MAK-NEWS 07/07/95 (M.I.L.S.)

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 7 July 1995

[01] UN HAS DONE NOTHING TO COMPENSATE LOSSES, GLIGOROV SAYS

Two days ago, Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov received in Skopje Alvaro de Sotto, UN Secretary General Assistant in charge of political affairs. Gligorov pointed out that the United Nations did nothing to compensate for Macedonia's losses due to the sanctions against Yugoslavia, warning that the embargo is turning another Balkan area into a potential conflict zone. Alvaro de Sotto also met with representatives of political parties of Albanians in Macedonia, major opposition parties and UNPREDEP officials.

[02] CRVENKOVSKI AND GHALI MEET IN GENEVA

Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski met UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in Geneva yesterday. They discussed the ongoing Macedonian-Greek dispute, in the attendance of UN mediator Syrus Vance.

[03] PRIME MINISTER TALKS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES

Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski met yesterday with independent small-business owners to get acquainted with their problems. They grouped problems in 5 spheres - taxation, increased space-renting prices, dying out of certain craft ships, craftship education and illegal production and trade. They said, 'The state must pull us forward, push us from behind and be present all around us to aid us whenever necessary.'

Crvenkovski replied that taxes must be paid regardless of their amount; that equality must be established between those having built their own business space and those renting ready-made shops; that the state will see to it that the personal tax base be equal for all; that the craftsmen engaged in dying out craftship can be granted benefits but upon a strict selection; that the cabinet will intervene to introduce changes in the Law on High-school Education to improve craftship education; and, finally, that the state has declared a war to gray economy and illegal trade.

[04] HANDZISKI RECEIVED AMBASSADOR OF TURKEY

Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski received yesterday Unal Marashli, newly appointed ambassador of Turkey to Macedonia. They expressed mutual satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations in the field of defense, pointing out three agreements for concrete action have already been signed. They also spoke over the coming visit to Macedonia by General Karaday, Chief-of-staff of the Turkish army.

[05] SLOVENIAN MINISTER VISITING SKOPJE

Mitya Gaspari, the Slovenian Minister of Finance will arrive in a one-day visit to Macedonia today, to meet Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and his Macedonian counterpart Jane Miljovski, Nova Makedonija writes.

[06] PRIVATIZATION CRITERIA SENT BACK FOR CORRECTIONS

Having discussed the suggested procedure and criteria for privatization, the Government Privatization Commission, led by Minister Risto Ivanov sent it back to the Privatization Agency to be corrected and completed. A1 Television suspects political-based debates will arouse on the issue. Agency officials say that, following the privatization of larger companies believed to be close to the Liberal Party, Petar Georgiev and Dimitar Gelev (both Liberal Commissioners) are increasingly principled and louder in their demands.

[07] WORKERS' PARTY TO TAKE THE STATE TO COURT

The Workers' Party will bring charges against the state on behalf of its membership and all other citizens who feel they have been or are being damaged by the ongoing privatization. This, as party leader Krste Jankovski stated at yesterday's press-conference, is going to be the largest proceedings in the state. The main remark is that only the owner can sell or privatize, but the state avoided to clearly state the owner of social capital. 'It is our goal to put a stop to this unprecedented robbery and to demand a complete revision of the already privatized capital,' he said.

[08] 'I CRITICIZED GLIGOROV, AND HE DISLIKED IT', SOROS SAYS?

In an interview with Athens News Agency, the American financier George Soros said Sunday that his relations with the Macedonian president are strained, A1 Television reports. 'I believe in an ideal society where minorities rights are respected. Mr. Gligorov does not respect the educational rights of Albanians in Macedonia. I criticized him and he did not like it,' Soros said. He also said he was willing to contribute to an easing of the dispute between Macedonia and Greece, but did not believe he would be asked to.

The news item was denied by Soros himself, who contacted the Soros Foundation in Macedonia, to say, 'The quotes attributed to me are inaccurate and misleading.'

[09] GOVERNMENT BRIBED AND CORRUPTED

In regard to announcements for replacing some 120-150 government officials, Macedonian Television commented thus, 'Is the cabinet finally and publicly admitting that its agencies are atrophying and has therefore decided to go for a deep cut? Or, is it possible that the action is aimed at reduction in the number of employees?... The public very well knows - and the Government apparently knows even better - that, if the rumors for plans for such a measure are true, the motives are quite different. It is a secret known by all that administration officials are bribed and corrupted. The first step was obviously made by the ministry of defense, replacing four officials right next to the minister himself. Between the lines, the explanation says they have abused their duty... And yet, how come the Government did not go for the usual 'regular staff rotation' term?... This is an obvious attempt to deal away with the omnipresent bribe and corruption. There are no proves - maybe even the cabinet itself does not posses evidence - but everyone knows that no citizen, trader, businessman, exporter or entrepreneur in the state cannot even think of getting the job done without bribing someone in the administration. The rumors say that there are even price lists for every such 'service', depending on the deal or the rank of the official to be bribed.

