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MILS NEWS 96-08-12Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 12 August, 1996[01] FRCHKOVSKI: 'SOONER BILATERAL CONTACTS BETWEEN MACEDONIA AND GREECE''We declare ourselves Macedonians, without having any ambitions to join the ancient heritage,' said Macedonian Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski in an interview for the Greek daily 'To Vima'. As A-1 Television reported the information of 'Beta' agency, Frchkovski called on sooner bilateral contacts between Macedonia and Greece. He stressed that Macedonia was supporting the continuation of New York talks in order to have the issue solved, not by changing the name, but by finding a modus vivendi needed. Frchkovski also said that Greece should be allowed to name Macedonia whatever it likes, but it should allow Macedonians to use the Constitutional name of their country. Macedonian Foreign Minister suggested Macedonian-Greek Commissions to be formed to examine the issues of minorities, textbooks, holidays, ecology, terrorism, security, culture, education and history.[02] ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT MINISTERIAL BALKAN CONFERENCE IN ATHENS'Makpress' agency reported a statement made by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis about a meeting of Balkan countries Foreign Ministers in Athens. He avoided to answer the question regarding the participation of Macedonia. According to Greek pro-governmental daily 'Ta Nea', Simitis said the meeting in Athens should improve contacts and establish bases for new activities that would help the countries to become closer to each other.[03] ALBANIAN-MACEDONIAN MESSAGES EXCHANGING'The politics of Albanian Government is characterized by a good will towards the Macedonian state, but Albania is obliged to care for the interests of the Albanians wherever they are,' was said in the message sent to Macedonian Ambassador in Tirana Nikola Todorchevski. As 'Makpress' cited Albanian media, the message further read that 'Albania, as a factor of peace and stability in the region, has been and still is interested in good neighbourly relations with all Balkan countries, including FYROM'. It was underlined in the message that 'showing respect towards human and national rights and fulfilling their requests according to international standards, as well as solving the problems through a dialogue, were all positive factors in that direction.' The message sent to Macedonian Ambassador was a reaction of official Tirana to the protest note of Macedonian Foreign Ministry against the Resolution of Albanian Parliament, made after the self-proclaimed rector Fadilj Suleimani and four other professors of 'Tetovo university' were imprisoned. Macedonian party estimated the Resolution as an attempt to interfere with internal issues of Macedonia, which did not contribute to the good neighbourly relations and to the stability of the region.The stand of Macedonian Government was, read the protest note, that minorities rights in Macedonia were on a higher level than the European one. 'Macedonia expects the same standards and practice to be used with Macedonian minority in Albania,' read Macedonian protest note. [04] KONTIC: 'REESTABLISHING OF FRY-MACEDONIA RELATIONS''In the process of normalization of relations with former Yugoslav republics, FR Yugoslavia had mostly improved with Macedonia,' said FR Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoe Kontic at a recent meeting with entrepreneurs in Niksic. 'Makfax' reported that Kontic informed them about the plan to establish a free-trade zone with Macedonia, which would mean abolishing of all customs duties on goods of the two countries. FR Yugoslav Prime Minister should visit Skopje at the beginning of September, when several agreements on bilateral cooperation are expected to be signed.Meanwhile, d-r Zhivan Stojkovic, the First Counselor of Yugoslav Embassy in Skopje, stated for 'Politika Express' daily that 'it was a matter of days when Macedonian and Yugoslav citizens are going to cross the border with identity cards only'. According to 'Makfax', Stojkovic said the negotiations on cultural, sport and economic cooperation between the two countries were reaching a final phase. Belgrade pro-governmental daily 'Politika' read recently that FR Yugoslav competent organs had sent a protest note to their counterparts in Macedonia against the traffic block made at border crossing Tabanovce. Emphasizing that holdups of two to three hours were probably a result from the different regime introduced due to the foot-and-mouth disease, Belgrade considered that the procedure could last shorter. The article read that Yugoslav organs had taken all measures necessary to speed up the procedure, but Macedonian ones had not do that. [05] UNCERTAIN UNITING OF WORLD MACEDONIAN CONGRESSAt yesterday's session of the Presidency of Todor Petrov's World Macedonian Congress (WMC), which was held in Skopje, a Declaration and a draft Agreement for uniting of this World Macedonian Congress with the other one seated in Geneva, which leaders are John Bitov and Vladimir Ralev, were passed. Todor Petrov underlined that the documents passed were an expression of a good will to unite all Macedonian associations and individuals in one World Macedonian Congress, although the uniting process was considered accomplished. The final uniting would, according to him, take place at the Fifth General Assembly planned for the next year. The basic task of the Congress will be, according to the Resolution, to protect and affirm the Macedonian entity.Macedonian media reported that WMC Presidency decided to send a protest letter to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia against neglecting the requests of Macedonian refugees from Albania and to require solving of their status as Macedonian citizens. Another request would refer to establishing a policy of reciprocity in Albanian-Macedonian relations in the sphere of minorities rights. The Presidency also passed the suggested list of Macedonian ambassadors of the Congress, with American President Bill Clinton at the first place. Two Memoranda were passed: on relations between WMC and Macedonian Orthodox Church and on the temporary name of the Republic of Macedonia used by international organizations. The latter will be sent to the UN and to the Macedonian competent organs. It was decided to establish the Macedonian sixteen-rays sun and the Macedonian lion as official Macedonian national symbols. On the other hand, the President of World Macedonian Congress registered in Geneva, Vladimir Ralev, sent a letter to 'Dnevnik' daily two days ago. The letter said: 'The founder of World Macedonian Congress lives and works in the Republic of Macedonia, used to be an MP, and seems to still have similar ambitions. The President of this Association in America is a candidate for President. Taking into account such activities of these two leaders, which