MAK-NEWS 12/10/95 (M.I.C.)

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

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, OCTOBER 12, 1995 (MIC)

[01] MACEDONIA ADMITTED TO THE OSCE

On the occasion of Macedonia's admittance as a full member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the head of OSCE mission in Skopje, Ambassador Tore Bogh made the following statement: "It is with great satisfaction that I can today announce that Macedonia has been admitted as a fully participating member of the organization which I represent.

While Macedonia has already for some time had observer status in the organization, the formalization of membership is a sign that the situation in this part of the Balkans is becoming normalized.

The Government of Macedonia has shown much patience in this matter. I am confident that the international community will reward the country through increased efforts to assist in its development as a modern, democratic state.

I wish to add that the shock absorbing capacity which Macedonia has demonstrated after the unsuccessful attempt on the life of its Head of State has won the admiration of all neutral observers."

[02] PRESIDENT GLIGOROV: STABLE AND GETTING BETTER

The health condition of President Kiro Gligorov is stable and improving. The findings of the laboratory and other examinations are all satisfactory.

The local findings of the operated eye are satisfactory and within expectations.

No additional examinations are planned for the moment.

The rehabilitation measures are continuing more intensively, whereby the president is taking an active part and cooperation.

The President has started eating normally, and is taking part in his choice of food personally.

The intensive care measures are continuing, however, to a reduced extent, is said in the bulletin on the health condition of the President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov, which was released by the Medical team at 11.00 hours.

[03] SIGNING OF DOCUMENT - TODAY

The delegations of the foreign ministries of Macedonia and Greece, led by the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia Ljupcho Arsovski and the director of the Balkans Department in the Greek Foreign Ministry Dimitros Kipreos, yesterday continued the talks on the practical application of the measures for the realization of the New York document from September 13.

The Foreign Ministry announced that "practical measures for resolving most of the questions have been reached in a working and constructive atmosphere." The talks will continue today, when, according to the Foreign Ministry, a joint document on the talks between the two delegations held in Athens last week and in Skopje these past two days, is expected to be coordinated.

Also participating in the delegations are representatives of the ministries of transport and interior affairs, as well as the Customs Administration. The two delegations also have an expert on international law.

According to the preliminary predictions, the document was expected to be coordinated yesterday evening, when the heads of delegations were supposed to hold a joint news conference. However, by the time the newspaper was closed, the talks in the Foreign Ministry were still going on. During the day, several short breaks and consultations were made, while the members of the Greek delegation could be noticed going to their hotel "Grand Hotel - Skopje" from the building of the Foreign Ministry, and back. Despite all our efforts, not one member of the two delegations wanted to contact the press yesterday, and the talks were held behind strictly closed doors.

Sources in the Foreign Ministry informed "Vecer" that the talks yesterday did not go so smooth. As could be presumed, the most attention was paid to the questions which appeared to be controversial at last week's meeting in Athens, as well. Namely, about the inscription that has to stand at the future Macedonian Liaisons office in Athens and the way in which the Macedonian citizens will travel to Greece. In addition, some details still had to be worked out regarding the transportation of goods and trade, i.e. the TIR carnettes and the international car sign "MK." The Greek delegation also insisted that the goods crossing the border bear the sign "Made in FYROM," in English language.

We have learned that it has been agreed for the visas to Macedonian and Greek citizens to be issued in the liaisons offices in Skopje and Athens. Special forms with photographs will be issued when entering Greece, as a replacement for the Macedonian passport, which Greece will not recognize as a travelling document. Yesterday's talks also brought up the issue of the outline of the form and whether it will contain the graph "nationality."

Yesterday, the speculation could also be heard that seeing unresolved questions were still left, there would be a third round of talks in Athens. However, yesterday's announcement of the Foreign Ministry in a way denied this speculation. Anyway, the Interim Accord that was signed by the ministers Crvenkovski and Papoulias is to come into effect in a month, i.e. tomorrow.

