MAK-NEWS 18.09.95 (M.I.L.S.)

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 18 September 1995

[01] THE FLAG IS NICE, BUT?

Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, two days ago gave an interwove for the Macedonian TV in which he talked about the Greek-Macedonian dispute. Regarding the name Gligorov stressed that: "there is a question whether now, after 2300 years we will lead a battle and will turn this question into a Cyprus question, which has not been solved already for 20 years. We are fighting for that symbol, and we will see the time when our young people who are now 20 years old become 40 so that they can come into a situation when they can live a normal life, exit to the world, and we can begin the process of entering the EU. Should this be the price of our insisting that it is our symbol? The symbol is nice, also is the flag, but when you look at both sides of the things, I think that without understanding from practically no one else in the world, we will be leading one Don Quixote battle about something that has been often an issue in the history of the Balkan wars".

[02] ENFORCEMENT OF SOUTH WING OF NATO

''The USA has an extremely positive role in maintenance of the peace and stability in the southern part of the Balkans and in the Republic of Macedonia" stated the Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski for Makpress, Nova Makedonija reports. "US has strategically interest for maintenance of the stability in this part of the Europe and enforcement of the southern wing of NATO. These interests are in accordance with the interest of the EU, especially with the interests of the countries members of NATO. It is clear that they concur with our interests too, and with out neighbors - Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria. Therefore we stand for, besides acceptance in the program "Partnership for Peace" as well as for expanding of the NATO in a southern line, which would reach Turkey, which is also of great strategic interest" said Hanzdiski. According to the Minister the Albanian issue in the Balkans does not exist as an integral issue, the Kosovo issue should be solved in a peaceful way with a mutual agreement of the Governments of Republic of Serbia and Kosovo alternative, while in Macedonia the relations with the Albanian nationality are built within the frames of citizens society in which will be guarantied all basic and particular human rights and will be applied all European and world standards defined with the UN Declaration, Paris Charter, Helsinki Declaration and OSCE Declaration.

[03] THE NAME ISSUE WILL BE DISCUSSED IN OCTOBER?

Greece would like to begin with the negotiations about the renaming of the Former Yugoslav republic as soon as possible, stated last Friday Spokesman of the Greek Foreign Minister Kostas Bikas, Skopje Vecer informs. The name issue is the core of the disagreements between the two countries and the talks should begin at the end of October or beginning of November.

Meantime, Athens is preparing to form an experts commission, which with Skopje will begin the negotiations about the practical measures in realization of the agreement signed in New York. According to Ta Nea writing, priorities in this sense are given to opening of the liaison office which after the end of negotiations for the name issue would become an embassy and the passing of passengers and goods across the borders. The newspaper writes that the entrance visas for Macedonian and Greece citizens would be on a special list, and there would be the similar procedure for goods.

[04] REACTION ON GREEK-MACEDONIAN AGREEMENT

-UN Security Council gave an announcement in which greeted the signing of the temporary agreement with Greece and FYROM and voiced conviction that the Agreement will enforce the stability in the Balkans. The Security Council gave recognition to both sides of the agreement, to the Secretary General, to the special envoy Syrus Vance and the US mediator Matthew Nimitz.

-Matthew Nimitz at the press conference held in New York two days ago, on the occasion of the Macedonian-Greek agreement said that after the falling apart of Yugoslavia, its republics, including Macedonia had the right to declare its independence. As for the possibility for resolving the dispute regarding the name issue, Nimitz stressed that " the country has an Constitutional name - Republic of Macedonia " and that besides the opposing of Greece, Macedonia was admitted at UN under the reference FYROM, but it is only a reference, not name.

-Former Official of the Greek Government, Evangelos Kofos, in the interview for the yesterdays Katimerini, stated that in the Greek-Macedonian agreement it should also be taken into consideration the name Macedonia. The furture talks will also include the Macedonian minority in Greece for which Macedonia, according to Kofos, have already prepared a dossier for the returning of the free repatriation of the refugees, in spite of that according to Kofos, there can not be known how many of the refugees want to return to Greece. He thinks that in the last 40 or 50 years one nation has been formed and it is evident that people in it do not feel like Bulgarians, nor Serbians , nor Albanians but Slovenes. To Kofos the problem is that this nation has taken the name of the native country, an example which in the world is often, and the geographical name is a name that can be used by any inhabitant in that region, but Greece did not allow these differences to be understood by the Greek people.

-In Thessaloniki, yesterday, at a press conference, Miltiadis Evert, leader of he greatest Greek opposition party, said that with the signing of the agreement in New York, the name issue of Macedonia is forever lost for Greece. He announced a new demand for voting a trust of the current Government, stressing that on the next , urgent elections, Nea Democratia will win.

-According to the leader of the Albanians of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, the agreement between Macedonia and Greece is a first step towards calming of the situation in the relations between the two countries and is a good movement of Greece, as a member of the EU, and is accomplishment for the stability in the Balkans.

[05] DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS

-At the German Foreign Ministry in Bon, last Friday, have been held political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Macedonia and Germany. Macedonian delegation was led by Under Secretary Victor Gaber, who gave the letter of Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov for the German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel.

-On an invitation of President of the Government of Italian region Pailja, Salvatore Ditaso, and the President of the Bari Fair, Francesko Divela, yesterday in Bari a delegation arrived from the Republic of Macedonia led by the Ministry for Economy, Risto Ivanov. They discussed the possibilities for cooperation between Macedonia and the region of Pulja on the economy, culture, science, education etc.

-The Macedonian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Georgi Spasov, was received by the President of Bulgaria, Zelju Zelev. He was informed of the elements of the signed agreement between Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Greece as well as establishment of the diplomatic relations of Republic of Macedonia with the USA. The Ambassador Spasov was also received by the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Georgi Pirinski.

