From mentor at alb-net.com Thu Feb 5 10:20:36 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 10:20:36 -0500 (EST) Subject: [Prishtina-E] [Kcc-News] Kosovo: Trade Booms Between Old Enemies Message-ID: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kosova Crisis Center (KCC) News: http://www.alb-net.com/index.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/bcr3/bcr3_200402_479_3_eng.txt Kosovo: Trade Booms Between Old Enemies Albanians may have thrown off Belgrade rule but they are still part of the Serbian economy. By Tanja Matic and Altin Ahmeti in Pristina (BCR No 479, 04-Feb-04) Every week, ethnic Albanians from Pristina head into the city's supermarket and fill their shopping baskets with goods from Serbia - a republic that most of Kosovo's majority think of as enemy Number One. Four years after the armed uprising that resulted in Kosovo throwing off Serbian political control, the region remains reliant on its powerful northern neighbour for many of its most basic needs. Stores in the international protectorate are lined with Serbian goods, ranging from foodstuffs to shopping powder and even bricks and mortar - all evidence of the fact that while political dialogue between Serbs and Albanians remains stalled, trade between the two is booming. The goods pour in from every part of Serbia. Favourites from the sweet section include "Medeno Srce" (honey heart) and "Plazma" biscuits, from the northern town of Subotica and from Slobodan Milosevic's home town of Pozarevac respectively. Over in the dairy section is "Imlek" milk from Belgrade, while the hardware shelves stock "Tesla" light bulbs from Pancevo in Vojvodina and Merix soap powder from Krusevac. Pristina store owner Avni says no one makes a fuss, "I sell these products and people do not complain. Some even ask for 'Beogradsko Mleko' (Belgrade Milk) that they used to buy for years, though we don't have that one any more." Avni laughs at the idea of boycotting Serbian goods out of patriotism. Shoppers, he says, easily distinguish between much-loved products and the state that produced them. "We don't identify Serbian products with the Serbian state," he said with a smile, "and what's most important is that these products are mostly the cheapest ones." The Albanians certainly do not buy Serbian goods out of any nostalgia for the former regime. Geography and simple economics play the largest part. Under UN Resolution 1244, Kosovo has remained part of Yugoslavia pending a decision on its final status. That means no customs duties are paid on goods from Serbia and Montenegro, the successor state to Yugoslavia. The other factor is that Kosovo simply doesn't produce much these days. With very few home-grown products to offer, people here have to buy their goods from somewhere. One obvious area of cooperation is building. The armed conflict between Albanians and Yugoslav forces left thousands of homes destroyed. As a result, one of the main economic activities in the entity is the construction industry. If Kosovo Albanians see any irony in buying bricks and mortar from the republic whose forces destroyed their homes, they are not disturbed by it. Milos Boskovic, sales director of the Vojvodina-based Potisje brick factory, told IWPR that since the end of conflict cooperation has blossomed with Kosovo Albanians. "Kosovo is a very important market to us. Up to 70 per cent of our annual production goes there," he said. But not everyone is happy with the flourishing trade relations between these two former enemies. Kosovo economists point out that business is very one-sided. Thanks to the entity's undeveloped economy and Serbian reluctance to recognise Kosovo travel documents, the goods only travel one way - south. Mustafa Ibrahimi, of the Kosovo Chamber of Economy, complains that even if the region's economy was more developed, container trucks from there would not be in a position to enter Serbia. "Serbia has the advantage over exports to Kosovo, as Albanians are not able to travel to Serbia on Kosovo licence plates," he said. Statistics from the entity's ministry of trade illustrate the stark imbalance. Serbia exported goods to Kosovo in first nine months of 2003 worth 108 million euro, just over 15 per cent of the region's total imports. Over the same period, Kosovo sold Serbia goods worth some 3.5 million euro. Goods heading north were worth less than one-thirtieth of the amount travelling south. Kosovo trade minister Ali Jakupi says the duty-free regime between Serbia and the protectorate hinders the growth of local industries and makes Serbian products more competitive than local ones. "We should trade with Serbia under different conditions, because without proper customs duty, Serbia