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MILS NEWS 22/04/96From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@MILS.SPIC.ORG.MK>Macedonian Information Liaison Service DirectoryCONTENTS[01] MALAYSIAN ECONOMY IN THE REGION THROUGH MACEDONIA[02] ZELENEC ARRIVED IN MACEDONIA YESTERDAY[03] GJORGJI PIRINSKI IN MACEDONIA THIS WEEK[04] SAME PRINCIPLE STANDS ON SUCCESSION[05] KOSOVO STATUS NEEDS TO BE SOLVED INEVITABLY[06] MACEDONIA APPROACHES NATO[07] NEW BANK NOTES SINCE SEPTEMBER 8[08] 81 YEARS FROM JANE SANDANSKI'S DEATH MARKED[09] DP - 'ILLEGAL REPLACING OF THE POVERTY'[10] 'BROTHERLY HELP' TO VMRO-DPMNE[11] RECOGNITION OF FRY CONTINUITY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE ALBANIANS[12] MAIN TASK - ATTRACTING MORE MEMBERS[13] PDPA-NDP - 'ARMED POLICE OFFICERS AT THE POLLING PLACES'MILS SUPPLEMENT:[14] CPA - Action Report on South BalkansMILS NEWSSkopje, 22 April 1996[01] MALAYSIAN ECONOMY IN THE REGION THROUGH MACEDONIA'Malaysia could realise its economic cooperation in this whole region through Macedonia,' stated Mahathir Mohamed on a press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski.During the two-day visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister and the business delegation, the greatest importance was paid to the deepening of the future bilateral cooperation and the valorisation of the current political one. Crvenkovski said that both countries will sign encouraging business agreements. He added that Malaysia might invest in Macedonian infrastructure projects, that would be soon offered at the international concession. Malaysian Prime Minister met with the President of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov, Parliament President Tito Petkovski and Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, while the businessmen talked to the Ministers of Economy, Bekjir Zuta, and of Finances Taki Fiti, as well as to the business people in the Chamber of Commerce. The fields of construction, metal and chemical industry, and agriculture, were stated as possible cooperation areas. Yesterday, the air company 'Palair Macedonian' and the 'Malaysian Air-transport' signed an agreement on establishing a new Skopje - Kuala Lumpur air line. [02] ZELENEC ARRIVED IN MACEDONIA YESTERDAYForeign Minister of the Czech Republic Jozef Zelenec arrived yesterday in Macedonia for a one-day visit, during which he will meet Macedonian President Gligorov, Parliament President Tito Petkovski, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and Foreign Affairs Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski.Last Friday, President Gligorov received the Czech Ambassador to Macedonia Ivan Bushnjak, who handed him the credentials. He also presented the invitation of President Vatslav Havel for Gligorov to visit the Czech Republic. [03] GJORGJI PIRINSKI IN MACEDONIA THIS WEEKFollowing the invitation of Macedonian Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski, his Bulgarian counterpart Gjorgji Pirinski will visit Macedonia on April 24 and 25, announced Macedonian Foreign Affairs Ministry.Minister Pirinski is expected, according to 'Nova Makedonija', to present the Bulgarian idea for a meeting of the Balkan countries foreign ministers in Sofia, to state the Balkan cooperation principles of Bulgaria, as well as the principles regarding the Macedonian-Bulgarian relations. This will be the first official visit between the two countries after a two years pause, i.e. since the previous Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski visited Bulgaria in 1993. The only exception was the visit of the Macedonian parliamentary delegation in Bulgaria, led by Tito Petkovski, who was then Vice Parliament President. [04] SAME PRINCIPLE STANDS ON SUCCESSIONMacedonia, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have the same principle stands regarding the division of the former SFRY property: 1) that all former Yugoslav republics are equal successors, and 2) that their requests are based on the Badinter's Commission Report and International Law principles. According to 'Nova Makedonija', this was one of the conclusions at the meeting of the above mentioned four republics representatives in Skopje on Friday, when the current and the future activities regarding the succession were discussed, with an emphasis on the preparations for the forthcoming meeting with the EU special negotiator in Brussels.Meantime, 'Makpress' reports that the Governors Council of the Basel International Bank had supported the Slovenian proposal for the SFRY property of about $500 million in this bank to be divided. Slovenian National Bank governor Frantse Arhar stated the proposal had been supported by the IMF as well. [05] KOSOVO STATUS NEEDS TO BE SOLVED INEVITABLYThe European Parliament greeted the Agreement on the normalisation of Macedonia-FRY relations with a special conclusion, reported 'Makpress'. The Parliament, however, insists that the economic sanctions against Belgrade may not be completely lifted until the beginning of negotiations on the status of Kosovo.