MAK-NEWS 13/09/95 (M.I.L.S.)

From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 13 September 1995

[01] DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NOT YET STARTED

According to the latest information, the forthcoming signing of the agreement between Greece and Macedonia has not yet started. Nova Makedonija informs that the main reason for the postponment is the disagreement regarding the moment of lifting the embargo. Calling to news of the world press agencies, the newspaper cites that during the consultation with mediators Vance and Nimitz , the Macedonian side insisted on lifting the embargo half an hour before the signing, while the Greek side demanded first to sign the agreement and then to lift the embargo. As Macedonian TV reports, still there is no announcement for the beginning of the dialogue, but is expected that there will be another meeting between the Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and mediators Vance and Nimitz. There is limited information about the further development of the negotiations.

Meantime, according to the Greek media, the signing of the agreement is expected to be today, before noon American time, and on Thursday is scheduled a celebration in Washington, at the White House. The media reports the statement of Papoulias saying that the agreement will be signed, stressing at the same time the major contribution of US and UN in finding a solution for the dispute. According to the Greek newspaper Katimerini, 99% of the arrangement is already determined, and what is left is to find a formula which should "satisfy the egotism of the both sides". As A1 TV informs, certain Greek media do not exclude the possibility that during the direct meeting between the two Foreign Ministers, Greek side will want to determine the precise date for beginning of the negotiations regarding the name issue.

[02] CONVENTION AND PROTEST

VMRO-DPMNE, Macedonian World Congress, MAAK-Conservative Party, Labor Party and Republic Community of Macedonian- Muslims, at the press conference in Skopje yesterday, evaluated the forthcoming signing as a defeat of Macedonian national and state interests. According to Macedonian World Congress, the current government, estimated as illegal and illegitimate, entirely exclude the non-parliamentarian parties, non-governmental associations in Macedonia, and Macedonians in the neighboring countries and worldwide, to decide for the most important national and state question.

VMRO-DPMNE joins this activity, simply because they can not keep silent for such a shameful act. MAAK-Conservative Party considers that Macedonian government, which does not even amount to 10 % of Macedonians in this state and worldwide, has no right in name of 25 centuries of Macedonian tradition, nor in the name of future generations to play with national marks and national dignity of Macedonia. The Labor Party is determined to talk with Greece about any issue, but not national and state dignity which all countries in the worldwide defend no matter of the price.

Therefore, all these parties, as a protest, today in Universal Hall at 18 p.m. announced the organizing of a Macedonian All National Convention, where a Declaration will be adopted regarding the forthcoming act of stabilization of Greek-Macedonian relations. They also call for a protest to be held in front of Macedonian Parliament, and several similar peaceful protests have also been announced by Macedonian ethnic communities in European countries, US, Canada and Australia.

Meantime, disagreement for the signing also expressed Macedonian Church Communities and Organization of United Macedonians of Toronto, Canada, Australian-Macedonian Committee for Human Rights and Council of Macedonia of West Australia.

[03] DIRECT UNDERMINING OF THE NEGOTIATION POSITION

Macedonian TV informs , that Secretaries of the SDSM and Liberal Party, regarding the announcement of the non- parliamentarian parties for Convention and peaceful protest during today, commented this as following:

-Ljubomir Popovski - Secretary General of SDSM: organizing protest by part of opposition parties in the Republic is a direct undermining of the negotiation position of RM, and it seems that these parties do not correspond with the stabilization of the relations between the two countries. Popovski called on the public to express higher ideas and not to allow to be manipulated by political subjects which have undefined political aims.

-Ace Kocevski- Secretary of Liberal Party : it is about a political activity of opposition with purpose of turning the citizens against our current policy, which is obviously respected in the world. This opposition activity is based on wrong estimations and twisted facts and aims to underestimate the negotiation position of RM. Kocevski also appealed to the Macedonian citizens not to be lead by this call of the opposition.

[04] CITY HALL OF PRILEP DEMANDS TERMINATION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS

City Hall of Prilep, at yesterdays urgent session said that it does not agree with the Macedonian leadership and Kiro Gligorov as its leader, about "accepting of the Greek ultimatum" for the change of the flag, constitution and name of Republic of Macedonia. In its conclusion it demanded of the Government , Parliament and President of the Republic urgently and energeticly to terminate the negotiations in New York.

