Prime Minister Nano meets World Bank President Wolfensohn in Hong Kong Page 3 Janice Wolfensohn Fatos Nano

Aleatdari Keko, OJSA supports President Meidani's initiative for the national reconciliation assembly Aleatdari Keko OJSA supports President Meidani's initiative for the national reconciliation assembly Albania cannot be stable without reconciled Albanians The initiative, which takes on the value of President Meidani's contribution to National Reconciliation, represents a new political element in Albania, one that the country is urgently seeking in order to put the normality of everyday life back on track. The chairman of the OJSA Council, Aleatdari Keko, said yesterday that the road to national reconciliation passes through avoiding hatred and a tense climate. He praised the head of state's initiative as a strong political appeal for social peace, the restoration of dialogue and the rebuilding of trust among political forces. Mr. Keko said that Albania cannot achieve economic, institutional and democratic development if Albanians do not manage to reconcile with one another, recognize and respect differing opinions, and share responsibility for the recent past. For the OJSA Council, the reconciliation assembly should represent all social strata and have the full support of political forces, social organizations and international factors that have helped Albania during the crisis period. Continues on page 2

The High Council of Justice is completed In the People's Assembly: Page 2

Finnish Deputy Prime Minister Ilkanen to participants of the PDSH of Macedonia The President of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians, Abdurahman Haliti, said yesterday that Albanians in Macedonia value and respect Albania's role in their past, present and future. The chairman of the PPD Council for Foreign Relations, Mr. Xheladin Murati, present at the Balkan summit in Helsinki, stated that the Finnish prime minister had promised him a working lunch in order to better understand the political concepts and claims of Albanians in Macedonia. According to Mr. Murati, the Finnish Chancellor Paavo Liponen has been given, by the media, mainly Greek and Serbian ones, a completely wrong image of the Albanians, identifying them with all evil and not recognizing the objective problems and concerns of Albanians in this country. "We are pleased that Mr. Liponen promised he would take an interest in the problems of Albanians in Macedonia," said Mr. Murati. The vice-chairman of the PPD, Mr. Haliti, assessed that in Macedonia there is an increasingly strong tendency to create a monoethnic state on religious and racial grounds. He said that the constant reference to the "national state of the Macedonians" constitutes the essence of this country's constitution and as such excludes half of the non-Macedonian population from equal rights. Albania, according to Mr. Haliti, should do even more so that in international forums the problems of Albanians in Macedonia are clearly and unequivocally presented. He said that in this regard Albania could also have the help of the Finnish government, which is the current representative of the Presidency of the European Union. Haliti expressed understanding for President Meidani's position at the Helsinki summit, but added that he would have liked to see stronger and more direct support from him in European forums for the rights of Albanians in the republic. In a meeting with the chairman of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians, Arbën Xhaferi, the Finnish Deputy Prime Minister, Ilkanen, promised that his government would make efforts for a more realistic and objective stance by the European Union toward the problems of Albanians in Macedonia. Also, while expressing the opinion that the lack of Albanian parties in inter-party cooperation and the lack of a stance weaken the force of the Albanian political factor in the republic, he underlined the need for closer coordination of the common action of Albanians. According to Mr. Ilkanen, a strong Albania would be a very important ally not only for Albanians in Macedonia, but for the Albanian population throughout the region. From a meeting with [?[?]]

TNT explodes and terror strikes state institutions, a socialist activist seriously injured

Today, on 23.09.1997 at 11:00 in the conference hall of the Government Guest House, a conference of the coalition parties of the 1995-96 progressive bloc will be held. At its conclusion, the chairman of this group, Ndre Legisi, will give a press conference. We invite local and foreign journalists as well as diplomats from the embassies accredited in our country to attend. Spokesman of the Socialist Party