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MILS NEWS 20/05/96Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS NEWSSkopje, 20 May 1996[01] GLIGOROV: INTERNATIONAL POSITION OF MACEDONIA IS MUCH CLEARER AND STRONGERPresident of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov, in an interview for the Spanish paper 'El Pais', said that the international position of Macedonia is much clearer and stronger now than before, reported 'Makfax' agency. He stressed that possible solutions have been found for the relations with the neighbouring countries: FR Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania, and that the cooperation with them is a priority of the Macedonian politics.Responding to the question whether he expects normalisation of the relations with Greece, Gligorov stated that he did not know if that would take place soon, but that the bilateral Interim Accord offered good perspectives. 'The borders are now opened and the cooperation can develop,' said the President. He also stated that the Agreement on mutual recognition between Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia was an opportunity for both countries to renew the previous economic relations. Gligorov evaluated the relations with Bulgaria and Albania basically good. Macedonian President also expressed his concern for the situation in Kosovo as, according to him, radical Albanians are gaining points. He informed that he occasionally contacted with the leader of Kosovo Albanians Ibrahim Rugova, and always emphasized that starting a dialogue with Belgrade was the most important thing. Gligorov's reply to the journalist's remark that Macedonian Albanians complain on being in a ghetto, was that they had a guaranteed primary and secondary education, and that effort were being made to improve their high education. 'The main problem is,' stressed the President, 'that their primary and secondary education is on a low level, which makes them feel disabled to enroll the University.' In the interview for 'El Pais', Kiro Gligorov rejected the possibility for scheduling early presidential elections in Macedonia, saying that the presidential position was a bridge between the institutions, and that according to public surveys, he would again win the support of 80% of the voters. [02] WILLIAM PERRY IN MACEDONIA FOR THE THIRD TIMEMacedonian Radio informed that US Secretary of Defense William Perry will soon pay his third visit to Macedonia. As alleged, the precise date of his visit is still not set, but it should take place till 14 June latest, i.e. before the ministerial meeting of NATO in Brussels and before the individual programme of Macedonia for the activities in the 'Partnership for Peace' Initiative till 1998 becomes official. The Alliance structures have already approved of this programme.[03] MACEDONIAN INTEREST IN BECOMING A NATO MEMBER STRESSEDMacedonian delegation is participating, as an observer, in the session of the North Atlantic Assembly, that is being held from May 17 - 20 in Greece. Macedonian MP, Nano Ruzin, in his report last Friday, pointed out that the joining of Macedonia to the European institutions and organisations had been postponed by the well known reasons and events, and emphasized the interest of Macedonia to become a NATO member.'Makpress' agency informed on the meeting of Macedonian representatives with the Chairman of the North Atlantic Assembly Kersten Vogt last Friday, when the plans for spreading of NATO and the interest of Macedonia to join it had been discussed. Vogt stated that he was carefully monitoring the internal and foreign policy of Macedonia and expressed his satisfaction with the political consensus in the country for the improving of the Macedonian cooperation with the Alliance. He also accepted the invitation to visit Macedonia soon. [04] KINKEL: MACEDONIA CAN BECOME THE MOST PROSPEROUS COUNTRY IN THE REGIONGerman Foreign Affairs Minister Claus Kinkel told Macedonian Ambassador to Germany Srgjan Kerim that Macedonia can develop into the most prosperous country in the region now, after the relations with FR Yugoslavia had been normalised.Kinkel expressed his support to the Agreement on Cooperation and Trade between Macedonia and the EU. He said the signing of this Agreement should open the way for Macedonia to be completely incorporated in the West-European integration. According to Macedonian Embassy in Bonn it is expected that Kinkel will soon visit Macedonia, giving a new impulse to the bilateral relations. [05] FREE TRADE BETWEEN MACEDONIA AND FRY FROM 1999A delegation of the Yugoslav Federal Ministry of Trade, led by Minister Gjorgje Shiradovic, and a delegation of the Macedonian Ministry of Economy, led by Minister Bekjir Zuta, negotiated on the issue of establishing a free trade zone and other issues regarding the improvement of the bilateral economic cooperation. According to the draft Agreement reached at this meeting in Skopje last Friday, the free trade zone will be established from the beginning of 1999, until when all customs duties, other taxes and exchange quota limitations should be abolished, keeping 1% administrative customs tax only. Macedonian Minister Zuta stated that lists on the quantitative limitations of the import will, however, be additionally agreed on. FR Yugoslav Minister Shiradovic said the liberalization of the trade was not only the interest of the two countries, but also their obligation towards the World Trade Organisation.