has advantage in selling us products such as flour, oil, sugar, which are consumed in huge amount here," he said. "There are no psychological reasons for this trade - Serbian products are just cheaper." While Milos Boskovic's brick factory in Vojvodina is flourishing, Shemsedin Rashiti's in Podujevo, north-east Kosovo, is close to bankruptcy, owing to competition with Serbia. "Bricks bought in Serbia costs 13 to 19 cents each but in Kosovo they cost about 30 cents per brick," he said. "People have no interest in buying from us here in Kosovo." Until Kosovo starts producing goods that are cheaper and as good as Serbian products, the Albanian money will continue to flow north to Serbia. "People want the lowest prices and we have to meet customers' needs," said Agron, a store keeper from the Besa supermarket in Pristina's Bregu i Diellit district, pointing to shelves covered with products from everywhere but Kosovo. "I have to buy this container of Serbian salt, as that is the only one in this shop," a customer explained defensively. "If there was any other one, I wouldn't buy this Serbian one." Tanja Matic is IWPR Kosovo project coordinator. Altin Ahmeti is an economics journalist with Koha Ditore. ______________________________________________________________ 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 From ycfab at yahoo.com Fri Feb 20 22:19:09 2004 From: ycfab at yahoo.com (Yllka Cana) Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 19:19:09 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Prishtina-E] Yllka Message-ID: <20040221031909.73093.qmail@web40812.mail.yahoo.com> hello, thankyou for mailing back. Yllka Cana --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From vsherifi at naac.org Fri Feb 6 16:07:30 2004 From: vsherifi at naac.org (Valbona Sherifi) Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 21:07:30 -0000 Subject: [Prishtina-E] English/Albanian: NAAC Hosts Dignitaries from Albania and Kosova Message-ID: <007501c3ecf5$32ffe680$6d01010a@VALBONA> National Albanian American Council 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org For Immediate Release: February 6, 2004 Contact: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 PRESS RELEASE NAAC Hosts Dignitaries from Albania and Kosova Washington, DC, February 6, 2004: The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) issued the following statement regarding the NAAC sponsored reception in honor of dignitaries from Albania and Kosova who are visiting the United States to attend the National Prayer Breakfast. The National Albanian American Council (NAAC), the only Albanian-American organization based in Washington, D.C., hosted a reception on February 4th at the United States Congress in honor of dignitaries from Albania and Kosova who are visiting the U.S. to attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast. The event is a 52-year-old American tradition that brings hundreds of lawmakers, military leaders, heads of states and spiritual leaders together in prayer. Headed by President Moisiu, the delegation from Albania attending NAAC?s reception included Minister of Finance Arben Malaj, Vice-Chairwoman of the Albanian Parliament Jozefina Topalli, Member of Parliament and Head of the Republican Party Fatmir Mediu, Attorney General of Albania Theodhori Sollaku, Ombudsman Ermir Dobjani, Albanian Ambassador to the U.S Fatos Tarifa and Albanian Ambassador to the UN Agim Nesho. The delegation from Kosova consisted of Prime Minister Rexhepi, Members of Parliament Flora Brovina, Alush Gashi, Bujar Dugolli and Naim Jerliu. President Moisiu informed the participants of his intentions to establish an immigration office at the ministerial level. The president stated that the large number of Albanians abroad makes such institution a necessity. Prime Minister Rexhepi stressed that statehood would enable Kosova to be a direct contributor to peace and economic stability in the Balkans. In addition, the Prime Minister stated that the U.S leadership is crucial in deciding Kosova?s final status. Turnout for the event reception was rather impressive despite the U.S. Senate being closed because of the ricin scare and the House of Representatives busy approving legislation while the event was taking place. Also attending the event were Congressmen Eliot Engel, Earl Pomeroy and Luis V. Gutierrez, National Security Council official Lisa Tepper, Special Assistant to the Balkans Shaun Byrnes of the State Department, U.S. State Department Kosova Desk Officers Craig Lang and Joshua Black, Albania Desk Officer Lisa Gregory, USAID Assistant Administrator Ed Fox, Former US Ambassador to Albania William Ryerson, and other prominent figures of the U.S