MAK-NEWS 29/09/95 (M.I.L.S.)

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 29 September 1995

[01] TALKS FOR VISAS-PASSPORT SYSTEM AND OFFICE

A1 TV reports, a delegation of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry led by the Undersecretary Victor Gaber, will visit Athens next week. The delegation will talk with representatives of the Greek government for refinement of the visas-passport system and opening of a Macedonian diplomatic office in Athens.

Macedonian TV unofficially reveals that the opening of the Greek-Macedonian border will be on October 16, when the first contingent of crude oil is expected to arrive from Thessaloniki to Macedonia.

[02] ADMITTANCE IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE - OBLIGATIONS AND BENEFITS

With the admittance in the Council of Europe, Republic of Macedonia is obliged within one year to sign and ratify the following: Protocol of the European Convention for abolition of the death penalty in peace time, European Convention for Protection of the national minorities, Chart of Europe for regional or minority languages, Guaranties for independence of the courts and informative medias etc. The benefits of admittance to the Council are first of all of a political nature and legal, easier inclusion into European and World integration processes and making trade agreements for using various funds.

[03] GLIGOROV TO VISIT MALTA

Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov is to visit Malta next month. Along with the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the seven Balkan countries, Gligorov will attend the meeting for peace in the region.

[04] CRVENKOVSKI MET WITH HOLBROOKE AND EVANS

Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski met in New York with the US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Holbrooke. They discussed the issues of bilateral relations, the role of UNPREDEP in Macedonia and the latest development of the events in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Two days ago, Crvenkovski met with the Australian Foreign Minister, Garret Evans. They discussed the necessity of quick establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. At the meeting, Minister Crvenkovski expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of Macedonians in Australia as well as the use of the term "Slavomacedonians".

[05] CREDIT FROM SWITZERLAND FOR MACEDONIA

In Bern, Switzerland yesterday, the Macedonian Government and Swiss Federal Council signed an agreement for aid in the payment balance of Macedonia. The Swiss Government approved a credit amounting to 7 million Swiss franks.

[06] PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA

On October 5, the Macedonian Parliament will discuss the Proposal for issuing a law for the flag including the Draft-law. The Parliament in its 28th session will discuss the issuance of a law for ratification of the Interim Accord signed by Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Greece on September 13th in New York. A1 unofficially reveals that at this session a statement will be given on the preamble and article 49 of the Macedonian Constitution that do not express irredentism nor represent a base for interference in the internal affairs of the neighbors.

[07] WE WILL NEGOTIATE, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO CHANGE OUR NAME

Macedonian Parliament president, Stojan Andov, in the interview given to the Greek magazine Elefterotipia, evaluated that the New York accord is a great step forward in the relations between Macedonia and Greece. He voices hope that they will reach some compromise regarding the name issue, for which Greece is the only one that has differences in the thoughts. "We will negotiate, but we don't want in any case our name to be changed", added Andov.

[08] PROTEST MEETING SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 4

Macedonian Convention announced yesterday a protest meeting for October 4, in Skopje. The meeting will begin in front of the Church Cathedral "St.Klement Ohrid" at 7 p.m. and end in front of the Macedonian parliament. The Convention is consisted of VMRO-DPMNE, Macedoninan World Congress, Labor Party, MAAK-Conservative Party, Association of Political Prisoners, and was joined by the Democratic Party.

The Convention called the Macedonian citizens, no matter of their ethnical, religious and political affiliation, to participate in the protest. The participants will carry Macedonian state flags with the Vergina symbol.

The Convention will not interfere with the citizens protesting in front of the Macedonian Parliament on the following day, October 5, when a parliamentary session is scheduled. The organizers will take all precautionary measures. Regarding the forthcoming meeting, they sent letters to the Interior Ministry and all accredited foreign missions in Republic of Macedonia. In the letter sent to the Interior Ministry it is pointed out that the police need not prevent participants from the interior of the country from joining the meeting.

