A number of both Albanian and some major international media reported largely about the statement of the Transnational Radical Party in the 49th session of the Sub-Commission on Minorities in Geneva on the situation of Albanians in Kosova and Macedonia (FYROM).

The TRP emphasised, in its statement delivered on 19 of August, the necessity of finding the peaceful solution of Kosova issue, it urged to put the pressure on all the parties to open a dialogue.

BOTA SOT (Albanian daily printed in Zurich), 21 August 1997, front page, headline: "The question of Albanians in Kosova and Macedonia on the agenda". Report on the statement of TRP in UN in Geneva, delivered by Afrim Gjonbalaj. The daily referred that the TRP urged the UN and the international community to put the pressure on Belgrade authorities to respect the human rights of Albanians in Kosova, to open a dialogue, to respect the right to education in their own language, to release all political prisoners... On the question of Albanians in Macedonia, the daily wrote that the TRP is urging the Macedonians authorities to respect the equal rights of all its citizens.

RILINDJA (Albanian daily printed in Zurich, Prishtina, Tirana), 21 August 1997, page 3 and 26 August 1997, page 2, headline: "Only the respect of the rights of Albanians in Kosova can avoid the conflict in Balkans". Article reporting about the statement of TRP in Geneva, and in the comment explaining that after the break-up of Yugoslavia the issue of Kosova has not found yet the solution. The TRP is raising this question again, including its secretary general, Mr. Olivier Dupuis. The role and main aims of the TRP were also explained in the article.

The role of TRP in Geneva, the statement about human rights of Albanians in Kosova and Macedonia was also in the head lines in the radio and television RTV Macedonia, Albanian radio and television RTV Tirana, radio Deutche Welle (Koln), Albanian daily "FLAKA" printed in Skopje, etc.

In his interview in RTV Macedonia, the delegate of TRP in Geneva, Afrim Gjonbalaj, explained that TRP is going to continue to denounce the non democratic regime of Belgrade; about Albanians in Macedonia he said that TRP is urging the government in Skopje to respect the equal rights of all its citizens.

The TRP, said Mr. Gjonbalaj on his 10 minutes interview, is not putting into the question all the efforts of Macedonian Government, but denounce all police actions in the last incidents in Gostivar and Tetova, in which 3 people were killed, dozens were wounded and hundreds of Albanians were arrested.

TRP is putting into the question whether the state of law was respected in last clash, and urge all parties to meet and resolve all issues through dialogue; TRP is against all forms of violence no matter who is committing it.