WITHOUT free elections and reconciliation, Albania will be unable to achieve the social stability necessary to make an effective economic recovery.
That was the thrust of the conclusions arrived at by a one day international meeting on Albania held in Rome yesterday. It was attended by the Albanian Prime Minister, Mr Baskhim Fino, the Italian Foreign Minister, Mr Lamberto Dini, the former Austrian chancellor, Mr Franz Vranitzky, mediator on behalf of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as by senior diplomats from the EU, the US, the United Nations, and representatives of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Albania was plunged into chaos last March by the collapse of pyramid banking schemes, a collapse which sparked off a spontaneous and anarchic uprising mainly directed at the President, Mr Sali Berisha. In response to that collapse, an Italian led 6,000 strong multinational force has been in Albania since last month, attempting to guarantee law and order and oversee the peaceful distribution of relief aid.
The purpose of yesterday's meeting was to prepare the terrain for a further international conference on Albania due to be held in Rome on June 18th, by way of final preparations for the elections scheduled for June 29th. The message put to Albania and its feuding politicians was that, without free and fair elections, the international aid essential for economic recovery would not arrive.
The participants concluded: "The international community's ability to assist Albania depends largely on full collaboration between Albanian authorities in reestablishing internal security, in guaranteeing the integrity of the electoral process and in carrying out the initial steps necessary to put the Albanian economy back on a sound footing."
The meeting expressed support for the present interim government led by Mr Fino, which was reminded of its responsibilities in assuring the impartial runoff of the June 29th elections.
This call comes at the end of a difficult period which has seen the nine party national government involved in bitter dispute with Mr Berisha. The dispute has gone on against the background of continual violence, despite the presence of the multinational force.
On Sunday, the President rejected a cabinet call for the lifting of a curfew prior to next month's elections, a point seemingly touched on by the Prime Minister at the end of yesterday's meeting. Mr Fino said: "The continuing activity of the Albanian police and secret service represents a great obstacle in the path of free and fair elections."
Speaking on the margin of the meeting, Mr Vranitsky complained that only 10 countries were directly involved in relief operations in Albania.