politics. Several Board of Trustees members of NAAC also attended this event including Chairman Ilir Rusi, Mr. Ekrem Bardha, Louis Foundos and Ilir Zherka. Stressing the need for greater political maturity in the Balkans, the Executive Director of NAAC, Mr. Martin Vulaj stated that NAAC plays a key role in facilitating discussions and building bridges not only between the U.S. and the Balkans, but also among Albanian political groups within the Balkans. NAAC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs. For more information on the National Albanian American Council please visit us on the web at www.naac.org ### You are receiving this message because you have requested information about our organization directly from us or through an internet listserv. If you no longer wish to receive such information and would like to be removed, please notify us at naac at naac.org or the listserv that has distributed this information to you. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org P?r Shtyp: 6 shkurt 2004 Kontakt: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 DEKLARAT? P?R SHTYP KKSHA pret titullar? nga Shqip?ria dhe Kosova Washington, DC, 6 shkurt 2004: K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA/NAAC) l?shoi k?t? deklarat? p?r shtyp n? lidhje me pritjen q? KKSHA-ja organizoi p?r delegacionet politike nga Kosova dhe Shqip?ria, q? ndodhen n? Shtetet e Bashkuara p?r t? marr? pjes? n? M?ngjesin e P?rvitsh?m t? Lutjeve Komb?tare. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA/NAAC), organizata e vetme shqiptaro amerikane me baz? n? Washington, D.C., organizoi m? 4 shkurt nj? pritje n? selin? e Kongresit amerikan p?r nder t? nj? grupi drejtuesish shtet?ror? dhe partiak? nga Shqip?ria dhe Kosova. Delegacionet shqiptare ndodhen n? Shtetet e Bashkuara p?r t? marr? pjes? n? M?ngjesin e P?rvitsh?m t? Lutjeve Komb?tare, nj? tradit? 52 vje?are e qeveris? amerikane q? zhvillohet n? kryeqytetin e Amerik?s. M?ngjesi i lutjeve mbledh s? bashku me qindra zyrtar? administrativ?, ligjven?s, udh?heq?s ushtarak?, kryetar? t? shteteve t? ndryshme dhe figura t? shquara fetare p?r nj? m?ngjes reflektimi dhe lutjeje. I kryesuar nga presidenti Moisiu, delegacioni nga Shqip?ria gjithashtu p?rfshiu Ministrin e Ekonomis? Arben Malaj, N?n-Kryetaren e Parlamentit Shqiptar Jozefina Topalli, Deputetin dhe Kryetarin e Partis? Republikane Fatmir Mediu, prokurorin e p?rgjithsh?m Theodori Sollaku, avokatin e popullit Ermir Dobjani, etj. Delegacioni nga Kosova p?rb?hej nga Kryeministri Rexhepi, deputet?t Flora Brovina, Alush Gashi, Bujar Dugolli, Naim Jerliu, dhe kryetari i stafit t? kryeministrit Ilir Dugolli si dhe k?shilltar?t Abedin Qupeva dhe Ylber Hysa. Presidenti Moisiu i informoi pjes?marr?sit p?r q?llimet e tij p?r hapjen e nj? zyre emigracioni n? rang ministrie, duke u shprehur se numri i lart? i shqiptar?ve jasht? kufijve e b?n hapjen e nje institucioni t? till? tep?r t? nevojshme. Kryeminist?r Rexhepi theksoi se pavar?sia dhe sovraniteti do t?i jepte Kosov?s mund?sin? q? t? kontribuonte drejtp?rdrejt p?r paqen dhe stabilitetin ekonomik n? Ballkan, duke u shprehur se udh?heqja amerikane ?sht? vendimtare n? vendosjen e statusit p?rfundimtar. Kryeministri gjithashtu foli edhe p?r ??shtjen e personave t? humbur, duke u b?r? thirrje ligjv?n?sve amerikan? t? ushtronin nj? presion m? t? madh n? m?nyr? q? kjo tragjedi humanitare t? zgjidhet. Pjes?marrja n? pritjen e organizuar nga KKSHA-ja ishte shum? mbres?l?n?se megjith?se Kongresi ishte i z?n? duke miratuar ligje gjat? koh?s q? po zhvillohej pritja dhe pavar?sisht nga fakti se Washington-i ishte n?n frik?n e helmit ?ricin?, q? kishte pezulluar punimet e Senatit. Aktiviteti i 4 shkurtit ishte nj? prej shum? evenimenteve tradicionale q? KKSHA-ja organizon ?do vit p?r t'u dh?n? nj? mund?si politikan?ve shqiptar? nga Ballkani t? marrin pjes? n? diskutime dhe t? shk?mbejn? ide me zyrtar?t amerikan?, ligjven?sit dhe vendimarr?sit e politikave. Kongresit?t Eliot Engel, Earl Pomeroy dhe Luis V. Gutierrez, zyrtarja e K?shillit t? Sigurimit Komb?tar, Lissa Tepper, Specialisti p?r ??shtjet e Ballkanit n? Departamentin e Shtetit Shaun Byrnes, zyrtar?t e departamentit t? shtetit p?r Shqip?rine, Lisa Gregory, p?r Kosov?n, Craig Lang dhe Joshua Black, ndihm?s administratori i USAID Ed Fox, ish-ambasadori Amerikan p?r Shqip?rin? William Ryerson dhe figura t? tjera t? shquara politike. Disa an?tare t? Bordit Drejtues t? KKSHA-s? gjithashtu mor?n pjes? n? k?t? pritje duke perfshir? Kryetarin e organizat?s Ilir Rusi dhe Z. Ekrem Bardha, Lou Foundos dhe Ilir Zherka. Pas pritjes, drejtori ekzekutiv i KKSHA-s? Martin Vulaj n?nvizoi marr?dh?niet e mira t? K?shillit me t? gjitha partit? politike shqiptare pavar?sisht nga dallimet n? besimet dhe platformat e tyre politike. Duke theksuar nevoj?n p?r pjekuri m? t? madhe politike n? Ballkan, z. Vulaj u shpreh se KKShA-ja mund t? luaj? nj? rol ky? n? mund?simin e diskutimeve dhe krijimin e urave nd?rmjet ShBA-s? dhe Ballkanit, por edhe nd?rmjet grupeve politike shqiptare atje. