Italian pledge of aid package to Albania

The Italian Foreign Minister, Lamberto Dini, on a one-day visit to Albania, has promised the country aid worth millions of dollars.

Mr Dini said an investment package, of more than one-hundred-and-eighty million dollars, would help Albania overcome what he described as a social and economic crisis in the country.

Italy has been enforcing the repatriation of thousands of Albanians who crossed into Italy during the civil unrest earlier this year.

Mr Dini said he hoped agreements signed during his visit would reinforce cooperation between the two countries.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service