ROME - Italy faced embarrassment yesterday over its in Albania on the eve of an international meeting that is meant to boost efforts to haul the Balkan state back to law and order and smooth the path to democratic elections.
With senior diplomats heading to Rome for talks, newspaper reports said the Italian ambassador to Tirana, Mr Paolo Foresti, would be replaced following allegations that he was biased in favour of Albania's embattled President Sali Berisha.
The allegations, denied by Mr Foresti, were made last week by the Albanian opposition newspaper Independent which carried a purported transcript of a telephone conversation between Mr Foresti and the chairman of Mr Berisha's Democratic Party, Mr Tritan Shehu.
In the published exchange, which Mr Foresti says is fabricated, the envoy appears to try to undermine the role of the European mediator, Mr Franz Vranitzky, and to offer to help broker a deal with the Albanian opposition in Mr Berisha's favour.