MAK-NEWS 11/12/95 (M.I.C.)

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

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, DECEMBER 11, 1995 (MIC)

[01] STEVO CRVENKOVSKI: "SUCCESSION ACCORDING TO BUDINTER"

In his speech on Thursday, at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE in Budapest, Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski emphasized the exceptional importance of the problem of succession of SFRY, "The Macedonian view is that this problem can be resolved, but with the resolutions of the Security Council and the conclusions of the Budinter Commission," Crvenkovski said. He stressed the significance of the Dayton agreement for the whole of the Balkans, and asked that Macedonia be included in the project for the renewal of Bosnia and Croatia, as a result of the enormous damages it has suffered, as a consequence of the sanctions against FR Yugoslavia. Crvenkovski underlined Macedonia's readiness to get included in the search for the best security model in Europe and to satisfy the request of the chairman of the OSCE to sent its own group to monitor the elections in Bosnia.

On Friday, Crvenkovski had a separate meeting with the Foreign Secretary of the Commonwealth of Great Britain Nicholas Bonsor.

[02] DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

During the Ministers' meeting in Budapest, with the exchange of notes between the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Stevo Crvenkovski and the Foreign Minister of Israel Ehud Barak, the Republic of Macedonia and Israel established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level.

[03] PRIME MINISTER CRVENKOVSKI: "THE STATE WILL NOT BE A BANK"

Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski met with representatives of the Ohrid economy in the factory "AGP" in Ohrid on Saturday. At the meeting, Crvenkovski made a retrospective of the to-date achievements on an economic plan, and what has to be done in the state in the period ahead. The directors of a number of firms from Ohrid tabled the problems they have been encountering in their work, mainly in regard to the customs rates upon the import of equipment and intermediate goods, the lack of revolving stocks in order to start a new investment cycle, insufficient support from the banks, over- employment, etc.

Looking back on the past four years, Macedonia has encountered a large number of economic problems, however, Branko Crvenkovski added that a number of important projects have been made on an economic plan: the inflation has been curbed, a stable currency has been achieved, macroeconomic balance has been restored, and foreign currency reserves from US$ 260 to 270 million have been made.

However, Crvenkovski emphasized, we have not managed to stop the drop in production. In the first nine months, we had a drop in industrial production of 11.8%, which takes part with some 40% in the GDP. Next year, the Government plans to start up industrial production again, since the necessary conditions have been created. "Ours is a small market, and that is why we have to get out in the world, and we are simply forced to face the world prices and quality. How long we will last and how we will be able to keep up with the world prices, well, that's altogether a different question. What's important for Macedonia at this moment is how we can revive the production process," the Prime Minister said.

According to Crvenkovski, the Finance Ministry and the People's Bank of Macedonia have to prepare a program of their own for this problem. The realization of this program will go through the business banks, and the businessmen should not expect the state to play a Commercial bank that will or will not give credits to some. "God help a country in which the Government starts dealing with that and in which the ministers become bankers who will decide where to give, and where not to give money. It must be known that we don't need a production that does not have a market, much less to be given financial support for one purpose, and to use the funds for another," Crvenkovski stressed at the end.

[04] SWEDISH SUPPORT OF MACEDONIAN ECONOMY

The three-day visit of the delegation of the Kingdom of Sweden, led by the Minister of Development and Cooperation with the countries from Central and Easter Europe, Pierre Suri, finished on Friday. Immediately after the guests left, the ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Sweden Tihomir Ilievski gave a statement for the press, at which he assessed the visit as completely successful and one of the most important ones in the to-date economic and political contacts between the two countries. This practically means that the effects of the implementation of what was agreed during their visit, should be quite positive.

As Ilievski emphasized in his statement, minister Suri had an opportunity to get acquainted with the overall potentials of the Macedonian economy, as well as the development perspectives in the coming period, with a special emphasis on the legal favorable conditions for foreign investments in Macedonia, before all, in the objects from the infrastructure, such as the East-West corridor, investments in the power industry, especially the hydrosystems "Lisiche," "Kozjak," "Cembren," "Zletovica," the "Vardar Valley" project, "Gasification," as well as the projects for ecological protection of the Macedonian lakes.

