MAK-NEWS 14/02/95 (M.I.C.) [**]

Ta nea ths hmeras, opws ta eide to MIC:

  1. * PRIME MINISTER NOT TRAVELLING TO BELGRADE
  2. ** BALKAN GATHERING WITHOUT MACEDONIA
  3. * STABLE MACEDONIAN BORDERS
  4. ** STAR OF VERGINA WITH EIGHT BEAMS
  5. * SULEJMANI:TETOVO UNIVERSITY STARTS WORK TOMORROW
  6. * MAKING THE ALBANIAN LANGUAGE OFFICIAL
  7. * I.D. CARD IN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

    MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market

  8. . *** DISMISSALS - FIRST 1,100 WORKERS LEFT
  9. . *** ECONOMIC INDICATORS - JANUARY INFLATION 3.2%
  10. * *** INVESTMENTS - CONSTRUCTION OF TRACKS TOWARD BULGARIA CONTINUES
  11. . *** BAKING INDUSTRY - HIGHER BREAD PRICES DEMANDED
  12. . *** INVESTMENTS - CONSTRUCTION HYDROSYSTEM "LISICHE" WILL CONTINUE
  13. * *** HELP - JAPANESE MONEY FOR HEALTH

SKOPJE, 14 FEBRUARY, 1995 (MIC)

  1. PRIME MINISTER NOT TRAVELLING TO BELGRADE

    The minister spokesman in the Macedonian Government Gjuner Ismail denied yesterday that Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski will hold a meeting with the president of the Serbian Government Mirko Marjanovich some time this week.

    The news about the alleged meeting Crvenkovski- Marjanovich was published yesterday by the independent newspaper "Nasha Borba," calling upon unofficial information in Skopje, and conveyed by Makfaks.

    The newspaper states that a delegation of 25 prominent businessmen from Macedonia are expected to leave for Belgrade this week. It was confirmed in the Chamber of Commerce that initial talks regarding the meeting of the Macedonian-Serbian businessmen are underway.

  2. BALKAN GATHERING WITHOUT MACEDONIA

    A two day meeting for trade and economic cooperation on the Balkans started in Salonika yesterday, however, as Makfaks reports, without the participation of Macedonia. The meeting which aims at activating Salonika as a center of economic cooperation on the Balkans has the participation of Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, FR Yugoslavia and Russia.

  3. STABLE MACEDONIAN BORDERS

    The Macedonian Minister of Defense Blagoya Handziski yesterday received the Chief of the General Staff of the Finnish army General Colonel Marti Kopra. The meeting was also attended by the Chief of the General Staff of the Macedonian Army General Colonel Dragoljub Bocinov.

    During the meeting, minister Handziski briefed General Kopra on the security situation on the Macedonian borders, whereby the situation was assessed as stable. As minister Handziski stressed, the UNPROFOR peace mission also has a positive influence on the relaxation of the situation on the northern and western border.

    On this note, the Finnish General Marti Kopra emphasized that he was satisfied with the contacts between the Finnish peacekeepers and the representatives of the Macedonian authorities, saying that this also contributed to the success of the mission.

  4. STAR OF VERGINA WITH EIGHT BEAMS

    Liana Suvalci, an archaeologist from Greece, who claims to have discovered the grave of Alexander the Great in the Egyptian oasis Siva stated two days ago that the symbol - which is the main point of controversy between Greece and Macedonia - is a star with eight, and not 16 beams.

    In the interview for the private Greek TV station "Mega,", Suvalci stated that the two countries are actually arguing over the wrong flag.

    She pointed out that the other eight beams found in the Macedonian royal graves excavated in Vergina and Aegean Macedonia (Northern Greece) and which are on the Macedonia flag, in the last two years, are actually rays from the eight main beams.

    Suvalci said that she had discovered the original symbol on some limestone from the Hellenic era, next to the grave in Siva which she claims is Alexander's, and which is disputed by the Greek Government. The difference is probably a result of the engraving of one symbol in gold, and the other in lime, which is more precise, the archaeologist Suvalci claims.

  5. SULEJMANI:TETOVO UNIVERSITY STARTS WORK TOMORROW

    In the wake of the first academic school year, which is scheduled for February 15, the so-called University in Albanian language in Tetovo signed the first agreement for bilateral cooperation, namely, with the University "George Washington" in Washington, Makpress reports, calling upon Radio Tirana.

    On behalf of the university from Tetovo, the agreement was signed by prof. d-r Fadil Sulejmani, while the American side was represented by d-r Konstantin Menges, director for inter- university cooperation with the Washington University.

    It was agreed for a four-member delegation to attend the ceremony which will be held in the village of Rechica, comprised of representatives from the American political and cultural life, led by the former congressman Joseph Diogardi, vice-president of the Albanian-American friendship society.

    Diogardi is of Albanian origins and leads the Albanian lobby in the U.S.. According to announcements, they will also hold meetings with the Macedonian state leadership, with the aim of settling this issue and normalizing the work of the University.

    During his stay in the U.S. Fadil Sulejmani had a number of meetings, including the one with the Deputy Secretary of State Richard Holbruk. As Radio Tirana reports, in the meetings, he informed about the problems faced by the university and the pressure from the Macedonian Government and police.

