ITALIAN/ALBANIAN HEALTH CARE AGREEMENT

Italy and Albania signed a health care cooperation agreement during a recent visit by Italian Health Minister Maria Pia Garavalia to the Albanian capital of Tirana, reports the Albanian Telegraphic Agency. Italy will help Albania to obtain pharmaceutical raw materials, and a committee will be set up to deal with the distribution of raw materials from Italy for the drug industry in Albania. It is understood that the first meeting of this committee will be held in Tirana by year-end.

Albania will also receive Italian aid primarily for development of its drug industry, the reorganization of its public health care system and medical personnel exchange. It is also believed but not confirmed that Italy will provide two low-interest-rates loans totaling 15 billion lire ($9.4 million), to finance health service operations. Medical institutes from the two countries will cooperate in the field of medical research and staff training.