In favor of cooperation with the Socialist International Press release of PDSI PDS International Secretary Piero Fasino received today the Deputy Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Ilir Meta. Marko Bini, from the International Department of PDS, also attended the meeting. The focus of the conversation was the bilateral relations between Italy and Albania as well as the cooperation ties between PDS and PSSH. Fasino welcomed the full commitment of PDS that Albania is not an integral part of Italian foreign policy. Through Operation “Pelikan,” Fasino stressed, Italy helped Albania in recent years to overcome the dramatic emergency. Now Tirana must be supported so that it can enter a truly development-oriented phase and so that Albania can build its basic infrastructure, modernize its agriculture and trade, channel new productive investments, and form a new leadership class. For this purpose PDS asks the Italian Government to place before Parliament the state of relations between these two countries and in this sense proposes that Italy be active in three directions: carrying out a program for a strong Italo-Albanian partnership in the main areas of economic and infrastructural activity; Italy’s support for Albania’s association with the European Union; creation of a special Group (Task-force) to achieve these objectives. During the meeting PDS, which has permanent relations with the Social Democratic Party of Albania, expressed its interest in intensifying relations with the Socialist Party of Albania in favor of its progressive cooperation with the Socialist International. Rome, 8 January 1996 Piero Fasino, head of foreign relations of PDS and co-chair for Central and Eastern Europe of the Socialist International and Deputy Chairman of PSSH Ilir Meta. Interview with the deputy chairman and head of foreign relations of PSSH Ilir Meta Page 3