[06] MACEDONIA APPROACHES NATOLjubomir Frchkovski, Macedonian Foreign Minister, and the NATO representatives will sign the Individual Programme of Macedonia for 'Partnership for Peace' activities, at the meeting of NATO and 'Partnership for Peace' member countries defense ministers on 14 June 1996.According to Macedonian Defense Ministry, reads the daily 'Dnevnik', the Macedonian Programme was accepted without any remarks by the Alliance members, which is another proof that Macedonia approaches NATO and its programmes. 'Dnevnik' also reminds of William Perry's statement, given at the Conference of South Balkan countries defense ministers in Tirana, that 'some countries in the region are very close to the NATO membership', having on mind, as alleged, Macedonia and Albania. Macedonian Defense Ministry unofficially estimates that, taking into account the administrative procedures, Macedonia might officially join NATO in about a year. [07] NEW BANK NOTES SINCE SEPTEMBER 8Macedonian National Bank announced that the new Macedonian bank notes of 1 000 and 5 000 denars will be released on September 8 this year, and the old 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 denars notes will be replaced. The National Bank expects that the new higher value bank notes will encourage the savings of the citizens and will alleviate the higher value payments. The old bills will be replaced gradually during two to three years.[08] 81 YEARS FROM JANE SANDANSKI'S DEATH MARKEDMacedonian Ambassador to Bulgaria Gjorgji Spasov yesterday paid his respect to the great Macedonian revolutionary Jane Sandanski by laying a wreath on his grave at the Rozen Monastery in Sandanski, Bulgaria, on the occasion of 81 years from his death. This attracted a great attention among those present, reported Macedonian Television, but also provoked a revolt among the members of the chauvinistic Bulgarian party VMRO-SMD, who were marking the 55th Anniversary of the Bulgarian occupation of the Vardarian Macedonia.The members of the Macedonian minority party in Bulgaria, 'OMO - Ilinden', were prevented to attend the ceremony by the Chief Bulgarian Prosecutor Tatarchev and the police. Tatarchev, besides realising his threats that he would use force to prevent 'OMO - Ilinden' members to attend the ceremony at Rozen Monastery, yesterday stated that Macedonians did not exist, but only Bulgarians from Macedonian territory. According to Macedonian Television, he said that Jane Sandanski had, in fact, offended the Bulgarian nation and that he had become a cult person because of his connections with the 'red renegades'. [09] DP - 'ILLEGAL REPLACING OF THE POVERTY''The country owes not only one, but four pensions to its pensioners starting five years ago, which real value has decreased 60% in the meantime,' was said on a press conference the Democratic Party organised on the occasion of, as alleged, the cynical and agitating-kind announcement of the government that the late pension will be paid. DP Secretary Risto Penov also presented the disagreement of his party for the pension to be paid in 12 equal installments, as it will even more devaluate the money. The pensioners, according to him, should be given their payments, but with added legal interest rates.The planned finance sources for the Pensions Fund were estimated as illegal way of replacing the poverty. Democrats think the problem should be solved by stimulating the economic growth and new employment, as the only way which provides stable income for all, including the pensioners. [10] 'BROTHERLY HELP' TO VMRO-DPMNEVMRO-MNDS Party asked from the Democratic Party to apologize to VMRO-DPMNE and to the citizens for having them manipulated in the signatures collecting for a referendum on early elections. The President Tomislav Stefkovski (former leading member of VMRO-DPMNE) said they consider VMRO-DPMNE a brotherly party, which is why they want to help it not to be tricked by being involved in non-constitutional actions.He stated that his party wanted to join the signatures collecting action at the beginning, but were rejected because they were 'a small party'. [11] RECOGNITION OF FRY CONTINUITY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE ALBANIANSThe Democratic Alliance of Albanians - Liberal Party finds some entries of the Agreement on Macedonia-FRY mutual recognition unacceptable and a result of a political pragmatism. Albanians in Macedonia were surprised by the recognition of FRY continuity, as that country, according to the leadership of the party, 'had introduced an occupation regime and an apartheid system in Kosovo'.