Eliasson - Nano: Brussels Conference, USD 1.5 billion for beneficiary countries

Nano in Sweden meets Eliasson, head of the third table of the Stability Pact Eliasson - Nano: Brussels Conference, USD 1.5 billion for beneficiary countries STOCKHOLM - “The donors’ meeting for the Stability Pact is expected to provide beneficiary countries with funding of 1.5 billion dollars,” Jan Eliasson, the Swedish head of the Stability Pact’s Third Table, declared yesterday in Stockholm to Fatos Nano, chairman of the PSSH. The leader of the Albanian majority is in the Swedish capital to take part in the proceedings of the local Social Democratic Party’s Congress. PAGE 7

Government to 50,000 pensioners: Yes, pension indexation begins on April 1

On Thursday the government decided to keep its promise on pensions TIRANA—The Albanian government approves the plan to narrow the differences between pensions accrued before 1993 and those accrued before this year. In implementation of the government’s social policies for 2000, two thousand of the pensions were also planned PAGE 6

UFO and LANi: 2 billion lek in tax liabilities

Tax authorities ready to seize two buildings under construction TIRANA—Both companies have built large properties almost in the center of Tirana, while concealing this fact from the tax authorities, to whom they should have paid VAT. PAGE 8

Anti-mafia prosecutor’s office places 108 people under investigation

Rinas scandal: Investigation into human trafficking at the airport deepens The prosecutor’s office places 5 airlines that organized the trafficking and Rinas controllers under investigation • Records seized at Rinas and records at the airlines • Criminal police chiefs uncover a new list of 42 fake identities • Illegal trafficking is shaken; for two days traffickers and their clients have no longer approached Rinas PAGE 3

Drugs, scandal at the Tirana Court

Europol is looking for him TIRANA—8 months in prison for 1.6 kg of cocaine, 5 years in prison for 0.2 grams of heroin. A drug trafficker caught at Rinas with 1.6 kilograms of cocaine was sentenced to just 8 months in prison by a panel of military judges presided over by Fatmira Laska PAGE 2

Three men, each with two children, try to abduct a 15-year-old girl; they fail and shoot her three times

Durrës / They were abducting her to make her a prostitute A vile crime by human traffickers on a March night: they threaten the 15-year-old and shoot her three times, seriously injuring her • The cowardice of three fathers with ... 2 children each, who disappear into the darkness in a “Fiat” with foreign license plates • Police locate and arrest them yesterday at midday, caught in the act, with evidence of the crime

Berisha in Gramsh: I’ll take sand to Saranda beach

The fool’s campaign continues GRAMSH - In a moment of near-disorientation during his speech, Berisha said that Saranda has no sand at all, “but I promise the people of Saranda that I’ll make their beach sandy again”! He just didn’t explain where he would get the sand for Saranda, which today’s officials are stealing, and it may be that the people of Gramsh were frightened, thinking that the sand might be taken from the Devoll riverbank that runs at the foot of their city... PAGE 9 INVESTMENT FUND

Meta: Which roads do you want money for?

With the prefects TIRANA—By March 31, Albania’s prefects are expected to have completed an assessment of the technical condition of urban roads and submitted their reports to the Council of Ministers PAGE 5

“Egnatia and Corridor 8 are different”

TIRANA—The “Egnatia” road and “Corridor 8” are two entirely different things, said on Friday the director of the Greek Embassy’s Albania Office in Tirana, clarifying a misunderstanding with the Albanian media PAGE 5

“I care”

The state gives no jobs to “Gold Medalists” The state gives no jobs to “Gold Medalists”