The General Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Albania meets: The situation that has arisen is analyzed and tasks for the future are set The main task of the Socialist Party of Albania is to support the Government of National Reconciliation, through which disarmament will be achieved, the country will be brought out of its catastrophic situation, and free and fair elections will be held Page 2

Albania calls us: . The main political parties in the country, having managed to find within themselves the strength to institutionalize dialogue and establish a spirit of national reconciliation, expressed this through the creation of a government bearing that name. With this historic step, they have given all Albania and the entire Armenian people [?] a stronger impetus to restore normality to the many tasks that lie ahead. And today, when perhaps more than in any other period in the history of this country, throughout the Albanian state, everywhere, in every district and in every sector of life and production, people are confronted with organized crime, this spirit of reconciliation and unity must be upheld; overcoming the extraordinary situation that has arisen is a vital task. Among the many tasks of the day, just as there is an order of priority, there are also different options for solutions. Among them, the most important today is: are we Albanians capable of overcoming the crisis ourselves, or is a foreign force needed—helmetalkalterish, simply European, without prejudice—to help calm the situation? Naturally, since Albania is in Europe, it cannot fail to attract the attention of the European community and beyond, and of the major international organizations that all this time have had the country’s own… “dramas” often dem… stability in… have to do with… stability of the coun… (See page 4)

The chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, meets journalists and reporters from foreign media “I would ask all Albanians, from the North to the South, to understand that the fate of this country no longer depends on one… person alone, whether Berisha or Nano. It depends on the unity of the Albanian family and its moving forward together toward a United Europe. Page 3

Prime Minister Bashkim Fino addresses the Albanian people on behalf of the government he leads . The Government of National Reconciliation is determined to restore peace and stability to Albania. It will use the full force of the law against organized crime and the groups that are terrorizing Albanian families everywhere today, and will intensify the fight to eliminate them. Page 4

The Foreign Minister of the Government of National Reconciliation in Italy At the invitation of Italy’s Foreign Minister, an Albanian delegation headed by Arjan Starova, Foreign Minister of the Government of National Reconciliation, and comprising Pavli Zëri, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Ylli Bufi, adviser to the Prime Minister, paid an official visit to Italy. During the meeting with his Italian counterpart at the Farnesina, Minister Starova emphasized the need for an adequate protection force to accompany the aid that the European Union will grant to Albania, so as to ensure that it reaches the right destination and the right people. For his part, Italy’s Foreign Minister said after the meeting that they had also discussed the methods and means to be used to manage the flow of Albanian emigrants who have set off, and will set off, for Italy. Italy will continue to help those in need of humanitarian assistance, Dini said, but it will also try to find ways to ensure that their numbers do not become so large.