-Yesterday in the Republic of Macedonia came a high delegation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development led by the Vice President Ron Friman.

[06] AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNION AND THE GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE PRIVATIZATION

These days the Alliance of the Unions of Macedonia has agreed with the Government for the way of establishing higher rights of the workers in the process of transformation of the state property. They prepared a document , which should be signed this week by the President of the Alliance Union of Macedonia(AUM), Zivko Tolevski, and Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski. This document establishes the right of the workers to get 30% of the capital in 5 years of payment, the right of managing with the enterprise when buying the stocks, and thirdly a possibility to give their stocks or to transferee them to other persons after termination of the period of 2 years. Also, the Union and the Government agreed that AUM should have its representatives in the Agency for Transformation of Enterprises with Social Capital, as well as in the transformation boards of the enterprises.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[07] CUSTOM "JOGGING" TOWARDS THE SOUTH

(Vecer, 18 September '95) The signed agreement between Greece and Macedonia in New York, among other things provides complete opening of the southern border instead of current "ajar" communication. This fact itself predicts correction of our custom organization. We discussed this with the Director of Custom Administration of Republic of Macedonia, Ilija Iljovski.

Question: Are there any indications for the possible opening of the Greek-Macedonian border in the next seven days?

Answer: If we follow to the signed agreement in the forthcoming 30 days all the technical assumptions to open the border should be done. Meanwhile, the entire exchange with Greece is made through 4 border crossings : Dojran-Dojrani, Bogorodica-Evzoni, railway station in Gevgelija-Idomeni, while in the western part of Macedonia is the border crossing near Biltola - Megitlija. It is my opinion that the agreement gives a framework for opening of the border to happen in seven days as it is announced, but I still think that both sides are not ready to make all the necessary preparations within that time.

Question: In which segments would this preparations be focused ?

Answer: At the already mentioned border crossings should be provided the returning of the optimal number of custom officials, who were so far drastically reduced. At the Dojran crossing before the embargo there were eight custom officials, while now are four, in Bogorodica 34 have been reduced to eight, while in Megitlija and Gevgelija, 12 have been reduced to only four. The technical equipment has maintained its level as before the embargo. In the meantime, those people have been at the other crossings, especially at the Republic of Albania and Bulgaria. It is evaluated, that now with the opening of the Greece borders will lead to a relaxation of the current situation at these border crossings.

Question: The lack of staff especially at the Gevgelija Customhouse was evident in the previous period - now it will be very burdened. How to solve that "human condition" in a situation where there is an existing agreement between Macedonian Government and IMF mission for vetoing new employment in the state machinery?

Answer: At first moment we evaluate that the situation with the other crossings will be relaxed. If nothing else than for the goods which according to the logic now will be redirected to Thessaloniki. But, in the near future we plan employment a of new contingent of custom officials, already made arrangement with the Government.

Question: Could it be expected there will be a meeting between Greece and Macedonia on a highest custom level?

Answer: Today(this interview was in Friday) I talked with the Supervisor of a Custom Houses in Bitola and Gevgelija, who informed me that there is announced some kind of meeting on an operative level between him and the Supervisor of Custom House in North Greece. Anyhow, there will not be wrong if comes to a meeting on a higher level. Actually, the possibility for such meeting already appeared this July in Bruxelles, where both delegations attended the annual Assembly of the World Custom Organization, but however it did not come to it.

Question: Is there possible change of the strategy of the custom structures - particularly about possible redirecting of the activities and means for reconstruction of the border crossings Deve Bair and Kafasan?

Answer: We could expect redirectioning of part of the activities in any case. However, this does not imply stopping of the activities for enlarging of these border crossings. The work at Kafasan will begin in several days. Actually, we don't have untied hands for using these means which are presents of the UN Development Department. From this source, behind which is standing American capital, we received $ 1,5 million for the crossing Kafasan and another amount of dollars for the crossing at Novo Selo. On the other hand, however, the modernization and enlargement of the crossings to Greece will follow.

Question: Does the usual communication with Greece, also predicts adjustment of our custom regulative?

Answer: Since we are members of the World Custom Organization we conduct our custom standing to the international standards. So, for that issue there are no possible complications. It is all in function of unification of the custom activity. In this sense we already work on complete computerization and taking over of the Software of the World Custom Organization. The very fact that Greece is a member of EU only can make things easier the in comparison of the so far communication with the neighbors Albania and Bulgaria. On the other hand, the two most important documents at export-import transactions which are the bill of lading and TIR carnet are fulfilled according to clearly defined conventions which will not have any kind of improvisations. That means mentioning of our state according to its constitutional name in accordance with the deposit stamp submitted to the office of these associations in Geneva. This only makes easier the technical negotiations regarding the issues for the exchange of passengers and goods as he moves at our border.

Question: Opening of the border towards Greece can lead to increased speculations saying that Macedonia is violating the embargo towards Yugoslavia.

Answer: This could be expected since we had such activities before the embargo. Even in the talk with the representatives of MAKSAM (mission of the Committee for conveying of the Sanctions with its office in Macedonia) they conclude its expectancy of the enforced threats for breaking of the sanctions. But, our high officials will not retreat from their attitude for following the regulations of the UN Resolution 820. So, there can be no word about re-export of goods from Greece to Serbia through Macedonia.

Question: Is there possible enforced control of the Greek - Macedonian border crossing and at the crossing Subotica in Serbia for prevention of eventual transits misconduct?

Answer: Unless part of the resolution 820 is eliminated, regarding the transit of goods through Serbia, then it is possible to have such control. However, there will not be need for any of this, since the Resolution 820 has forbidden transit across Serbia.

(end)

mils news 18 September '95

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