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) ?sht? nj? organizat? jo p?rfituese dhe jo qeveritare e dedikuar ndaj advokimit t? ??shtjeve shqiptare, promovimit t? paqes dhe zhvillimit ekonomik n? Ballkan p?r t? forcuar politikat demokratike, p?r t? inkurajuar respektin p?r t? drejtat e njeriut, dhe duke mbajtur programe zhvillimi dhe edukative. P?r m? shum? informacion mbi KKSHA-n? ju lutem vizitoni faqen ton? t? internetit www.naac.org. ### -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From vsherifi at naac.org Fri Feb 6 19:12:28 2004 From: vsherifi at naac.org (Valbona Sherifi) Date: Sat, 07 Feb 2004 00:12:28 -0000 Subject: [Prishtina-E] English/Albanian: NAAC to Host Free Business Seminar in Ridgewood Message-ID: <00d301c3ed0f$0e5fd640$6d01010a@VALBONA> National Albanian American Council 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org For Immediate Release: February 6, 2004 Contact: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 PRESS RELEASE NAAC to Host Free Business Seminar in Ridgewood Washington, DC, February 6, 2004: The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) issued the following statement regarding Business Basics, a free workshop open to Albanian refugees and political asylees. An Albanian version of this release follows at the end of this text. The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) announced today that its next free business seminar will be held Saturday, February 14, 11 AM at Rozafa Social Club in Ridgewood (Queens), according to an official statement issued by NAAC on February 5, 2004. Business Basics, a free workshop featuring professional from the fields of corporate law, accounting, entrepreneurs, etc., is designed to provide would-be refugee and political asylee entrepreneurs with basic information on successful business ownership. Offered in conjunction with the Business Outreach Center Network (BOC) as part of the Business Refugee Development Project, Business Basics is designed to assist refugees and political asylees with marketing, financing and strategic planning, etc. It is welcome news to countless of Albanians that have crossed the Atlantic during the last decade and are looking to become fully-integrated into the American society. Unlike earlier waves of Albanian refugee and asylees that arrived in the U.S. before the fall of communism and lacked any coordinated assistance, the Refugee Business Development Project is designed to help those that have arrived here in recent years to be better equipped to enter mainstream America and the free market economy. Services offered by the project include: pre-loan and post-loan technical assistance, workshops and training, business start-up/expansion assistance, access to financing, business plan development, grant for low-income entrepreneurs, management assistance, access to legal assistance, market research/strategies, licensing and permit information. To register for the Business Basics please call NAAC?s New York Office at (212) 239-6807. The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs. ### You are receiving this message because you have requested information about our organization directly from us or through an internet listserv. If you no longer wish to receive such information and would like to be removed, please notify us at naac at naac.org or the listserv that has distributed this information to you. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org P?r Shtyp: 6 shkurt 2004 Kontakt: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 DEKLARAT? P?R SHTYP KKSHA organizon seminarin "Bazat e Biznesit" Washington, DC, 6 shkurt 2004: K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) l?shoi k?t? deklarat? p?r shtyp n? lidhje me "Bazat e Biznesit", nj? seminar p?rgatitor q? do t? mbahet n? Ridgewood (Quuens) m? 14 shkurt. