The arrest of Fadil Sulejmani, Milaim Fejziu, Arben Rusi, Biljal Ljutvi, Afet Serifi, Femal Sabani and others, is unfounded, and a commission is being formed for their release, made up of representatives of the Albanian political parties, i.e. their representatives and the Albanian Women's Association, which will keep in contact with the authorities for that purpose. The Albanian political subject will continue to permanently follow the situation, depending on which it will also determine its standpoints, was concluded in this meeting.

It is my full and firm conviction that it would further damage the interest of all population groups if there would be further escalation of the tensions. It is time not for mass demonstrations, but for dialogue to find a common way out.

On this, I would like to say the following: the university issue is very much in the foreground. In my view, all these things have to be discussed in the framework of the preparation for the law of higher education. It is not possible to force the university issue using illegal means.

I think it is important to have heard from the President, once again, that he fully intend to live up the all commitments mentioned in the various OSCE documents, also regarding members of various population groups and minorities. I think on this basis it must be possible to find solutions for all these problems facing this country."

REACTIONS TO TETOVO INCIDENTS

"Although the Macedonian President generously promised improvements in the situation with the rights of the Albanians and their education in their mother tongue, the Albanian population is faced with armed police forces, and not dialogue and understanding. The Albanian state made it clear, more than once, that the common interest of the two countries and the peace and stability in our region requires a respect of the rights of the Albanians, including the right to education in their mother tongue, at highest level, which is further supported by the policy of assimilation and the attempts to keep them in cultural and educational dark.

Further in the statement it is said that the brutal deeds of the Macedonian police against the peace-loving Albanian population show that the anti-Albanian police state elements still live in FYROM. That is filled with dangerous and serious consequences on the inter-ethnic relations, unless the path to them is not blocked on time.

"The Albanian Government regards this incident as a criminal act of violence, filled with destabilizing effects, and demands that the Macedonian Government undertakes measures for the rights of the Albanians to be respected, on the basis of international conventions and obligations," is said in the statement of the Government in Tirana.

He assessed that now, the international community would find it easier to understand that the long-lasting Macedonian- Greek misunderstandings over the name are not only an emotional reaction or obsession, to which no one in the world pays enough attention.

The Greek Government representative said that precisely Skopje was causing "problems," which can have serious consequences for the stability in the entire region.

"The British Government is concerned over the intensification of the relations between the Macedonian and Albanian community. The Albanian community should respect the laws and constitution, but the Macedonian community should fulfill the promises made in the past and meet the demands of the Albanian community.

Britain calls on both sides to reduce the tension over the incident.

This event stresses the need to enable certain conditions for education of the Albanian community," is said at the end of the announcement of the Foreign Office, in relation to the Tetovo incidents.

Yesterday, the London "Times" registered the incident with a short news-story from its Belgrade correspondent concerning "fatal clashes in Macedonia," stating that it came to the conflicts "following the appeal of the rector of the illegal university in Tetovo to defend the institution."

Unlike the "Times," which mentions a tragic victim and four wounded, the London "Guardian" also states that one man is dead, and 18 are injured in the clashes. The news published in "The Guardian," taken from the Reuters agency, also speaks of the so-called Tetovo university as an illegal institution.

The weekly "Observer" published a new article about the Tetovo unrest yesterday, saying, even in the title that there is increased fear in Macedonia from ethnic conflict.

The Athens correspondent of the newspaper says that 10,000 people attended the funeral of the victim in the unrest, who then went on to form a protest procession which headed toward the local police station, with a demand to free the rector of this university, who was charged for "calling people to resistance."

"Contrary to the Government's intention not to allow the opening of the university, the ethnic Albanians," the "Observer" writes, are "prepared to defend it with rifles and bombs."

"Now that blood has been shed, only a miracle can save the situation," the newspaper quotes the political commentator Iso Rusi.

The London weekly ends the article about the unrest in Tetovo, quoting the Albanian stance that "the university presents a symbol of the struggle for Albanian rights."

Precisely under the influence of this political personnel, the begun process of inter-ethnic dialogue in Macedonia, which gives, truly, sometimes slow, but evident results - by which, actually, Macedonia differs from the other Balkan states - so, that process of inter-ethnic dialogue went through some profound disruptions: the new political actors amongst the Albanians in Macedonia, who want everything and immediately, against the existing laws, contrary to the existing constitution, but most of all, contrary to the existing Macedonian political reality, wanted to realize their Kosovo political frustrations and their maximalistic political goals - written in their party platforms in Macedonia, in a month or two, and then to probably even self-dissolve. That, without doubt, would be a world record in political efficiency, never noticed before in the history of politics!