[04] SHALIKASHVILLI IN SKOPJE

The Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the United States of America John Shalikashvilli will pay a visit to the Republic of Macedonia tomorrow, according to unofficial sources.

The visit is aimed at setting the ground for the planned visit of the U.S. Secretary of State William Perry to Macedonia. Reportedly, Shalikashvilli's visit was scheduled even before the attack on Gligorov, i.e. during the stay of the Defence Minister Blagoy Handziski to the U.S..

Shalikashvilli is expected to meet with minister Handziski and the Chief of the General Staff of the Macedonian Army Dragoljub Bocinov. As part of his visit, Shalikashvilli will also pay a visit to the U.S. soldiers serving with UNPREDEP. The focal topic of discussion will be the political and security situation in Macedonia, as well as the specification of the plans for military cooperation between the U.S.A. and our country. Otherwise, this will be Shalikashvilli's second visit to Macedonia.

Because of the national holiday, yesterday no one from Macedonia's Defence Ministry could officially confirm the news about Shalikashvilli's visit.

[05] BRITISH STATE SECRETARY SIR NICHOLAS BONSOR IN MACEDONIA

In continuity of the intensive political dialogue between the Republic of Macedonia and the Kingdom of Great Britain, Sir Nicholas Bonsor, state minister from the Foreign Office will be staying in our country on the 11th and 12th of this month.

Beside the talks with his host, Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, Sir. Nicholas Bonsor will also be received by the Speaker of Parliament Stojan Andov and the Head of Government Branko Crvenkovski.

During the stay of the high-ranking diplomat, the two sides are expected to exchange opinion on a number of bilateral issues, as well as the internal-political situation in the country and the foreign policies of the two countries.

Otherwise, Sir Bonsor's visit presents a confirmation of the successful start of the dialogue between the two countries at a high, i.e. highest level, is said in the announcement of the Foreign Ministry.

[06] WAS BULGARIAN EXPLOSIVE USED?

At yesterday's news conference held in the U.S. Information Service with the Under Secretary for Public Security of the Interior Ministry Dime Gjurev, it was said that the amonal, the explosive which was used in the assassination attempt on Kiro Gligorov, actually has wide application for civil use and as such, is used quite extensively by some Macedonian companies who deal with such business.

We have learned unofficially that among those who massively use this type of explosive is also the Nickel mine Rzhanovo of FENIMAK in Kavadarci. Therefore, allegedly, samples of this explosive have already been taken these days, for testing. However, in the discussion with people who are considered experts in this field, and due to understandable reasons, wish to remain anonymous, we have learned that over the past three years, the amonal supplies have come mainly from Bulgaria, and rarely from Serbia. Therefore, according to their opinion, it is quite realistic that the would-be assassins used Bulgarian explosive. In support of their views, they say that it would have been much more realistic for the explosive to be supplied in the country, than for the would-be assassins to expose themselves to the risk to bring it in from abroad. On the other hand, unofficially, the police have information about enormous stocks of explosive in some domestic warehouses.

[07] COMPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF NAME

The continuation of the Macedonian-Greek talks in Skopje in a good atmosphere, is assessed in Athens as being particularly positive, whereby no one has any doubts that they will end with the resolution of all technical issues for the practical realization of the Interim Accord from New York. For now, it is emphasized that there are still difficulties because of the complications with the "double name."

According to the pro-government "Ta Nea," the two delegations have agreed for the goods coming into Greece from the Republic of Macedonia to bear the sign "Made in FYROM." Furthermore, it is claimed that the temporary name will also be written on the railway wagons. According to more information, the head of the Greek office in Skopje will be ambassador Aleksandar Malias.