[05] DISCUSSION FOR MACEDONIA AT THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

The Council of Europe, in Bruxelles, yesterday, held a discussion regarding the forthcoming establishment of diplomatic relations between Macedonia and the European Union, which is to follow after the signing of the agreement with Greece. In the discussion, the Ambassador of Republic of Macedonia, Jovan Tegovski, in BENELUX, informed the parliamentarians of the difficult social-political situation in Macedonia. The Parliamentarians were also informed with the report of the President of Parliamentary Commission for Relation of countries of Middle and Eastern Europe, Doris Pack. Macedonian radio informs of an incident which occurred during the discussion when Greek delegates reacted negatively to the given material in which was cited the constitutional name of Macedonia.

[06] DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS

-Macedonian president Kiro Gligorov received yesterday the credentials of the Ambassador of People's Republic of Korea in Macedonia, Kim Von Ho. On this occasion Gligorov expressed gratitude for the support of Macedonia's independence by Korea. The Ambassador Kim Von Ho was also received by the Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, and Parliamentarian President Stojan Andov.

-Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski met with the Chief - of- Staff of the Albanian Republic, Seme Kosova, which conveyed to him messages of the Albanian Defense Minister, Safet Zuljali, expressing interest for further development of the cooperation in the field of defense. In a statement given for Macedonian radio, Kosova stressed that they talked about participation of Macedonian military experts in the mutual American-Albanian military exercises held in Albania. Kosova was received by the Chief- of -Staff of ARM, General colonel Dragoljub Bocinov. The Albanian delegation visited barracks Ilinden and Military Academy in Skopje. Kosova is scheduled today to visit the factory MZT -Tito, and be introduced to the specific production of this factory.

[07] PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE INTERIOR AND JUSTICE MINISTERS OF MACEDONIA AND BULGARIA

Interior and Justice Ministers of Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Bulgaria expressed a high level of consent about the cooperation in the areas of internal affairs. At the press conference held yesterday, this cooperation was evaluated as successful, particularly in combating terrorism, illegal trade with drugs and arms, radioactive material, smuggling, and falsification of documents and money londring, as well as other kinds of criminal activities. In the future, particular attention will be devoted to the fight against organized crime. Therefore, in near future there will be formed a mutual commission on a level of ministers deputies which will regularly communicate, and it will include three working commissions: for the fight against drugs, for organized crime and control of the borders.

In the field of Justice it was agreed by both countries to speed up the conclusion of the bilateral agreements in giving international -legal aid, as well as arranging direct contacts between the judicial bodies, especially the courts. A mutual idea was promoted and accepted regarding the regional program for crime prevention in the Balkan countries.

[08] HUMANITARIAN HELP

Red Cross of RM. sent yesterday humanitarian help for the refugees effected by the war in former Yugoslavia. The help includes 10 supply trucks amounting over 5.860.000 denars (food, cloth, hygienic means, bed linen, etc.), and it was given to the Yugoslavian Red Cross in Vranje,(SRYugoslavia). The humanitarian help was provided by donations of several organizations, citizens and over 300 private producers.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[09] MEET THE AUSTRALIAN - MACEDONIAN INTELLECTUALS: JIM THOMEV (Part I)

(Previously featured in "Today-Denes", Melbourne, Australia)

Question: The Macedonian communities in the new homelands, mainly Australia, USA, Canada and Europe have gone through a stormy period, particularly in the immediate past years, with the independence of a land for all Macedonians, the Republic of Macedonia. How, according to you, can the form and content of national traditions be modernized and adapted in the new homelands ?

Answer: Macedonia does not only symbolize the eternal aspiration for all human beings to find freedom from oppression and to build a society in which human beings live as brothers and sisters and equals. It is the constant bid to live a full human existence, which it has been rightly said by the Brazilian educator Paolo Freire, is the true and essential vocation of all human beings.

I believe that the Macedonian communities in the West can preserve and disseminate all that has been good and worthwhile about the Macedonian historical experience. Life is conceived as a struggle against adversity by the Macedonians, and it is for this reason that among the older generation, you will hear the catch-phrase "We are born to suffer". But that is not the whole story; indeed, the story is far more complex and certainty seems to have no ending..., and the new generations of Macedonians are no longer passive and fatalistic.

