A delegation of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany, lead by minister Carl-Dieter Spranger, arrived yesterday on a two day visit to the Republic of Macedonia. During the day, the guests met with President Kiro Gligorov and Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, whereby they discussed the relations and cooperation between the two countries.
According to the official announcement from the meetings, Gligorov and Spranger assessed that the political and economic support that FR Germany is giving to Macedonia is of exceptional importance for its development and its role as a factor of stability in the region and Europe. Moreover, it was emphasized that the concrete economic support from FRG to Macedonia will enable it to overcome the current problems and successfully get involved in the European integrating processes.
From the meeting between Branko Crvenkovski and minister Spranger, which was also attended by minister Bekir Zhuta, Ivan Angelov and Dimitar Buzlevski, the joint assessment was announced that the cooperation between the governments of the two countries is at an enviable level and that the visit could serve as an example to the other European countries to get concretely involved giving support to the structural reforms in Macedonia. Further on, the announcement says that minister Spranger expressed his government's readiness for a speedier implementation of the decisions of the EU for giving help to Macedonia. In addition, readiness was also expressed to help Macedonia be included in the Paris club, as well as upon the adoption of a decision of the World bank for financial support of structural reforms. It was underlined in the talks that RM fulfills the criteria to be a third as a developing country, which opens possibilities and creates conditions for its wider international economic support.
In the joint press conference with minister Spranger, minister Bekir Zhuta emphasized that the basic projects in Macedonia's development policy were presented in the talks, which the German side accepted and expressed a positive assessment for the reforms, which will result with an indirect and direct support of Germany.
Reflecting on the fact that in a matter of a couple of days, Macedonia was visited by two German ministers, Spranger assessed that as an event that clearly speaks of the significance that Germany is giving to its cooperation with Macedonia. So far, Germany has given help to Macedonia to the value of 38 million DEM, 28 million DEM have been allocated through the EU, while in future also other funds will arrive from the IMF and the World bank, Spranger stated, adding that, in the end, he also arrived in Skopje in the function of a German governor of the World bank, which is due to hold its session in Washington next week, and that he was hoping that on that occasion, he would have a good opportunity to inform the bank about the situation and needs in Macedonia.
A delegation of the Macedonian Government, made up of Emilija Simovska, Minister of Education and Physical Culture and Victor Gaber, Under Secretary in the Foreign Ministry, is staying on a several day official visit to Australia. Yesterday, on the first day of the stay in Perth, Western Australia, the delegation was received by the Secretary General for education of this state Craig Black and his deputy Jerry Skivinov. The two sides agreed on the possible forms of cooperation between the two ministries and on the use of books and textbooks for the needs of our immigrants in Australia.
Furthermore, the delegation received a joint meeting with the representatives of the organizations of the Macedonian immigrants in Western Australia. An emphasis was placed on the activities of the Macedonian organizations in the preservation of the Macedonian language, culture and tradition, and the conditions for carrying out additional classes in Macedonian language, were reviewed.
The ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia in Tirana Nikola Todorchevski met two days ago with the president of the Commission for foreign policy of the People's Assembly of the Republic of Albania Eduard Seljami. In the meeting, ambassador Todorchevski informed Seljami about the decision of the Macedonian Parliament to found a deputy group for cooperation with the Albanian Parliament.
Seljami welcomed the decision of the Macedonian Parliament and said he would review the possibility of sending an invitation to the group to come for a visit soon. He added that representatives of the commissions for foreign policy of the two parliaments could also meet.
Todorchevski added that, in the bilateral relations, beside meetings and contacts, also some elementary agreements should be signed which will help in the further stabilization and advancement of the relations.
If the citizens are congregating and expressing their protest in an unrestful way, by preventing official persons from carrying out their official duties, that, in effect, means disrespecting their right to peaceful congregation. That is already outside the constitutionally guaranteed right to public protests, due to which the lawmaker also envisioned sanctions. Out of these reasons, the decrees from articles 205 and 205 from the Criminal law of the Republic of Macedonia and article 14 from the Law of torts, which apply to "participation in a mob and preventing an official person from carrying out official duties" are not contrary to the Constitution.
