Epilogh MAK-NEWS 02/03/95 (M.I.L.S.) [**] Ta nea ths hmeras, opws ta eide to MILS: [01] . PARLIAMENT DETERMINES ECONOMIC POLICY [02] * BOUTROS-GHALI SUPPORTS REFORMING OLD YUGOSLAVIA [03] * MACEDONIAN-U.S. MILITARY COOPERATION BEGINS [04] * DUTCH ENVOY VISITS MACEDONIA [05] ** BELGRADE WILL NOT RECOGNIZE MACEDONIA [06] . TRADE UNION SAYS IRONWORKS PRODUCTION IS BEING IGNORED [07] . HUNGER STRIKE IN MARIBOR ENDED [08] . HUNGER STRIKE IN OHRID SPREADS [09] * SERBS IN MACEDONIA CLAIM DEPRIVATION OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS [10] . MACEDONIAN CHURCH DECLARES 1995 A JUBILEE YEAR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ M I L S N E W S Skopje, 2 March 1995 [01] PARLIAMENT DETERMINES ECONOMIC POLICY The Macedonian Parliament concluded the tenth and held the eleventh and twelfth session yesterday. The tenth session appointed and replaced several judges, appointed a director of the customs department, members of several committees, and passed the motion for a law on coin currency. The debate on the package of police laws was delayed due to the absence of Interior Minister Ljubomir FrchkovskI. The twelfth session was held behind closed doors and passed laws on the ratification of agreements on military, educational, scientific and technical cooperation between Macedonia and Turkey. The thirteenth session began with a presentation by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski on agreed economic policy and financial back up by the World Bank and IMF. Reforms are a must and there is no alternative to them, Crvenkovski said. They also have a social price which must be paid. It is Macedonia that needs the cooperation with IMF and the World Bank, and not vice versa, he stressed, as an answer to frequent thesis in the public of how Macedonia does not really need privatization and reforms which will leave workers out in the streets, just as it does not need advice from the IMF and the World Bank. Crvenkovski said the stabilization program and realization of key reforms have already been verified by the IMF and the World Bank. The two institutions have expressed a readiness to provide financial support for the reforms. The agreed economic policy will have to be carried out in compliance with new legal regulations aimed at holding annual inflation in 1995 to 18 per cent, raising foreign currency reserves of the National Bank to $60 million, keeping the exchange rate of the national currency at the current level, eliminating the budget deficit, further privatization and reconstruction of the banking system, and regulating Macedonia's relation with the Paris Club, IFC, European Investment Bank and European Reintegration Fund. Minister Jane Miljovski spoke of the monetary and fiscal policy, stressing that current measures are to eliminate debts and preserve a stable Denar-German Mark relationship. The Economy Minister, Risto Ivanov, reported on the 25 worst loss-making firms, saying measures have already been introduced for financial control of these businesses, along with criteria for approving additional working capital. Minister Ljube Trpevski spoke of consolidation of the banking system, saying that international financial institutions have already approved of funds to support the reforms. A $100,000 credit has been provided and negotiations on another $100,000 are in a final stage. Once the stand-by arrangement with IMF has been concluded, he said, expectations are that reconstruction will be carried out as planned and part of the current debt towards Paris Club members and commercial banks will be settled. Minister of Labor and Social Policy Iliaz Sabriu presented the social security program for 1995, saying it will support 60,000 families and 16,000 redundant employees in Macedonia. Around 5.2 billion Denars from budget funds (10 per cent of the total budget) have been set aside for this. Summing up, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski said reforms must not be blocked, but must be elevated to a level of great national interest through the highest possible consensus. [02] BOUTROS-GHALI SUPPORTS REFORMING OLD YUGOSLAVIA The Slovenian Foreign Ministry yesterday bitterly reacted to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's statement on the former Yugoslavia, issued last Monday in Vienna. Boutros-Ghali reportedly said the UN should try to re- establish the former Yugoslavia as it was before its disintegration, pointing out the UN is capable of finding a political solution to the crisis. