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MILS NEWS 18/07/96Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 18 July, 1996[01] AUSTRIAN BANK - ONE OF STOPANSKA BANK OWNERS'Macedonian Government is negotiating a participation of the Austrian bank 'Giro Credit' in Stopanska Bank ownership,' reported A-1 Television yesterday. As alleged, a high delegation of the Austrian bank visited Skopje several days ago and had talks with Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, Vice Prime Ministers Ljube Trpevski and Jane Miljoski and with Finance Minister Taki Fiti. A triple co- production of 'Giro-Credit', the International Financial Corporation, as an affiliate of the World Bank, and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development had been discussed. These three banks should become owners of 51% of Stopanska Bank shares. According to A-1 Television, the nominal value of Stopanska Bank had been estimated to $45 million. There is a possibility for the agreements to be more concretely determined at the next meeting, planned for September.[02] PLANE OF 'PALAIR MACEDONIAN' SEIZED IN GREECEAn airplane of the Macedonian air company 'Palair Macedonian' and its 160 passengers were kept yesterday at the airport on the island of Corfu in Greece by local aircraft authorities because of the name of the company written on the plane. Macedonian media reported that the airplane had been kept at the airport for about two and a half hours, during which 'Macedonian' had been covered with paint. According to 'Palair Macedonian' General Manager Vanja Bitoljanu, Macedonian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Transport, as well as the Greek Liaison Office in Skopje were informed about the incident. He stated for Macedonian Radio that his company would, most probably, have to suspend its flights to Greece, underlying that the Interim Accord between Macedonia and Greece did not read that companies would have to change their names in bilateral contacts.Meanwhile, Macedonian Radio reported about a great holdup at the border with Greece, i.e. at Bogorodica-Evzoni border crossing during the last three days. Namely, Macedonian citizens have been waiting for 6-8 hours to enter Greece. This was due to, according to Greek border officials, a defect of computers, which are used for issuing visas for Macedonian citizens. The latest information say that although the computers had been repaired, there are still major holdups, because of the great number of vehicles and Macedonian citizens who are going to Greece on summer holidays. [03] INTERPELLATION OF MINISTER CHOKREVSKI ON THE AGENDAThe interpellation of Macedonian Minister of Internal Affairs Tomislav Chokrevski was the first item on the agenda of the Parliament yesterday, following the demand of the Liberal Party MPs. Liberal Party member Zoran Krstevski said that, by threatening with a 'fight against journalists', Chokrevski threatened the freedom of information. Panche Minov said that Chokrevski's dividing the journalists into 'suitable and unsuitable', as well as mentioning police files, was exceeding his basic competence. He also asked whether the Minister had not revealed the true picture of his Ministry with this, i.e. that there really are 'administrative marriages between the police and journalists'.Rufi Osmani's speech attracted a great attention, as this member of PDPA used quite a number of epithets, saying that instead of an open communication, Chokrevski imposed a war on journalists. Stojan Kovachevski of SDSM reacted to Osmani's speech, saying that he had violated the dignity of the Parliament. 'If somebody is interceding for the Republic of Macedonia, and is simultaneously organizing demonstrations where the national symbols of the country are not present, than it is a pure demagogy,' said Kovachevski. The session was interrupted after a two-hours discussion and should be continued today. Other items on the agenda are the drafts of the following laws: the Criminal Statute, on Customs Tariffs, on Public Enterprises, on Privatization of State Property and on Local Self-Government Elections. The MPs yesterday also discussed the buy-off and marketing of early agriculture products, and concluded that the Government should design a programme that would ensure marketing of these products and should better stimulate the buy-offs and premiums. [04] SECOND VACCINATION ROUND TOWARDS ITS ENDThe Commission in charge of controlling the situation with the foot-and-mouth disease in Macedonia announced yesterday that the second vaccination round, which included about 100,000 heads of cattle, is almost finished. At border areas with FR Yugoslavia and Albania, it should be completed till the end of the week. Heads of cattle at infected areas are being destroyed without obstacles.Meanwhile, representatives of Balkan countries, where the disease had appeared, went to Brussels yesterday. Macedonian Veterinary Administration representatives will report about the situation in the country. Other participants at the meeting are coming from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia- Herzegovina, FR Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Turkey as Balkan countries, and from Greece, Austria, Italy and Germany as EU members. [05] GERMAN DENIAL OF THE INFORMATION OF 'TA NEA'Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Macedonia Paul Dietrich yesterday made a statement for Macedonian daily 'Dnevnik' regarding the information of Greek daily 'Ta Nea' that German Government had asked from Macedonia to be allowed to store chemical, toxic and nuclear waste materials on its territory.'The information of 'Ta Nea' is not true and worthless and it will not affect the relations of Germany and your country. Germany exports the recyclable nuclear waste materials to France, Grate Britain and USA. Those countries have technical possibilities to process the waist, after which it is returned to Germany,' said Dietrich. 