As part of the regular briefings at the State Department, last Tuesday, spokesman Nicholas Barns told the press in connection with the U.S. presence in Macedonia: "As you know, every moment, there are approximately 540-550 U.S. soldiers in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, serving as part of UNPREDEP. The mission of our troops is to observe and inform about incidents along the northern border of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with Serbia."
"The presence of U.S. troops is supposed to be a stabilizing and warning factor against Serbian adventuring in this region. Now, there is no reason to change or alter the UN mission. We will certainly keep our troops in Macedonia. We are doing so with the support of the Congress," Barns added.
A meeting between representatives of the Macedonian and Greek community was held in Canberra these days, at the initiative of an independent commission, formed by the Australian Government.
"Nova Makedonija" reports that the several-hour meeting passed in a tolerant and positive atmosphere, which, according to comments, could lead to more constructive dialogue, or at least an easing of the open hostilities between the two communities.
The discretion at this meeting was probably also owed to cautiousness, so as not to undermine the negotiating process.
"Nova Makedonija" comments that in view of the inflamed passions and all the injustice brought to the Macedonian migrant community, such fears are understandable.
The governments of the Republic of Macedonia and Mongolia, lead by their joint desire to strengthen and further the friendly relations and cooperation, decided to establish diplomatic relations at embassy level, on the 27th of this month.
This information was announced simultaneously in Skopje and Ulanbator yesterday, the Macedonian Foreign Ministry informs.
Radio Skopje reports that huge personnel changes, at highest level, took place in the Macedonian Defence Ministry on Wednesday. Namely, a number of officials were dismissed, the under secretary for economic questions Aleksa Stamenkovski, the assistant minister for connections, the assistant minister for computerization and the assistant minister for supplies.
The Macedonian press says that these dismissals are in the function of the efforts of the Defence Ministry to increase its work efficiency even more in the future.
The popularity of the leading politicians in Macedonia, according to the traditional poll of the weekly "Puls," is continuing to drop. President Gligorov is still the most popular politician. 57.3% of those polled had a good opinion about him, which is 6.1% less than in April, this year.
A new political party was formed in Kumanovo these days, which will cover the whole of Macedonia. A larger group of members of PCERM (Party for Full Emancipation of the Rhomas in Macedonia) formed the Democratic Party for Full Emancipation of the Rhomas in Macedonia, which is based in Kumanovo. Serdzan Sulejmani was elected president.
Today, the Tetovo municipality has around 400 drug users, reports say. Over 100 are registered with the authorities, and 11 have already undergone treatment in hospitals.
At a meeting in the Tetovo Assembly, it was said that the drug problem in this town is becoming alarming, which imposes the need for organized preventive and other measures.
Satisfaction can be felt among the Macedonian public over the attempt of Jacques Chirac to raise the Macedonian question, through a small door, at the EU summit in Canes. The French President (as he promised his Macedonian colleague during the recent meeting in the Ellysees palace) tried to convince the Greek Prime Minister to (at least) lift the embargo and stop vetoing Macedonia's accession to the OSCE, during the traditional gathering of the European leaders.
In a nice European fashion, the French leader tried to make it clear to Papandreou that now, he is absolutely isolated and completely alone, which, under normal circumstances, would be a defeat for the career, future and domestic rating of any other European politician. But, the statements that Gligorov is his friend and that Macedonia is a poor country which is deprived because of Greece and its embargo from European help, had the same effect on Papandreou as, for instance, the resolutions of the UN and the Security Council on Radovan Karadzich and Ratko Mladich. We can only welcome Chirac's good intentions, but there is an impression that although the EU has had Greece in its bosom for more than a decade, it still finds it hard to believe that Greece nevertheless comes and is on the Balkans and that European manners don't work here, but even cause counter-effects in some cases.
Hence, the pressure that was applied on Athens was non- instrumental yet again. Not only did Papandreou withstand that kind of pressure this time, but he can go on enduring it for years. Also this time, not even a part of the instruments and mechanisms that are at the disposal of the Union to influence one of its members were initiated, nor were there any announcements of such intentions.
Looking at things from another angle, it can even be assessed that Papandreou used the episode and Canes to show his public that he is undeterred in the protection of the Greek national interests and that he did not allow anyone to interfere in the way Greece feels it should handle the issues that concern it.
