ALBANIA SEEKS TO RESUME TRADE WITH ITALY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600330019-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 26, 2011
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: July 19, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600330019-4
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CLASSIt~!CATION RESTRICTED
- CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR k 010 BROADCASTS CD NO,
COUNTRY Albania
SUBJECT Political; Economic
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
Stockholm
18 Jim 1950
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
Ot THE UNITED STATES WITHIN m? ?w?. w? v. --??_...._. .._. --
OS Tit SSYRlATi6?
R. N. C., 11 AND St, U ASIRRSO. ITS ASS 1551;0
OS ITS OORT[STI TO OSRSD PERSON It PRO-
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Svenska Dagbladet.
DATE DIST. ,IJul 1950
NO. OF PAGES 2
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
A.LB~IA SEEKS TO BESiTMF TpAny WITH IT-
Rome -- The visit of an Albanian governmental delegation, consisting of
two cabinet ministers and a police colonel, which recently Spent several days
in Rome, has aroused speculation in political circles. According to reliable
sources, the official reason for the visit was an attempt on the part of Albania
to resume trade, with Italy as the first Western European country.
The delegation offered the Italian government 150,000 tons of Albanian
crude oil, simultaneously making it understood that Albania was prepared to
enter into a general trade agreement with Italy. The Italian government is
supposed to have been willing on the condition that Albania return or pay
compensation for the Italian property in Albania seized by the Hoxha regime.
The offer of petroleum indicates that the transport of crude oil extracted in
Albania to the refineries in Rumania or the Caucasus is too costly for the
Russians. Albania has no refineries.
The presence in the delegation of Police Colonel Kambas, who obviously
had nothing to do with the trade negotiations, served a double purpose.
First of all, he had to keep a close watch on the two other members of the
delegation to prevent any possible defection on their part. Such a watch is
perfectly natural in view of the suspicion now pervading even the highest
Albanian governmental and party circles. Secondly, Kambas was commissioned
by Hoxha to investigate the crisis in the Albanian mission in Rome involving
the flight of the "press attache," Josef Nesti. Nesti actually was one of the
chiefs of the espionage and information service established by Albania in Italy
and the bordering countries. His primary function was to check on the Albanian
emigrants and to seize and occasionally to liquidate individuals considered
particularly dangerous.
In recent months, murder and attempted murder were committed against two
Albanian emigrants residing i.n Rome. The Albanian refugee Velatzi, who had
a great deal of money and who was believed to be financing a large part of the
Albanian emigration, was shot at in front of his house on the Via Eleonore Duse
from a passing automobile. Velatzi escaped by throwing himself to the ground.
Somewhat later, the corpse of the refugee Albania professor, Kosmo Sotir, :;as
found in the Tiber. He had been shot and strangled.
_ 1 - RESTRICTED
STAT
CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
STATE (NAVY psas II6IST?!eU_T14N -
D( I
L AMy TY I'"AI R IXI FBI
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31: CIA-kb-P80-0- A000600330019-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600330019-4
The Italian police have failed ..n both cases to apprehend the assailants.
When Nesti, the press attache at the Albanian mission in Rome, was recalled
to Tirana a short time thereafter, the rumor spread through well-informed
circles that the recall was in connection with both assaults. In any event,
Nesti decided not to return to Tirana, but to flee.
Investigation of thee' affairs whould provide a satisfactory explanation
for the presence in Rome of the Albanian police colonel.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600330019-4