From mentor at alb-net.com Mon Mar 8 11:32:35 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2004 11:32:35 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [Albanians-Today] Albania: Investors Concerned at Protests Message-ID: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Albanians-Today News and Information: http://www.alb-net.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/bcr3/bcr3_200403_483_5_eng.txt Albania: Investors Concerned at Protests Alarm at political protests masks underlying questions about how foreign investors are treated. By Dalina Buzi in Tirana (BCR No 483, 04-Mar-04) A week after street protests turned violent in Tirana on February 7, Albania's most famous singer was praying that his Italian band would show up so that a concert could go ahead. Ardit Gjebrea had a struggle to convince his band that the wave of protests organised by the right-wing opposition had not made Albania unsafe. That first protest march ended in violence when police broke up thousands of demonstrators marching towards the government building and calling for the resignation of prime minister Fatos Nano. A further demonstration on February 20 - involving up 20,000 people - passed off peacefully. As political stability remains uncertain, Italian musicians are not the only foreigners threatening to stay away. Investors planning to invest in the Balkans' most impoverished state are also warning that their patience is running out. Luan Bregasi, head of Albania's Chamber of Commerce, says foreign businesses feel threatened by a "possible repetition of the violent acts of February 7". Bregasi was speaking on February 17, three days before the second, larger demonstration that went off without incident. But as long as the atmosphere remains tense - opposition leader Sali Berisha has promised new protests on March 20 - foreign businesses cannot relax. Albania's economy had been slowly recovering from the anarchy of the late Nineties. Investors' reports rated Albania higher in 2003 than they did in 2002. America's Exim Bank, for example, upgraded the country's risk rating by one point in its annual assessment. The biggest injections of money into the economy still come from foreign donors and lenders rather than commercial investors. The World Bank, the European Union, Italy and Germany lead the way, targeting the country's dilapidated infrastructure. Much of the foreign funding goes into telecommunications, banking and manufacturing - although the lack of electricity and water supplies deters many potential investors in the latter area. Albania has recently begun attracting more interest from other west European countries and the United States. At the end of 2003, Austria's Raiffeisen Zentralbank Oesterreich bought Albania's largest bank, the Savings Bank of Albania, for 126 million US dollars in one of the largest deals of this kind. Last year, two American corporations, General Electric and Lockheed Martin, negotiated agreements to work in the energy sector and Albanian ports. Meanwhile, the government has granted a concession to a German-American consortium, Airport Partners, to invest 80 million dollars and build a new international air terminal within three years. But the recent political turmoil and a more general sense of instability leaves some investors feeling jittery. Zenel Hoxha, head of the British Chamber of Commerce in Albania, says British investors feel "asphyxiated" by the current political impasse, and if they encounter more hurdles, there is a danger they will pull out. Floreta Faber, director of the American Chamber of Commerce, told IWPR that at least one major investor from the United States is putting a key investment decision on hold, although she would not name the firm for reasons of confidentiality. "Protests create destabilisation, and destabilisation is not good news," said Faber. But it is far from clear whether opposition protests are solely to blame for the lack of investor confidence. All the signs are that underlying problems with the way foreign investors are treated by the government are also a factor. Artan Hoxha, an independent economist and vice-president of the Institute for Contemporary Studies, ICS, says the government is using the protests as an excuse to cover up for its own failings. "Every