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MILS NEWS 25/04/96

From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@MILS.SPIC.ORG.MK>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

  • [01] BULGARIA SHOULD REVOKE THE UNPRODUCTIVE FORMULAS ABOUT MACEDONIA

  • [02] MORE SEVERE CLASHES THREATEN KOSOVO

  • [03] IBRAHIM RUGOVA - 'INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL KOSOVO IS THE SOLUTION'

  • [04] BELGRADE MEDIA - 'BLOODY WAY TO A KOSOVO REPUBLIC'

  • [05] WILLIAM PERRY SOON AGAIN IN MACEDONIA

  • [06] MULTILATERAL FORUM ON MILITARY ISSUES

  • [07] TALKS TO THE NORTH-ATLANTIC PARLIAMENT DELEGATION

  • [08] GLIGOROV IN BUCHAREST

  • [09] GLOBAL SOLUTION THROUGH EASIER ISSUES

  • [10] REMARKS TO THE MACEDONIAN ELECTORAL MODEL

  • [11] COMPLETION OF MACEDONIAN STOCK EXCHANGE BODIES

  • [12] VMRO-DPMNE CONTACTS WITH EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS

  • [13] MACEDONIA WON LIHTENSTEIN WITH 3:0

    MILS SUPPLEMENT

  • [14] 'Caught in Their Own Trap' ('Nova Makedonija', 25 April 1996)


  • MILS NEWS

    Skopje, 25 April 1996

    [01] BULGARIA SHOULD REVOKE THE UNPRODUCTIVE FORMULAS ABOUT MACEDONIA

    Vice President of the Bulgarian ruling Socialist Party, Georgi Prvanov, according to Macedonian Radio, stated that his party considers the language dispute with Macedonia not so important. He said there were some political forces in Bulgaria being against the good relations with Macedonia and that his party knew nothing about the reasons for postponing Pirinski's visit to Skopje. As Prvanov said for the press in Sofia, Bulgaria should not take the nationalistic position in the relations with Macedonia and should give up the formulas which proved to be unproductive in 1920s. Sofia daily 'Continent' commented on the postponed visit of Bulgarian Foreign Minister to Macedonia, emphasizing that:

    'If Skopje had not allowed itself to forge the Bulgarian history in order to make the Macedonians a nation, and to win its language likewise, there would have not been any visits postponed at the last moment.'

    [02] MORE SEVERE CLASHES THREATEN KOSOVO

    The latest incidents in Kosovo prove that much more severe clashes might take place in this Province, stressed Albanian media yesterday, adding that the tensions had increased since the Serbian refugees from Kraina had arrived in Kosovo. Radio Tirana informed on the increased presence of the police and of many military transport vehicles in the Province. The media reported the appeal of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo to the Albanians to restrain themselves from violence or any other kind of actions.

    Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva required from FR Yugoslavia to urgently stop the repression in Kosovo and to respect the minorities' rights in Sandzak and in Vojvodina, as well as of the Bulgarians in Serbia.

    [03] IBRAHIM RUGOVA - 'INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL KOSOVO IS THE SOLUTION'

    The leader of the Albanians in Kosovo Ibrahim Rugova and the EU Foreign Policy Commissioner Hans van den Broek, at yesterday's meeting in Brussels, viewed the current situation in Kosovo as being very tense, reported Sitel Television. Claiming that an independent and neutral Kosovo would be the optimum solution to quiet the Albanians in the region, Rugova asked for having a temporary international civil administration in the Province, thus making conditions for the begining of negotiations with the Serbs.

    As reported, Hans van den Broek promised to personally engage himself in bringing a prompt and justified solution of the Kosovo problems.

    [04] BELGRADE MEDIA - 'BLOODY WAY TO A KOSOVO REPUBLIC'

    In the numerous comments of the latest incidents in Kosovo, the Belgrade press supported the Serbian official stand that the incidents were organised terrorist attacks. The doers of the crimes were described as members of 'the radical Shiptar secessionist wing, that are still pleading for a bloody way to a Kosovo Republic'. It was also said these were 'extremists infiltrated from Albania, who were shooting the people in uniforms, identifying them with the state'.

