- Title: ALBANIA: ALBANIA AND HUNGARY PLEDGE TO REPAIR ECONOMIC TIES
- Date: 24th January 1996
- Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (JANUARY 24 AND 25, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (JANUARY 24) 1. SLV HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT ARPAD GONCZ DOWN STEPS OF PLANE AND GREETED BY ALBANIAN PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA 0.12 2. SLV GONCZ AND BERISHA INSPECTING TROOPS WHILE BAND PLAYS NATIONAL ANTHEMS/ BOWING TO FLAGS (3 SHOTS) 0.39 3. SV PANS CAR LEAVING AIRPORT 0.47 4. SV PANS GONCZ LATER ARRIVING AT PRESIDENCY AND GREETED BY BERISHA, HANDSHAKES (2 SHOTS) 0.58 5. SV GONCZ AND BERISHA SEATED FOR PHOTO-OPPORTUNITY (3 SHOTS) 1.12 6. SV GONCZ AND BERISHA SEATED ROUND TABLE AT OFFICIAL TALKS WITH DELEGATES (4 SHOTS) 1.34 7. SLV/SV/PAN SIGNING OF ACCORD BY DELEGATES, GONCZ AND BERISHA STANDING BEHIND AND APPLAUDING AS AGREEMENTS EXCHANGED, SHAKING HANDS WITH DELEGATES (3 SHOTS) 1.51 8. SV BERISHA SPEAKING TO MEDIA ABOUT RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY (ALBANIAN) 2.12 9. SV GONCZ SPEAKING ABOUT AGREEMENTS (HUNGARIAN) 2.30 (JANUARY 25) 10. SLV GONCZ AND BERISHA ENTERING BOX AT THEATRE TO APPLAUSE FROM AUDIENCE / ZOOM-OUT (3 SHOTS) 2.42 11. SV GONCZ AND BERISHA WATCHING PERFORMANCE OF "THE MONSTER'S SMILE" 2.47 12. SLV PERFORMERS ON STAGE 2.55 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 8th February 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
- City:
- Country: Albania
- Reuters ID: LVA3ZD2WIP237HA4LIZFSSGAZYI5
- Story Text: Albania and Hungary pledged on Friday (January 27) to repair trade and economic ties between the two countries, a decision reached during a visit to Albania by the Hungarian president.
President Arpad Goncz, the first Hungarian head of state to visit Albania, said his trip was aimed at reigniting cooperation between Budapest and Tirana.
United Nations sanctions imposed against former Yugoslavia, which have since been suspended, damaged connections between Hungary and Albania.
The two countries signed accords for the protection of investment and for road passenger and freight transport.
Albania recognised its 15 million U.S.-dollar debt to Hungary and discussions will continue at specialist level to seek ways of solving it, a member of the Hungarian delegation said.
Goncz on Thursday attended a performance in Tirana of his 1967 play "The Monster's Smile", which tells the story of a poet jailed for life by a communist dictator.
"I had the impression the audience followed it with much feeling...I felt good when they laughed exactly when I expected them to laugh," Goncz said. "When you go through bad times the best thing to do in order to forget is to laugh it away," he added, alluding to both countries' communist past.
"I think there are a few places in the world where every sentence of mine can be understood as well as here," he said.
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