'Dnevnik' also cited several Macedonian experts in this field, who said that it was illusory to claim that a nuclear power station could be constructed near Bitola. According to them, citizens should give their opinion about a construction of nuclear power station on a referendum, and such an issue must be included in the Law on Protection of Environment. [06] YOUNG DEMOCRATS WORRIED WITH GLIGOROV'S STATEMENTS'Democratic Youth has been worried after the recent statements made by Macedonian President Gligorov that the Youth of SDSM are the future of Macedonia,' reads today's issue of 'Dnevnik'.'We are openly asking the President to tell us if we have got any influence on the future of this country or we should leave our future in the hands of SDSM Youth only,' stated Democratic Youth president Andrej Zernovski at a press conference yesterday. This was reaction to President Gligorov's recent speech in Ohrid on the occasion of the opening of SDSM Youth Summer Camp, when he had, according to young Democrats, said: 'This is a preparation for your future great activity within SDSM, as people who should inherit current activities of the party and who should be able to influence and determine the destiny of our country. We are governing, we have the Government and the majority at the Parliament.' [07] DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF TURKS CRITICIZED DEMONSTRATIONS OF ALBANIANS'Democratic Party of Turks (DPT) is distancing from the scenery and iconography of the recent demonstrations in Gostivar, organized by political parties and associations of Albanians in Macedonia,' reports today's 'Dnevnik'. The Party, continues the announcement, especially disagrees with the misuse of the national flag of the Republic of Turkey at the protest meeting by the same political party leaders who used to say, till not so long ago, that they had fought against Turkish slavery on these territories.'We will never give a credit to certain leaders until they do not apologize publicly to the Turks in Macedonia and wider,' says DPT announcement, pointing out that the man who was hoisting the Turkish flag at the meeting was not a Turk. The announcement concludes as following: 'We are stating with a complete responsibility that we are for full and equal rights of the national minorities in Macedonia, but within the framework of the system.' [08] MAAK-CP CALLS ON GOVERNMENTAL MEASURES AGAINST PROTESTS OF ALBANIANSMAAK-Conservative Party is warning that in case the government does nothing against protests of Albanians in western Macedonia, the Macedonian citizens in this area will be forced to organize their own protection by themselves.The party also demands for the terror and anti-state actions of these groups of Albanians to be stopped, that are presented in their insulting attitude towards the nation and the country, which citizens they are. MAAK-CP also required all the participants at these protest meetings that are not Macedonian citizens to be immediately expelled from the country. The party also calls on the responsibility of the top governmental circles who 'are allowing, for great amounts of money, such demonstrations to be held, although they are intended against the system and are organized by foreign scenario and iconography'. [09] DPS: 'KOSOVO ISSUE IS A MATTER OF FRY'The stand of Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia is that Albanians who live in FR Yugoslavia as a national minority should respect the laws and the Constitution of the country they live in. Any violent emphasis of problems, according to DPS, might be counterproductive not only for FRY citizens, but for whole Europe. As the local media cited DPS leader President Dragisha Miletic, only Serbia and FR Yugoslavia of all countries are in charge of solving the Kosovo issue.At a press conference yesterday, this party underlined the request addressed to Hague Tribunal to treat all war criminals equally, and not to 'accuse the whole Yugoslavia of war crimes'. [10] TWO BRONZE MEDALS FOR MACEDONIAN MATHEMATICIANSMacedonian national team won two bronze medals at the International Olympiad of Mathematics in Bombay, India. The medals were won by Andrej Bogdanov and Mirko Petrushevski, and team leaders were MA Risto Manchevski and Ph.D. Kostadin Trenchevski.[11] MISS OF MACEDONIA - THE SECOND RUNNER-UP AT A BEAUTY CONTESTMiss of Macedonia Aleksandra Petrovska was chosen for the second runner-up at a beauty contest 'Slav Bazaar' in Belorussia, reported A-1 Television yesterday. Macedonian Miss is going to participate in the contest for Miss of the World in Baden Baden in August, and than in the international contest in Tokyo.MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'U.S. Government Announces $8 Million South Balkan Development Initiative'(United States Information Service in Skopje)The first round of infrastructure assistance grants under President Clinton's South Balkan Development Initiative, featuring a variety of technical assistance grants in Macedonia were signed yesterday, July 18. The Initiative is a $30 million multi-year project that will promote regional cooperation in transportation improvement projects in the region by providing critical equipment, training, and other assistance for transportation projects. 'President Clinton's South Balkan Development Initiative aims to assist the region in its economic recovery with American expertise and technology,' says Trade and Development Agency Director J. Joseph Grandmaison, who noted that TDA has been working closely with the U.S. Department of State on the Initiative, completing an assessment of regional transportation priorities that paved the way for the assistance. 'These grants will build mutually beneficial relationships between U.S. private sector companies and will result in improved transportation systems that will benefit the economy of all three nations. With this American assistance, Macedonia can further build the foundation for a strong national and regional economy.' Grandmaison will be in the region to sign the first grants this week. Additional grants also are expected in this multi-year assistance program. The grants will provide feasibility studies, training, equipment, and other assistance for priority transportation projects selected by the nations. Included are: - Macedonia - $1.7 million for a 15-km upgrade of the Kriva Palanka - Psacha road (including bridge building equipment), $300,000 for a study of the nation's rail system, and $300,000 for a feasibility study of a container terminal in Skopje. Sea-Land Services International will perform the work on the container terminal and contribute $150,000 toward the cost of the study. There is also a $350,000 grant for a feasibility study of a proposed power system modernization grant. This is intended to improve the reliability and quality of the power supply and reduce energy losses. - Regional Development - Assistance totaling $900,000 for procurement advisory assistance, transportation advisory services, and a feasibility study of an East-West Corridor. Bechtel is the lead company in a consortium to complete the East-West Corridor Study and will contribute $100,000 toward the $300,000 study. In addition to signing grants, Grandmaison also will discuss the establishment of a working group, composed of senior transportation officials at the Deputy Minister level. This group will help coordinate the overall development of the region's transportation sector and oversee specific projects. Additional grants to the region from the South Balkan Development Initiative are contingent on the success of the working group. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is an independent U.S. agency that assists U.S. companies pursue business opportunities on overseas infrastructure projects, by creating mutually beneficial partnerships with foreign governments and project sponsors. (end)mils news 18 July, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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