[09] MACEDONIA MASS OF MINORITIES AND ETHICAL GROUPS

Democratic Party of Macedonian organized yesterday in Skopje a tribune regarding the signed Interim Accord between Macedonia and Greece. Most participants (academic men, professors, journalists) stressed that they do not agree with the current authority and consider the Accord as a defeat of Macedonia and of the national state interest. They addressed a serious remark for the silence of the intelligentsia and nameless signing of the Accord.

It depersonalizes the country, which very often represents itself as a miracle mass of minorities and ethnical groups. The very document was evaluated as a dictate by Greece, which interferes in the Macedonian internal affairs, provokes the issue of the borders and makes a censure to the symbol. All that, it was said at the tribune, was ratified by two citizens Papoulias and Crvenkovski and represents a step towards antidemocratic directions.

[10] GREEK-MACEDONIAN UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

Skopje University "St. Cyril and Methodius" and University of Janina, Greece, within one month will sign a Protocol for Cooperation. This was announced at yesterday's press conference of the Rectors of Skopje and Janina Universities. The cooperation will be in the framework of the social and medical sciences, and art.

Both Universities will make an effort to provide funds from the EU for various projects.

[11] AGREEMENTS FOR OIL TRANSPORT FROM THESSALONIKI

In Thessaloniki during next month, 120,000 tons crude oil should arrive for the needs of Macedonia. At the recent meeting between the delegations of Macedonian and Greek railroads it was agreed that the transport should be done with fuel-carrying vehicles from both railroads. The Greek side was also offered cooperation by the Macedonian railroad for on time realization of the oil trade.

Technical aid for electro-locomotives was offered, as well as the maintenance of the electrotechical railroad equipment in the railroad Idomeni-Thesaloniki.

[12] SOON OPENING OF THE BORDERS?

In response to the question, "When will the embargo be lifted and when will Macedonian citizens from the Aegean part of Macedonia be able to travel in Greece?", a representative of the Greek delegation of Council of Europe, Panayotis Benetatos (PASOK), replied: "We expect the embargo to be lifted in the following month and citizens and goods from your country will be able to enter freely in Greece. But, Greece will not allow entrance to all former partisans, regardless whether they come from Russia, Poland or any other country", he added.

[13] SIGNED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SOCIAL PARTNERS

Representatives of the Trade Union, Government and Chamber of Commerce signed yesterday in Skopje an Agreement which allows the workers to buy stocks under beneficiary conditions amounting to 30% of the value of enterprises in the processes of privatization. The Stock holders will have the right to profit and participation in the management of the enterprise. The Union will have representatives in the Government Commission and Commission of the Agency for Privatization, and at the same time the Collective arrangements will be signed. The Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski voiced satisfaction of the signed agreement, while the President of the Macedonian Union Alliance, Zivko Tolevski announced a range of activities for the operation of the regulations of the agreement.

[14] FREE TRAINING OF MANAGERS

At the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce yesterday was presented the Program of the British Council for joint and trade contracts - JICAP. The Program provides free five-week training on management for Macedonian businessmen in Great Britain. It is financed by the British Foreign Ministry and Know-How-Fund. The candidates, according to the rules, should be in age of 25-45 years, highly educated and have a certificate for English language. The application documents are available at the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT :

[15] POLLITECON PUBLICATIONS

1. 'Macedonian Agenda' by Victor Bivell paper back, 232 pages, 228 mm x 152 mm, three color celloglazed cover, $25 inc postage

Macedonian Agenda is a selection of 16 of the best essays by Macedonian-Australian writers from the period 1988 to 1995. Written in English, the essays explore the development of the Macedonian people and culture in the Australian setting.

The fourteen authors give an insight to a range of topics close to the Macedonian heart : cultural values, language, religion, arts, identity, women's issues, the elderly, settlement, politics, human rights, and the child refugees, among others.

The authors, seven men, four women and three organizations, are from Perth, Adelaide, Geelong, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney, and Newcastle. Half originate from the Republic of Macedonia and half from Aegean Macedonia (Northern Greece). The fact that most were born in Australia indicates how Australia allowed the Macedonian spirit to find a freedom and expression that has frequently been denied in its divided homeland.