country has protests, but investments still continue under a new government," he said. According to Hoxha, the real problem lies in over-centralisation of government, which creates a culture in which no decision can be made without it being referred up to ministerial level. "The administration cannot act or decide anything without the approval of a government minister," he said. A 2003 report from the German foreign ministry appears to support Hoxha's claim, saying that investors "have difficulties in finding responsible persons in the administration" to grant them the licenses they need to work. Even after contracts have been signed, business agreements remain so dependent on the individual ministers concerned that foreign investors fear they could be at risk if there is a change of administration. "[They] worry that they might have to repeat all their procedures if the government gets a new face," said Hoxha. As Faber explained, "When a minister or government changes, every director and every chief in every office of every ministry is replaced by someone else, who wants to start afresh." Dalina Buzi is a journalist with the Albanian private TV station Top Channel. ______________________________________________________________ If you wish to unsubscribe, send a blank message to: albanians-today-unsubscribe at alb-net.com , or visit Albanians-Today's page at: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/albanians-today From mentor at alb-net.com Mon Mar 8 11:39:05 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Albaniansin Macedonia Crisis Center News & Information) Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2004 11:39:05 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [AMCC-News] Macedonia Saddened, But Not Fearful Message-ID: --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMCC http://www.alb-net.com/amcc/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/bcr3/bcr3_200403_483_2_eng.txt Macedonia Saddened, But Not Fearful Despite the untimely death of president Boris Trajkovski, his biggest legacy is a constitutional settlement that can survive such shocks to the political system. By Ana Petruseva in Skopje (BCR No 483, 04-Mar-04) There were stony faces, tears and silence in the capital on Wednesday, as thousands of people lined the streets to await the arrival of the remains of Macedonia's late president, Boris Trajkovski. He was killed with eight other members of his staff when his plane crashed early on February 26 in Bosnia. United in grief, people from all over the country lined up quietly in front of parliament on Thursday, where Trajkovski's coffin is lying in state, to pay tribute to the late head of state who was hailed as a peacemaker who averted civil war in 2001. The area in front of parliament was carpeted in flowers, pictures of the president, sad messages of condolences and burning candles. Trajkovski, a 47 year old lawyer and Methodist preacher, was widely respected for promoting tolerance and dialogue in a volatile region torn by ethnic violence. He institutionalised dialogue and built a framework that would outlive him, leaving Macedonia grieving for the past but not frightened about its future. Trajkovski, Macedonia's second president since its independence in 1991, was the architect of the Ohrid peace deal that ended ethnic fighting in 2001 by granting greater rights to the country's large Albanian minority. But his demise is not seen as a threat to the agreement, or to the political stability it has helped underpin. "We lost a great man," said a government source who asked to remain anonymous. "But the institutions are functioning and will continue to do so, and implementation of the Ohrid peace deal remains our highest priority." Political analysts do not foresee a shift in policy, either. Denko Maleski, a former foreign minister who is now a law professor, told IWPR that instability was unlikely because there was no longer any feasible option to the present policy course, "The peace deal. is our only alternative, and all political actors have accepted that it is the only path Macedonia can take." For Iso Rusi, editor-in-chief of the Albanian-language weekly Lobi, the main achievement is that political stability has rooted itself in the system rather than in personalities. "I