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said the statement is against the sovereign and internationally recognized states emerged on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. These states, the Ministry said, are full UN members and the statement is a negation of their national interests. [03] MACEDONIAN-U.S. MILITARY COOPERATION BEGINS As part of the U.S. Command for Europe's program for joint contact teams, a U.S. military team was deployed yesterday in Macedonia, on a long-term temporary basis, the Macedonian Defense Ministry stated. This is a beginning of the realization of military cooperation activities, as agreed in the Memorandum on Cooperation signed between the Macedonian and U.S. defense ministries. The American team, along with officials of the Macedonian Defense Ministry and General Chief-of-Staff, will carry out the program for joint contact teams in Macedonia. The program, including also a "Bridge to America" project, gives priority to building a military infrastructure along the American model. [04] DUTCH ENVOY VISITS MACEDONIA Macedonian ministers Dimitar Buzlevski, Muhamed Halili, and Emilija Simoska yesterday met with Baron Van Palant, the Dutch ambassador to Macedonia. Buzlevski and Palant discussed development of traffic and communication and completion of the agreement on road and air traffic between Macedonia and The Netherlands. Halili and Palant talked about the political and economic situation in Macedonia following the events in Tetovo. They concluded all problems concerning higher education for ethnic Albanians may be overcome through mutual understanding and compromise. Palant repeated his government's readiness to provide financial back up for some educational projects. Minister Simoska informed Palant of the current changes the Pedagogical Academy in Skopje. They also discussed the possibilities for training teachers in minority languages but within the framework of the legal system. They agreed the rights of national minorities in Macedonia are in accordance with international criteria. [05] BELGRADE WILL NOT RECOGNIZE MACEDONIA Belgrade will not establish diplomatic relations with Skopje prior to a solution for the Macedonian-Greek problem, according to Serbian President Milosevic. The Greek media quotes Milosevic during his meeting with Miltiadis Evert, leader of "New Democracy", two days ago in Belgrade. [06] TRADE UNION SAYS IRONWORKS PRODUCTION IS BEING IGNORED The Ironworks' Trade Union has accused the government of dragging its feet over reviving the plant's production process. Three months have passed since the Skopje ironworks adopted a reconstruction program and the Macedonian government has done little except to deal with problems of surplus workers, said the trade union. Contracts with foreign partners concluded earlier cannot be completed and the same is likely to happen with the newly signed agreement with the Ukraine. The ironworks was expecting $3 million of government aid as initial working capital, but no money has been seen yet. Unless production starts soon, the remaining 5,257 workers in the plant will lose their jobs within a few months. The Union requested that the promised funds be sent immediately. They also demand a meeting with Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski to discuss the problems. Unless this is done by 3 March, the Union threatens a strike and other industrial action. [07] HUNGER STRIKE IN MARIBOR ENDED The Macedonian embassy in Slovenia said the 21-day hunger strike by Macedonian workers in Slovenia ended yesterday. The strike was a protest against Slovenian construction firms holding back 235,000 German Marks owed to Macedonian workers. The funds have been provided and the pay out is in progress. [08] HUNGER STRIKE IN OHRID SPREADS Workers in the firm "Ohridska Trgovija" were yesterday joined in their hunger strike by about 100 employees in the companies "Ilinden" and "Bebika". Yesterday morning, the new strikers broke into the premises of their former firms, demanding their back-pay in accordance with the court's decision, along with access to the firms' balance of distribution of profits, and turning the firms' foreign debts over to the state. The hunger strike, they said, will last as long as their demands are not met. [09] SERBS IN MACEDONIA CLAIM DEPRIVATION OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS Members of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church yesterday in Belgrade met with representatives of the Serbian minority in Macedonia to discuss their religious freedoms. They said Serbs in Macedonia are deprived of their religious rights and Serbian priests are banned entry into Macedonia. [10] MACEDONIAN CHURCH DECLARES 1995 A JUBILEE YEAR The Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church declared 1995 a jubilee year; the Ohrid Archbishopic was reopened on 4 March, 1945. The church formed a committee to organize the celebration, which will be led by Archbishop Mikhail, leader of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------