disagree with our understanding of activities of a Congress of Macedonians in the Diaspora, we can neither unite with them nor work together with them. It is true that I met with Todor Petrov and his co-operators in Lausanne at the beginning of this year and that we talked about uniting the two Congresses. But I refused his written proposal for uniting and for appointing me a President of the Congress which followed the talks. I also refused to participate in this session, although I was officially invited.' [06] OVER TWO THIRDS OF ENTERPRISES PRIVATIZEDMacedonian Television yesterday reported the data of Macedonian Privatization Agency that over two thirds (839) of the total number of 1,216 enterprises had been privatized till July 31, 1996. The transformation process has been going on in another 300 companies, including all more important ones. This means that the first phase has been accomplished, and the privatized companies have been estimated to be worthy DM 1.7 billion. To date, DM 123 million have been collected, and the condition of the World Bank for the second installment of FESAK credit has been fulfilled.The most often used privatization model is buying off the enterprises by the employees, mostly by the management teams. According to the Agency, the privatization of state owned capital and of agriculture has been intensified lately. [07] PDPA-NDP ACCUSE MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT AND PDP'The imprisonment of the rector and others will cost the frivolous Macedonian establishment a lot. Resolution of the Albanian Parliament was the first reaction, and others will follow,' was said at a press conference of PDPA and NDP last Thursday in Tetovo. Macedonian Foreign Ministry protest note sent to Albanian Foreign Ministry was estimated as 'disturbingly separated from the democratic reality'.'Makpress' reported that many accusations of the Macedonian government and of PDP were presented at the press conference, and was said that PDP 'was losing its positions among Albanians'. [08] 29TH SEMINARY ON MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE IN OHRID OPENEDThe 29th International Seminary on Macedonian Language, Literature and Culture, organized by Skopje University of St. Cyril and Methodius, was opened last Friday in Ohrid. It will last till 29 August, and about 100 participants from 23 countries will present their works. This year's subject is 'The Historical Issues in the Folklore and the Poetics of Literary Forms in Macedonian Literature from the 10th to the 20th Century'. The opening of the Seminary was also marking the 1.110 years from the coming of St. Clement of Ohrid to this town and 1.080 years from his death.[10] MOST BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL COSTUMES CHOSEN IN STRUGAThe women's national costumes of Nikiforovo, the men's ones of Istibanja and the costumes of a couple from Vevchani were chosen the most beautiful ones at the traditional National Costumes Show in Struga yesterday. The 25th Anniversary of the Show was marked by a Monograph about the history of the event. Several folk-dance ensembles participated in the programme: 'Tanec' from Skopje and 'Sirma Vojvoda', 'Aleksandar Turundziev' and 'Makedonija' from Bitola.[11] GREAT SUCCESS OF ALEKSANDAR MALENKOMacedonian swimmer Aleksandar Malenko won the golden medal of the European Junior Championship in Copenhagen by winning the 200m race in butterfly style. With the time of 2:00,57 minutes he set the new national best record. Yesterday, which was the last one, Malenko won the silver medal of the 200m race with 1:53,57 minutes. That was his fourth medal won at this Championship, as he also won the silver medal of the 100m race in butterfly style and the bronze medal of the 400m race in medley style. Thus, he become the second swimmer by the number of medals won, and Macedonia placed as the eighth of 43 countries.MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'Opposition Parties Suggest New Electoral Rules'[('Nova Makedonija', 10 August, 1996)The procedure regarding the Law on Local Elections in Macedonia has been temporarily stopped due to summer vacations. Macedonian Parliament has passed it and it should enter a governmental procedure at the end of August or beginning of September with some corrections included. Meanwhile, the opposition political parties (mostly the Liberal and the Democratic Party) gave many negative evaluations about the suggested Law. They worked on a parallel one which should, according to them, include the norms for fair and democratic local elections. The Liberals, who initiated a pre-commission discussion in the Parliament last month, came out recently with the first version of the parallel Law. Liberal Party Vice President Risto Ivanov informed us that the text would be sent for an expertise the following week, and it would be sent afterwards to all opposition parties that participated in the above mentioned pre-commission discussion. The Law should than enter a Parliamentarian procedure. The Democratic Party members refused to comment about the parallel Law, justifying themselves with the summer vacations and with the explanation that the text of parallel Law had not been seen by them. Risto Ivanov did not want to reveal the team that had prepared the new text, but he emphasized that there was a possibility for the text to be supplemented by eventual remarks that would come out from a round table discussion about the Law on Local Elections, which would be organized on September 5 in Skopje by the National Democratic Institute for International Relations from USA. This Institute from Washington, that made the expertise on the governmental version of the Law on Local Elections, will organize the round table discussion with participants of Macedonian political parties, of Ministry of Justice and other associations. Certain crucial issues are planned to be discussed, such as electoral lists, documentation needed to confirm the identity of voters, the constitution and authorizations of the electoral commissions, as well as the majority and proportional systems and their applying in this Law. The already known evaluation of the American experts was that, although the governmental Law version contained all the important entries regarding the international standards of fair elections, many objections could be made. They also expressed their hope that 'the comments would help those in Macedonia who are trying to speed up the democratic development to improve the Macedonian electoral system.' The National Democratic Institute objections referred to the timing of performing the elections, to the rules of the electoral campaign, to the constitution of the electoral boards and commissions, to electoral lists, etc., which were the issues mainly criticized by the opposition parties. (end)mils news 12 August, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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