President Gligorov, accompanies by his wife, took part in the grand ceremony held in London, on occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the victory against fascism.
Over the next couple of days, at the invitation of the presidents of France and the Russian federation, Gligorov will also take part in the ceremonies in Paris and Moscow. A number of statesmen from Europe and the world will take part in these ceremonies.
"Macedonia has existed throughout history, and now there are attempts to expose it to all kinds of propagandas and aspirations. The sensitivity towards this problem is also derived from that, but, today, we have our own state. We are a nation with affirmed cultural value and our own place in the community of nations. The wheel of history can not be turned back and therefore, let all those who were killed rest in eternal peace. That is our humane debt as a peaceloving and just nation.
The present moment is exceptionally alarming. The ghosts from the past seemed to have reared their heads over the Balkans. Nations that have lived together for decades are fighting, destroying each other and forgetting the lessons learned from history and particularly from the common fight against fascism and the deep wounds it has left.
Wasn't the solution at hand to prevent a war and 250,000 lost lives so far, to divide the countries which have shown unable to live together any further, and after the peaceful separation, to continue to cooperate and respect each other mutually. To join the common European family with orientation. Regretfully, instead of that, the wish for domination, the temptations to use force, regardless of the price that will be paid, prevailed. The entire peaceloving humanity is threatened by what is happening in these European regions. It's not necessary to have some kind of greater warning in order to comprehend that no freedom, statehood and human dignity was acquired once and for all, and that peace, tranquility and progress require every-day concern and sensitivity from every man. And, the countries are recognized by the basic characteristics whether they are democratic and liberal, or not.
Our nation decided on peace, respect of human rights, cooperation with the neighbors, united Europe and collective security. And on this path, we can not be swayed by the sanctions or the embargo, nor attempts to dispute the state, nation or language. With the wisdom and historical experience, the identity of our people has been preserved and we have accomplished our own state. We have the most gratifying task of making our common home the home of as much as possible free people, a home to all citizens with equal rights and obligations, regardless of national, religious or cultural traits. Such a Macedonia is a guarantee for the peace and prosperity of this country.
In the first interview that the new Greek President Kostas Stefanopoulos gave for the TV station "Euronews," connected with the question of the situation on the Balkans, among the rest, he said: "Greece is making efforts, with all available means, to help its neighbors in their transition toward market economy," and underlining the friendly policy of Greece, he stated: "Greece is not the reason for any kind of problems in the region, but the others are creating problems for her," Makpress reports.
In response to specific questions related to the Republic of Macedonia, he explained: "During the first half of this century, Greek Macedonia, a province in northern Greece, was the scene of numerous military conflicts. Two Balkan wars took place. In the first war, all Balkan forces against Turkey, and the idea was also to liberate that territory. The second one was between the Balkan states themselves, which brought into question the relations of this region toward Greece. Then, during the First World War from 1917 to 1919, a part of Greek Macedonia was occupied by enemy troops, but even more during the Second World War. Greek Macedonia was occupied with the purpose of taking it away from Greece. Therefore Greece is sensitive in relation to that region, because there was bloodshed there."
Stefanopoulos stressed: "At the same time, there was also an autonomist movement, which claimed that Macedonia was a wider region, that it encompassed not only Greek Macedonia, but also today's territory of Skopje, a part of Bulgaria and therefore, a new autonomous state had to be formed, which would engulf that entire region."
Moreover, as Stefanopoulos put it: "That's why, allegedly, some kind of nation called Macedonian lives there, which no historian found until a couple of years ago. Therefore, Tito started doing that from 1945, when he formed one of the republics of the then Federal Yugoslavia under the name Macedonia."
"Today, sadly, Skopje is continuing with this tactic, firstly, by insisting on the name, which has an expansionistic character, secondly, by using symbols which are purely Greek. The Sun is a symbol of the Macedonian kings, they took it and put it on their flag, and under the explanation: as Macedonia is a wide area, and everything that is discovered in any part of Macedonia belongs to them. With this, they confirm their intentions for expansion of all of Macedonia. In addition, the Constitution literally foresees the obligation of the Skopje state to take care of that existent or non-existent Macedonia population. That doesn't interest me, but what does interest me are the suppositions that a part of that Macedonian population exists in Greece."
"They are continuing with propaganda against Greece and therefore it was forced to defend itself. And when it came to a line of recognitions of the Skopje state under the name Macedonia, Greece was forced to impose an embargo in order to turn the world's attention to the question that is destabilizing the Balkans."
The Greek President underlined: "Greece is the only country that has no pretensions toward Skopje, that wants it to exist, as an independent country, and therefore, the presence of that country is of interest to Greece. But, of course, not with such aggressive dispositions towards Greece."
