MAK-NEWS 30/01/96 (M.I.C.)

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

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, JANUARY 30, 1996 (MIC)

[01] SUSANA ANIELLI: FRY TO RECOGNIZE RM UNDER CONSTITUTIONAL NAME

At noon yesterday, the Political Committee with the Council of Ministers in Brussels had a long debate on this topic, which resulted with a text on the normalization of the Euro- Yugoslav relations, and which awaits the Yugoslav decision to recognize Macedonia under its constitutional name, to become effective.

[02] RECOGNITION OF FRY POSTPONED

There was some speculation that the EU may officially recognize FRY after Belgrade approves the draft-agreement recognizing the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. However, Kinkel stated that Skopje was still reserved over the question whether it would recognize Belgrade as part of the mutual recognition requested by the EU.

He added that the U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher had redefined Washington's stand yesterday that the formal recognition of Belgrade would be premature.

"It is our general stand that Belgrade and Skopje will recognize each other. The document prepared last week by the EU political leaders on the recognition of Belgrade will come into effect after it is approved by the EU foreign ministers," a high- ranking western diplomat told Reuters.

[03] TENSION BETWEEN ATHENS AND BELGRADE

Greek commentators, surprised by Belgrade's official silence, emphasize that it would be quite normal not to even raise the question whether Macedonia should be recognized under its constitutional name. The firm tone with which FRY is demanding benefits to use the Salonika port has sparked up criticism in the Greek press. Belgrade, as the press says, is openly alluding to a serious deterioration of the bilateral relations, if Athens does not accept the conditions it is imposing. It is conspicuous that the official circles in Belgrade and Athens are refraining from making any statements as to the name under which the recognition of Skopje will be made.

Western observers in Greece assess that the misunderstanding surrounding the recognition of Skopje has behind the scene diplomacy in the background, and that the essence of the matter is actually the rivalry between Belgrade and Athens as to who will play a leading role in the region.

"Elefterotipia" wrote yesterday that Greece will ask the EU to postpone the process of recognition on the line Brussels-Belgrade-Skopje, for a couple of weeks. "Elefterotipia" says that Greek Foreign Minister Teodoros Pangalos was supposed to table this request at yesterday's ministerial meeting in Brussels. His explanation would have been that the negotiations over the name, taking place in New York, should finish first.

Makfaks reports that Athens wants to use this step to avoid the recognition of Macedonia by Yugoslavia under its constitutional name, since "it would give Skopje the chance to drag out the negotiations over the name."

Yesterday's issue of "Elefterotipia" claims that during the talks in Athens on Sunday, the Yugoslav minister Milutinovich refused to say under which name Belgrade would recognize Skopje.

Makpress reports that the press in Athens believes Milosevich is putting pressure on Athens in relation to the name issue, in order to "get out the most" for Serbia, in regard to the concessions in the Salonika port.

[04] BILATERAL POSTAL RELATIONS FROM JUNE

Until now, the traffic between the three countries was carried out with railroad wagons, on the line Belgrade-Skopje- Salonika, and vice versa, which dates back to 1957. From June however, new bilateral truck transportation will be established.

In the domain of the strengthening of the cooperation, it was agreed for the postal administrations of all three states to determine the conditions for the exchange of all three types of postal packages and the introduction of new services (international payment operations, electronic mail, etc.), while the Greek side has also been offered to sign an agreement on the transfer of "quick mail."

MACEDONIAN PRESS REVIEW:

[05] "VECER": SURPRISING EQUILIBRIA

Yesterday, the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug broadcast the announcement of the Yugoslav Government, according to which it "has determined the draft-text of the agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Skopje." According to the announcement, "the time and date of the signing of the agreement will be additionally set."

This news from Belgrade was received with a great doze of surprise in the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, mostly because of the use of the terms "Belgrade" and "Skopje," which points to the intentional evasion to use the name of our state. This language equilibria in the announcement from Belgrade is interpreted in Skopje as certain backing down on the part of the Yugoslav Government, following the talks in Athens between the Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovich and his Greek colleague Teodoros Pangalos, in Athens on Sunday.

The surprise was even greater seeing it was agreed in the contacts between the Macedonian and Yugoslav foreign ministry for both sides to announce their moves in coordination. It was also agreed for the text of the agreement on normalization of relations to be signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, in Skopje.

Yesterday's event seems to be making a certain turn in the negotiations between FR Yugoslavia and Macedonia. Notably, well-informed sources in the Macedonian Foreign Ministry claimed yesterday that the question of the name had never been controversial previously and therefore, it had never been discussed in contacts between representatives of the two ministries. Even President Milosevich had not made any problems about the name under which Belgrade would recognize Macedonia, during his last meeting with President Kiro Gligorov, on October 2, last year. The text that has been coordinated in the to-date preliminary talks applies to the normalization of relations between FR Yugoslavia and the Republic of Macedonia.

The only controversial question in the negotiations related to the preparation of this agreement was the question of continuity of the former SFRY. We have learned that some formulas that suit both sides have been, according to which FR Yugoslavia recognizes the Macedonian people the right to their own state, and their struggle in history for the formation of the Republic of Macedonia, while Macedonia promises not make any obstacles for the legal continuity of FR Yugoslavia, with the former SFRY and the old Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In this sense, in exchange for the recognition of the continuity, Macedonia is prepared not to obstruct FRY in its membership in the international organizations in which SFRY used to be a member.

This will be quite an unusual form of document, that will be based on the mutual recognition of the two independent states. The text is considerably long and beside mentioning the mutual recognition and the establishment of full diplomatic relations, it also mentions other matters, from the recognition of the mutual border, to the perspectives for economic cooperation, which is precisely why it is named "Agreement on the normalization of relations between FR Yugoslavia and the Republic of Macedonia."

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