don't see any danger of destabilisation," he said. "The reality that the peace deal was the only way to hold this country together is already widely accepted, and I don't see that changing. It is a legacy, a system whose survival does not rely on one politician". Since 2001, Macedonia's parliament has adopted the constitutional changes and most of the laws envisaged by the Ohrid agreement. Large numbers of ethnic Albanians are joining the police and administration, while the Albanian university in Tetovo has been legalised after a decade of controversy. The former rebels turned into politicians, and as the Democratic Union for Integration won the majority of Albanian votes in the September 2002 parliamentary election, and formed the present governing coalition with the Social Democratic Union as senior partner. Abroad, Trajkovski was a strong advocate for Macedonia's integration into the European Union and NATO. In the Balkans, he encouraged regional cooperation and partnerships, often initiating meetings and bringing heads of states together to work for political and economic stability. Analysts say that at home, Trajkovski - despite the pivotal role he played in the 2001 crisis - had begun to be marginalised in recent years, especially after the Social Democrats came to power. He was in the final year of his presidential term, with an election set for October this year. It was thought unlikely that he would seek a second term, as he had lost support from his party, the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE, which was angered by the stance he took in 2001. Macedonia now faces an early presidential election within a deadline of 40 days. Government sources told IWPR that the election law would have to be amended in order to meet the deadline. Local media started speculating with possible candidates. Sources from the major parties - the ruling Social Democrats and the opposition VMRO-DPMNE - told IWPR that discussions would begin only after the funeral. "Every election can be slightly destabilising, especially in a delicate situation like this when nobody is actually prepared for elections," said Maleski. "But it all depends on how the parties behave during the election." Maleski believes that since the election has been prompted by the death of Trajkovski - a man praised for his moderate policies, "the political parties will adhere to a moderate line and not stir up tensions". Flags remained at half-mast while the government prepared for the funeral, scheduled for Friday, and awaited the arrival of a dozen presidents and about 50 high-level government delegations. The authorities announced that Friday would be a day off, as some 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral. "Trajkovski was a great president, a true leader and he treated all [ethnic groups] equally," said Akif Feratovski, an ethnic Albanian farmer who travelled from the town of Veles to attend the funeral. "Sadly, we will never have another president like him." Ana Petruseva is IWPR's project manager in Skopje. ______________________________________________________________ If you wish to unsubscribe, send a blank message to: amcc-news-unsubscribe at alb-net.com , or visit AMCC-NEWS's page at: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/amcc-news From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Mar 17 23:24:23 2004 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 20:24:23 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Zbulim arkeologjik ne Tragjas Message-ID: <20040318042423.67720.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Faqe 20 - Kultur? zbulimi ? Relievet i ka zbuluar nj? bujk, i cili po punonte tok?n e tij me nj? traktor t? vog?l. Pasi i ka par?, ai i ka marr? dhe i ka ?uar n? sht?pin? e tij relievet dhe tashm? i mban me fanatiz?m si nj? thesar t? vyer... ? ARKEOLOGET/ N? vendin e zbulimit duken gjurm?t e nj? tempulli t? lasht? ? Nj? bujk zbulon n? Vlor? dy relieve 2000-vje?are ? Ilia ?ano* Nj? zbulim i rrall? n? nj? fshat t? Vlor?s, ku kan? dal? n? drit? krejt rast?sisht dy relieve n? gur?, 2000 vje?are. Ky zbulim n? fshatin Tragjas t? rrethit t? Vlor?s, ka t?rhequr v?mendjen e specialist?ve t? muzeut t? k?tij qyteti, si nga vlera historike e arkeologjike, ashtu edhe nga vlera artistike e tyre. Ai