The richness and shoor range of our folklore - that amazing range of creativity by our people over the centuries who seem never to have known a period free from tyrants. There are thousands of songs and music to go with it and there is a colorful and heart - wrenchingly beautiful language which show our people going about their lives in the harsh conditions of existence, usually imposed on them by an oppressor group.

So to cut a long story short - we don't have all night around the fire in some faraway village in Macedonia - I will simply say this: the best national tradition that the Macedonians can give to the world is their essential humanity which they have preserved and share with all human beings when they are not being harassed or persecuted by dehumanized oppressors.

One of the most important tasks of future generations is to unfold the whole amazing story of the Macedonian people's struggle against the tremendous odds which have threatened its existence. As we all know, that struggle is not yet over, even though victory is merely around the corner...the delusion of our negators is everywhere apparent and those who have traditionally challenged our right to our Macedonian identity will know that they are the victims of monstrous nationalistic propaganda by their own leaders...

Question: How it is possible to find the best and least painful means of co-operation between Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonians in the Diaspora? How it is possible to eliminate the barriers set up by party politics, propaganda and ideology? In particular, how shall the problem of co-operation with Macedonians in Albania, Greece and Bulgaria be resolved?

Answer: The Republic of Macedonia, in its present prodicament, needs all friends it can get. It does not help the situation if there are Macedonian groups in the Diaspora which ally themselves with the various political parties which exist in Macedonia. That is the best way to destroy solidarity amongst the Macedonians abroad. Macedonians in Australia for instance, should be concerned with the survival of the RM., and not take sides with the different political parties. The RM. has its own political and social system and does not need people from abroad to determine its policies and otherwise interfere with its internal affairs.

If there are people who want to determine the destiny of the RM., they should go back there or become its citizens and become candidates for parliament. Otherwise they should concentrate their energies in the countries where they live which is of much more immediate relevance to their real interests. And besides, it is sheer hypocrisy to tell Macedonians in the RM. what to do from the safe vantage point in Australia.

Of course there should be a warm and close relations between the RM. and the Macedonians in the Diaspora and ther should be strong cultural links, exchanges and sharing of skills. The Macedonians in the Balkans should be strong in their solidarity with eachother and so should believe that there should be no inhibition about supporting the Macedonians in Greece, Albania and Bulgaria. The struggle for human rights in those lands is a very worthwhile cause which should be supported by all fair-minded people, not only the Macedonians throughout the world.

It is well known that oppressors all over the world are afraid of three words:organization, unity and struggle. The Macedonians throughout the world, and especially in the Balkans, are organizing and uniting for their struggle for continuity and a proud place with all other nations in the world who have come through. We in Australia should bless this movement and opportunity to contribute to this gloriuos struggle.

Question: How, in your opinion, can the information disseminated in the Diaspora by the RM. become more democratic? The very fact that the media there is financed by the ruling parties would suggest that it is also controlled by them. The Macedonians in the Diaspora appreciate independent information, yet how is that to be achieved?

Answer: I think we should bear in mind that all mass media in the world today usually serves some vested interest or other. That's a general truism which should not be forgotten in any discussion of this sort. I believe there are too many illusions crystallized around the world "democracy''. This is so to such an extent that I feel like laughing outright when I consider that people like Jeff Kennett are "democratically elected" leaders. In other words, just because a place or country is called a democracy and has all laws of a social democracy, it does not mean that you always have the best outcome for the welfare of its citizens.

As far as Macedonia is concerned, I don't know enough about the ownership of the media there, but if, as you say the Government and the ruling parties own it, it would not surprise me in least if they use it to promote their own interests. The Australian Government is very similar with any media it owns, but it may be a lot more subtle in its manipulations.

Perhaps what the RM. has to learn with time is that democracy is not created overnight in any case. All of the people in power in Macedonia had their ideas formed during the extremely authoritarian regime of former Yugoslavia. The same is true of their opposition parties. None of them has even a memory of democracy in Macedonia because historically there has been no experience of it. So the road to a more free and open society will be laborious and often traumatic. If people in Australia are really worried about the media monopoly of the Macedonian Government, perhaps they could create opportunities for more ''independent information" to be emitted in the Diaspora.

(to be continued)

(end)

mils news 13 September, '95

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