[12] MAIN TASK - ATTRACTING MORE MEMBERSThe beginning of the Central meeting of PDP-Party for National Unity of Macedonia was delayed on Saturday in Tetovo, due to the intervention of the delegate Isak Tusha from Skopje to have the Albanian flag next to the Macedonian one.The President Nevzat Halili informed that, in the period between the two meetings, the party had mostly worked on increasing the number of its members and on opening new offices in Skopje, Kumanovo, Prilep and Tetovo, as well as in Austria and Switzerland. [13] PDPA-NDP - 'ARMED POLICE OFFICERS AT THE POLLING PLACES'The second additional elections round at the electoral unit 102 ended yesterday. According to 'Dnevnik', the representatives of the PDPA-NDP coalition seriously objected to the alleged entering of armed policemen inside the polling places at the villages of Chajane and Shishevo. The Electoral Commission replied they were not familiar with that and that no serious remarks were made during the voting. The PDP party, that also had its candidate, did not have any objections.Meanwhile, the State Electoral Commission informed yesterday that about 80% voters participated in this voting round. MILS SUPPLEMENT:[14] CPA - Action Report on South Balkans'The Dayton agreement on Bosnia-Herzegovina moves the troubled southeastern corner of Europe toward peace,' stated Barnett R. Rubin, the Director of the Center for Preventive Action (CPA). 'History,' he added, 'will judge us harshly if we do not build on the achievement of Dayton to establish a comprehensive peace in the Balkans.' Although Kosovo and Macedonia were not addressed in the Dayton Accords, a working group from the Center for Preventive Action that met with top leaders in Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania in December found that the Accords had opened up new opportunities for U.S. leadership and for long-term solution in the Balkans.Drawing on the findings of the South Balkans working group, the CPA, a Council on Foreign Relations initiative to study and test conflict prevention, has prepared a report which recommends strategies for reducing tensions in Kosovo and stabilizing Macedonia. The group determined that in order to establish a long-term peace and stability in the region, immediate action must be taken in several spheres. The report emphasizes that while the key to stability in the South Balkans is a stable, independent Macedonia, its stability will be greatly enhanced by a resolution of the dispute in the neighbouring Albania-majority province of Kosovo. Although the settlement of the final status of Kosovo is unlikely in the short run, the U.S. and Europe should support a set of measures that could lead to an interim arrangement. The report outlines a three-part strategy for stabilizing the South Balkans: 1) confidence- building measures that would relieve tensions in the region; 2) dialogue in the form of bilateral talks and informal discussions among the key players; leading to 3) a modus vivendi or interim agreement between the two sides based on Helsinki principles. Although both sides to the dispute in Kosovo claim that their positions on the final status of the province are not negotiable, the Dayton agreement has clearly shaken things up. Seymour Topping, Chair of the South Balkans working group, stated, 'During the discussions in Serbia and Kosovo, we found to our surprise that some interlocutors on both sides indicated a willingness to discuss the idea of an interim settlement.' This possible softening of official hard-line positions must be capitalized on. The U.S. and the international community must not lose the opportunity to encourage the establishment of long-lasting peace and stability in this troubled region. We must not repeat the mistake of waiting until there is violent conflict to intervene. (end)mils news 22 April, 1996 |
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