09/28/00

Text: Agreement Signed for Destruction of Albanian Small Arms

(U.S., Norway, Germany help Albania destroy arms, light weapons)

The United States, Norway, Germany and Albania have signed a memorandum of understanding on the destruction of over 130,000 small arms and light weapons in Albania.

U.S. support for small arms and light weapons destruction in Albania stems originally from work done within the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe. In a 1999 declaration on small arms and light weapons, Albania, along with nine other countries of Southeastern Europe, committed to the destruction of collected illicit weapons and surplus military stocks.

At the signing of the memorandum of understanding September 7, Assistant Secretary of State Eric Newsom praised Albania, stating that it "will set an example for other countries in the region to deal with the problem of small arms."

Following is the text of the State Department release:
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U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.

U.S. SIGNS MEMORANDUM WITH ALBANIA TO DESTROY OVER 130,000 SMALL ARMS/LIGHT WEAPONS

On September 7, 2000, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Eric Newsom joined Albania's Minister of Defense, Ilir Gjoni, as well as Norwegian and German diplomats to sign a memorandum of understanding on the destruction of over 130,000 small arms and light weapons in Albania. According to the memorandum, Albania will destroy, with the help of the United States, Norway, and Germany, all weapons collected from the civilian population in the aftermath of the 1997 crisis by the end of 2000. In addition to the 130,000 weapons currently held by the Albanian government, all weapons collected in the future along with surplus military stocks of small arms also will be destroyed.

Albania's small arms problem stems from the crisis of March 1997, during which time nearly 600,000 small arms and light weapons and hundreds of tons of ammunition were looted from government military arsenals around the country. In addition to contributing to a wave of violent crime in Albania, extensive reporting by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and independent observers indicates that many of these weapons were smuggled into Kosovo, helping to ignite the conflict there. Since May 1998, the Albania government has bolstered efforts to collect weapons circulating in the civilian population, both through legislation and increased law enforcement measures. This effort was assisted in 1999 by the initiation of a UNDP "Weapons in Exchange for Development" pilot program (originally targeted at the Albanian district of Gramsh, recently extended to Elbasan and Dirba). Under the UNDP program, a limited number of collected weapons have also been destroyed.

U.S. support for small arms and light weapons destruction in Albania stems originally from work done within the Stability Pact. In a November 17, 1999 declaration on small arms and light weapons, Albania, along with nine other countries of Southeastern Europe committed to the destruction of collected illicit weapons and surplus military stocks. The United States and Norway, which have cooperated in supporting small arms destruction efforts globally since the October 15, 1999 Summit between President Clinton and then Prime Minister Bondevik, sent a joint technical assessment team to Albania last May. At the signing of the September 7 Memorandum, Assistant Secretary of State Newsom praised Albania, stating that they "will set an example for other countries in the region to deal with the problem of small arms."

Minister of Defense Ilir Gjoni stated that signing the memorandum "(was) a concrete step that will have an impact first on our daily lives -- we are all conscious of the backlash of these arms in the hands of civilian population, but also because we will offer a concrete example of how we should work to achieve one of the Stability Pact Objectives."

U.S. support for destruction of surplus and illicit small arms and light weapons is intended to promote regional security, peace, and reconciliation in regions of conflict and to make the world safer by helping shut down illicit arms markets that fuel violent insurgent groups, terrorists, and international organized crime.

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