Following the three-day visit to Italy and the Vatican, President Gligorov, who headed the Macedonian state delegation, held a press conference at the International Press Center.
"The expansion of the relations with close and friendly Italy, the visit to the Holy See following the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Macedonia and Vatican and the pleasant duty to attend the honoring of St. Cyril, who, together with his brother, carried out a historic mission, spreading literacy and Christianity among the Slavs, are the three main goals of our visit," said President Gligorov, addressing some fifty domestic and foreign reporters.
"We feel Italy as a friendly country, and I'd say, neighboring one," Gligorov continued. "From the very beginning of the international recognition, it gave our country strong support, both in the EU and the UN. Today, Italy is Macedonia's second-largest economic partner," Gligorov stated.
Among the rest, the Macedonian President took up the relations between Macedonia and the Vatican, between the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Holy See. "There is one more tie, and that is the policy of peace and the settling of the problems with dialogue, which the Vatican is leading, and which is also our policy. In addition, the ecumenical policy of the Holy Father presents an element of rapprochement between the church and the people. The Holy Father is making efforts for reconciliation between the eastern and western church, which is on the same line as united Europe."
As usual, the questions of the Greek reporters were most numerous. President Gligorov reminded that the civilized nations did not need mediators in order to settle their mutual problems, and said that at one time, he had written Vance and Nimetz a letter, suggesting that he personally meets Papandreou. As to the Greek blockade against Macedonia, Gligorov said it is an internationally forbidden means of pressure, equally damaging for Greece as it is for Macedonia. Gligorov pointed out that Greece is the one lobbying the loudest for the lifting of the sanctions against FR Yugoslavia, claiming, rightfully, that the sanctions could not solve the problems.
After assessing that the Macedonian people are living between hope and military risk, the Italian newspaper places a special accent on President Gligorov's assessment that the idea of an ethnically clean state on the Balkans is an unfeasible idea. The newspaper quotes Gligorov as saying: "That is also illustrated by the example with Bosnia, in spite of all the ethnic cleansing that was done in the four-year bloody war. Therefore, Bosnia and Herzegovina's state sovereignty should be recognized, this should be followed by the mutual recognition of all states that sprung from the break up of former Yugoslavia, as the first true step toward the stopping of the war and the settlement of the crisis in the regions of former Yugoslavia."
The Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Italy Stevo Crvenkovski and Susana Agnelli met in Rome yesterday. After the meeting, they gave a short statement for the press:
"We discussed the bilateral relations, the situation in the south of the Balkans, the present phase in the Macedonian- Greek dispute and the possibility of speedier association of Macedonia in the EU," Mr. Agnelli said.
Minister Crvenkovski characterized the talks as rich and pertaining mainly to the bilateral relations and the possibility for their advancement. In that context, the emphasis was on the ways of animating the Italian firms for investments in Macedonia. Both ministers paid special attention to the East-West corridor, which is also of prime interest for Italy.
The delegation of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC), led by the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia Mr. Mihail, met with Pope John Paul II yesterday.
On that occasion, the Head of the MOC told "Nova Makedonija," among the rest: "I'd like to remind that many times so far, the Vatican has had problems because of its close relations with our church, and they are still progressing. I know that some Orthodox churches of the Balkan nations are still reproaching us for our closeness with the Holy See, and that we're going toward unification, and that simply isn't true, we're an Orthodox people who want their own church and religion. No one has every asked us to abandon our church, to give up Orthodoxy, but the rapprochement of the religions is necessary. There can be no peace in the world until we don't reconcile spiritually. And, that will happen when it is felt that the proposers of these ideas have no ulterior motives. And, the Pope's latest message, which was handed to us in Vatican was in that spirit."
At the request of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Albania has informed that the issuing of Austrian visas for Macedonian citizens will be free of charge, as RM (as yet) has not introduced visas for Austrian citizens.
The applications for Austrian visas can be submitted in all consular missions of the Republic of Austria, in particular the embassies in Belgrade, Sofia, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Budapest or Tirana.
The applicant must submit one photograph, one form, show enough financial means (around 100 DM per day), letter of guarantee - an invitation verified with a notary (if he's going on a private visit), present his financial situation, proof of social insurance (health card), is said in the announcement of the Interior Ministry.
The People's Democratic Party (NDP) is scheduled to hold a Congress in Tetovo on May 27th, which will also be attended by representatives of other political parties from Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. At the press conference yesterday, the president of the party Ilijaz Halili said that the status of the Albanians in Macedonia has still not been settled, and that the anti-Albanian policy of the authorities was continuing. He exemplified this with the trials in relation to the illegal Tetovo university, the closure of a number of high schools and private RTV stations.
Bedredin Ibrahimi, the party's secretary, announced that the activities of the Congress will be directed toward early parliamentary elections, for which cooperation with the Macedonian opposition will be established, as, according to Bedredini "the Government and the Parliament are the main generators of the crisis in the state."
There are also announcements of re-activating the idea for self-orientation of the Albanians in Macedonia.
"The film of the Greek director Teo Angelopoulos, which was shown two days ago at the CANES film festival, is a paid political pamphlet that has nothing in common with art," is said in yesterday's the protest of the director of "Vardar film" Gorjan Tozija, addressed to the management of the CANES festival and the president of the panel of judges, the actress Zhana Morro. The protest also says that the Greek director is placed in the service of the daily politics and takes it as his right to alter history and the borders.
"Due to such films," is said in the protest, "the present wars are continuing and new ones are being started. The Greek film also denies the existence of Macedonia, and the director adopts and Hellenizes the Manaki brothers."
During the talks between the executive directors of the World bank and Prime Minister Crvenkovski, the foreign delegation said that the World bank was ready to approve a credit to Macedonia in the next couple of year, to the value of US$ 400 million.
This will be done in order to help revive the country financially and economically.