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Albanian Times, April 26, 1996From: Albanian Times <AlbaTimes@aol.com>The Albanian Times (by AlbAmerica TRade & Consulting International) DirectoryAlbanian TimesApril 26, 1996CONTENTS[01] Balkan Telecom Ministers Meet in Sofia[02] Albanian Youth Killed by Greek Coast Guard[03] Berisha Calls for Calm After Kosova Killings[04] Berisha Awarded Italian Order[05] Solana to Visit Albania, Other Countries[06] Former Communist Officials on Trial[07] Socialists to Join Forces with Other Leftists[08] Kosova Migrants Thought Drowned in Danube[01] Balkan Telecom Ministers Meet in SofiaSOFIA, April 25 - Posts and telecommunications ministers from Balkan and neighbouring countries opened in Sofia a two-day meeting aimed at upgrading the region's services and networks. The countries represented at the meeting are Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Moldova, Slovenia, Turkey, Croatia, Romania, rump Yugoslavia, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Macedonia and Albania. The ministers will discuss setting up a pan-Balkan telecommunications pool and a postal pool to coordinate telecom and postal projects in the region and boost services in the Balkan countries. The telecom pool's plans include launching a satellite, which will serve more countries in the region.
[02] Albanian Youth Killed by Greek Coast GuardATHENS, April 25 - The Greek coast guard killed an Albanian boat captain in a shoot-out north of the Greek island of Corfu Thursday, police said. The coast guard arrested two other Albanians on the boat, which failed to obey orders to stop and be inspected but opened fire at the patrol boat, they said. ``The coast guard returned fire aiming at the outboard engine to immobilize the boat but the boat captain, who was 28, was killed. The two others are 22 and 15 years old,'' a police spokesman said. An assault rifle, bullets, gasoline and tools were found on the boat and the coast guard said they believed the three were members of a gang stealing yachts in northern Corfu. Earlier in the day the same patrol boat arrested another Albanian boat captain after a shoot-out in the same area. Greek coast guard boats often patrol the waters, especially around Corfu which is near Albania and the Aegean islands near the Turkish coast, to stop illegal immigration. (Albanian Times, Reuters)
[03] Berisha Calls for Calm After Kosova KillingsTIRANA, April 25 - Albanian President Sali Berisha called on ethnic Albanians in Kosova to remain calm following ethnic killings in the Yugoslav region and refrain from any acts that might raise tensions. Berisha also urged the international community to take swift measures to solve ethnic problems in Kosova to ensure peace and stability in the Balkans. ``Under these conditions, I call on all political forces and Albanians in Kosova to stay calm and avoid any provocation which aims to sow violence and terror and destabilise the situation,'' Berisha said in a statement reported by Albanian Television. Gunmen killed five Serbian policemen and civilians and wounded five this week in Kosova, apparently in revenge for an earlier killing of an Albanian radical student. The violence has prompted fears that ethnic Albanian separatists were prepared to turn to arms to fight Belgrade's heavy police presence in the area in defiance of the policy of non-violence preached by Kosova's Albanian leadership. Berisha said the murder of the Albanian student in Prishtina, and other killings were ``part of the strategy of Serbian extremist and nationalist circles who want to aggravate further the situation in Kosova.'' The Kosova daily Rilindja published in Tirana said the situation in the region was very tense. It accused Serbian police of violating the rights of Albanians in some cities. The paper alleged that police had beaten some young Albanians on buses in the Kosova region on Wednesday. (Albanian Times, Reuters)
[04] Berisha Awarded Italian OrderTIRANA, April 25 - Albanian President Sali Berisha was awarded Wednesday "The Order of Merit" by his Italian counterpart Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, the president's office said. The Order cited Berisha's contribution in building a juridical state and strengthening the friendship between the two countries. Last Friday, Scalfaro visited Tirana for the second time, promising Berisha increased Italian efforts to arrange an association agreement between Albania and the European Union. (Albanian Times)
[05] Solana to Visit Albania, Other CountriesBRUSSELS, April 25 - As NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana prepares yet another foray into eastern and central Europe, the alliance has begun to focus on how to avoid a backlash from countries left out of its eastwards expansion. Solana, whose visit takes in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania, is expected once again to deliver the message that limited alliance enlargement is definitely going ahead whatever the noises from Moscow. ``Everyone now knows we are talking about Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, and possibly Slovakia,'' said one alliance diplomat. He said NATO had even drawn up plans to keep the cost to a minimum by not demanding that new members modernise their armies as a prerequiste to membership or join immediately in costly operations such as air defence. NATO countries are now concentrating on how to deal with the fears of those left out and ward off accusations of a new post-Cold War carve-up of Europe, similar to the Yalta conference between the victorious allies of World War Two. (Albanian Times, Reuters)
[06] Former Communist Officials on TrialFive Albanian communist-era officials accused of crimes against humanity are standing trial. They are former head of the Presidium of the People's Assembly Haxhi Lleshi, former Deputy Premier Manush Myftiu, former Deputy Interior Minister Zylyftar Ramizi, former Supreme Court Chairman Aranit Cela, and former Chief Prosecutor Rrapi Mino. Haxhi Lleshi did not appear in court due to poor health. (Albanian Times)
[07] Socialists to Join Forces with Other LeftistsTIRANA, April 24 - Albania's Socialists said they would join forces with five other center and leftist parties to boost their chances of winning the country's third free elections in May. After four years in opposition, the Socialists said they were certain to sweep the conservative Democrats from power, and promised to further market reforms while improving the standard of living in Europe's poorest country. The move came just over two weeks after the ruling Democratic Party of President Sali Berisha allied with rightwing and centrist parties to step up their fight against the Socialists and what they see as an ex-communist comeback. ``We have agreed to cooperate so that the center-left wins in Albania's elections,'' said senior Socialist figure Gramoz Ruci. ``After that, the possibility is open for further cooperation in setting up a government and other matters.'' Ruci said the Socialist Party would back the allied parties in constituencies where it did not have a candidate. (Albanian Times, Reuters)
[08] Kosova Migrants Thought Drowned in DanubeBUDAPEST, April 24 - Up to eight ethnic Albanians from Kosova are believed to have drowned while attempting to cross the river Danube from Hungary to Slovakia, the Hungarian police said on Wednesday. The migrants were trying to enter Slovakia illegally near the Hungarian town of Esztergom, 40 kilometers north of Budapest, Esztergom police chief Lieutenant-Colonel Istvan Kemenszki said. The Albanians were crossing the river, which forms part of the Hungarian-Slovak border, in a motorboat which capsized as it was probably laden with twice as many passengers as it was designed for, Kemenszki said. The police eventually rounded up eight of the passengers while three more migrants were later found clinging to buoys by the border guards. Eight men are still missing, Kemenszki said. ``They could perhaps have swum out and escaped, but in the worst case they have drowned,'' he said. (Albanian Times, Reuters)The material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade & ConsultingInternational. For more information on ATCI and the Albanian Times, pleasewrite to AlbaTimes@aol.comCopyright (c) ATCI, 1996 |
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