Dashnor Kaloçi
Memoria.al publishes some archival documents labeled “secret”, extracted from the Central State Archive in Tirana (the fund of the former PPSh Central Committee), which belong to the year 1972 and are part of a file where there is a long correspondence, between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, the Albanian embassy in Beijing and the Foreign Relations sector at the apparatus of the Central Committee of the PPSh, (with letters, reports, instructions, information, announcements, relations, etc.), related to the work and problems that had arisen at the Albanian diplomatic mission in Beijing. The full report-information of the head of the Sector of Foreign Relations of the Central Committee of PPSh, Piro Bita and the Albanian ambassador in Beijing, Xorxhi Robo, regarding the conflict between two employees of that diplomatic representation, the economic advisor Kleo Bezhani and the secretary of to the basic organization of the party, Neço Konomi, where, among other things, it is said: “Kleo made remarks to Neço and told him to complete them. In the conversation held in Kleo’s office, Neçua objected to making these remarks and told him that these are bureaucratic and I should not make them. Here, the irritation begins. Cleo told him that you should do it. Kleo claims that he told him, that the way you made these materials, they are a mess, while Neço claims that he told him: haughty and conceited.
The document with the report-information drawn up by the Albanian ambassador in Beijing, Xorxhi Robo, sent to the head of the Foreign Relations sector at the PPSh Central Committee apparatus, Piro Bita, regarding the conflict between two officials of that diplomatic representation, Kleo Bezhani and Necho Konomi
Beijing, 10.5.1972
Comrade Piro Bita
Tirana
We are informing you about a fight that happened between friends, Kleo Bezhani, Economic Advisor and sh. Neço Konomi, secretary of the organization. The quarrel happened while I was on an excursion, when I returned, I started to investigate.
How did the event happen? You will be the meeting of the trade representation to analyze the tasks of the first quarter. Cleo, as responsible, asked for information from all the friends of the facilities, including Neço. The other friends gave him as he asked, while Neçua in general.
Cleo also warned Neço and told him to complete them. In the conversation held in Kleo’s office, Neçua objected to making these remarks and told him that these are bureaucratic and I should not make them. Here, the irritation begins. Cleo told him that you should do it.
Kleo claims that he told him that, the way you made these materials, they are a mess, while Neço claims that he told him: haughty and conceited. Neçua, not restraining himself, in a harsh and angry manner, told him: haughty, masks, lazy, etc.
Cleo told him to go out and he left and went to his office where Gëzim Lika and Reiz Xhelili are. In Cleo’s office, there was also a discussion about some work data that Neçua had not given to Gëzim Lika. Neçua, upon returning to the office, asks Gezimi about these and Gezimi tells him that you didn’t give them to me. At this time, Cleo also arrives. And so the biggest fight happens.
Neçua, furious, loudly, without restraining himself, says bad words to him again, adding the words provocateur, blackguard and harlequin. Even, it was a risk to be beaten. Cleo, keep your cool and just tell him: you are arrogant and conceited. Sh. Spiro Rrusha, who has the office downstairs, goes upstairs, intervenes and stops the fight. This is the whole event.
I, upon returning, began to investigate. I talked to Spiro, Gezimi, Reizi, Kleo and Neço, separately. From the investigation, what has been said above emerges. Comrades Gëzim and Reiz say that we don’t know what was done in Kleo’s office, I only heard the words in very high tones and for the occupation that was done in their presence, and they say that it is ugly.
They say that Neçua was restrained and said those insulting words that were said above and there was a risk of being beaten. Spiro says that: even when he went up to the room to stop the fight, Neço was intemperate. I also made Cleo’s confrontation with Neço, where Spirua was also. In general, it is what I described above.
He moved on, made some self-criticism, and apologized to Cleo, but he still hasn’t shown himself properly. I asked them if they have collected and old things, Kleo says that on some occasions that Neço may have been affected, that he criticized him, demanded accountability, etc. Neço says that the fight is accidental. We think that this may not be the case, that such a large explosion is not understood.
We have not finished this matter yet, we will raise it with the Bureau and the basic organization. When I come to Tirana, I will inform you about the meeting of the Bureau and the basic organization and we will talk.
We have taken measures so that the work in their sector continues normally, and it continues, but still, we will be careful.
I inform you that both are sick. Neço stayed for almost two months in the hospital and Kleo was admitted to the hospital yesterday.
I am also informing my friends Nesti Nase and Kiço Ngjela about this.
