The hearing on revoking the security measure for Vehbiu is postponed

Parliament has provided for measures; they continue to pay

All four stamps, as required by law, were in operation yesterday

The European Parliament orders Europe’s governments: A real “Marshall” plan for Albania, soon The European Parliament orders Europe’s governments: A real “Marshall” plan for Albania, soon NATO Secretary General Solana being kissed yesterday by Albanian children (REUTERS)

Berisha did not hesitate to attack once again the new Government of Kosovo, headed by Mr Thaçi, portraying it as created by pro-Serbian lobbies—as if it were acting as a Serbian intelligence agency. This position marks a high point in the PD leader’s attitude toward his political opponents, dragging the government-opposition struggle into the channels of espionage. Of course, this is the savage behavior of a charlatan politician, and one could simply remain silent about it. But since Berisha, without removing so much as a comma from his divisive statements, published them yesterday in the newspaper of the party he leads, this means that he wants to make them official. That is why we are making them the subject of analysis. Berisha takes as his pretext a parliamentary session in recent days, at which a draft resolution on Kosovo was presented but not put to a vote, perhaps because not everything in it had been properly formulated. In this draft, Berisha and others who think like him have found Serbia’s “agents” in Albania. He said that “all attempts to divide the Albanian factor through the promotion of certain individuals according to particular political preferences must be rejected.” What harm could come from this wording? None. This phrase is revealing, because it identifies him with the one who divides the Albanian factor, which is exactly what he is. Another point also deserves to be highlighted. In his latest statements, as in this instance, Berisha is making every effort to instrumentalize the name and work of Ibrahim Rugova for his own political interests. As President of the Republic of Kosovo, Rugova has the attributes of a leader recognized and respected by the people of Kosovo and on the international stage. If the Albanian authorities have reservations about any step or judgment by Rugova, that does no harm to the cause for which he fights and which he defends, nor to the policy of the Albanian state. But Berisha, left like a fish out of water in today’s intense political arena because nobody takes him into account, seeks to pit Rugova against Albanian policy; he wants to create nonexistent enmity between the Albanian and Kosovar political forces; he wants to keep a conflict burning between the political forces and the Albanian factor in Kosovo. Now that official Tirana is taking all the necessary steps to unite the political and military forces in Kosovo, following the example of the cohesion they showed at Rambouillet, Berisha enters the scene to play the role of spoiler, as always. Whom does this serve? Albania, Kosovo, or Serbia and Millosheviç? Finally, with childish persistence, Berisha wants by every means to present official Albania as an enemy of the democratic West, an enemy of NATO and of the entire international policy that today, more than ever, has the Albanian question on its agenda. There is no point in engaging with the refutation of these insinuations. The West is more present than ever in Albania and Kosovo, as their only alternative for European integration. In this historic commitment by the international community to the destinies of Albania and Kosovo, Berisha has consciously put himself out of the game, while also holding the party he leads hostage to his schemes.

Yesterday, NATO Secretary General in Albania SOLANA TO MAJKO: Rely firmly on NATO Havier Solana Pandeli Majko

Soldiers in Kosovo under UN command PAGE 4

Bad news for Kosovo from Russia PAGE 4

A good night for NATO’s attacks PAGE 4

First five arrested PAGE 5

Tirana champions a week early The blue-and-white celebration on Saturday Parma win the UEFA Cup PAGES 7, 9