Unfortunately, there is no specific answer to the question why the pressure is not taking on a concrete form. The excuses that the European Union always stands behind its member in key moments and expresses its solidarity, don't seem to hold so much any more. One of the possible answers for the non- activation of the EU mechanism might lay in the realization or fact that the process, which is under the patronage of the UN is in a more complex phase and that at this moment, any more interferences could complicate the process even more and jeopardize it.
Still, a part of the news conference of the Greek Prime Minister - provided it is correctly conveyed, adds some dilemma to Papandreou's resolution and might even open up some room for a way out. In answering the question about the dangers of further isolation of the country, Papandreou states the key dilemmas for Greece.
Are we prepared to say Yes to the use of the name Macedonia and lift the economic embargo, he asks out loud, only to go on an point out the reality and conclude that if they do that, they would come across smiles and approval. Of course, it would be nice if his words would also be a kind of overture and preparation of his own public that the time has come to put an end to the dispute.
In the meantime, the press in Athens and the other world centers is unofficially circling the information that it is a question of weeks when the two countries will reach an agreement, to which there are no official reactions from the Macedonian or Greek side.
This last week, there is more speculation that the preparation of that or those alleged agreements is nearing a final phase and that, allegedly, only the details are being worked out at the moment. The scenario that such unofficial sources offer, the secret negotiations in a closed circle, while on the final act is public, the act of signing the agreements, is quite logical, as it can easily be presumed what would happen when in both countries, the public would participate in the negotiating process.
Although its hard to put aside the normal curiosity of the public and the obligation that the media feels to satisfy those interests, we can only hope that this speculation is true and that if not the end, then the beginning of the end of the Macedonian-Greek marathon is near.
According to the data of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce, exports and production are rapidly dropping, and the situation with the supply of raw materials and intermediate goods is extremely unfavorable. This is how things stand in the field of industry and mining, agriculture, construction and industry of construction materials, as well as transportation.
According to these indicators, the high drop in exports is also noticed in the companies from the sphere of metallurgy, whereby the Skopje Mines and Steelworks notes a 65% drop, the bus factory "11 Oktomvri" - 72%, the smeltery "Zletovo" from Veles - 38%, and the Skopje "Alumina" - 45%.
The situation with the metal and electric industry is similar, where the exports are virtually halved - in "Frinko," the drop is 60%, in "Bratstvo" - 80% and in "EMO" from Ohrid - 11%.
Production in the basic sector in the chemical industry notes a 18% drop in the past period of this year. In some parts of this industry, like "Ohis" and "Alkaloid," this branch has managed to record profits, despite the use of only 30-50% of their capacities.
In the textile industry, the biggest combine "Teteks" has reduced exports 44%, "Oteks" - 19%, "Prespateks" - Resen, 29%, while the situation is not much better in "Astibo," "Struzanka," "Edtko"...
The tanning industry has noted a 20% drop in exports, while the supply of raw materials is especially problematic, in particular with the producer of cellulose paper, the news publishing and graphic industry.
Exports have gone up in the cattle grazing business, especially as concerns lamb meat exports - 15.5%. The situation in the construction business is somewhat better, seeing deals have been made for planning services to the value of US$ 600,000 and construction work to the value of US$ 160,000, while in the first 4 months, marble blocks to the value of US$ 1.2 million have been exported.
In the field of transportation, due to the high taxes and roadtolls that Macedonian transporters pay on trips abroad, there is a negative balance of US$ 19 million.
At a session of the Managing Board, the Textile Industry Association with the Chamber of Commerce asked the Government to introduce an additional tax of 10% on the import of textile products, which would then be distributed as stimulations for the net exporters from this branch.
This is only one of the requests, in addition to the request for consistent protection of the domestic production through brining in contingents, customs taxes, reciprocity measures, etc.
In the meeting, it was said that the losses in the textile industry amount to 3.7 billion MKD, of which 2.4 billion MKD are in the basic sector, and 1.3 billion MKD are in the final sector. The textile industry participates with 11.6% in the overall revenues in industry at large, in the profits - 2.2%, in the losses 22%, and in employment - 26%.