  6. MAKING THE ALBANIAN LANGUAGE OFFICIAL

    "We are determined, without compromise, to make the Albanian language official in Macedonia, in all administrative organs - from local to republic level, including the communication with the army," Sali Ramadani, independent member of the Macedonian Parliament, otherwise, a "Tachist," stated for Radio Tirana in a telephone discussion.

    In the discussion filled with emotions and euphoric at moments, Ramadani announced that the Albanian MPs would regularly discuss in their "beautiful Albanian language," but sometimes, only sometimes, in direct communication with the Macedonians, as he said "we will also talk in Macedonia, in order to say the truth about the Albanian question in Macedonia and broader."

    Further on, Ramadani said that there could be no advance in the status of the Albanians without a change in the existing Constitution. "The Constitution which is in effect is discriminating for us Albanians," said Ramadani.

  7. I.D. CARD IN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

    The personal I.D. card is a document of general state significance and data in another language except Macedonian should not be written in it. Therefore the Democratic party of Macedonia (one MP) will start an initiative in the Constitutional Court of Macedonia.

    This is only a part of the assertions of the Democratic party of Macedonia which were presented to reporters in Tetovo yesterday by the leader of the party Tomislav Stojanovski.

    Concerning the work of the Parliament, Stojanovski emphasized that the conduct of the fourth partner in the coalition - PDP gave reasons for concern, which together with the other MPs of Albanian nationality is putting pressure to also talk in Albanian language and to realize even greater rights for the nationalities than what is common even in the most democratic developed countries.

    MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market

  8. *** DISMISSALS - FIRST 1,100 WORKERS LEFT:

    Out of a total of 15,573 listed surplus workers in the 23 "losers" in the country, today the first group was discharged. Namely, 1,100 workers from the Skopje Steelworks who volunteered to leave the companies, accepting the offered layoff money, as prescribed with the Law for "losers."

    Once again, they will be registered in the Employment Bureau where they will receive financial compensation for their unemployment, according to the decrees of the Law for employment.

    This company, which records the biggest losses of all the "losers," has 3,429 surplus workers out of a total of 8,676. Voluntary departure is the first phase of the layoffs, and afterwards, dismissal notices will be given to some 200 disabled workers who will be taken care of according to the Employment law.

    In the end, in the final phase, those workers who exist solely on their jobs in the Steelworks will be dismissed. It was agreed in the company for all those with private firms to apply to leave in the first phase, otherwise, they would not have the right to layoff money.

    At the same time, the leadership is conducting negotiations with Ukraine for signing new deals.

  9. *** ECONOMIC INDICATORS - JANUARY INFLATION 3.2%:

    Compared to December last year, the January inflation is 3.2% higher. The biggest rise in prices is recorded with agricultural products - 21%, due to the high prices of the fruits and vegetables. Last month, the egg prices dropped 1.1%. The prices of the services were 2.9% higher. A 1.5% price increase is are also noticed with the industrial-non-foodstuffs, foremost, due to the higher prices of the drugs, which went up 2.1%, funds for education 1.9% and the liquid fuels 6.6%.

    The living expenses increased 3.3% over the same month, which is owed to the 6.7% rise in rents and 4.7% rise in foodstuffs.

  10. *** INVESTMENTS - CONSTRUCTION OF TRACKS TOWARD BULGARIA CONTINUES:

    After a longer break, the activities surrounding the construction of the railway track Beljakovce- Gueshevo resumed these days. At the moment, building machines are being brought in from a number of building sites of the construction company "Pelagonija," which carried out the work from the village Ginovci to Kriva Palanka. These days, earth is being dug up in the part near the village Ginovci, while the construction of three drains up to 100 meters long and 5 meters wide will start over the coming days.

  11. *** BAKING INDUSTRY - HIGHER BREAD PRICES DEMANDED:

    The mill-baking industry has sent a request to the Macedonian Government for correction of the bread prices. According to the bakers, the main reasons for this request is that the price of the bread has not been changed since January 18 last year and that the compensations from the Government were abolished from the beginning of this year. Otherwise, with these compensations the Government intervened in the stabilization of the price of the bread through the distribution of wheat at much lower prices.

    However, from the beginning of last month, these compensations were abolished and the bakers claim that they can not continue selling 600 gr bread loafs at a price of 17 denars.

  12. *** INVESTMENTS - CONSTRUCTION HYDROSYSTEM "LISICHE" WILL CONTINUE:

    The preparations for resuming the work over the construction of the hydrosystem "Lisiche" are in their prime. Otherwise, this hydrosystem is planned to settle the problem with the drinking water of the citizens of Veles and several villages near the town, as well as the irrigation of 4,000 hectares of cultivatable land.

    These days, the Macedonian Government endorsed help of 1 million DEM and gave assurance that this will be followed by help in petrol, which will be used by the construction mechanization and the cargo vehicles.

    In the financial construction, funds from the local self-contribution will continue to be used, which add up to 200,000 DEM per month.

  13. *** HELP - JAPANESE MONEY FOR HEALTH:

    The expert mission of the Japanese Government, which is determining the priority needs of the Macedonian health during its stay in Macedonia, with the aim of allocating irretrievable funds in the form of imperative medical apparatus and other equipment, held its closing meeting with the Minister of Health Iliya Filipche and the Minister of Science Sofia Todorova, yesterday.

    In the meeting, the needs of the health, in the sphere of medical equipment, were specified, whereby the Japanese side expressed readiness to start the realization of this help as soon as possible.