The Macedonian Foreign Ministry is announcing that the workers of the Customs Administration of the Republic of Macedonia uncovered an organized attempt during March, 1995, for violation of the sanctions determined with the appropriate resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations, with the purpose of transiting parts of installations for oil-drilling equipment through Macedonia, toward FR Yugoslavia. According to results of the detailed investigation conducted by Macedonian authorities, and as part of the activities of the international organs in charge of controlling the implementation of the sanctions, it was concluded that heading toward the Republic of Macedonia, the contingent had already passed through a couple of countries, with frequent changes of the documentation.
The investigation concluded that this attempt also included several firms from our country, concerning which, in the interest of the investigation, the details will be released additionally. These days, the equipment arrived from the Republic of Macedonia with trucks belonging to a neighboring country. The goods were detained and placed under the supervision of the Customs Administration of the Republic of Macedonia.
During April, 1995, the Customs Administration of Macedonia did not allow several despatches to enter from the Republic of Bulgaria, which were determined to be a part of this equipment.
The authorities are continuing the investigation in order to uncover all elements connected with this attempt. The investigation includes controls of the cargo documents for the goods and the correspondence and financial transactions. The results of the investigation will be announced to the international organs, in charge of implementing the sanctions of the Security Council.
The fact that exactly our organs discovered and stopped this transport offers the best proof that the Republic of Macedonia is strictly implementing the sanctions imposed by the international community. The high level of cooperation with the international organs will continue also in the future, with the purpose of realizing the common goals, to implement the sanctions of the Security Council with coordinated action.
Athens is reviewing the proposal for temporary lifting of the embargo against the Republic of Macedonia, simultaneously with the start of the negotiations in New York, the pro- government newspaper "Ta nea" asserted yesterday.
This prominent Greek newspaper is adding that the temporary lifting of the embargo is connected with guarantees that Skopje will make concessions on the question of the Constitution and symbols.
As Makfaks reports, the formula for temporary lifting of the embargo, in exchange for guarantees for concessions, was the topic a number of Athens newspapers wrote about, revealing that the U.S., Germany and France want Greece to lift the one- sided embargo, so as to enable the direct negotiations between Athens and Skopje to start.
The media in Albania did not report the news yesterday about the incident that took place on the Albanian border two days ago, near Debar, 700 meters inside Macedonian territory, when an Albanian citizen was killed while attempting to illegally enter the Republic of Macedonia, with a group of Albanians.
Today's "Rilindija Demokratike," organ of the ruling Democratic party of Albania, only conveys the brief information of AFP, which reports parts of the announcement of the Macedonian Interior Ministry, without any editorial comments. This news is also conveyed by a couple of independent newspapers.
Today, the Albanian Interior Ministry came out with an announcement concerning the incident from two days ago. The announcement says that on April 14, this year, at 20.18 h, near Debar, the Macedonian authorities shot and killed an Albanian citizen, 19-year old Bashkim Mazlam Tavchiu. It is emphasized that the experts who went to the scene of the incident, concluded that the deceased had crossed the border for trading reasons, which could be seen by the goods he carried with him. The Albanian Interior Ministry claims that Tavchiu became a target of the Macedonian forces immediately after crossing the border, following which he was killed. The expert commission of the Republic of Albania came to the realization that the killing was not accidental. On the occasion of this incident, the Albanian Interior Ministry sent a protest condemning, as it is stated, this act of murder by the Macedonian authorities, stressing that such events irritate the people, which could, as it is stated at the end of the announcement, trigger even greater incidents.
On the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the constitution of the first people's Government of Macedonia, a formal session of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia was held yesterday. In the ceremony, which was also attended by President Kiro Gligorov and highest representatives of the political and social live in the country, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps in Skopje, respects were paid to the deceased members of the previous governments. Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski spoke of the significance of this date.
An international congress is being held at the Faculty of Law in Skopje, under the organization of the Association of European student structures, on the theme "Privatization in Central and Eastern Europe, with a special emphasis on the Republic of Macedonia."
This congress, which will last four days, will focus on the exchange of experiences and realizations in the process of transition, in particular the process of privatization among the students, the university professors and other experts from Turkey, Greece and Slovenia. The Minister of Finance Jane Miljovski held a lecture at the congress, on the theme "Privatization in Macedonia," who expounded on the reasons why the model of slow privation with quick changes has also been chosen in Macedonia.
Namely, Miljovski said, from the start, we differ in the approach to privatization from the other countries in transition, by the fact that our companies already have experience with the market way of working. We exchanged the dilemmas over a quick and massive privatization which will bring the first effects, mainly, in the efficiency and essential changes in ten year, with privatization according to the model "each case for itself," but which will give the expected structural changes much quicker, minister Miljovski stated.
Beside Germany, Bulgaria and Italy, Slovenia is also among the first countries with which Macedonia has realized the biggest trade exchange. According to the information of the mixed Macedonian-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, the overall exchange between the two countries in 1994 was US$ 229.3 million. In the exchange, the Macedonian side has noted a trade deficit of US$ 86.7 million, which, in comparison with 1993, is a growth of 2.7%.
It is believed that the Macedonian side has an unfavorable exchange in terms of the structure. Macedonia imported goods from Slovenia from the general consumption, processing from wood, paper, insecticides, cosmetics and other goods, which are also manufactured in Macedonia.
According to the statement of the secretary of the mixed Macedonian-Slovenian Chamber, Aco Spasovski, compensation participates with 44.7% in the export of the Macedonian companies, and 17.7% in the imports, which means that the Macedonian businessmen pay more in cash, in comparison with the Slovenian businessmen.
A possible solution to the deficit could be the possibility for greater inclusion of the Macedonian companies in the broad fund of investments which are announced by the Slovenian Government, and which apply to the construction of a freeway and several hydro-electric power plants. Certainly, the mutual investments should not be excluded here, which serve in supplementing the Macedonian production programs, which will enable better joint appearances in third countries.
The Agency for economically insufficiently developed regions received funds of up to MKD 922,390,000 million (US$ 24.83 million) this year, which is twice more than last year. Some MKD 74,000 (US$ 1,990) are left over from last year, and the Agency can also count on another MKD 21,642 million (US$ 582,000) from the former Fund for crediting the quicker development of economically insufficiently developed regions.
According to the adopted program, in the 10 insufficiently developed regions, some MKD 600 million (US$ 16.15 million) will be used for construction, modernization and reconstruction of the local roads, construction and reconstruction of the electric network, construction of local water lines, etc. MKD 150 million (US$ 4 million) are foreseen for the realization of projects that foresee construction and reconstruction of school areas for elementary education, as well as health and veterinarian stations. Another MKD 45 million (US$ 1.2 million) will be used as participation in a permanent deposit in the financing of certain projects in the industry and agriculture.
The rest of these funds will be spent on premiums for newly opened jobs for small industrial capacities, which are realized in specific regions - MKD 5.8 million (US$ 156,000), MKD 18 million (US$ 484,500) will go for the preparation of investment programs and scientific studies, MKD 10 million (US$ 270,000) are foreseen for the training of staff, MKD 60 million (US$ 1.6 million) for subsidizing a part of the interest in the used credits for certain investment projects, and approx. MKD 30 million (US$ 807,500) will be used for the payment of contributions for invalid and health insurance, at personal requests of persons living in undeveloped regions.