q? i ka zbuluar ?sht? nj? bujk i cili po punonte tok?n e tij me nj? traktor t? vog?l. Pasi i ka par? ai i ka marr? dhe i ka ?uar n? sht?pin? e tij relievet dhe tashm? i mban me fanatiz?m si nj? thesar t? vyer. Vlera e ve?ant? e k?tyre objekteve na nxiti p?r t? shkruar, e p?r t? gjetur k?sisoj nj? m?nyr? p?r t?rheqjen e tyre pran? institucioneve t? specializuara pa anashkaluar t? drejtat q? ka poseduesi i tyre. Nj? orakull q? flijohet Relievi i par? i ka dimensionet 50X90 dhe ?sht? gdhendur n? gur t? bardh?, t? ngjashme me formacionet g?lqerore t? territorit p?rreth. P?rmbajtja e relievit ?sht? shum? interesante dhe shpjegon historin? e k?tij fshati, dhe ndoshta edhe origjin?n e v?rtet? t? tij. Figura qendrore e k?tij relievi ?sht? nj? orakull n? ?ast flijimi, i cili mban n? dor? kok?n e nj? cjapi. Ai ?sht? i ulur dhe p?rpara tij vihet re fare mir? altari n? form? cilindri, rreth t? cilit p?rdridhet nj? deg? hardhie. Relievi ka edhe dy figura t? tjera an?sore, t? veshur me kiton, q? marrin pjes? n? procesionin fetar. Para disa vjet?sh kur na u k?rkua nj? element p?r fshatin Tragjas, duke u nisur nga zhvillimi fonetik i toponimit Tragjas, Tragos, Tragjedi, Trageste, rekomanduam figur?n e nj? cjapi. Kur pam? relievin 2000 vjet m? t? vjet?r se emblema u befasuam. Ishte nj? rast?si apo supozimet tona kishin qen? t? sakta? P?r k?t? vajt?m n? vend. Vendgjetja kishte nj? peisazh shum? t? bukur pran? nj? burimi dhe vendi ishte i mbuluar me pem?. Pas nj? v?zhgimi zbuluam nj? mur rrethues me lla? dhe mbeturinat e nj? nd?rtese ndoshta t? tempullit. N? lasht?si cjapit i thoshin Tragos, dhe zakonisht ai b?hej kurban n? fillim t? pranver?s gjat? Dionisaleve. Si? dihet, nga kjo fest? e p?rvitshme lindi tragjedia. Tragjasi, natyrisht, nuk mund t? krahasohet me qendrat pagane, si Hynfeu i p?rmendur nga autor?t e lasht? ose Dodona e famshme, por si qend?r lokale mund t? identifikohet dhe vler?sohet. Kur thuhet se Tragjedia lindi te grek?t e lasht?, pse mos t? themi se ajo ?sht? luajtur edhe n? Tragjasin ton? t? vog?l. Pran? k?tij fshati n? Orikum ndodhet nj? teat?r, jo m? shum? se 5 km larg. Studime t? m?tejshme, ndoshta do t? v?rtetojn? plot?sisht k?t?. Relievi ka edhe vlera artistike. Figurat p?rgjith?sisht kan? pamje realiste dhe zgjidhje monumentale. Dy kalor?s romak? Relievi i dyt? ka dimensione 70 me 52, gdhendur n? gur t? but? t? Karaburunit. Ajo ?sht? nj? stel? e pajisur dhe me nj? mbishkrim ku dallohet me v?shtir?si teksti Dimenion. Mendojm? se ky reliev paraqet vlera t? jasht?zakonshme p?r m?nyr?n e armatimit t? ushtris? n? periudh?n romake. N? planin ballor jan? vendosur dy kalor?s, kurse n? sfond dy shigjetar? bashk? me mburojat e tyre. Edhe k?tu figurat dhe pamjet e torsteve jan? t? qarta, por kokat e luft?tar?ve jan? krejt t? d?mtuara. D?mtimi duhet t? ket? ndodhur n? koh?n e ardhjes s? fiseve barbare, ku ka patur mjaft shembuj t? shkat?rrimit t? relieve t? antikitetit dhe vjedhje masive t? varreve. T? dyja veprat e artit ngjajn? n? teknik?n e tyre dhe i p?rkasin shekullit t? par? para er?s s? re, n? baz? t? krahasimit me vepra t? tjera. Nj? reliev romak q? ndodhet n? Paris ka nj? ngjashm?ri t? madhe me t? gjith? element?t etnografik? dhe artistik? me relievet e Tragjasit. Ndaj ne e konsiderojm? k?t? gjetje nj? zbulim me r?nd?si q? duhet t? t?rheq? v?mendjen p?r studimin dhe ekspozimin e tyre. Zbulimi mund t? jet? edhe nj? nisje p?r g?rmimin e tempullit q? mund t? p?rfaq?soj? nj? monument t? ri p?r vendin ton?. Nj? zbulim i ngjash?m para 98 vitesh N? vitin 1906, kur n? fshatin Vrap t? Tiran?s u zbulua nga nj? bujk nj? thesar me en? floriri, ngjarja kaloi n? heshtje. Bujku q? nuk ia dinte vler?n asaj q? kishte gjetur, e shiti te nj? bej p?r disa mezhite. Do t? kalonin vite dhe ky thesar do t? b?hej i p?rmendur, e ankand pas ankandi do t? p?rfundonte n? Muzeun e Nju Jorkut me vler? miliona dollar?. * (arkeolog) ? 2003 Gazeta Panorama __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam http://mail.yahoo.com From mentor at alb-net.com Sat Mar 20 22:54:14 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Kosova Crisis Center News and Information) Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 22:54:14 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [Kcc-News] CDHRF: NEW WAVE OF VIOLENCE IN KOSOVA (03/18/2004) Message-ID: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kosova Crisis Center (KCC) News: http://www.alb-net.com/index.