Original, wide ranging, informative, and sometimes controversial, Macedonian Agenda will appeal to general readers as well as to people of Macedonian background.

2. 'The Rising Sun in the Balkans: The Republic of Macedonia' by International Affairs Agency paper back, 68 pages, A5 size, attractive four color cover, published 1995, $12.00 inc postage

When the Republic of Macedonia voted for independence in 1991 its international recognition was temporarily delayed by nationalist objections from Greece regarding these of the name Macedonia, the use of the Macedonian Sun symbol, and Macedonian's Constitutional concerns for the Macedonian minority in northern Greece. This book presents the arguments of both countries and an objective, third part analysis.

The positions of the neighboring countries, Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania, are also outlined. In examining the Greek-Serbian alliance, the book in context the events leading up to the deployment of United Nations and United States peacekeeping troops in Macedonia to prevent the spread of hostilities from former Yugoslavia and possible territorial aggression.

The book also contains essential facts about Macedonian's population, religion, language, and political and economic situation.

3. 'What Europe Has Forgotten : The Struggle Of The Aegean Macedonians' by Association of Macedonians in Poland paperback, 68 pages, perfect bound, 250 mm x 175 mm, published 1992, reprinted 1995, $15.00 inc postage

What Europe Has Forgotten : The Struggle Of The Aegean Macedonians examines official discrimination against the Macedonian minority of northern Greece and the struggle for human rights, particularly by the 28,000 ethnic Macedonian child refugees evacuated in 1948 during the Greek Civil War.

The book outlines the obligations to fully protect the Macedonian national minority assumed by Greece when it took over Aegean Macedonia. This was to include full civic and political rights. However, instead of fulfilling these promises, the Greek authorities instigated policies aimed at assimilation and displacement and the report identifies and summarizes a number of anti-Macedonian laws introduced by successive Greek governments.

The report contains 28 photographs and over 20 pages of letters, certificates and documentary evidence.

4. 'Denying Ethnic Identity : The Macedonians of Greece' by Human Rights Watch paperback, 92 pages, 228 mm x 152 mm, published 1994, $15.00 inc postage

Although ethnic Macedonians in northern Greece make up a large minority with their own language and culture, their internationally recognized human rights and even their existence are vigorously denied by the Greek government.

Free expression is restricted; several Macedonians have been prosecuted and convicted for the peaceful expression of their views. Moreover, ethnic Macedonians are discriminated against by the government's failure to permit the teaching of the Macedonian language. And ethnic Macedonians, particularly rights activists, are harassed by the government - followed and threatened by security forces - and subjected to economic and social pressures resulting from this harassment. All of these actions have led to a marked climate of fear in which a large number of ethnic Macedonians are reluctant to assert their Macedonian identity or to express their views openly.

Ultimately, the government is pursuing every avenue to deny the Macedonians of Greece their ethnic identity.

5. 'The Draught' a play by Tom Petsinis paperback, 68 pages, A5 size, published 1994 by Currency Press, $13.95 inc postage

The Draught tells the story of Vangel, a Macedonian-born Australian. Having failed to find his fortune and to fulfill the hopes of those he left behind, he returns to the village of his birth, now stricken with drought.

Haunted by years in the Australian outback, he is tempted to return to the peasant life of his youth. But his presence, acting as a catalyst for dark emotions amongst his family which has been laboring for many years in a draught-stricken land, leads to a disturbing and dramatic climax. The Draught won the Wal Cherry Play of the Year Award in 1993.

Tom Petsinis was born in Macedonia in 1953 and came to Australia in 1959. He is mathematics teacher at university. As well as a number of plays, Tom has written fiction and poetry. His novel, Raising the Shadow, and a collection of poetry, The Blossom Vendor, were both published in 1992. A second collection of poetry, Offerings : Sonnets from Mt Athos, was published in 1994.

Send with payment to : Pollitecon Publications, PO Box 324, Five Dock, NSW 2046. Credit card orders may be phoned on 02 713 7608 or faxed on 02 713 1004.

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mils news 29 September '95