MAK-NEWS 19/12/95 (M.I.C.)

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

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, DECEMBER 19, 1995 (MIC)

[01] MACEDONIA AT MEETING IN BONN ON IMPLEMENTATION OF DAYTON ACCORD

Representatives of 31 countries focused their attention at yesterday's one-day conference in Bonn on the measures of confidence and arms control in relation to the Dayton peace accord, to finding ways of reducing the military arsenal of the Croats, Muslims and Serbs from Bosnia.

The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Stevo Crvenkovski, as the Interior Ministry announced, held a speech at the plenary session, welcoming the efforts of the member-states of the EU, NATO and the Contact group, for reaching peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Minister Crvenkovski emphasized that the lifting of the arms embargo is a factor that will contribute to the achievement of military balance in the regions of south- eastern Europe, and enable all the countries from this part of the world to independently handle their defence policies. A special emphasis was placed on Macedonia's efforts for arms control and disarmament in these regions.

Further on in his address, minister Crvenkovski underlined the UN Resolution on good-neighborliness, proposed by the Republic of Macedonia, and adopted in New York, last week.

[02] PROTOCOL ON MACEDONIAN-TURKISH MILITARY COOPERATION

The Program on cooperation for 1996 between the Macedonian and Turkish armies, was signed in the Army Hall in Skopje yesterday. The Agreement was signed by representatives of the General Staffs of the two friendly countries, General Major Janakie Manasievski and General Major Metip Javuz Jalcin.

Immediately after the signing of the Program, General Major Manasievski emphasized that, in effect, the program will operationalize the previous Agreement signed by Defence Minister Blagoy Handziski and his colleague from Turkey.

The Turkish General Major stressed that the Program foresees joint activities of the armed forces of the two countries next year, which are being worked out at the moment. In response to a journalist's question whether the import of arms for Macedonia was discussed as well, General Jalcin said that both countries were reviewing that question at the moment.

Otherwise, Defence Minister Blagoy Handziski yesterday received the high-ranking military delegation of the armed forces of the Republic of Turkey, led by General Colonel Ersim Ilmaz, chief of logistics in the Turkish General Staff and General Major Jalcin, chief of operations. The same delegation was received by the Chief of the Macedonian General Staff General Colonel Dragoljub Bocinov.

[03] GREECE: "SKOPJE WANTS THE PROBLEM WITH THE NAME TO BE RESOLVED"

The talks between Skopje and Athens on the name difference are most likely to take place on January 11 and 12 in New York, the pro-government Greek newspaper "Ta Nea" claimed yesterday. Commenting last-week's consultations between the representatives of Greece and Macedonia, Hristos Zaharakis and Ivan Toshevski, held in New York with the mediation of Cyrus Vance, "Ta Nea" claims that during the first consultations, the "Skopje side" exercised moderacy and made it clear that it has recognized the need to come to a solution over the name.

[04] SALONIKA PORT TO REVISE PRICES

The lifting of the embargo has eliminated the obstacles that restricted the economic cooperation between Macedonia and Greece, and has created conditions for the establishment of the old relations in the trade exchange between the two countries, which was at a satisfactory level before the embargo. Among the rest, this was said at yesterday's meeting between representatives of the Economic companies from Macedonia and the Association of Exporters from Northern Greece, which was held in the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce.

As Apostolos Genitcaris, president of the Association and director of the Salonika port emphasized, the aim of the visit is to examine the interest of the Macedonian companies for the development of economic cooperation with Greek firms. The Greek side, he said, is ready to cooperate in those sectors in which we show interest, and to invest in those economic fields which are insufficiently developed in Macedonia. Genitcaris stressed that they had a special price-list for the Macedonian companies in the Salonika port for goods which are in transit, and which is much more favorable and competitive than the prices at the ports in Duress and Burgas.

This triggered some reactions with the Macedonian businessmen, who asked for additional explanations as to why prices that are foreseen for imports into Greece are applied for the goods in transit and why, with the latest price increase of the services, which followed the lifting of the sanctions, the Salonika port is even 50% more expensive than Burgas and Duress.

In response to the first question Genitcaris said that he would re-examine the case, however, adding he was certain that all of the goods imported through Greece were treated as goods in transit. As to the price-increase, he explained that this was owed to the increased inflation in Greece, which has raised prices in the whole public sector. Still, Genitcaris announced that a seminar on the work of this port will be held soon, and that a price-list will be sent to the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce.

