MAK-NEWS 19/10/95 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <mic@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT SENT HOME LAST NIGHT

The President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov was sent home last night, Makpress reports from medical sources.

According to the latest health bulletins of the medical team, the President's health has been good the last couple of days, however, he will stay under constant medical supervision.

The assassination attempt on President Gligorov took place on October 3, in Skopje. The initial medical examinations determined that he was heavily injured in the attack. All the operations, including the operation on the right eye, have been successful.

[02] NEGOTIATIONS IN ATHENS ON "FINAL QUESTIONS"

The negotiations between the Macedonian and Greek delegations on the opening of liaisons offices in the two countries, started in Athens yesterday.

As Makpress reports, there is more and more talk in Athens that difficult negotiations are still ahead, in relation to the "biggest problem" - the name. It is announced that these negotiations should allegedly start by the end of this month.

[03] GREEK BUSINESSMEN "TAKING THE PULSE"

Around ten Greek businessmen arrived in Bitola these days, through the border point Medzitlija, who are interested in establishing business links with Macedonian businessmen. Apparently the Greeks are interested in opening up plants for the production of soft drinks and other products, for which they are prepared to invest personal funds.

"Nova Makedonija" writes that the Greek businessmen also showed an interest in buying land in Gevgelija for storage space and finishing off plants.

The private business initiatives also have the support of the Greek Government, the Salonika daily "Thessaloniki" writes, saying that it is preparing special programs through the competent ministries.

The establishment of a joint Commerce Chamber is one of the chief tasks, for which there is already an initiative from the Salonika Commerce Chamber.

Otherwise, the first cargo load intended for Macedonia is expected to reach the Salonika docks tomorrow afternoon. The Cyprian ship "Atlanti," which took off from the Dutch port Antwerpen, carrying 5,000 tones of goods, is the first ship to transport transit goods for Macedonia since the lifting of the embargo. "Nova Makedonija" reports from Salonika that the port authorities will let this cargo through, following the instructions from the Memorandum, for which they have already provided enough stickers.

The loading of southern tropical fruits for Macedonia also started today in Salonika, which will be transported by the Gevgelija transport company "Transbalkan."

[04] MACEDONIA AT CELEBRATION OF 50 YEARS OF UN

The Macedonian state delegation, that will be taking part in the formal session of the UN General Assembly on the occasion of the celebration of its 50-year jubilee, which will be attended by heads of states and governments of the member-states, will leave for New York today.

The delegation will be headed by the Speaker of Parliament Stojan Andov, who, according to the Constitution, is replacing the head of state Gligorov. Prior to his departure, Stojan Andov gave the following statement for the press: "The participation of the delegation of the Republic of Macedonia at the celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the UN is important for more than one reason. That is one more confirmation for the Republic of Macedonia, as one of the founders of the World Organization in 1945, when, as an equal member of the former Yugoslav federation, it expressed its will for the formation of the organization. At the same time, it once again confirms that the Republic of Macedonia and its people, by siding with the antifascist coalition in the Second World War, decided to be on the true side, the side of peace, reason and cooperation in the world.

Those are principles on the basis of which the RM has achieved its complete independence and has provided its independent membership in the UN in 1993. It has thereby secured its equal place as a nation and a state, on the world political map, and in the international family of nations," Stojan Andov said.

[05] JASUSHI AKASHI IN SKOPJE

The special envoy of the UN Secretary-General Jasushi Akashi will be arriving in Skopje today.

Beside the planned meetings with Parliamentary Speaker Stojan Andov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, Defence Minister Blagoya Handziski and Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, Akashi will also visit President Gligorov and his family.

[06] ARENS IN SKOPJE AGAIN

The representative of the Conference on former Yugoslavia, the German Ambassador Gerd Arens arrived in Skopje two days ago, in order to continue the talks between the representatives of the Macedonian Government and the representatives of the Albanian political parties.

Makpress reports that Ambassador Arens spoke only with the representatives of the Macedonian Government yesterday.

[07] RESTORING FAMILY TIES

The association of the Macedonians from the Aegean part of Macedonia, taking part in the second meeting of the OSCE, which started on October 2 in Warwaw, and is scheduled to end today, addressed the organization with a couple of requests. Their requests are contained in nine items, in the so-called White Document. At yesterday's news conference, the participant in the meeting Georgi Dimirovski briefly explained the requests.

The basic request is to allow free visits of their birth places. Then, they are insisting on paying visits to their Greek relatives in Macedonia. Greece is requested to open the state archives on the estate holdings of such families, especially prior to the wars in this century. One of the requests is also the right to inherit property in Greece and to return the confiscated estate. They also underlined, as their spiritual right, the right for Macedonians from the Aegean part to be buried in their birth places in Macedonia. One of the key points is to give them back their Greek citizenships, which were taken away by the Greek authorities, of course, this applies to those who express a wish for that. At the end, the final request was to reestablish the family ties, following examples and ways of handling this in other countries.

[08] END OF BOYCOTT OF CLASSES IN OGNJANCI

The boycott of the classes in Macedonian language in the regional school "Kocho Racin," in the Skopje village Ognjanci ended yesterday, and the Macedonian and Serbian children returned to their classrooms. The boycott started almost one month ago, after the classes in Albanian language, which were held previously in the local army barracks, were added to the school, following a decision of the Ministry of Education and Physical Culture. The Macedonians and Serbs in the village immediately opposed this decision, and have been demanding that the competent ministry withdraw its decision for the past month, during which they haven't been allowing their children to go to school.

From yesterday, all 52 pupils are back in school, and the first shift started without problems.

Yesterday was also the day from when those parents who were not allowing their children to go to school would have had to deal with sanctions. According to the law, the Ministry files charges against such parents when the children do not attend classes for more than 30 days, and the parents pay fines, which are much higher with the new law that the previous symbolic ones. It is also new that the fine can be pronounced several times.

The president of the Parents' committee Sreten Paunovich, who is behind this boycott, stated that they were not backing down from their demands for the Macedonian and Serbian children not to study in the same building with the Albanians.

[09] EMILIJA SIMOSKA: "CLASSES IN PRIVATE HOUSES NOT UNDER MINISTRY'S JURISDICTION"

On the occasion of the start of the academic year of the illegal University in Tetovo, at which classes are to be held in some 15 halls in private houses in the town and the surrounding villages, the Minister of Education and Physical Culture Emilija Simoska said: "I repeat what I have said many times so far: the so-called Tetovo University is not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Physical Culture. We simply don't have any authority to follow some kind of activities that go on in private houses, even if they are called educational by some."

Today's "Nova Makedonija" writes that the president of the illegal University Fadil Sulejmani categorically claims that the state institutions have allegedly started accepting the certificates issued by the "University," and as he underlined, the freshmen that have enrolled have had their military service postponed.

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