The UNDP Electoral Assistance Project has provided the computerized register of the Albanian voters for the local government elections. In addition, a voter's identification card was produced to ensure transparent, free and fair elections. The voters' register and the voter's identification card will be used for six future electoral processes. It was achieved in close cooperation with OSCE and IFES, as well due to the financial support from the governments of Denmark, UK, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.

The UNDP/UNOPS "Promotion of the Social and Economic Status of Women in Albania" organized a conference to make public the results achieved under this project. The implementation of this project included assistance given for the preparation of the structure for Committee Woman and Family, its staff training, and networking with Eastern and Western countries. The project has provided grants for local NGOs for the implementation of approximately 70 small pilot project in eleven prefectures all over the country, in sectors such as health, education, poverty alleviation, legal issues etc.

Albania is confronting significant threats to the environment and the limited resources for public health. In order to access the environmental problematic spots, especially those caused by the Kosovo emergency, and to put the government institutional capacities to address issues on environment, an assessment field mission of UNEP was performed in Albania. With the support of the National Environmental Agency, the mission visited sites in Fier, Patos, Elbasan, Durrës, Vlorë, Ballsh, Laç and other very damaged areas. The assessments will contribute to the reconstruction of the regional environment, in the framework of the Stability Pact.

The UNFPA office in Tirana launched the report "The State of the World Population 2000" in a round-table organized with media journalists, aiming to bring to the public's attention issues related to the gender equality and the reproductive health care.

The UNDP Albania website has moved to: www.al.undp.org

In order to allow for subsequent verification and corrections till 18 September, Central Electoral Commission (CEC) published on 27^th August the lists of registered voters, prepared by the Electoral Assistance Project (UNDP and Albanian Government).

For the first time, Albanian voters are equipped with voter's identification card by the support of the Electoral Assistance Project (UNDP and Albanian Government).

Local government election commissions in 307 communes and 65 municipalities received all facilities for the electoral process, including the ballot boxes and ballot papers, list of registered voters and necessary stationaries.

More than 250 international observers (OSCE, CoE, ODIHR, etc.) arrived in Albania to monitor the electoral process in all prefectures and the most of communes in Albania in the day of elections. A monitoring report will be presented shortly after the election.

The role of the parliaments in implementation of the Stability Pact was discussed in the Summit of Zagreb, Croatia. Among 38 parliamentarian delegations, the Albanian Parliament was presented in this conference by the chairperson of the Provisional Parliamentary Commission for the Stability Pact, Fatos Nano and the Head of the round-table for Democracy, Kozara Kati.

The Albanian President, Rexhep Mejdani, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paskal Milo, led the Albanian Delegation to the 55^th UN General Assembly - Millennium Summit in New York. The Foreign Ministers of the countries of South Eastern Europe met with U.S. Secretary of State, Mrs. Albright, in a separate meeting to discuss and exchange views in a better cooperation in implementing the Stability Pact in the region. The Albanian Delegation met also with representatives from delegations of China, U.S., Luxembourg, U.K., Spain, France, Germany, Montenegro, Macedonia, Sweden, Swiss Confederation, Italy, etc.

Minister of Public Economy and Privatisation, Mustafa Muçi, the Minister of Transport, Sokol Nako, and the Minister of Economic Cooperation and Trade, Ermelinda Meksi, attended the international conference on Transport and Energy for South-East Europe, organized by U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) in Philadelphia. The Albanian Electric Power Co-operation (AEC) will benefit a grant of US$ 400,000 to prepare a feasibility study on the power network. Another grant of US$ 288,856 was given to assist a feasibility study of the air transport system in Albania.

In the light of the Albanian Government efforts to improve road infrastructure in Albania, the Prime Minister, Ilir Meta, attended the inauguration of the new road segment (37 km. long) Fushe Krujë-Milot-Lezhë, as a part of the Corridor North-South. The project is financed by World Bank.

Over 900,000 tourists spent their holidays in Albania during this year. Tourists from Kosovo and Macedonia, as well as Albanian emigrations have chosen the potential Albanian tourist resorts (mainly coastal area and lake of Ohrid). According to the National Tourism Committee, future improvements in the infrastructure and services would ensure an increase up to 1.2 million tourists for the next year.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was opened in Tirana in order to facilitate the establishment of foreign investments, to provide information on the country developments and to assist in establishing new businesses in Albania.

Southern town of Gjrokastra welcomed about 800 artists from all around Albania and more than 1000 invitees in hosting one the most important cultural events of the year, the National Folk Festival. The stage of the Festival was build at the Argjiro fortress, in Gjirokastra from 20-25 September. The festival was a great demonstration of the national folk and the tradition of Albanian Culture throughout the centuries.