support the efforts of the Presidential Council to ensure the calm and orderly conduct of the election campaign, as well as its call to avoid positions that lead to strained relations and increased antagonism among people. They undertake to ensure that mass rallies and other gatherings serve the purpose of the election campaign for 31 March. Meetings organized by the parties and other electoral subjects for the election campaign will be held in an orderly manner, mainly indoors, thereby enabling voters to become better acquainted with the programs and personalities of the candidates for whom they will vote. 2. The political parties and other electoral subjects undertake to refrain from any act involving the name of Enver Hoxha, as well as the moving of public emblems and symbols associated with him. They agreed that these issues should be decided by the next People’s Assembly itself through democratic methods, such as a popular referendum, etc.

At the invitation of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, an Italian parliamentary delegation headed by Flaminio Pikoli, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of that parliament, arrived in our country for an official and friendly visit. The delegation also includes parliamentary representatives of various Italian political parties. At Rinas Airport, the delegation was welcomed by Sihat Tozaj, Secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly; Petro Dode, Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly in the previous legislature; Rexhep Mejdan i, member of the Presidential Council; representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and others. Also present was the Ambassador Extraordinary of the Italian Republic to the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Torquato Cardilli. (ATSH)

Yesterday morning, Secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Sihat Tozaj received at the headquarters of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Flaminio Pikoli, as well as the parliamentary representatives of the various political parties accompanying him on this visit. Yesterday morning, Secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Sihat Tozaj received the Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Flaminio Pikoli, as well as the parliamentary representatives of the various political parties accompanying him on this visit. During the reception, which took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, Sihat Tozaj expressed his pleasure at the visit to our country by a parliamentary delegation and praised the goodwill shown by the Italian Parliament and Government toward democratic developments in Albania. Since your first visit, Mr. Pikoli, he said, visible changes have taken place in the deepening of the democratization process in our country, both in the political sphere, with the establishment of a multiparty system, and through improvements to legislation for the development of the economy, in the financial sphere, as well as through the ministries and other central institutions for Albania’s accession to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and other international financial organizations. (Continued on page 4)

An International Monetary Fund working mission headed by Professor Mario Bleher arrived in our country. At Rinas Airport he was received by Comrades Kamber Myftari, Deputy Director of the Albanian State Bank; Anastas Angjeli, Deputy Minister of Finance; and other comrades. The mission will stay in our country for two weeks and will work with the banking and financial authorities, as well as with the ministries and other central institutions, on and other international financial organizations. (ATSH)

The ATSH correspondent met yesterday with the chairman of the Tirana District Court, Dr. Shefqet Muçi, and received the following information from him. Students Blend Gjonxhe, Ridvan Peshkëpia, Kastriot Gjo ka, Arben Lika, Shenasi Rama and Arjan Manahasa have been reported to the Court by the police authorities for violating the decree “On Assemblies, Gatherings and Demonstrations by Citizens in Public Places,” because on 14 and 16 February 1991 they organized illegal rallies in contravention of Article 2 of this decree, that is, without first notifying the district chief of police. Yesterday, on 4. 3. 1991, they were summoned to the Court by Judge Natasha Xhacka (Blendi Gjonxha did not appear because he had not been notified) and gave their explanations. They admitted the charge, but justified themselves by saying they thought they were in “their own home.” (Continued on page 4)

In recent days, groups of people have forcibly boarded several vessels that were in the port of Vlora and have made illegal crossings of the state border, fleeing to Italy. In addition to violating the laws in force, at a time when Albanian citizens have been guaranteed the right to travel abroad in accordance with international norms, these citizens have also disregarded the dangers they face on such journeys from the weather, the vessels’ poor technical condition, and the border guards, whose duty it is to prevent crossings in this direction without the appropriate authorization. Meanwhile, thousands of people have gathered at the ports of Vlora and Zvërnec, inclined to repeat such illegal and dangerous acts. Some of them have been encouraged by unfounded reports that ferries will come from Italy to take them. At present, a group of them has forcibly boarded a defective tugboat located in the shipyard of the new port. Its departure would cause an unavoidable accident if the seized vessel went out into the open sea: besides the tugboat’s poor technical condition, it appears that so many people have boarded it that its capacity has been exceeded. The gathering of people is causing difficulties and unwelcome situations for public order and the peace of the residents of the city of Vlora. The local authorities are working to persuade the citizens to return to their places of residence. At the initiative of the chairman of the Executive Committee of the District People’s Council, a meeting was also held with representatives of all the political parties in Vlora, where a joint appeal was adopted, addressed to the citizens, calling on them to remain calm and sensible and to refrain from such illegal and reckless actions, which could cause casualties and numerous problems. (ATSH)

(Photo: ATSH)