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) b?ri t? ditur sot se seminari i biznesit i radh?s do t? mbahet t? shtun?n, 11 shkurt, ora 11 e m?ngjesit n? Restorantin Rozafa n? Ridgewood (Queens), sipas nj? njoftimi zyrtar q? KKSHA-ja l?shoi m? 5 shkurt, 2004. "Bazat e Biznesit", nj? seminar falas q? p?rfshin? profesionist? t? fushave t? ndryshme si ligjin e korporatave dhe kontabilitetin synon t'u jap? biznesmen?ve aktual? dhe atyre t? ardhsh?m informacion baz? p?r hapjen dhe administrimin me sukses t? biznesit. N?n organizimin e p?rbashk?t t? KKSHA-s? dhe Qendr?s s? Rrjetit t? Biznesit, aktiviteti n? fjal? ?sht? pjes? e Projektit t? Zhvillimit t? Refugjatit, nj? program social q? financohet nga qeveria amerikane. "Bazat e Biznesit" u ofron refugjat?ve dhe azilant?ve politik? ndihm? n? fush?n e marketingut, financimit dhe planifikimit strategjik ? si atyre qe duan t? hapin biznese t? reja ashtu edhe atyre q? drejtojn? biznese ekzistuese. Ndryshe nga val?t e m?par?shme t? refugjat?ve dhe azilat?nve shqiptar? q? mb?rrit?n n? Shtetet e Bashkuara para r?nies s? komunizmit dhe t? cil?tve u mungonte asistenca e koordinuar, Projekti i Zhvillimit t? Refugjatit ?sht? konceptuar q? t? ndihmoj? n? p?rgatitjen e atyre q? kan? mb?rritur n? SHBA gjat? viteve t? fundit p?r t? marr? pjes? n? rrjedh?n amerikane dhe ekonomin? e tregut. Sh?rbimet q? projekti ofron p?rfshijn?: asistenc? teknike n? marrjen e kredis bankare, seminare p?rgatitore, asistenc? n? hapjen dhe ngritjen e biznesit, ndihm? n? menaxhimin e biznesit, ndihm? legale, hulumtim t? tregut dhe strategjis? s? investimit, si dhe informimin mbi pajisjen me licens? dhe leje biznesi. Q? t? regjistroheni p?r t? marr? pjes? n? "Bazat e Biznesit" luteni t? kontaktoni KKSHA-n? n? k?t? num?r telefoni: (212) 239-6807. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) ?sht? nj? organizat? jo p?rfituese dhe jo qeveritare e dedikuar ndaj advokimit t? ??shtjeve shqiptare, promovimit t? paqes dhe zhvillimit ekonomik n? Ballkan p?r t? forcuar politikat demokratike, p?r t? inkurajuar respektin p?r t? drejtat e njeriut, dhe duke mbajtur programe zhvillimi dhe edukative. P?r m? shum? informacion mbi KKSHA-n? ju lutem vizitoni faqen ton? t? internetit www.naac.org. ### -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From vsherifi at naac.org Thu Feb 19 13:11:33 2004 From: vsherifi at naac.org (Valbona Sherifi) Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 13:11:33 -0500 Subject: [Prishtina-E] English/Albanian: NAAC Calls for Transparent and Apolitical Process in Albtelecom Investigation Message-ID: <012e01c3f713$d2b1c1d0$6d01010a@VALBONA> National Albanian American Council 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org For Immediate Release: February 18, 2004 Contact: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 PRESS RELEASE NAAC Calls for Transparent and Apolitical Process in Albtelecom Investigation Washington, DC, February 18, 2004: The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) issued the following statement regarding its call for transparent and apolitical process in Albtelecom investigation. The recently circulated report regarding the AMC/Vodafone and local rural fixed line operations relationships with Albtelecom should set off blaring alarms. The report has been sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an international organization within the United Nations System with 186 member countries, including Albania. The report analyzes Albania?s telecommunications sector and arrives in conclusions that clearly bring the skewed nature of these relationships to the surface. The three page circulated excerpt points out that the agreements between these entities are in conflict with Albania?s Telecommunications Act. They also contain an acutely discriminatory fee structure to the disadvantage of Albtelecom, and therefore ultimately to the Albanian people. Finally, the parties are contracted for four years where in the rapidly changing telecommunications world the industry standard is one year with rights to renegotiate and adjust thereafter. The details underlying the agreements so disadvantage Albtelecom that the report concludes; ?it must be said that there is not a single example in Europe or wider with such unfair interconnection deals for the fixed operator.? It further states that the agreements threaten the ?complete collapse of Albtelecom.? The report goes on to make recommendations with which we agree. The government must bring in qualified domestic and international experts to assist the regulatory authority in restructuring the Albtelecom deals and thus immediately bring to an end the losses to the Albanian people that are the result of these grossly unfair arrangements. They must also bring in a team led by a world renowned auditing firm to assess the present value damages of the erroneous elements of the agreements. They should then bring legal action to recover lost funds that have resulted from these patently unfair arrangements. In addition, as it was recently approved by the parliament, an immediate investigation but with the presence of international experts should be launched to determine whether these deals were the result of incompetence, gross negligence or corruption; the results of such