Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-01-16

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] INVESTORS INTERESTED IN BULGARIAN PIPELINE

[02] EU LEADERS TELL ROMANIA IT'S 'UP TO YOU'

[03] SERB PARAMILITARY LEADER KILLED

[01] INVESTORS INTERESTED IN BULGARIAN PIPELINE

Several large oil companies, such as Agip, LUKoil, British Petroleum, Chevron, and Epson as well as the U.S. Eximbank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank are interested in participating in a Trans-Balkan oil pipeline from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Bourgas, via FYROM and Albania, to Western Europe, according to BTA.

At a meeting held recently between Bulgaria"s Regional Development and Public Works Minister Evgeni Chachev and Ted Ferguson, executive director of AMBO Corporation, the two sides decided to carry out a feasibility study, the results of which are to be discussed in March.

The study"s $980,000 budget will be partly covered by the U.S. government, which is to grant $588,000.

A.F.

[02] EU LEADERS TELL ROMANIA IT'S 'UP TO YOU'

Visiting European Union Commission President Romano Prodi and EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen said on 13 January that they are impressed and encouraged by the consensus among Romania's political forces to work towards European integration.

They stressed that the process will be a long one and its outcome will depend primarily on Romania's progress toward meeting union standards.

Verheugen said that the 650 million euro ($669.5 million) set aside for helping Romania's integration process will be disbursed only if the country shows progress, in particularly meeting the dead-line for finalizing its medium-term accession plan.

A.F.

[03] SERB PARAMILITARY LEADER KILLED

Serb paramilitary leader Zeljko Raznatovic, better known as Arkan, was shot and killed by masked gunmen at the lobby of a central hotel in Belgrade yesterday, where his sisten-in-law, who was with him, was wounded while his bodyguard was also killed.

According to the independent Studio B television network, two attackers shot Arkan while he was sitting in a sectioned-off part of the hotel's lobby.

Arkan, 47, and his paramilitary forces have been accused of involvement in atrocities during Serbia's war with Croatia. Reputedly one of Serbia's wealthiest individuals, Arkan was a longtime ally of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

Arkan was indicted for war crimes in Bosnia in September 1997, although he denied involvement.

A.F.

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