    Estimations in Belgrade were that it was not accidental that the incidents have reappeared at the time when the EU are defining the conditions for developing the cooperation with FRY, and are pointing out the Kosovo issue as one of the most important. 'Vecernje Novosti' daily reminded of the European Parliament stand that, regarding the situation in Kosovo, some countries had recognized FRY too early.

    The ruling SDS Party restrained from any qualifications, but criticized the disturbing of peace in Kosovo and asked from the competent state bodies to discover the criminals and their supporters, as soon as possible.

    [05] WILLIAM PERRY SOON AGAIN IN MACEDONIA

    'US Defense Secretary William Perry will soon pay another visit to Macedonia,' stated Timothy Wirth, Under-Secretary for Global Affairs in the US State Department, after his one-day visit to Macedonia. According to 'Makpress', Perry will most probably have talks with the Macedonian officials on the continuation of the UNPREDEP mandate in Macedonia, on the joining of the country to NATO, and on the bilateral cooperation, including the American military aid to Macedonia.

    [06] MULTILATERAL FORUM ON MILITARY ISSUES

    On invitation of the Chief of Staff of the NATO Command in Europe, General George Jullvan, Macedonian Army Chief of Staff Trajche Krstevski will attend in Brussels the session of the NATO Military Committee. The agenda of this summit, attended by top military officials of 27 countries - members of the 'Partnership for Peace' initiative, will be to organise a Multilateral Forum on Military Issues, referring to the training, the active participation in the peace operations and the joint activities in humanitarian aid actions.

    General Krstevski is expected to meet the Military Committee Chairmen, General Norman Claus, and, afterwards, to attend the round table discussion on the role of NATO in the peace and humanitarian operations, which will take place at the NATO Coordination Office in Monsk.

    [07] TALKS TO THE NORTH-ATLANTIC PARLIAMENT DELEGATION

    'The long-term aim of the Republic of Macedonia is to become a full member of the North-Atlantic structure,' said Macedonian President Gligorov at the meeting with the North- Atlantic Parliament delegation, pointing out the orientation of the country towards the European integrations and collective security systems.

    'Macedonia equally treats all its neighbours and is a stability factor in the Balkans with its peaceful policy,' was a conclusion of the talks the delegation had with President and members of the Parliamentary Internal Policy and Defense Commission.

    The guests were briefed by Assistant Foreign Minister, Erol Hassan, on the economic reforms in Macedonia, the foreign investment possibilities, the privatisation and the denationalisation processes.

    [08] GLIGOROV IN BUCHAREST

    Romanian President Ion Iliesku will honor President Gligorov the Award of 'Cran Montana' Forum on Friday in Bucharest, for his special contribution to the peace, democracy, and economic development. The ceremony, which will be attended by high officials of many countries, will be broadcast live throughout Europe and worldwide by 'Euro-News', reported A-1 Television. President Gligorov will today give a speach on the economy cooperation of the Black Sea countries, and tomorrow on the economic development of the countries in transition.

    The foreign ministers of the Black Sea Association member countries will discuss the possibility for Macedonia to join this Organisation. Macedonian Vice Premier Ljube Trpevski will report on the Macedonian experiences in the integration processes to the international organisations tomorrow.

    [09] GLOBAL SOLUTION THROUGH EASIER ISSUES

    Miran Jenak, head of the Slovenian delegation to the succession talks in Brussels, stated that the British lawyer Arthur Wats, who is the person in charge of former SFRY succession, had accepted the stands of Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, adopted at the Skopje meeting. It means that the easier problems will have the priority (such as the allotting of foreign currency reserves), so that the global issue is decided at the end.

    Jenak said Slovenia had already prepared a new succession plan, which had been given to the mediator and to the former Yugoslav republics representatives. They would, as he said, soon meet in Saraevo to discuss the eventual objections to this new plan.