investigation should be made public and filed with the Prosecution Office. Finally, measures must be undertaken to ensure that proper procedures and mechanisms are developed to prevent such discriminatory and harmful arrangements in the future. The fact that the Albanian government until recently had not taken any action in line with the ITU recommendations and had not made public its existence despite having apparently received the ITU report since early December, further highlights the emergency of our proposals. However, the process should be fully transparent and must not be politicized. Any lack in transparency will bring about more questions than answers and politics will only dilute and overshadow this process. Our proposed international component throughout this process will help ensure the much needed objectivity. The National Albanian American Council is ready to offer its assistance in identifying and supplying experts in the fields of telecommunications, law, accounting or any other field of expertise that may be required to help bring a just and speedy resolution to this issue. Only swift, professional, and transparent corrective measures will restore what rightfully belongs to the Albanian people and will serve to strengthen Albania?s struggling democracy. NAAC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs. For more information on the National Albanian American Council please visit us on the web at www.naac.org ### You are receiving this message because you have requested information about our organization directly from us or through an internet listserv. If you no longer wish to receive such information and would like to be removed, please notify us at naac at naac.org or the listserv that has distributed this information to you. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org _____________________________________________________________________ P?r Shtyp: 18 shkurt 2004 Kontakt: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 DEKLARAT? P?R SHTYP KKSHA-ja b?n thirrje p?r nj? pro?es transparent dhe jo-politik n? hetimin e Albtelekom-it Washington, DC, 18 shkurt 2003: K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) l?shoi k?t? deklarat? p?r shtyp n? lidhje me zhvillimin e nj? pro?esi transparent dhe jo-politik n? hetimin e Albtelekomit. Nj? raport i shp?rndar? koh?t e fundit mbi AMC/Vodafone n? lidhje me marr?veshjen e linjave tok?sore fikse t? Albtelekomit duhet t? alarmoj gjith? opinionin publik. Raporti ?sht? sponsorizuar nga Bashkimi Nd?rkomb?tar i Telekomunikacioneve (International Telecommunication Union ? ITU), nj? organizat? nd?rkomb?tare n? gjirin e sistemit t? Kombeve t? Bashkuara me 186 vende an?tare duke p?rfshir? edhe Shqip?rin?. Ky raport analizon sektorin e telekomunikacioneve n? Shqip?ri dhe mb?rrin n? konkluzione q? v?n? n? dukje natyr?n e padrejt? t? k?tyre marr?dh?nieve. Tre faqet e shp?rndara nga ky raport tregojn? q? marr?veshjet e krijuara n?p?rmjet k?tyre dy firmave jan? n? konflikt me Aktin Shqiptar mbi Telekomunikacionet. Raporti gjithashtu v? n? dukje nj? struktur? taksash q? jan? diskriminuese ndaj Albtelekomit dhe rrjedhimisht ndaj popullit shqiptar. Ne kete marreveshje, pal?t kan? lidhur nj? kontrat? 4-vje?are, nd?rkoh? q? n? bot?n e telekomunikacioneve, standarti ?sht? nj? kontrat? nje vje?are me t? drejt?n p?r t? rinegociuar m? pas. Detajet e k?saj kontrakte e v?n? Alblekomin n? nj? disavantazh t? till? sa raporti p?rfundon me k?to fjal?: ?duhet th?n? q? nuk ekziston asnj? shembull tjet?r i vet?m n? Evrop? ose m? gjer? me t? tilla marr?veshje t? padrejta p?r nd?rlidhjet. Raporti p?rmend gjithashtu se kjo marr?veshje rrezikon t? krijoj? nj? ?shp?rb?rje to plot? t? Albtelekomit?. Ne jemi dakord me rekomandimet q? b?hen n? raport. Qeveria duhet t? caktoj? eskpert? shqiptar? dhe t? huaj q? t? asistojn? autoritetet perkatese n? ristrukturimin e marr?veshjeve t? Albtelekomit, n? m?nyr? q? t?i jepet fund humbjeve q? po p?son populli shqiptar si pasoj? e kontratave tejet t? pandershme. Ata duhet t? sjellin nj? grup t? udh?hequr nga nj? firm? e njohur inspektimi financiar p?r t? v?n? n? dukje d?met e b?ra nga gabimet n? k?t? kontrat?. Ata duhet tu drejtohen organeve ligjore p?r t? marr? fondet e humbura si rezultat i padrejt?sive t? k?saj marr?veshjeje. Gjithashtu, ashtu si? u aprovua nga parlamenti, duhet t? fillohet nj? hetim i menj?hersh?m me pjesmarrjen e ekspert?ve t? huaj. Ky hetim duhet t? zbuloj? n?se k?to marr?veshje jan? rezultat i pazot?sis?, i neglizhenc?s s? hapur apo i korrupsionit. Rezultati i k?tij hetimi duhet t? b?het publik dhe t? dor?zohet n? zyr?n e prokuroris?. S? fundi, duhen mar? masa p?r tu siguruar q? n? t? ardhmen do t? zhvillohen pro?edurat dhe mekanizmat e duhur p?r t? shmangur marr?veshje t? tilla t? padrejta. Megjith?se qeveria shqiptare e kishte mar? raportin e ITU-s q? n? fillim t? dhjetorit, ajo jo vet?m q? nuk kishte implementuar asnj? nga masat e rekomanduara por edhe nuk e kishte b?r? publik k?t? raport. Ky fakt tregon m? s? miri urgjenc?n e propozimit ton?. Ky pro?es duhet t? jet? transparent dhe nuk duhet politizuar. Mungesa e transparenc?s do t? sjell? m? shum? pyetje se p?rgjigje dhe politizimi do t? sjell? hije mbi k?t? pro?es. Pjesemarrja e specialisteve te huaj, te cilen ne po propozojme, do te ndihmoje ne sigurimin e objektivitetit te nevojshem. