By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Eight
Memorie.al / Exactly 36 years ago, in the last week of September 1990, the head of communist Albania at the time, Ramiz Alia – who held the positions of Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the AWP (Albanian Workers’ Party), and also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania – at the head of a large delegation, set off to participate in the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Ramiz Alia’s participation in the 45th UN session echoed widely at the time, not only within the country but also in the international arena, as it was the first time that one of the top leaders of communist Albania participated in the proceedings of the UN Assembly -something that had not happened since 1961, when official Tirana was represented at that high forum of world politics and diplomacy by the then-Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu.
Even though 36 years have passed since that time, it still remains shrouded in mystery, because apart from some testimonies of members of that delegation (the memoirs of Reiz Malile or Lisen Bashkurti), as well as very few archival documents published in the press, nothing else is known about the visit of the then-head of the Albanian state, Ramiz Alia, to the 45th session of the United Nations Organization in New York, which carried out its work for about three weeks in a row, until mid-October 1990.
Such as: When did the preparation and drafting of the relevant protocol for the participation of the Albanian delegation in that high forum of world politics begin? Who were the other members of the delegation that accompanied Ramiz Alia on that long journey across the Atlantic and what functions did they hold? How many people did the auxiliary staff accompanying the Albanian delegation consist of, and who were they? When did the preparation begin and what did the program of visits and meetings of Ramiz Alia contain during the entire period they would stay in the USA? Was that entire program carried out according to the relevant protocol, and who were the heads of foreign delegations that Ramiz Alia met during all the days of his stay in the USA, and what did he discuss with them? Who were the Albanians of the “old diaspora” whom the head of communist Albania met during that visit, what was discussed in those meetings, and were there any incidents with the “reactionary Albanian diaspora” that fled Albania after 1945? Who organized the reception given by Ramiz Alia to his compatriots in Boston, who were some of the exponents of the Albanian diaspora who attended there, and how did that meeting go?
What was the itinerary of the Albanian delegation’s journey from Tirana to the USA, why were they divided into several groups, and what were the reasons for staying a night in Switzerland? Why were Arben Alia, the son of head of state Ramiz Alia, also part of the Albanian delegation, and how was his participation as part of the delegation in question “justified”? How many and what gifts did the Albanian delegation led by Ramiz Alia take with them, and to whom were they given in Switzerland and the USA? Why was the “Plaza” Hotel (owned by the current US President, Donald Trump) designated for the accommodation of Ramiz Alia and some other members of that delegation? How much did that entire visit cost financially, why were additional funds added while the delegation was in the USA, and how were those expenses justified?
Why did the staff of Albanian diplomats serving at the UN Mission take care to provide Ramiz Alia with an exact floor plan of the hall where the 45th UN session would be held, also designating the seat where the chief representative of the delegation of the Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia would sit?! Who were the two bodyguards (the doctor and the driver) who accompanied Ramiz Alia throughout that visit, and how was it made possible for them to travel on the plane with weapons and ammunition with them? Who were the members of the Albanian Radio-Television filming crew who accompanied the delegation and what tasks were assigned to them? Regarding these and other matters, archival documents extracted from the Central State Archive (the fund of the former Central Committee of the AWP) acquaint us, published for the first time along with their respective facsimiles from Memorie.al.
Continued from the previous issue
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT CONTAINING THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE HEAD OF THE ALBANIAN STATE, RAMIZ ALIA, AND THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF CHINA, QIAN QICHEN, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 28, 1990
IN RELATIONS BETWEEN ALBANIA AND CHINA, WAYS OF RECIPROCAL COOPERATION SHOULD BE FOUND TO BEST RESPOND TO THE INTERESTS OF OUR TWO PEOPLES
On September 28, 1990, the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Comrade Ramiz Alia, received at the “Plaza” Hotel in New York the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Qian Qichen, with whom he held the following conversation:
Comrade Ramiz Alia: Welcome! I am very glad to meet you.
Qian Qichen: Thank you very much! Today I heard your excellent speech, a very comprehensive and sensible speech. Immediately after you, I also delivered my speech.
Comrade Ramiz Alia: I believe it was very good. I haven’t read it, but I will read it. I am very glad that we got to know each other, and on this occasion I wish to express feelings of friendship to you. I believe that relations between our two countries will continue to develop, because this is in the interest of our two countries, our two peoples, peace, friendship, and socialism.