    [10] REMARKS TO THE MACEDONIAN ELECTORAL MODEL

    'The majority electoral model does not satisfy the needs of Macedonia, as it would be more suitable for a multi-ethnic country to have a proportional or combined electoral system,' said Professor Carlos Flores from Valencia University after the two-day discussions on the topic 'Comparative Electoral Systems', held at the Skopje Faculty of Law.

    Professor Flores, who is an expert in this field, also stated the elections in Macedonia in 1990 and 1994 gave unsatisfactory results, pointing out the withdrawing of some parties from the elections, the unsolved complaints on some irregularities, and the incomplete lists that lacked even 10% of the voters.

    French Professor Bernard Owen, on the other hand, stated for the press that the majority electoral model is the best for the new European democracies, as it guarantees a more stable government. The fact that there are units of 5 000 voters in contrast with some of 18 000, and that the more numerous units are at the Albanian inhabitants areas, was viewed by both Professors as a political, and not a technical problem.

    [11] COMPLETION OF MACEDONIAN STOCK EXCHANGE BODIES

    Macedonian Stock Exchange Assembly, on its yesterday's session in Skopje, passed its Rules of Procedure and elected the members of the Administration and Supervising Boards, as well as of the Arbitrage and of the Stock Exchange Court of Honour.

    Eight sessions have taken place to date at the Stock Exchange, and 38 transactions were made. The total turnover is 5.1 million denars or DM192 000.

    [12] VMRO-DPMNE CONTACTS WITH EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS

    VMRO-DPMNE Coordinator for International Contacts Ljube Trpevski briefed yesterday in Strasbourg several members of the European Parliament and members of the Council of Europe Commissions, on the civil initiative for colling a referendum on early elections in Macedonia.

    The VMRO-DPMNE Information Office announced that Euro- Parliamentarians had also been briefed on the violations of Articles 2 and 37 of the Macedonian Constitution, made by the government, as it was said, in order to keep the positions the ruling parties had obtained by forging the elections.

    [13] MACEDONIA WON LIHTENSTEIN WITH 3:0

    Macedonian national football team won the match against Lihtenstein with 3:0 in Skopje yesterday. This was the first match of the Macedonian team in the qualifications for the 1998 World Football Championship. The second match will be played on 1 June in Reykjavik against the national team of Iceland.

    MILS SUPPLEMENT

    [14] 'Caught in Their Own Trap'

    ('Nova Makedonija', 25 April 1996)

    Macedonian-Greek discussions on the name differences have entered a phase of periodical routine meetings, from which nothing special could be expected.

    'The same target, the same distance,' commented Macedonian UN Ambassador Ivan Toshevski after his fourth meeting with the Greek Ambassador Hristos Zaharakis in New York last week. 'The target' was to continue the discussions, in order to prevent the name issue from becoming an obstacle in the relations development. Simultaneously, the 'distance' between the two parties is becoming as big as the one between the Earth and the sky. Macedonia can not give up its name, as it would mean extinguishing the nation. Greek party confronts to this realistic and firm argument with a 'metaphysic' exclusivity to the name. And it became obvious even before the Interim Accord that Greece does not mind the name as much as it does mind its ethnic component.

    Being aware of the difference between these two positions, and not having an arbitrage mandate, the mediator Cyrus Vance insists that 'it is a very sensitive issue', which is why its solution must not be hurried up. The approach of 'the time as the best cure' has obviously the central place.

    That is probably why he stated for the Greek journalists last week that he had 'never thought of ' giving up the mediation and of returning his mandate.

    It would be unrealistic to think that Athens is not aware of the development of the situation and of the small chances to win the dispute they created themselves. But, Greek diplomats are trying to convince Europe that the solution in New York 'is at hand'. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis asked from the US President Clinton, about ten days ago in Washington, to 'make a pressure on Macedonia' to yield.

    Greek papers are dreaming of an alleged Vance's proposal for a complex name, that would contain the term 'Macedonia', which the Greek side is 'ready to accept', but is not 'ready to admit that it would accept'. In the meantime, the Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos changed his mind about the invitation to his Macedonian counterpart Ljubomir Frchkovski to visit Athens, and postponed it for an indefinite date.

    (to be continued)

    mils news 25 April, 1996

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