MILS: News from the FYROM, 96-12-16

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From: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>

CONTENTS

[01] PANGHALOS - NORMALIZATION OF POLITICAL RELATION IS IMPORTANT

[02] HENRY KISSINGER -CONFLICT IN MACEDONIA WOULD MEAN TRAGIC BALKAN WAR

[03] KOSOVO - DEATH RESULTING FROM POLITICAL TORTURE

[04] ECONOMY INVESTMENTS - A PAINFUL SPOT

[05] NEW RECONSTRUCTION OF MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

[06] UNOFFICIAL RESULTS FROM THE 2ND ROUND ELECTIONS

[07] VMRO-DPMNE AND DP WILL IMPEACH TO HIGH AND HAGUE COURT

[08] POLL - WHICH NATIONALITY DO YOU FEEL THE CLOSEST?

[09] FORMING A NATIONAL DEPARTMENT FOR EQUALITY BETWEEN SEXES

[10] `FORUM 18' - ORGANIZATION FOR PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CHILD AND YOUTH

[11] DEFEATS IN FOOTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[12] `End of All Manipulations' (`Vecher' - 13th December 1996)

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 16 December, 1996

[01] PANGHALOS - NORMALIZATION OF POLITICAL RELATION IS IMPORTANT

The Athens daily `Escusia' reports that the tomorrow scheduled new round of Greek-Macedonian talks regarding the name in New York will most probably be postponed due to the strike of all Greek diplomats in the country and abroad. `Escusia' cites, the Macedonian representative - Ambassador Ivan Toshevski - had prepared for the meeting two alternatives for the name - 'New Macedonia’ or `Republic of Macedonia ( Capital Skopje)'. According to `Escusia' Greece could accept only the name “Slavic Macedonia' which is not on Toshevski’s list.

[02] HENRY KISSINGER -CONFLICT IN MACEDONIA WOULD MEAN TRAGIC BALKAN WAR

This was a statement given by former American State Secretary Henry Kissinger for the Zagreb weekly `Globus' and he also emphasized that the US should do everything possible in order to prevent a new conflict on the Balkans. In a state of depression the US should employ force, Kissinger underlined and added that Washington has special interests in the Balkans because it would not like to see the East Wing of the NATO disintegrated.

According to assessments of the former American Secretary it is possible that the US and Russia could start a war due to Serbia and Croatia.

[03] KOSOVO - DEATH RESULTING FROM POLITICAL TORTURE

[04] ECONOMY INVESTMENTS - A PAINFUL SPOT

In the debate of possible ways to stimulate and finance the economic development of the state there were assessments that the Economy System of the state is not completely built up, that the Banking System is bad, the firm liquidity is low while the amount of money kept `under the pillow' by the Macedonian citizens amounts about 1 billion dollars and the foreign investors are escaping from Macedonia instead of coming closer.

Part of the economists suggested abandoning the macroeconomic policy currently carried through by the Macedonian Government while others suggested significant changes.

Representatives of the Government and the Macedonian national Bank have assessed this passing phase as normal and expected.

Tihomir Jovanovski from the Faculty of Economy in Skopje emphasized that the investments participation in the social product of the country amounts 17,9% which is far from the projected number of 40%. He underlined that Macedonia in a state like this shows a 628 million dollar trade shortage which can only be annulled by increasing the domestic offer. Academician Nikola Kljusev estimated that in the sphere of investments a particular problem is the metallurgy complex. He states that the technological drop back of the Macedonian economy is alarming and it is behind the modern world for a period of 15 years i.e. 3 investing cycles.

According to MD Blagoja Nanevski for an advancement in the investment sphere it is necessary to procure quality information grounds at a macro- and micro-economy plan especially due to the problematic official particularities.

MD Antonije Nikiforovski asserted the importance of the initiative to form a Direct Foreign Investment Agency.

MD Aleksandar Petkovski emphasized that the activating of `the dead economy capacities' in the country is a prerequisite for intensification of the whole economy activity.

Vice-Governor of the Macedonian National Bank Shaban Prevala stated that the MNB works on maintaining the prize level, maintaining the inflation at a low level and at the same time it indirectly creates a climate for commencing the developing cycle. In this context he pointed out `the loosening' of the limits that bound the performing banks in their economy investments and the discount rate which has been reduced from 33% down to 8,9%. Preval assessed that the banks will soon have to reduce the interest on credits given to firms. He also considers that the financing of Macedonian development can be provided through forcing the domestic savings.

[05] NEW RECONSTRUCTION OF MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

The media (`Vecher', the Macedonian Television...) unofficially report that Justice Minister Vlado Popovski and Foreign Affairs Minister Tomislav Chokrevski are willing to leave. The leaving of Traffic and Connection Minister Dimitar Buzlevski is also mentioned but the reasons for this is not given. On the list of those who will no longer sit in their governmental seats is the name of the Macedonian Diplomacy Chief Ljubomir Frchkovski who has namely been offered the position of Macedonian Ambassador for the UN which is currently held by Denko Malevski. Yet this variant is not final because Minister Frchkovski was namely not interested in that position and will most probably not leave his current function. According to circles close to the Government the reconstruction of the Crvenkovski cabinet should only be a `cosmetic one' and no radical exploits are expected. The announced reconstruction of the Government - according to the assessments - could come to pass immediately after New Year or approximately one year after the prior reconstruction when the Liberal Party ministers left the Government .