The public is increasingly loud in its protest against this. The tracks of such criminal activities cannot but lead to the very top. And it is just as well that it was the very top that, although modestly, announced the action. The Government is most probably quite aware that every single of its employees has his or her price for such 'services'. Such jobs and positions are profitable without any investment in them whatsoever... But, why did not the Government react earlier? Did it have to allow the administrative agencies to become so corrupted before it decided to undertake an action? Why did not ministers deal with matters in their own ministries on a daily basis? Can it be that they have not heard that there is a price list on every door of the ministry, right up to (if not even on) the door of the very office of the ministers themselves? Even if the announced action is successfully completed, can the ministers or even the entire cabinet possibly come out of it with clean hands? To have to replace 150 officials, and many of them at high positions, inevitably leads to a conclusion that the very top must be asked to responsibility for having allowed the roots of crime to spread so much, or for having failed to see earlier that its officials show 'insufficient results in their work.'

[10] 1.5 MILLION CITIZENS WITH REGULATED CITIZENSHIP STATUS

Blagoja Taskovski, a head of a police section says 1.500,178 (91.28%), out of the total number of 1.643,466, citizens of age in the Republic of Macedonia have regulated their citizenship status. 6,898 applications have been turned down, mostly on grounds of lacking a valid proof of permanent employment, living space or a stay under 15 years in the country.

[11] NO NEW CONFEDERATION IS POSSIBLE, MARKOVIC SAYS

'Latest rumors in Belgrade announcing a new confederation on the territory of the former Yugoslavia are nothing but groundless rumors,' said Zvonimir Markovic, head of the Croatian Bureau in Belgrade in an interview for the Split Weekly Dalmatia, A1 Television reports. Markovic said any such new confederation hides in itself plans for creation of a Greater Serbia.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[12] ONLY TIME WILL TELL

(Puls, 7 July 1995)

The following is an extract of an interview of the President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov with a Puls reporter.

Question: What are your evaluations of the ethnic relations in the country? The wounds inflicted by the attempt to establish a university in Albanian in Tetovo are still open. Some say the policy of co-existence will bring Macedonia to a co-death.

Answer: As of recently, there have been frequent attempts to present the ethnic relations in black and white. Unfortunately, I could not say I was satisfied with the current situation, either as a president or as a citizen of Macedonia. Tension and anxiety have already been created, but this is not in the interest of any segment in the state. The politicization of the issue is so strong that it even goes beyond the frames of the real economic, social and political abilities of Macedonia as a state. The damages thus imposed are immeasurable, primarily on the development of the concept of a civilian state and on the implementation of European criteria when dealing with minority problems. The so-called Albanian-language university in Tetovo, which had political instead of educational goals, is a typical example of this. It is really pitiful to see such an event as the one resulting from the initiative, come in the way of finding right solutions for the real educational needs of Albanians in the country.

I could by never agree that the policy of co-existence will lead us to a co-death. This is an extremely irrational and inhumane thesis. The co-existence principle includes respect for the human being and his dignity, guarantees for basic human rights and equality and protection of ethnic varieties and rights. Therefore, the co-existence can only lead toward full integration, tolerance and respect for the ethnic identity and rights.

On the contrary, it is policies of ethnic isolation, parallel systems, separatism and extreme demands that lead to conflicts. Unfortunately, I must say, these are the platforms of certain radical political parties in Macedonia and the initiators of actions of the type of the so-called Albanian-language university. I believe that the road we have stepped on will lead to a solution to the problem and consequently to a greater trust and mutual understanding.

Question: Whenever a civilian state is mentioned, some are inclined to understand it as opposed to a national one. Again, any mentioning of a multicultural community seems to neglect the fact that there is a majority population in Macedonia. Why this lack of a more determined reaction to thesis claiming that Macedonia is about to enter some kind of an experiment and build a multiethnic society which, in fact, is nothing else but a euphemism for a federation, special status's, autonomies, and the like?

Answer: It is the essential need of any nationalist platform to simplify the civilian society concept to a vulgar degree. It is really ridiculous to claim that the civilian concept is non-national. This is already proved by the so many European countries that have been developing on the civilian concept for almost a century now. The citizen status no how brings into question the national identity of the individual. Quite the opposite, it grants him equal rights and obligations with any other citizen in society, through a respect for his national, religious and political affiliations. This even expands the scope of human rights, as it starts from the individual and goes up to the community as a whole. Traditional sovereign national states of the 19 century were based on a quite different concept; they were structured on the basis of the absolute power of the community, primarily on ethnic bases. They established a hierarchy that made human rights completely irrelevant. This is why I said that ethnic concepts of sovereignty only show the radicalism of certain nationalist platforms nowadays present in Macedonia.

I think the notions 'mulitculture' and 'multiethnic' are vulgarized in the same way and mostly for the same reasons. It is true that the Macedonians are a majority nation in Macedonia, but the country is also populated by many other nationalities, such as Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Romas and Serbs. So, Macedonia is evidently a country with a complex ethnic structure. Conclusions on the multiethnic structure of the Macedonian society, with emphasis on the majority nation, cannot lead to any new experiments. It would be even a greater mistake to claim that the existence of nationalities in Macedonia by definition leads to a federalization.