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.cdhrf.org/2004English/Index2004_english.htm COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS & FREEDOMS Prishtina, Kosova NEW WAVE OF VIOLENCE IN KOSOVA The escalation of the situation in Kosova after the incident in the village of ?ab?r, in which three Albanian children drowned in the Ibri River while fleeing from a group of Serbs who were chasing them, was not surprising for the CDHRF. In its previous press releases, the CDHRF has warned of the threat for the escalation of the situation and has identified the causes which could lead to it. The accumulated frustration due to the difficult economic situation in Kosova, grave security situation and the lack of political prospects has resulted in the escalation of the situation. According to the CDHRF, the blame for such a situation falls upon the following: Serbia, UNMIK and the provisional institutions of Kosova (the Presidency, the Government, and the Assembly). After the end of the war in Kosova, Serbia continued to manipulate with the Serbs in Kosova as well as those who have returned to Kosova or were planning to do so. It has established parallel systems and supported them in different ways. UNMIK and KFOR have failed in carrying out their mission. They have created the provisional institutions of Kosova, which do not have any powers, and together with Belgrade they are making decisions on the future of Kosova, excluding the Albanians who comprise the majority in Kosova out of the decision-making processes. They have unarmed the Albanians but have not worked in preventing the arming of the Serbs (most of the Albanians killed during the recent events have been shot by Serbs). The provisional institutions of Kosova have proved to be completely inefficient and have succumbed to the pressure of the international community, working against the interests of Kosova and against the mandate given to them by the voters, by presenting a false picture to the people of Kosova with whom they have manipulated all this time. They did not have a vision for the protection of minorities and their integration in society. They lacked any initiatives in this direction. All their actions were carried out upon the insistence of the international factor and were used for political marketing. They were not able to defend any interests other than their own as well as those of their parties. They are part of the crisis, which they cannot solve due to the fact that they themselves have helped its creation. CDHRF continues to monitor the situation which is calmer than yesterday. Yet, in certain areas, the situation is out of control, especially in Obiliq where fire has been set to many Serb-owned houses and efforts have been made to set fire to the Serb Orthodox Church. Large numbers of people are protesting in Prishtina, mainly secondary school pupils and students. CDHRF condemns all acts of violence and calls upon the authorities to bring to justice all those who have exercised violence, which has resulted in tens of killed, hundreds of wounded, the destruction of many houses, the displacement of many citizens, the destruction of sacral buildings, etc. CDHRF calls upon UNMIK and KFOR to remove all the road blocks and disarm the Serbs as a precondition for the stabilization of the situation. Otherwise, the consequences will be much graver. CDHRF calls for an investigation regarding the cases when excessive force was used by the UNMIK police, KFOR soldiers and Serb members of the KPS against the Albanian protestors. CDHRF calls upon the provisional institutions of Kosova to work in calming the situation as they too are responsible for its escalation. It demands from them to take responsibility for the created situation. CDHRF expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the killed and wishes a soon recovery to all those wounded and injured. Prishtina, 18.03.2004 Behxhet Shala, executive director ______________________________________________________________ If you wish to unsubscribe, send a blank message to: kcc-news-unsubscribe at alb-net.com , or visit KCC-NEWS's page at: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/kcc-news