Minister of Defence Sabit Brokaj on the latest statements by Zhuali and Vinçani Those who commanded the army, who commanded SHIK and public order are there; the former Commander-in-Chief himself is there Page 5

Round table of Albanian political forces on drafting the new constitution The PD is boycotting the parties’ round table. Representatives of political forces criticize the PD’s absurd action Page 3

The OSCE Special Envoy for Albania, former Chancellor of Austria Vranicki, welcomes Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano to Vienna (Photo: [?])

The presentation of the High Order “Skënderbej” to Franc Vranicki was a significant beginning to Prime Minister Fatos Nano’s current European tour. Franc Vranicki belongs among the best-known statesmen in contemporary international politics. With a doctorate in economics and business, he worked for nearly 15 years as an expert and senior executive at two of Austria’s largest banks, renowned around the world. Meanwhile, he had become well known as a “star” of the Austrian national basketball team. The government changes of the early 1980s found him serving as an adviser and Minister of Finance, and on 16 June 1986 he was appointed Federal Chancellor of Austria. He held this high office for more than 10 consecutive years, until January 1997. It is an understatement to call these years successful; they will be remembered for a long time. Austria emerged more prominently as an important and reliable international political, diplomatic and economic partner. It joined the world’s 24 richest countries. The greatest achievement of this period was its admission to the European Union on 1 January 1995. At the head of the Social Democratic Party since 1987, Vranicki has done much to develop contemporary social-democratic ideas, especially those of sustainable economic and social development, solidarity and assistance for less developed countries, respect for the values of the anti-fascist and anti-Nazi struggle, and the fight against social discrimination, etc. The University of Jerusalem awarded him the title of Doctor honoris for linking values and demon... [?] the powerful [??] of the genocide against the Jews. Vranicki is noted for many forceful statements against the confrontational policies of the Austrian far right, which sought to evoke the Nazi period, [p[r?]shpjegjen] the institutions painstakingly created in the postwar period, as well as in favour of privileged groups. During this period, the former Austrian Socialist Party became one of the world’s most powerful Social Democratic parties. The PSD’s sensational victory in the early elections of December 1996 was the result of a crushing defeat of the right-wing opposition while Vranicki was its chairman. As one of the vice-presidents of the Socialist International, he is today an important point of reference for the world’s social-democratic elite. His leadership of a country such as Austria for such a long period has made Franc Vranicki a well-known and respected figure at the highest levels of world politics. It is therefore no coincidence that less than two weeks after his voluntary resignation, the OSCE’s current chair, with the full consensus of the international community and political leadership circles, entrusted him with the delicate task of mediating a solution to Albania’s first crisis. (Continued on page 12)

At the invitation of the Secretary General of PASOK, a PSSH delegation headed by PSSH Secretary General Pandeli Majko set off for Athens on an official visit. The delegation also includes Luan M. Rama, a member of the PSSH Presidium, and MPs Anastas Angjeli, Jonuz Bega and Vangjel Tavo PSSH Spokesperson

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