[05] GREEK AND MACEDONIAN FLIGHT CONTROLLERS HOLD MEETING

A delegation of the Greek Flight Control, led by the chief of the Greek Flight Control George Stambolidis, arrived in Macedonia on a two-day visit yesterday, to hold meetings with Macedonian air traffic and flight control representatives on overcoming certain problems that exist between these two countries in this field. This meeting presents an operationalization of the negotiations led between Macedonia and Greece in Athens, when a line of protocols were signed, including that for air traffic regulation. Namely, in the part on air traffic, it was agreed to allow Macedonian air companies to fly over Greek territory, as well as technical landing (to re-fuel or in case of technical problems) on Greek territory. Also at this meeting, it was agreed to sign a bilateral agreement on the establishment of regular air traffic between Athens and Skopje, while room was made for charter traffic between the two countries, as well.

Thus, the negotiations with the Greek Flight Control presents a form of preparation for the realization of these initial agreements, i.e. the talks will center around the establishment of direct communications links between the two flight controls, or more specifically, on the leading of the planes (so far, the communication was carried out through the Belgrade Flight Control). As Goran Pavlovski, director of the Air Traffic Administration says, a letter of understanding will be signed on the basis of these talks, which will regulate all the relations between the flight controls, and which will provide unobstructed air traffic between the two countries.

MACEDONIAN PRESS REVIEW:

[06] "VECER": "BOTH FRIENDS AND ENEMIES"

The party alliance between the Social Democrats, the Liberals and the Socialists, as it seems, is entering a new phase. The petty bickering, disagreements and different opinions on certain issues are slowly giving way to the serious statements that nevertheless, something is very wrong in the Alliance for Macedonia.

The statements are coming from the highest party circles, so the public is right in asking - if and how from now on?

The fall wave of misunderstanding came with the announcement from the Liberal Party which pointed out to the public that this party, i.e. members of its leadership, is the only one to thank for the maintained stability in the country following the assassination attempt on the President of the state on October 3. Without commenting the announcement, the Social Democrats said that if their partner did not like being in the coalition, he was free to leave it at any moment. In parallel with this, the most powerful and influential party in the Alliance for Macedonia, the Social Democratic Alliance (SDAM) slowly spread the (hypo)thesis that they were the leaders in the political block - and that there is room for other parties?! On the other hand, judging by some announcements coming from the party centers of the opposition, the Liberals decided to contradict these tendencies by becoming closer political buddies with the opposers to the coalition.

According to some political analysts, the latest bickering in the Alliance for Macedonia comes as a logical consequence of the misunderstanding that has been lasting for more than a year. The first signal came upon the constitution of the Government. The Liberals insisted on such a concept that would enable the departments in which the controlling functions of the state are concentrated not to go to the same party. The fact that this was not accepted, as well as some other circumstances, led to the second coalition partner and participant in the power not to vote in favour of the Government. The second scandal took place upon the demolition of the discotheque "Hard Rock," whereby the Liberals accused the Social Democrats of being connected with the underground. This was followed by the affair with the election money and the accusation that the Social Democratic Alliance took the money, which, according to the elections results, was supposed to go to the Liberals.

The strongest and most direct criticism came from the stand at the Congress of the Liberal Party, when it was pointed out that the Social Democratic Alliance was using privileges, at the expense of the realization of the political program of the Liberal Party. The Socialists were not exempt from the criticism as well. The little scandal with the failure of the Liberals to attend the highest gatherings of the Socialist Party was only an overture to the public roll-call that followed a while later, in which the Socialists, in cooperation with the Social Democratic Alliance, were pointed out as parties deviating from the political course of the Alliance for Macedonia.

In the end, there is also the Declaration on the apology of the MPs to those who were politically repressed in the period of one-mindedness, proposed by the Liberal Party, which, due to certain disagreements in the text, is still not parliamentary institutionalized. According to all estimates, this Declaration will get lost forever in the labyrinth of the inter- party squabbles and games between the SDAM and the LP. All of this should be added the fact that the Liberals are feeling cheated that there initiative was not accepted for the three parties to form a joint parliamentary club where they will impose and "cleanse" their party views, instead of appearing separately in Parliament.

What are the chances of overcoming all the misunderstandings and having the leading political block in the country function again in accordance with the agreement it made back in the pre-election period, is probably a question the members and sympathizers of the three parties are asking, as well as the voters who gave their votes for them at last year's elections. And finally, being aware of their differences, the highest party circles were the first to launch the idea, which was then unanimously supported, to prepare a joint platform on government and parliamentary activities. However, due to a line of reasons, although the idea has been discussed for some time, its practical realization is still far from becoming reality. Or, on the other hand, a joint platform is being avoided out of reasons that only the strategists from these parties know. Whichever of these options is in the game, one this is for sure: they will have to come out at the upcoming local elections with settled accounts.

(end)