The practical realization of the accord is expected to start from the 15th of this month, which, among the rest, also signifies the opening of the 20 month-long closed border, of which there are not doubts here. It is announced that Macedonia will become a regular member of the OSCE next Thursday, at the proposal of the Hungarian chairman, and for the first time, the (mis)use of the Greek veto is not foreseen. However, it is immediately noted in Athens that the only problem that could arise is if Macedonia asks to be admitted under its constitutional, and not under its provisional name.

[08] GREEK SPOKESMAN: "THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WILL NOT HAVE A BEARING ON THE NEW YORK ACCORD"

"The accord between Athens and Skopje is an event of international significance and the assassination attempt in Skopje will not have a serious effect on it," Tilemahos Hitiris, spokesman of the Greek Government and Greek Minister of the Press said in the interview published by today's Sofia newspaper "Standard."

Hitiris is certain that "all the controversial issues will be cleared up" by October 15. To the question whether the Greek Government will accept to call its northern neighbor Macedonia, the Greek Government spokesman stressed that "nothing can be said on that issue as yet," however, that it will be one of the elementary questions and that it will not be left out in the future negotiations.

The majority Greeks are for peace, tranquility and cooperation in the Balkans, especially the people who intend to develop the business with Skopje. Hitiris expects the business to boom and assesses that it will not be on account of Bulgaria, which, according to him, was in a better condition because of the sanctions.

In several places in the interview, Hitiris uses the name Macedonia to refer to Greece's northern neighbor. The author of the interview, the deputy editor in chief Maxim Behar, told the "Nova Makedonija" correspondent that it was an editorial mistake.

[09] PANGALOS PRAISING MACEDONIA

"The Macedonian people and leadership deserve respect, since they have left aside nationalistic extremes, in favor of cooperation with Greece, and it should be watched as the apple of the eye."

This was said by the former Deputy Foreign Minister Teodoros Pangalos in Athens on Tuesday, speaking at the promotion of the book "The Balkans in united Europe - a contribution of Greece."

Pangalos, who criticized the attitude of the Greek authorities toward the "Skopje question" and the absence of European politics, said in the statement broadcast on the Greek state television: "On this occasion, I'd like to pay the deserved respects to the people, Parliament and President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, since, contrary to the stupidity and stubbornness of Greece, with great wisdom, which is a lesson to us all, and with great majority, they decided to leave aside their national extremes, which they also accepted at one stage, and promised to follow the path of peaceful cooperation with the Greek people."

[10] "PALAIR" CAUSES A QUARREL

The landing of the plane of "Palair-Macedonian" at the airport in Larnaka, Cyprus, on Tuesday evening, caused a great deal of commotion in the political circles in Athens.

Therefore, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus had to release an announcement yesterday, explaining that "the fact that a plane carrying the soccer representation of Macedonia landed at the airport in Larnaka, can not be comprehended in any way as the recognition of the name Republic of Macedonia."

[11] SHADOWS CAST OVER MACEDONIAN HOPES

Yesterday's issue of the London "Guardian" contained a text by the "Vecer" commentator Branko Geroski, entitled: "A bomb explosion that's shaking the future of the Balkans."

In answer to the question whether Macedonia will be able to stand on its feet if President Gligorov is not able to return to his duties, the commentary says: "Macedonia has already withstood serious attempt to undermine its stability. The nationalists were defeated last year, and now have the support of not more than seven to ten percent of the voting body. The concept of creating a new federation among the majority ethnic Macedonians and the minority ethnic Albanians (23% of a population of two million) has failed."

The presumptions of the would-be assassins that the assassination would cause a deep political crisis in Macedonia without the leadership of Gligorov, just like the one that took place in former Yugoslavia, following the death of Tito, is commented in "Vecer" the following way:"Yet, the Macedonia of Mr. Gligorov is different from the Yugoslavia of Tito. The institutions of the young democracy have proven that they can function without the most popular Macedonian politician. Still, some fear that the terrorist could now chose different targets. The shadows of the past - assassinations, brutal killings, kidnapping and terror, are being cast over Macedonia again."

(end)