Greetings
George Robo
The document with the report-information drawn up by the Foreign Relations sector at the apparatus of the Central Committee of the PPSh, regarding the event that happened at the Albanian embassy in Beijing and the ongoing problems that existed in the basic party organization of that diplomatic representation
I N F O R M A T I O N
ON SOME PROBLEMS ARISING IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BEIJING PARTY
From the study of the five minutes of the meetings of the Party Organization, the summary information of the secretary of the organization, and the letter sent by comrade Xhoxhi Robo, it results that: in general, the basic organization has tried and worked well, dealing with those problems that have worried him and the representative office, but we notice that some issues emerge that deserve attention.
1 – As emphasized in the materials sent here and there, there were hesitations in recognizing the leading role of the organization in all the work activity at the embassy. This is justified by the fact that in the embassy, there is a specific job and that the organization should deal only with the issue of education. And the account for the work done cannot be given to any other than the department where each employee depends.
These opinions have been expressed by some comrades, even with responsibilities in the political and military sector, such as: Jovan Andoni and Avni Hakani. The organization has criticized these concepts, and according to them, there have been improvements recently, but we think that it should not be enough. Better than before, the grassroots organization must do a convincing job of creating new concepts for its role in the whole daily activity of every communist.
2 – Here and there, frictions and quarrels between some communists are noticed. In the meeting of December 1971, as it appears from the protocol, there was friction between some of the discussants about each of them getting the interpreter for their own needs (not why you get it, and I don’t get it when I need it, etc. .).
Comrade Xhoxhi, in the letter he sent us, announces about a fight that happened recently between comrades Kleo Bezhani, economic advisor and Neço Konomi, secretary of the organization. There was going to be a meeting of the commercial representation to analyze the tasks of the first quarter, Kleo, as responsible, asked everyone between them and Neço for data.
The other friends gave him what he asked for, while Neço gave him some general things. Cleo warned him and told him to complete it. Neço objected, saying that these are bureaucratic matters, so I will not implement the remarks. This is where the irritation started.
During it, not restraining himself, Neço told Kleos “stupid, masks, lazy”, etc. The fight continued in Neço’s office, in the presence of the other two employees, where Neço spoke harshly to Cleo, calling her a provocateur.
According to friends who were there, there was a risk that they would be physically confronted. Cleo keeps her cool, telling Neço, only arrogant and quarrelsome. The fight stopped only with the intervention of friend Spiro Rusha. Friend Xhoxhi, in the presence of Spiros, confronts Cleo with Neço.
In general, the same things that we mentioned above come out. Neço did some self-criticism and apologized to Cleo, but according to his friend Xhoxhi, he didn’t go deep enough. Kleo says that Neço may have been affected because he has criticized him several times and demanded accountability.
Neço says that the fight is accidental. Comrade Xhoxhi says that this quarrel is not a coincidence, since this sudden explosion cannot be explained. As we were notified by radiogram, the organization meeting was held and the dispute was examined.
At the meeting, the same things that were said in the letter came out. The organization charged comrade Neço Konomi with serious guilt, as well as dismissed him from the position of secretary of the organization’s office. We think that the organization’s decision is right.
3 – The issue of acquiring foreign languages also emerges from the protocols. In the analysis made by the basic organization, the realization of the tasks in the Trade sector, it is positive that they stop at the analysis of the flaws and the reflections of the tasks in the future.
It is emphasized, the insufficient ability of the employees of our embassy in Beijing, to respond in time to various requests. There are cases that for the orders that are placed and contracted, their cancellation is requested later.
This creates difficulties for your Chinese friends. Therefore, there are thoughts that before the plans are sent, they are carefully looked at so that those things that are not needed are removed in time.
There are also other remarks about technical-scientific cooperation, for making additional requests, for sending many sick specialists, and other defects for Trade bodies and other institutions, which we talked about in the previous information.
At the meeting of the organization, among others, the issue of foreign language, especially Chinese, was discussed. But as I have talked with some friends, there are no results in this matter. So it turns out that this problem is posed only formally.
Of course, in addition to old and sick fellows who cannot learn Chinese, there are other promising young people who can learn it through courses and individual efforts.
Therefore, in order to combat formalism, we think that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should determine for each employee who must learn a foreign language, at a certain time. And on this basis, the organization and the holder must give an account.
4 – From what we know of the situation and the data we have, it turns out that in this representation, there are some elderly friends who are also sick. Also, from the study of the materials sent here and there, it appears that among some of them who, before going to the embassy, were in positions of responsibility, there is a tendency to be lazy, everyone tries to give directions, command, etc. .
This transience is manifested in the discussions developed and in the issues discussed above, in the abnormal relations with each other, etc. Based on these, we think that the staff of the embassy should be reviewed, and in the first place, those who work in the economic sector.
For these problems, as well as some other remarks that we have from the first information, we think of writing a letter to draw the attention of the organization and all communists to take the appropriate measures to improve the work in the future. Memorie.al
Foreign Sector
20.5.1972