We have cooperative relations in various fields – economic, political, etc. – but there is always room to develop them further. There is also a good tradition between us that makes it easier for your people and ours to get to know one another. In the economic field, we can say that the problems we have in Albania, you also have in China.
So, Albanians and Chinese get to know each other through these problems as well. If we speak about the Metallurgical Combine, it was built in cooperation with China. Therefore, the Chinese know it very well, so there is no need for me to speak at length about it. On this occasion, I wanted to emphasize that reciprocal relations can be developed even more between us. I believe you agree as well.
Qian Qichen: Mr. President, I completely agree with you. Often the paths are winding. This is explained by various reasons, but the most important thing is to move forward. That is, for the revolution to go forward. In these recent years, relations between us have developed on a new basis. The Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both our countries have exchanged visits.
Also, in recent years, economic relations have developed as well. China has embarked on reconstructions and changes. I have noticed that some political adjustments are also being made on Albania’s part. We are of the opinion to strengthen bilateral relations between our two countries. Today at noon I had an invitation from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Pérez de Cuéllar, at the meeting with the representatives of the Security Council.
He spoke to me about the visit he made to Albania. During his stay in your country, he was also received by you and was very satisfied. He also told me that he is very happy to have received for the first time an Albanian head of state who spoke at the UN. We are of the opinion to strengthen bilateral relations between our two countries.
Comrade Ramiz Alia: That is correct, we know each other, but the more we get to know each other, the better it will be. In the relations between our two countries there have been ups and downs, but it is important to look forward, to find ways of reciprocal cooperation in order to best respond to the interests of our two peoples.
Currently, great pressures are being made against socialism, it has become fashionable to attack socialism, and it has even become a hobby. But we think that socialism, the socialist ideal, must be defended. Both China and Albania must defend it.
The paths may be different, many things may be different for us, but we must not lose the “north”, the compass must always point “north” – this is fundamental. I think that both sides must always be in search of developing relations between the two countries.
Qian Qichen: Regarding the UN, as for China’s admission to it, I want to say that Albania and Algeria have made a great contribution.
Comrade Ramiz Alia: Yes, you thanked us very much at that time.
Qian Qichen: Despite the severance and interruption that our relations have experienced, they will develop further in the political, economic, and other fields. We also know that national circumstances are different, but the socialist ideal must not be denied. We say, for example, that in China, socialism is built with Chinese colors.
European countries have their peculiarities, and Asian countries similarly have their specifics. However, for us, the socialist orientation must never be forgotten. We know that Albania in the Balkans develops good relations with its neighbors, and China does likewise with the countries surrounding it.
Comrade Ramiz Alia: That is so, you are right. Our policy is inspired by friendly relations with the countries around us and with other countries in the world. Albania has no interest in quarreling with its neighbors. Our interest is to have a peaceful Balkans. We walk on our path of development. In our development, we always keep in mind what must be achieved, how we must proceed.
There is no doubt that on this road there are also difficulties, difficulties that are even of an external character precisely because of those pressures I spoke of earlier, which sometimes go to extremes, but there are also difficulties of an economic character within the country, because there is a need for a technical and technological renewal in the country.
All the more so for a small country like Albania. There are undoubtedly difficulties of an economic character. Bearing in mind this ensemble of problems, we try to take adequate measures to best respond to demands of an economic character, without losing the “north”. How is Comrade Deng Xiaoping? He is an old friend of mine. We have met several times together. We have spoken very amicably.
Qian Qichen: He is very well, he is elderly.
Comrade Ramiz Alia: What about Comrade Ji Pengfei (?) [Note: transcribed in Albanian as Ja Shao Kun].
Qian Qichen: Very well. Nevertheless, given his age, he is in shape.
Comrade Ramiz Alia: Give him my very best regards and greetings.
Qian Qichen: I will convey your greetings. I wanted to thank you once again for meeting me and presenting me with all this data regarding the development in Albania and its foreign policy.
Thank you very much and I wish you all the best!
Comrade Ramiz Alia: I thank you as well. / Memorie.al
(Taken from shorthand transcripts)
Continued in the next issue
