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South-East European (S.E.E.) Up-Date
Albania
April 2000
UN/UNDP What's New?
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Following the success of the UNDP / UNDDA Weapons in Exchange for
Development Pilot Project in the district of Gramsh, the project has been extended to
the districts of Elbasan and Dibra. At a ceremony held in the city of Elbasan to mark the
opening day of the program, the American Ambassador to Albania, Mr. Joseph
Limprecht, announced U.S. support for the initiative, through USAID, of US$1 million. The
governments of Sweden, Norway and Denmark are providing additional support for the
extension of the project bringing total funding to US$2.5 million. Also present at the
day’s events were the President of the Republic Mr. Rexhep Meidani and UNDP Resident
Representative Mr. Jan Wahlberg. The message of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures
through disarmament/ increased public order was stressed in speeches at a press
conference.
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Events in support of Earth Day in Albania, Saturday 22 April,
were funded by the UNDP / GEF Small Grants Programme. Activities included events for both
adults and children in Tirana, and in the historic city of Kruja, addressing the very
pressing concern of environmental degradation in Albania. A music video showing scenes of
Albania’s devastated natural environment was also produced and aired on several
television stations throughout the country.
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The new Resident Representative for the World Bank, Mr. Eugen
Scantee, has assumed his duties in Tirana.
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Political/Economic/Social Developments
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Invited by the European Parliamentarian Assembly, the Albanian Prime
Minister, Ilir Meta, made a three day visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Attending the special parliamentarian session, Mr. Meta took questions from
parliamentarians and met with senior personalities of the Council of Europe. On behalf of
the Albanian Government, Mr. Meta signed the European Convention of Local Autonomy,
the Civil Convention against Corruption and "Protocol 6" which
scraps capital punishment in the Republic of Albania.
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Albanian Foreign Minister, Paskal Milo, met with Montenegro
Foreign Minister, Branko Lukovac in Podgorica. This is the first meeting between the two
governments for new bilateral cooperation. A memorandum of understanding and protocol of
cooperation were signed.
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Leaders and representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary,
Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro, the European Union and the Council of
Europe attended the interregional conference on "Albanians and their Neighbors in
the New Millennium", organized by the US Institute "Projects on Ethnic
Relations". Stability in Albania and Kosovo, the rights of the minorities in the
region and regional economic development were the main topics of the meeting.
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NATO Supreme Commander, General Wesley Clark, received the top
award "Skenderbeg" from Albanian President, Rexhep Meidani. "We will
continue to be in Kosovo to protect all its inhabitants" Gen. Clark said during the
ceremony.
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The Council of Tourism Development Policies met to analyze the
investment requests in Albanian tourist areas. The requirement for tourism development is
nearly 85 million dollars. These investments are planned mainly for the coastal areas. The
total value of the investments passed, completed, and under consideration in the Tourism
Development Committee is some 550-600 million dollars.
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The Albanian Film Festival was held in Tirana from 25-27
April. A number of movies produced in the last decade were included. For the first time
the Festival also welcomed film producers from regional countries. The film "Colonel
Bunker" (1996), an Albanian-Polish-French co-production written and directed by
acclaimed Albanian filmmaker Kujtim Çashku, won the Festival’s Cup.
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*Information sources include ATA (Albanian Telegraphic Agency), and Albanian Daily
News.
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