Claims in Athens say that the U.S. Government is insisting for Washington not to establish full diplomatic relations with the Republic of Macedonia until progress in settling misunderstandings with Greece is achieved. This was stated in New York by Yorgos Stefanopoulos, American of Greek origins, otherwise high advisor to President Clinton. Speaking of the events that took place during the meeting of the Greek- American Commerce Chambers, held in New York, Stefanopoulos underlined that the personal envoy of the U.S. President Clinton, Matthew Nimetz, was working tirelessly on settling the Macedonian-Greek differences in a manner acceptable to both sides.
Stefanopoulos emphasized that "therefore, it could also come to progress soon."
The delegation of the National Democratic Party (NDP) led by president Ilijaz Halimi, is staying in Albanian these days, to meet with the president of the People's Assembly of Albania Pjetr Arbnori. The members of the delegation (including MPs from this party in the Macedonian Parliament) discussed the difficulties faced by Albanians in every-day life in the Republic of Macedonia, Makpress reports.
The members of the delegation emphasized that the equality of the Albanians was still not recognized and that they could not be educated freely at their own wish. According to Radio Tirana, they underlined that all activities which would be undertaken in future would be in a democratic form, with the aim of contributing to democratization of the life in Macedonia.
The sentences pronounced by the court to the organizers of the illegal Tetovo university, are still the topic of the day to the Albanian mass media. The "Macedonian press bureau" yesterday brought the writing of the newspaper of the oppositional Socialist party "Zeri and populit."
To the newspaper, the sentences of two and a half years to the rector Fadil Sulejmani and six months to Fejziu are a "farce against the Albanian population and their rights to education in their mother tongue at all levels." The Macedonian authorities are criticized for "closing the first university of the Albanians in Macedonia by force," and that there was one victim and 28 wounded in the action. At the same time, it is suggested that the action will "cause new tensions with the Albanian population in Macedonia" with a note that the same is confirmed by the "world analysts."
The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Austria has informed the Macedonian Foreign Ministry with a note that the Austrian Government has made a decision to impose entry visas for Macedonian citizens, from May 15. The bearers of the entry visa in the member-states of the EU, or the so-called "Sengen visa" are not exempt from the compulsory possession of an Austrian entry visa, even in cases when they only pass through the Republic of Austria, in transit. The citizens of Macedonia can obtain entry visas in the diplomatic-consular missions of the Republic of Austria, is said in the announcement of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry.
With 195 votes in favour, 11 against and one abstained, Ljupcho Georgievski was re-elected president of IMRO-DPMNU at, as the members of this party call it, its tenth congress (otherwise, second since the formation of this party, after the break up of Yugoslavia, four years ago).
A new party statute was adopted in the Congress. The municipal committees are being replaced with electoral committees, organized on the basis of territorial division of the state, according to electoral units. The presidents of these committees automatically become members of the central committee. The congress also adopted a program resolution with 20 amendments to the proposed text. This document presents the main directions of the future activities of this party.
A number of declarations were also adopted in the Congress. Among the more important ones was the declaration against the political repression and the abuse of the police, then, the declaration for the privatization in Macedonia and the rights of the national minorities in the state. The declarations for national reconciliation, against the violation of human rights and freedoms of man and the freedom of public information were also adopted.
According to the Macedonian television, two days ago, the board of directors of IMF approved the signing of a stand-by arrangement for Macedonia. Together in package with that approval also comes the announcement for the financial deal heavy some US$ 53.8 million (as a result of the approved arrangement of some US$ 34.6 million, while US$ 19.24 million are to the name of the second unused installment from last year's STF arrangement) which should improve "blood picture" of the Macedonian foreign currency reserves and the balance of payments.
That way, the several-month negotiations between the Macedonian Government and the negotiating team of the Fund were finalized (a platform for that is the letter of intentions which was signed by the Minister of Finance d-r Jane Miljovski at the beginning of last month, during the visit of the Macedonian delegation in Washington).
As the Minister without portfolio Ljube Trpevski emphasized in his statement for MTV, that way the doors are opening for Macedonia for a far more normal communication with the international creditors.
Furthermore, on May 18, the board of directors of the World Bank is to approve the credit arrangements for RM (approx. US$ 99 million) intended for structural adaptation of the companies and banks, as well as the loan for social reforms. With the necessary addition that, according to the words of Wilfred Talvich, vice-president of the World Bank, in the next five years, Macedonia can expect a financial injection of US$ 350 to 400 million in the next five years.
And finally, according to the words of minister Miljovski, the negotiations with the Paris club for finding solutions for the unlocated debt of former Yugoslavia are starting on May 28 (according to our information, Macedonia has to accept 5.4% of that debt, which, at the moment is estimated at US$ 3 billion).