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan ?sht? i gatshem t? ofroj? ndihm?n e tij p?r t? identifikuar dhe sjell? ekspert? n? fush?n e telekomunikacioneve, n? fush?n ligjore dhe ekonomike, ose n? fusha t? tjera p?r t? arritur n? nj? konluzion t? shpejt? e t? drejt? t? k?saj ??shtjeje. Vet?m masa korrigjuese, t? shpejta, profesionale dhe transparente do t?i rikthejn? popullit shqiptar at? ?ka i p?rket dhe do t? forcojn? demokracin? shqiptare. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) ?sht? nj? organizat? jo-p?rfituese dhe jo qeveritare e dedikuar ndaj advokimit t? ??shtjeve shqiptare, promovimit t? paqes dhe zhvillimit ekonomik n? Ballkan p?r t? forcuar politikat demokratike, p?r t? inkurajuar respektin p?r t? drejtat e njeriut, dhe duke mbajtur programe zhvillimi dhe edukative. ### -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From vsherifi at naac.org Tue Feb 17 19:59:04 2004 From: vsherifi at naac.org (Valbona Sherifi) Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 00:59:04 -0000 Subject: [Prishtina-E] English/Albanian: NAAC Seminar Provides Business Tips to Current Would-Be Entrepreneurs Message-ID: <000001c3f5ba$562f04b0$6d01010a@VALBONA> National Albanian American Council 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org For Release: February 17, 2004 Contact: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 PRESS RELEASE NAAC Seminar Provides Business Tips to Current Would-Be Entrepreneurs Washington, DC, February 17, 2003: The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) issued the following statement regarding the business seminar it hosted recently in Ridgewood (Queens). An Albanian version of this statement is available at the end of this text. The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) in partnership with the Business Outreach (BOC) Network hosted last Saturday in Queens a free seminar to assist current and would-be Albanian entrepreneurs of special immigration status in entering mainstream America and succeeding in a free market economy. Held at Rozafa Social Club in Ridgewood, home to Queens? most vibrant Albanian-American community, the February 14 workshop featured NAAC representatives and professionals who impressed upon the participants various important aspects of free enterprise including market research, business insurance, strategic planning, financing, etc. Isejn Marku of the Law Offices of Isejn Marku, who was also the main speaker of the event, provided a thorough analysis of a wide-range of business types including Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Company and ?C? and ?S? Corporations. A member of NAAC?s Board of Trustees, Mr. Marku explained the "pro's" and "con's" of the above-listed business structures. He emphasized the need of doing things legally, especially with regards to contracts; registering, licensing, and permits; control; multi-state business; strict conformity; capital; variety of entities; autonomy; tax; and liability. Seminar attendees also had a chance to learn about the Individual Development Account, a federal program that encourages refugees and political asylees to build assets and enter the financial mainstream by rewarding their monthly savings with matching funds. For every dollar saved, the IDA Program gives participants two dollars for a maximum matching fund of $4,000. The recent seminar was part of the free assistance that NAAC and BOC Network are offering to New York?s Albanian community as part of the Refugee Microenterprise Development Project, which is funded by the Office for Refugee Resettlement with the aim of lending a helping hand to New York?s refugees and political asylees in pursuit of financial independence. The free services offered by NAAC and BOC Network include pre-loan and post-loan technical assistance, workshops and training, business start-up/expansion assistance, access to financing, business plan development, grant for low-income entrepreneurs, management assistance, access to legal assistance, market research/strategies, licensing and permit