THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, FEBRUARY 16-22, 2008)

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SUBJECT: THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, FEBRUARY 16-22, 2008)



1. (U) The following is a weekly report prepared by Embassy
Tirana's local staff to provide political and economic context and
insight into developments in Albania.

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POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
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2. (U) Love is in the Air: After weeks of bipartisan deliberation,
the Albanian Parliament overwhelmingly passed this week the justice
reform law, a key benchmark on the road to NATO membership. The
Albanian justice system suffers from a low approval rating and these
reforms are designed to both improve judicial performance and boost
confidence in the system among the citizenry. New measures include:
a pay raise for judges based on seniority; detailed regulations for
dismissal of judges; and measures to improve court administration.
At the beginning of the year, the opposition and ruling coalitions
expressed their firm commitment to work together to pass reforms
necessary for the country's integration into NATO, and it is hoped
that the Allies will consider this measure to be progress toward
that goal.


3. (U) Albanians Ecstatic Over Kosovo's Independence: Everything
came to a halt last week when Kosovo declared independence.
Thousands took to the streets in a spontaneous outpouring of joy or
followed events on television from home or from bars and
restaurants. Tirana's main boulevard was closed to traffic and
lined with Albanian flags. Albanian journalists assigned to cover
events in Pristina struggled to maintain an objective stance,
sometimes becoming celebrators rather than reporters. The festive
mood spread throughout the country with rallies in Vlore, Shkoder,
Elbasan and Korce. The prevailing feeling was of a historic moment,
something citizens never expected to materialize in their lifetime,
and a general sense of relief that Kosovars would now have a chance
to decide their own future. Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare best
captured the mood when he said, "Anything we say is pale. The tongue
sometimes has not been trained for such rare events."


4. (U) Albanian authorities and politicians maintained a low
profile throughout the weekend. With no government sponsored
events, Prime Minister Berisha called for dignified celebration in a
televised address from his office. Albanian MPs and ministers
gathered in Parliament to follow events as they unfolded. All had
agreed to stay in Tirana, and Berisha responded to inquiries with
this: "You have rightly asked why official Tirana is not in
Pristina. Every Albanian would agree that this could not be a
celebration between Kosovo and Albania," but instead a celebration
for Kosovo on its own, with its friends and allies in support.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
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5. (U) Kosovo-Albania Trade Relations: Kosovo is already an
important regional trade partner for Albania. A Free Trade
Agreement that entered into force in October 2003 has significantly
enhanced cross-border trade in a wide range of products in a
positive, upward trend. In 2007, exports to Kosovo amounted in $51
million and imports were $23 million, both almost double that of

2006. Kosovo is the destination of almost half of Albania's regional
exports, including agricultural products, metals and minerals.


6. (U) Kosovo is the only country with which Albania enjoys a
positive trade balance. Although inadequate infrastructure keeps
the two from realizing their bilateral potential, the completion of
the Durres-Kukes road is expected to open a new chapter in economic
ties and increase opportunities, better integrating the two markets.


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Quote of the Week
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7. (U) Excerpts from Prime Minister Berisha's remarks to a group of
young Democratic Party members on February 16: "The Kosovars spilled
rivers of blood so Albania could become independent. Now that Kosovo
will become independent, a history of colonial rule comes to an end,
and a new chapter of peace, stability and integration opens up. An
opportunity for a new chapter in Serb-Albanian relations also opens
up, which in spite of their burdened past can now focus on the
future."

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THIS WEEK IN ALBANIAN CULTURE
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8. (U) It is Not What you Wear, But How You Wear It!: As you walk
down the streets of "The Block," the most fashionable section of

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Tirana, you begin to wonder whether you are in a developing country
after all. Expensive cars and stylish clothes are misleading at
first - upon closer inspection they are not so much expensive as
flamboyant. While fashion trends follow Western styles, their
adaptation in the country can be interesting. Professional European
women usually lean toward casual and practical elegance, but
Albanian females seem to have lost sight of practicality, often
sighted in stiletto heels across the rugged cobblestones of
Skanderbeg Square or along the distressed and potholed sidewalks of
their city. For the average young woman, mainstream fashion is of
the Hollywood nightclub category, while young men choose jeans (an
average of one size too small) with a tight t-shirt.


9. (U) However, in the smaller cities of the countryside there is
an interesting mix of old traditional dress as well as the latest
styles. This is usually due to generational gaps, where the older
generation hangs on to tradition while the younger one westernizes
as much as possible (within their usually strict budgetary limits).
Dressing well is perceived as a sign of wealth, contrasting with
communist times when most people had only a few outfits made to last
for several years. Now many people spend a good deal of money on
clothes in their attempts to pursue a Western lifestyle.

WITHERS