[06] UNOFFICIAL RESULTS FROM THE 2ND ROUND ELECTIONS

Social Party candidate Milko Veljanovski won in the municipality Sopishte. In municipality Kamenjane the PDP candidate Abduljmesaf Ismaili has been elected. In municipality Izvor new mayor is Marjan Ristevski from the coalition VMRO-DPMNE, DP and MAAK-KP with 55 votes more than the SDSM candidate Kiro Arsovski. New mayor of Krivogashtane municipality is the SDSM candidate Jane Vrtevski who won over the triple coalition candidate Zzivko Jovevski. For mayors of Mogila and Bach according to the Democrat Party Election HQ the triple coalition candidates Slavko Velevski and Stevche Stefanovski have been chosen. In Chucher -Sandevo municipality won the Serb Democrat Party candidate Bogoslav Tirondich, reports the Macedonian Television. According to general media assessment yesterday's voting was carried out in a peaceful atmosphere mainly with no incidents and with a high turn-out of the voters.

[07] VMRO-DPMNE AND DP WILL IMPEACH TO HIGH AND HAGUE COURT

According to Democrat party representative Slavko Petrov the Constitutional Court has only affirmed the principle that the government is stronger than the people.

VMRO-DPMNE Legislation Representative Gjorgji Naumovski estimated that with the Court decision most disputable became that the Assembly conclusion is a rule, a general act upon which the Constitutional Court may debate all which has not been taken into consideration by the constitutional law experts at the preliminary sessions and they have explained that the Constitutional Court may debate regarding this initiative, The contents of this decision according to Naumovski point out that the Constitutional Court has overpass its authorities and not only did it refuse to debate on the initiative but it also went into estimating the founding of the initiative which wasn't right to do’. This decision means that Macedonia is the only world and European country where the parliament can not be controlled by the electors thanks to the Constitutional Court which has suspended the only instrument for citizen control - the referendum.

[08] POLL - WHICH NATIONALITY DO YOU FEEL THE CLOSEST?

At the polling questions answered 31o Macedonians, 180 Albanians, 21 Turks, 13 Gypsies, 38 Serbs and other nationalities.

[09] FORMING A NATIONAL DEPARTMENT FOR EQUALITY BETWEEN SEXES

[10] `FORUM 18' - ORGANIZATION FOR PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CHILD AND YOUTH

The Forum expects support from the State Budget as well as from sponsorships and donations.

[11] DEFEATS IN FOOTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL

Shooter of the three goals for Romania was Gorge Popoesku the captain of the Spanish Barcelona who acquired the epithet the best individual in the game.

In the qualifications for the World Championship in volleyball in Belgium the Macedonian representation has lost from the Belgian selection with 3:0.

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[12] `End of All Manipulations'

(`Vecher' - 13th December 1996)

72 firms are dealing with wine export, which is far too much for countries with an even greater overall output.

This has been conducive to various export manipulations - which will hopefully be ended by the introduction of new export regulations and stricter control measures.

Appropriate authorities (e.g. Wine Fund) have announced the implementation of more severe wine export control, and the tightening up of criteria for obtaining an export permit. Thus, in the future, only those companies possessing a complete documentation on the quantity and quality of the wine they wish to export, will be allowed to do so. The wine itself will have to be produced of grape species compatible to EU standards. The documentation to serve as a basis for the obtaining of an export permit is to be submitted by export firms by 28th February.

Such new provisions are to finally establish some kind of order in a branch categorized by chaos and numerous manipulations throughout the past couple of years. It had been registered on several occasions that wine imported from other countries was being sold into other states as Macedonian wine - thus leading to a greater export figure than that denoting overall production. What has also often been the case is the purchase of wine by export companies at prices below those outlined by the Wine Fund, which gave such offenders the opportunity to re-bottle the wine and sell it as their own product.

Manipulations of this sort undermine the reputation this Macedonian product has acquired on the international market, and according to EU announcements they might also endanger future export onto the Union's markets. This can be prevailingly ascribed to the creating of a condition where anybody can export wine - regardless of competence - which has generated the overwhelming number of 72 wine exporters which is too much for a country with a far greater output than ours.

Based on obtained data this year's overall wine production amounts to 109 762 tons; together with the 6 650 tons in reserves in stock throughout different wine cellars this makes up a total of 116 412 tons in wine.

Concordant to new regulations this quantity may be exported, and the exact outflow (out of Macedonia) will be recorded strictly via the issuing of export permits.

At the same time - parallel to changes within the export sector - alterations affecting the present structure of wine / grape species are also to be conducted, in order to upscale the current quality to codified EU criteria. As the latter is only to accept wine produced from certain species, and the current structure does not match this list. Within a joint venture with the Vineyard Institute several surfaces have been cultivated with attractive species, which are already yielding harvest - and in the future it will be a priority to intensify this undertaking.

According to data of this Institute last year a total of 71 383 tons of wine have been exported last year, of which 42 695 went into the EU and 2 225 tons were processed into hard liquor. The yield of these ventures amounted to 30 million dollars, which is an increase by 61% compared to figures (by 74% of those data concerning the EU) of the year preceding it. Another phenomenon registered was that - though unbottled wine export remains dominant - its opposite has increased by 9 times - the future trend and intentions being even more positive in that respect.

(end)

mils news 16 December, 1996

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