[06] WORLD BANK CREDITS FOR MACEDONIAThe Office of the Executive Director of the World Bank in Skopje, informed the media that the World Bank had given two credits to Macedonia, one of them intended for the private sector development, and the other one for the support of private farmers.The DM 18 million credit for the private enterprises development will be opened in all Macedonian commercial banks that fulfill the conditions of the World Bank. The $ 8 million for private farmers support will mostly be used to modernize the units of the Ministry of Agriculture and the veterinary stations in the country. [07] SOON OPENING OF THE BRITISH INFORMATION CENTREMacedonian Parliament Vice President Blagoja Filipovski met with the British Ambassador to Macedonia Tony Millson last Friday in Skopje to exchange opinions on the bilateral cooperation and on the current political situation in Macedonia. The British Ambassador confirmed that a British Information Centre will soon be opened in Macedonia, which would be officially announced at the press conference of the British Council tomorrow.[08] MACEDONIAN-ALBANIAN COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYExchange of experiences in the science and the technology development, and the issues of the programme for scientific and technological cooperation between Albania and Macedonia, were discussed by a Macedonian Ministry of Science delegation and Albanian Committee of Science representatives in Tirana. Both parties expressed a great interest in joint presentation at the regional and multilateral programmes for the scientific-technological development, officially announced Macedonian Foreign Affairs Ministry.It also read that the Macedonian delegation had attended the celebration event organized on the occasion of the end of the first school year of the education in Macedonian language, which was organized by the Language Faculty at the Tirana University. [09] ADEM DEMAKJI: AUTONOMY OF KOSOVO WITHIN SERBIAN BORDERS LEADS TO BLOODSHED'The international community project for solving the Kosovo issue by giving it autonomy within the borders of Serbia seems to be leading to bloodshed,' stated one of the leaders of Kosovo Albanians Adem Demakji.'Makfax' reported the statement of Demakji that the Albanians would accept neither an autonomy nor 'life under Serbian ruling'. He said the mentioning of the autonomy proved that the essence of the Kosovo issue had not been understood, and that treating Kosovo as a human rights issue would not solve the problem, but would further complicate it. 'Makfax' reminds of the recent Demakji's mentioning of the 'inifada' (like those of Chechenia and Palestine) as possible way of fight of Kosovo Albanians. The agency points out that the latest statements are following those of the German Foreign Minister Claus Kinkel in Belgrade that Europe and the World could not accept any kind of solution for Kosovo which would be more than the autonomy status within the Yugoslav borders. Today's edition of Macedonian daily 'Dnevnik' comments that the negotiations between the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians are possible only after the Serbian elections scheduled for December 1996 or January 1997. The paper speculates that the new Yugoslavia will include two republics (Serbia and Montenegro) and three provinces (Kosovo, Vojvodina and Sanjak), thus restoring the status of Kosovo as in 1974. [10] DZAFERI: POSSIBILITY TO ACTIVATE THE REFERENDUM FOR ILIRIDAPresident of PDPA Arben Dzaferi, in his interview for 'Nova Makedonija', referred to President Gligorov's saying that there is a wise politician in Kosovo (Ibrahim Rugova), whose policy is better modeled than that of the other extremists who de-stabilize the situation in the region and want an independent Kosovo or a Great Albania. Dzaferi said: 'Rugova himself is for an independent Kosovo without any doubts.Although Gligorov distinguishes him from the other, according to him, 'extremists', just as we were 'separatists', the truth is that all the Albanians in the region are for an independent Kosovo.' Dzaferi also supposed that the other Albanians in the Macedonian Parliament would leave this institution, following his example. 'There is a great dissatisfaction among Albanians from their position in the system and we do not intend to continue this unproductive playing in the Parliament. We will want to exit from the 'Faust's mechanism', where we are serving to somebody's will and decisions brought out of the Parliament. That crisis in the Parliament will certainly take place when the Law on High Education will be passed.' Dzaferi also announced the possibility to activate the referendum of Albanians in Macedonia for the so-called 'Ilirida', i.e. for an autonomy of the western part of Macedonia. He added that Albanians in Macedonia are more loyal to its ethnicity that to the state. He said the activating of this issue would depend on the problems and the options were still opened. 'If we are entering a productive relations within the ethnic groups in Macedonia, and the proof is the Law on High Education, and we lose it, than we will either lose our credibility among people or we will have to do something else. We have to do something to get out of the present situation,' said Dzaferi. According to him, in case the Albanians leave the Macedonian Parliament, the referendum on 'Ilirida' will be activated, for which the Macedonian government will be the generators, and the consequences will be carried by all of us together. [11] DEMOCRATIC PARTY: THE PARLIAMENT SHOULD SCHEDULE A REFERENDUM IMMEDIATELY'Although they had made great efforts to find and think of a great number of invalid signatures, they had to admit that the constitutionally anticipated number of 150,000 signatures was more than fulfilled. Accordingly, the Parliament is obliged not to discuss, but to immediately schedule a referendum,' reads the announcement of the Democratic Party issued last Friday. It adds that the number of the invalid ballots is untrue, as the analysis of the signatures had been made without the presence of the organizers of the civil initiative.According to the Democratic party, all the constitutional conditions are fulfilled, and the Government is now in a doubt whether to respect the Constitutions or not, as it happened in the past. 