Brussels puts its stamp on it: Port of Durrës, the main gateway to Corridor 8

Brussels—first day, high praise and strong support for Albania . Brussels puts its stamp on it: Port of Durrës, the main gateway to Corridor 8 • Four major projects in the Balkans, Albania participating in two • Krist Paten: Albania is continuing political and economic reforms and has expressed its readiness for an association agreement. In the photo: Yesterday at the Brussels Conference, chief coordinator Hombah, Foreign Affairs Commissioner Krist Paten and World Bank President Wolfenson. • British Minister for Europe Vaz: Albania, which faced a catastrophe just a few years ago, has become a country where reforms have made it a country of progress. PAGE 2

Christian Democrats go it alone

TIRANA—“Our representatives will also be on the voting commissions. The 1996 elections, in which the PD won a majority, were deemed irregular by the PDK; therefore, the PDK’s result in these elections cannot be regular either.” PAGE 4 Berisha’s coalition falls apart

Berisha’s family took refuge with an Italian mafioso in Leçe

New facts about the ferry “Aulona” belonging to vehbi Alimuça On 13 March 1997, the entire family and part of the escort group left for Puglia aboard the ferry AULONA, owned by the former “VEFA” Company . The ferry’s “de facto” owner is a mafioso from Puglia named Xhuzepe. The lawyer for the Greek company that bought the ferry is the same lawyer who worked on behalf of VEFA-HOLDING. The ship’s purchase documents are in the name of the Greek Peter Kanellopullos, who, in exchange for Alimuça’s release from prison, has “offered” 200 million dollars as payment for the purchase of Vehbi’s Company.

Papandreu - Nano: We are working on a joint strategy and action in Southeastern Europe

Socialist leader Fatos Nano meets Greek Foreign Minister Jorgos Papandreu in Athens Nano also meets PASOK Secretary-General Skandalidhis . PAGE 3

Officially, with a disarmament police officer

Collection of weapons TIRANA—The nationwide disarmament campaign officially begins tomorrow . This fact was announced two days ago by the Minister of Public Order himself, Spartak Poçi, during a meeting with the head of the OSCE in Tirana, Ahrens. PAGE 5

Prefect issues a new order for an eight-storey building

Illegal construction TIRANA—“Under the existing conditions, where the area is dominated by one-storey houses and is located very close to the centre of Tirana , the Prefecture considers it the duty of the Urban Planning Directorate to request a partial study for a wider area.” PAGE 8

Ogata meets Meta in Tirana

Ogata: Albanian information office in Kosovo welcome PAGE 3

ECONOMY - PRIVATIZATION OF AMC

Muçi at the heart of Europe’s business world: Here’s how we are privatizing AMC World Bank: We commend the government for this transparent process PAGE 6

The four priority projects

• Danube Bridge (Romania-Bulgaria) • Port of Durrës • Zagreb-Budapest road • Energy interconnection lines between the countries of the region Albania is involved in the projects to rehabilitate the Port of Durrës and the interconnection lines for transmitting energy between the countries of the region