This was determined by the Constitutional court in yesterday's session, and it decided to dismiss the initiative for assessing the constitutionality of these decrees, which was put forward by the lawyer Mahmud Jusufi from Tetovo.
Simultaneously, he also requested a decision to stop the execution of the decisions which have already gone into effect, of the Tetovo Municipal Court, which apply to persons declared guilty in the Tetovo unrest. This request was not accepted by the Court.
In the interview for the daily newspaper "Bujku," Makpress reports, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia Eshtref Aliu stated that the ministers Albanians in the Government are for an university in Albanian language, however, "we are aware that the existence of an university presents an additional burden, which can not be beared by the economic and real power of the state."
"The organization of the university must be carried out institutionally, the classes have to be held in modern objects, with expert staff and their selection should be made in the spirit of the law. The Albanians do not have a need for an university for holding classes in basements or private houses. The orientations of the Albanians should be directed toward the building of the of the University 'Cyril and Methodius', for as much as belongs to us. In that sense, the problem with the opening of an university in Albanian language is not on the side of the Albanians, but on the Macedonian side, and their unpreparedness and their incomprehensible spirit to dominate above others."
In the interview, Aliu says that the real need of the Albanians is the university "Cyril and Methodius." The question of an Albanian university in Tetovo should be resolved within the framework of the already existing university in Skopje.
The leader of PDP Abdurahman Aliti, otherwise, is firm in his statement that the stance expressed in this interview, in relation to the question of the university in Albanian language, does not correspond with the stand of the PDP presidency and that therefore, Aliu should submit his resignation.
Mersel Bilali and Abduladi Vejseli, previously MPs of the National Democratic Party, have resigned from the party ranks and have become independent MPs. The reasons for such a decision, according to "Flaka," is the unsatisfaction with the policy of the party leadership. In this context, this act speaks of a deep split in NDP, as well as the absence of consensus between the Albanian parties for resolving the status of the Albanians in Macedonia.
"Flaka" comments that Bilali's departure from the NDP, where he carried out the function of vice-president, will present a strong blow both to the party and the membership.
In yesterday's session, without any greater debate, the Macedonian Parliament adopted the law for trade, standardization, control of things made up of expensive materials, for measurement units and measures, then, the law for the tourist and catering business, and the proposal for the adoption of a law for the tax for temporary stay, was also adopted.
The Minister of Economy, Risto Ivanov stated in his introductory speech that these laws round off a part of the economic system of the state, which previously followed the laws of the former Yugoslavia.
He added that beside these laws, also in parliamentary procedure is the law for trade associations, which will regulate dealings in the economy in a different way, as well as the overall actions of the subjects on the market in the country.
He stated that this law will stand in the way of the grey economy, which is one of the greater problems in the Macedonian economy.
He said that 80,000 citizens in Macedonia deal with trade, and a large part of the transactions in these 5 years have been outside the control of the tax and other administrative authorities.
In the public company for PTT traffic, the arrived offers for telecommunications equipment for the Macedonian digital telecommunications project for this year were publicly opened, which is financed by the EBRD credit, of up to US$ 42.5 million.
A total of 45 offers have arrived to the Macedonian posts, from the manufacturers of telecommunications equipment, including "Alcatel," "Siemens," "Errikson," "Northern Telecom" and other. Otherwise, the interested firms from 14 countries have bought up 61 tenders for different types of equipment, which was required at the international competition, conducted according to EBRD regulations.
The submitted offers will be reviewed over a period of one month, by a special committee formed of experts from the Macedonian posts, and in cooperation with EBRD and the consulting firm "Nepotel" from Holland.
Following the selection of the most favorable offerers, each of the 5 groups of telecommunications equipment will be followed with the signing of agreements and the delivery of the equipment.
The work of the Agricultural bank - stock company, in 1994, was positively assessed by the auditing house "Coopers & Lybrand." This was said at yesterday's annual assembly of the bank.
Beside the information that this bank recorded profits during last year, other information was not given in the meeting. Apart from that, this bank has been working in Macedonia for the past 18 years.