'The question is whether the Government will give the possibility to lead a political fight through the institutional parts of the system or it will risk a battle out of institutions, which would bring to a chaos and anarchy,' reads the announcement. [12] VMRO-DPMNE: CONSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS FOR A REFERENDUM FULFILLEDVMRO-DPMNE Party expects from the Macedonian Parliament to decide for scheduling the referendum, in accordance with the Article 3 of the Macedonian Constitution, by which it would prove itself being a democratic institution in the eyes of the Macedonian and international public. This Party expects this to happen, after the announcement of the Minister of Justice Vlado Popovski that the conditions for referendum scheduling had been fulfilled, i.e. that the validity of over 150,000 signatures had been recognized. However, the Party disapproves of Minister Popovski's political judgment of the initiative by describing it as anti-constitutional, before it was put on the Agenda of the Parliament.[13] POLITICAL CLASHES ON THE BASIS OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON PRESIDENT GLIGOROVIn the interview for the Spanish paper 'El Pais', President Gligorov said there were many traces in the investigation of the assassination attempt on him, but that neither of them could prove anything to the court. 'It seems almost certain there was some connection with abroad, but whoever had decided to do that, definitely needed cooperators in Macedonia.'Meanwhile, the Liberal Party sent an open letter to the public, which was issued by the daily 'Dnevnik', by which they explained why they had initiated the issue of establishing the responsibility for the assassination attempt. The Liberals sated the greatest democratic right was to prevent somebody to come to power in a democratic party, as that right is a part of the essential civil rights. In the letter, the firm determination of this party to politically deal with those who oppose to the democratic will of the citizens was stressed. According to the Liberals, the citizens 'had certainly not voted for violence, terrorism and illegal changing of the government', which was exactly what had happened in Macedonia. Liberals described the attitude of the current government in this issue in the following way: 'The suggested claim of the ruling Party (SDSM) that the assassination attempt must be used in any kind of political clash is simply another try to cover the so-far most tragic attempt to destroy the current political system in the country.' The Liberals' letter continues that in Macedonia 'the government was not reconstructed, but was violently taken over, without making any consultations with the citizens'. In the context of that, the Liberals ask: 'Is, however, at least the more important part of the assassins' aim achieved?' And they think the answer will remain unknown, no matter how much the current government tries to cover that, 'until a normal, legitimate, not manipulated and democratic parliamentary procedure is started, which would throw at least a little light to the assassination attempt.' The weekly 'Fokus' also wrote about the assassination attempt on President Gligorov in its last issue, and presented the claims of the police officer Zlatko Boshnjakovski, bodyguard of the late Internal Affairs Minister Jordan Mijalkov. He stated that the car-bomb used had been a personal property of the Assistant Internal Affairs Minister Dijana Tachiovska, and that 12 people from the police had been involved. Boshnjakovski also stated, according to 'Fokus', that he was already convicted to death by his colleagues because of what he had found out. All these reactions provoked former Internal Affairs and current Foreign Affairs Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski to respond. in his interview for 'Dnevnik' he said it was normal that the public was interested in the investigation, but that the political accusations that involve it were something completely different, such as the accusations presented the open letter of the Liberal Party that the government in Macedonia had been taken over by murders and terrorism. 'It is a political scandal and I think it can not be left without a reply for the sake of the political culture in this country. What does that mean? 'The government in Macedonia was taken over by murders and terrorism' - was literally stated. That means that a coup d',tat had taken place. Even more, it was done by some kind of a massacre, they said. What kind of a country is that which is led by such a government? What picture is that of Macedonia for outside? What is the motive to present Macedonia in that way? And only because, to put it that way, that Party was deprived of ruling. Is that a despair which is called a minimum political culture in the political fight? Will that hatred bring something to somebody? And what does that prove? Except for the scandal it provokes, it speaks of the author. It proves that the author is a small, non- influential party, which can allow itself the risk to speak about classic liberal principles one day, and to fall into a political extremism the other day. The statements of the non-parliamentary opposition are a joke compared to this of the Liberals. This is the toughest statement given since 1991. And only a small and non-influential party can allow that to itself, as it would be a political murder for any bigger and more responsible political subject. Only a party that has nothing to risk could allow itself such extremism, such acting of a political option,' said Minister Frchkovski in the interview for 'Dnevnik'. (end)mils news 20 May 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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