[05] TRANSPORT COMPANIES ASKING FOR HELP

The work of the transport companies may be threatened if they are not offered help in overcoming certain problems, which they can not solve on their own. This was the main conclusion from the Saturday meeting of the Managing board of the Association "Macedonia Transport" which was attended by the Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Buzlevski.

The transporters pointed out the following points that might need help from the state: renewal of the outdated motor pool, reduction of the costs for spare parts and tyres for imported cards, reduction of the tax obligations upon the import of vehicles for international transportation, taking care of the situation and establishing equal conditions for the work of both the state-owned and independent transporters and other companies, etc.

In this context, the competent organs and the ministry were submitted for revision the previously sent request for: support of the initiative for the supply of 200 cargo motor vehicles and the same number of busses for international transport, for exemption from duty upon the import of spare parts and tyres, as well as sales tax exemption upon the import of vehicles used in international transportation, for reduction of the percentage of the increased price of insurance from auto- responsibility, for reduction of the compensation of the customs terminals in Macedonia, etc. An emphasis was placed on the importance to resolve the problem with the supply of fuel to the independent transporters and other companies, whereby the state loses some 800,000 DEM per month because of the low price of the fuel and sales tax evasion on the part of these transporters.

[06] MACEDONIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: "SPECULATIONS WITH SECRET MEETINGS"

The information published on Thursday in certain programs on the Macedonian Television that a Macedonian business- government delegation, made up of representatives of the Government and the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce paid a visit to Belgrade on December 6, presents another in the line of manipulations over the international activities of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce.

The information published about the alleged "secret meeting" in Belgrade is pure speculation, and therefore we feel compelled to inform the Macedonian public that no delegation or representatives of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce, whether individually or as part of a larger delegation, has stayed or led any kind of talks in Belgrade, the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce says in its press release.

[07] SERBIAN CHAMBER AGAINST CUSTOMS DUTY

The Assembly of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce reiterated its request for suspension of the customs regime toward Macedonia, which was introduced by the Federal Government in Belgrade recently, at its meeting on Thursday.

It is the Chamber's common stand that the "present conditions of exchange" should be retained with Macedonia. Thanks to Macedonia's understanding, all the goods that were in transit can be "pulled out" through the border by December 15. After this date, everything will depend on the wisdom of the Federal Government, the Assembly of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce feels.

[08] "DATA PRESS" OPINION POLL: "THE YOUNG AND DRUG ADDICTION"

The "Data Press" Agency, within "Nova Makedonija," conducted an opinion poll in November, on the theme "The Young and Drug Addiction." The anonymous telephone poll, which included 1,200 people, showed that the consumption of narcotics is a well- known occurrence in Macedonia, even 92.83% of those polled said they were quite familiar with this. 32.33% feel that taking drugs is a disease, 27.17% feel it is addiction, while 3.17% said they saw pleasure in taking drugs. However, despite their awareness about this occurrence, 74.17% of those polled disassociated themselves, saying that personally, they did not know any drug addicts, 13.83% said they knew only a couple drug addicts, while 13.83% said they knew several drug addicts. Only 0.17% admitted they were on drugs.

[09] "DATA PRESS": RELIGIOUS CITIZENS WITHOUT TRUST IN POLITICIANS

Very similar answers were given in the same opinion poll, in response to the question "Are you religious?" 62.5% of those polled immediately replied positively, while 32.5% said they were not religious. 4% were without an opinion on this issue.

The poll showed that the Macedonian citizens believe in themselves, before anything else. Expressed in percentages, it goes as follows: 52.5%, as opposed to 25% who believe in some kind of higher power the most. Without being able to make a specific decision, 10.33% said they believed in "something else," 4.67% believe in fate, and 4.17% don't believe in anything.

Only 0.17% of those polled chose the answer "I believe in the politicians," while somewhat more people "believe in the state" - 0.67%.

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