I believe that the official stance of the Republic of Macedonia, as written down in the Constitution, quite resolutely expresses its firm decision to build a civilian state upon tolerance and respect for the rights of minorities. Exactly because of this, it would be also irrational and hardly reasonable to go for restrictions or limitations of the rights of minorities, which is a guarantee for ethnic peace. This would also be a policy of direct conflict and essentially opposed to the civilian concept, as it call for classifying the citizens into first, second or third-rate citizens.

I simply feel urged to remind of certain huge achievements of Macedonia in the past period. First of all, all nationalities in the Republic of Macedonia have the right to form their own political parties, which are today a part of the pluralistic political scene. They are included in the Parliament and representatives of the largest party of Albanians are even a coalition partner in the government. The latter results exactly from the policy of mutual ethnic understanding and the position that all problems must be dealt with within the legal framework of the system and with a mutual responsibility for the peace and stability of the country. It is a fact that the situation in the sphere of education of minorities is improved, although unfortunately this came slowly. I am here referring to the high-school education and the fact that the Pedagogical Academy has been raised to a university level, as well as to the positive selection in the enrollment of minority students. The minority-language programs on the national television has been expanded, the periodical Flaka e Vllazerimit became a daily newspaper and a large number of radio and TV stations in minority languages have been open. Therefore, in my opinion, the road to success leads only through patient and continual acceptance of the rights and liberties of citizens and nationalities.

Question: What do you think of the current situation in the dispute with Greece and do you believe that time is on Macedonia's side, when it comes to the main goal of preserving the identity of the nation and the state?

Answer: The Macedonian-Greek negotiation in UN have been renewed over the past two months, under the mediation efforts of Syrus Vance and Matthew Nemitz. I will repeat the general impression that there is a hope for positive progress of the talks. Having in mind the previous experience from the talks, however, I could not say that I am an absolute optimist. Especially not as long as the Greek embargo is in power. Meantime, this irrational dispute has greatly damaged both Macedonia and the entire southern Balkans. The Greek embargo imposed damage on Greece itself. And yet, despite all this, the embargo neither fulfilled its task nor can it ever fulfill it. I sincerely hope that we will be able to agree on a series of practical issues, as this is in the interest of both sides.

As for Macedonia's position in the negotiations, the most important thing now is to maintain our equal position and to continue reiterating our readiness to sit at the negotiation table and make good faith steps. Issues entering the territory of Macedonia's national identity have never been, nor can they ever be, negotiable. Macedonia even now assures that it has more reasons to establish good relations and cooperation with Greece than disputes of any kind. Our two countries have no problem with territorial ambitions of either side. Greece is a NATO and EU member country, and Macedonia is of a firm European orientation and determined to obtain both NATO and EU membership. Macedonia and Greece have very close cultural traditions; our majority nations are of the same religion and similar customs. Let alone the fundamental fact that Macedonia is Greece's road to Europe and Greece the Macedonia's exit to sea. Therefore, we have many, many more essential economic, political and cultural reasons to establish good relations than to enter into disputes.

Question: In your talks with the WEU Assembly parliamentarians, you stated belief that the efforts of Mr. Vance will yield results and that, provided that both sides show good faith and readiness to compromise, a solution can be reached that will contribute to peace and stability in the Balkans. Is your optimism now, after the last or one of the many last meetings between Minister Crvenkovski and Vance, based only on the constructive approach of Macedonia, or do you also take into account the Greek stance and even maybe the position of the wider international community?

Answer: Well, I already said that there is a hope that Mr. Vance's good efforts will yield results. This, of course, is also conditioned by the both sides' readiness to compromise and good faith steps, as well as their awareness of their own responsibility to the peace and stability in the region. In this context, Macedonia has already made several concessions - we clearly stated in our Constitution that we have no territorial ambitions toward any of our neighbors. This was also reiterated with the solemn Declaration of the republic of Macedonia, during my inauguration speech last year. The minimum we expect from Greece in return is that it suspends its embargo. I said the minimum, since this is a precondition to raise our negotiation positions to an equal level. I will also repeat that, if there is sincere willingness to contribute to the success of the negotiations, the two countries could easily find solution to the problem through direct talks, without any mediation whatsoever.

Our hope for a success of the negotiations is based not only on our constructive approach, but also on certain movements in the position of the Greek side, and even the international community, as well. After the talks were interrupted on a request of Greece in 1994, today Greece expresses willingness to reopen the negotiations under UN mediation. The Greek opposing to Macedonia's entering the other European institutions creates a certain dosage of anxiety even among the international institutions themselves, as it has created absurd and unprecedented situations. The Greek veto on Macedonia becoming a full OSCE member, for instance, is deeply contrary to the very essence of the organization. The same goes for NATO's Partnership for Peace program, as well as for Macedonia's relations with the European Union. At the same time, due to the current political and security situation in the Balkans, it is of prime importance to have relations between Macedonia and Greece normalized.

(end)

mils-news 7 July '95