information. The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs. The Business Outreach Center (BOC) Network is a micro-enterprise/small business development organization with over a decade-long record of delivering customized business services to under-served entrepreneurs in New York City and, more recently, in Newark, New Jersey, as well as capacity-building services to organizations establishing and operating community and micro-enterprise development programs. ### K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan 2021 L Street, N.W., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 481 8th Avenue, Suite 922, New York, NY 10001 Brigada e Krajishtes, No. 8, 38000 Prishtina, Kosova Telephone: (202) 466-6900 Fax: (202) 466-5593 Web: www.naac.org Email: naac at naac.org __________________________________________________________ P?r Shtyp: 17 shkurt 2004 Kontakt: Valbona Sherifi (202) 466-6900 DEKLARAT? P?R SHTYP Seminari i KKSHA-s? ndihmon biznesmen?t refugjat? dhe azilant? Washington, DC, 17 shkurt 2003: K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) l?shoi k?t? deklarat? p?r shtyp n? lidhje me seminarin e biznesit q? mbajti koh?t e fundit n? Ridgewood (Queens). K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA/NAAC) n? partneritet me Qendr?n e Rrjetit t? Biznesit mbajti t? shtun?n e shkuar n? Queens nj? seminar p?r t?u ndihmuar biznesmen?ve shqiptar? me status t? ve?ant? emigracioni t? cil?t duan t? futen me sukses n? rrjedh?n e ekonomis? s? tregut. N? seminarin e zhvilluar m? 14 shkurt n? Ridgewood, nj? prej qendrave m? vibrante t? komunitetit shqiptar n? Queens, mor?n pjes? p?rfaq?sues t? KKSHA-s? dhe profesionist? nga fusha e ligjit t? cil?t u n?nvizuan pjes?marr?sve disa prej aspekteve m? t? r?nd?sishm? t? biznesit privat, si hulumtimin e tregut, siguracionin e biznesit, planifikimin strategjik, financimin, etj. Avokati Isejn Marku nga firma ?Zyrat Ligjore t? Isejn Markut?, i cili ishte edhe panelisti kryesor i aktivitetit, b?ri nj? analiz? t? detajuar t? nj? s?r? llojesh strukturash ligjore t? biznesit, nga Partneriteti i P?rgjithsh?m deri tek Kompania me P?rgjegj?si t? Kufizuar dhe Korporatat ?C? dhe ?S?. Z. Marku q? nj?koh?sisht ?sht? edhe an?tar i Bordit Drejtues t? KKSHA-s? shpjegoi an?t pozitive dhe negative t? secil?s struktur? ligjore t? biznesit. Ai theksoi r?nd?sin? e t? vepruarit n? m?nyr? ligjore, sidomos p?rsa i p?rket kontratave, licesnimit, ngritjes s? kapitalit, taksave, p?rgjegj?sive t? ndryshme, etj. Pjes?marr?sit pat?n mund?sin? q? t? m?sojn? edhe p?r programin e "Llogarive t? Zhvillimit Individual", q? KKSHA-ja po ia ofron refugjat?ve dhe azilant?ve politik? shqiptar? n? bashk?punim me Qendr?n e Rrjetit t? Biznesit. Duke synuar q? t? ndihmoj? refugjat?t dhe azilant?t politik? q? t? arrijn? q?llimet e tyre financiare nd?rkoh? q? ata nisin ?ndrr?n e tyre amerikane, programi n? fjal? i nxit pjes?marr?sit q? t? nd?rtojn? pronat e tyre dhe t? futen n? rrym?n financiare duke i shp?rblyer kursimet mujore t? tyre me fonde shtes?. P?r ?do dollar q? individi pjes?marr?s kursen, programi i "Llogarive t? Zhvillimit Individual" i jep atij dy dollar? p?r nj? maksimum prej $4,000 shtes?. Pra, n?se ju kurseni $2,000 dollar?, programi i "Llogarive t? Zhvillimit Individual" do t'ju jap? $4,000 falas. Seminari q? u mbajt n? Ridgewood ishte pjes? e nj? s?r? sh?rbimesh q? KKSHA-ja po i ofron komunitetit shqiptar t? New York-ut n? kuad?r t? Projektit t? Zhvillimit t? Biznesit t? Refugjatit (Refugee Microenterprise Development Project), q? synon t? ndihmoj? refugjat?t dhe azilant?t politik? n? arritjen e pavar?sis? financiare. Sh?rbimet falas q? KKSHA-ja ofron s? bashku me Qendr?n e Rrjetit t? Biznesit n? kuad?r t? programit n? fjal? p?rfshijn?: asistenc? teknike n? marrjen e kredis bankare, seminaret p?rgatitore, asistenc?n n? hapjen dhe ngritjen e biznesit, ndihm?n n? menaxhimin e biznesit, ndihm? legale, hulumtim t? tregut dhe strategjis? s? investimit, si dhe informimin n? lidhje me pajisje me licens? dhe leje biznesi. K?shilli Komb?tar Shqiptaro Amerikan (KKSHA) ?sht? nj? organizat? jo-p?rfituese dhe jo qeveritare e dedikuar ndaj advokimit t? c?shtjeve shqiptare, promovimit t? paqes dhe zhvillimit ekonomik n? Ballkan p?r t? forcuar politikat demokratike, p?r t? inkurajuar respektin p?r t? drejtat e njeriut, dhe duke mbajtur programe zhvillimi dhe edukative. ### -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- [ The following attachment was DELETED when this message was saved: ] [ A Application/PDF (Name="Ridgewood Seminar Feb 14.pdf") segment of a ] -------------- next part -------------- [ The following attachment was DELETED when this message was saved: ] [ A Application/PDF (Name="Ridgewood Seminar Feb 14 - Albanian.pdf") s ]