A typical representative of that Kosovo political school, and there are a couple of them, is Mr. Fadil Sulejmani, who, after a decade and a half of living with his family on Kosovo, and working there, politically and professionally unrealized, returns to Macedonia and immediately thinks that he knows better than all of us, what it is, and how to realize what the Albanians need here!

On Kosovo, a political zero for year, and here, a prominent political actor in only a couple of months.

He stands at the head of the initiative for the foundation of a university in Albanian language, telling everyone around that this so-called university will be a factor for bringing the Macedonians and Albanians closer together. Mr. Sulejmani wants people to believe that, while he himself can not even properly make even half a sentence in the official Macedonian language.

Furthermore, everything is only a question of an already seen, irresponsible and dangerous political technology. You will play deaf to the warnings that you're working against the law, you will stage a strong campaign to draw the members of your ethnicity around the realization of your idea, in order to stage some kind of international support, you'll find some kind of well-paid foreign lobbyist, like Mr. Diogardi, who, to his own misfortune, can't even speak the Albanian language - you'll push the young ones in the first row, and then, from the side, you'll go out making statements that if necessary, the so-called "university" will be defended by 200,000 Albanians, and that, - pay attention: the Albanians in Macedonia don't have anything to lose! ... a dangerous lie!

But, already the next day you'll hear the tragic negation. Unrest and clashes with the police, with 20 wounded and one dead - the tragically lost young life can not be replaced or justified by even three universities open throughout the Tetovo villages! Not to mention the political crisis and repeated destabilization of the inter-ethnic situation in Macedonia! But, what's worst of all is the fear that grows in everyone, which creates new distrust. As one can see, everyone in Macedonia has something to lose, and that should be made perfectly clear to all those who come from outside with prepared political schemes and ill-minded instructions in their heads. That also goes for their instructors who keep, at arm's length, and revive their great state plans in their state pantries.

But, there are also lessons for the Macedonian side. Firstly, for the authorities, if the problems, in this case, with the education of the Albanians in Macedonia, are not dealt with one time and with greater political efficiency, it leaves room for various suspicious political initiatives, which, like in this case, with the incidents in Tetovo, the police will have to handle in the end, which is not good for anyone. In this instance, the message also has to be understood by the Macedonia public, the problems with the education of the Albanians are our reality. If the public does not support the reforms to the educational system, as a whole, which, with time, should provide better results in the education of the minorities, then we will also have to face various political instrumentalizations with which, even some eminently individual rights, such as the right to education, will be transformed into collective pressure and political movements. And, no one in Macedonia really needs that!

MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market

The Macedonian Railways feel that the state should permanently take over the financing of the railways, the same way it does with the road maintenance. The prices of the services of the railways should be unfrozen and structured according to market demands, as well as to create conditions for compensation of a part of the expenses which were created after the implementation of the northern and southern blockade (Serbia and Greece). The program of the Macedonian Railways also includes a reprogramming of the debts to "Stopanska banka" and the International Bank from Washington, the settlement of the obligations to "Eurofima" and the European Investment bank from Luxembourg, as well as letting off around 400 workers over the next three years.

On the other hand, the experts from "Sogges" want the Government to make a decision to raise the prices of the services for 54%, from the beginning of this year, as well an increase in the prices of the services every two months, depending on the rise in the life costs. Then, they want efforts to be made to collect the debts to the Railways, and to stop giving services to partners that are unable to pay, that is, the transport will be done for them only after the pay for the services. The experts also suggest that all the investments be scaled down to the necessary minimum - maintenance of bridges, tunnels, communications equipment, as well as postponing, for an uncertain period, investments on the track Beljakovci-Gjueshevo.

For reduction of the debts, it is proposed to free the Railways from the existing debts, but also the sale of 2,500 m2 of business area. "Sogges" also proposes the reduction of employees for 1,500, by September, this year, at the latest.

The new and final draft of the Restructuring program of the Macedonian Railways is expected to reach the Managing Board of the Railways already next week, with coordinated views and stances between the Railways and the consultant firm. The final draft will then be submitted to the Government which will have the final word.