MAK-NEWS 10/01/96 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <mic@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, JANUARY 10, 1995 (MIC)

[01] 21.7 MILLION FRANCS REPROGRAMMED

The Minister of Finance Jane Miljovski and the State Secretary for Foreign Economic Relations of the Swiss Confederation Franc Blankart signed an Agreement on reprogramming Macedonia's debt to the Swiss Confederation in Skopje, yesterday.

Minister Jane Miljovski described this act as a very important step for Macedonia, not only on a financial plan, but on a political plan as well, due to the fact that following the agreed reprogramming of the debts to Germany and Austria, this represents the first signing of such an agreement. Namely, by accepting the debt and recognizing Macedonia as a financial successor to former Yugoslavia, its continuity is recognized as well.

According to the agreement, a debt to the amount of 21.7 million francs has been reprogrammed, in two parts. The first part has been reprogrammed to a period of six years, of which two years are grace period, and the bulk of the debt (some 60%) to 15 years, with a six year grace period. Both parts have a one year consolidation period, encompassing the period from July 1, 1995 to June 30, this year.

As part of the two-day visit of the Swiss delegation to Macedonia, yesterday Mr. Blankart had a meeting with the Speaker of the Macedonian Parliament Stojan Andov, at which he briefed Mr. Andov on the contents of the signed agreements on economic cooperation, as well as the projection of the Swiss Confederation regarding the future cooperation with our country.

The delegation also met with the Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and the Minister of Development Bechir Zhuta. At the meeting with the Prime Minister, the two sides discussed the possibilities of strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially following the signing of the agreements on trade and economic cooperation and the reprogramming of the debt of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the readiness of the Swiss Confederation to continue to economically support the Republic of Macedonia in its overall development.

[02] IN FEBRUARY MACEDONIA - MEMBER OF PHARE

The European Parliament is due to make a decision at its first session in February regarding Macedonia's accession as a full member of the PHARE program.

The Commission for foreign politics of the European Parliament, as Makfaks reports, reached a consensus at its session in Brussels yesterday on the proposal of the European Commission - for Macedonia to become a full member of this program.

The PHARE program for helping Eastern European countries started in 1990, and over the past three years, Macedonia has received some 60 million ECU in the form of humanitarian aid.

[03] LIAISONS OFFICES BETWEEN RM AND GREECE BY THE END OF [MONTH

The official opening of liaisons offices in Skopje and Athens should take place by the end of January, as foreseen with the Interim Accord for the normalization of relations between Macedonia and Greece, signed on September 13, last year, in New York, Makfaks reports.

This was stated yesterday by a high-ranking official in the Macedonian Foreign Ministry. The first head of the Greek liaisons office in Macedonia is the diplomat Aleksandar Maljas, who was due to arrive in Skopje yesterday, according to the Athens news agency. However, the Agency says that Maljas will be taking on the duty of head of the "trade mission of Greece in the Republic of Skopje," which is probably the temporary name, pending the official opening of the office.

Macedonia has still not appointed its first official representative to Athens.

[04] PAPOULIAS DOES NOT ACCEPT NAME "NEW MACEDONIA"

Greece will not accept the compound name "New Macedonia" nor any other that contains the word Macedonia or derivatives from it, the Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias stated Monday evening at the Athens airport, denying thereby the information in the Greek press that Athens and Skopje have already agreed on a compound name, but they will leave the announcement of the news to the UN Security Council. Papoulias, as Makfaks reports, said that Greece will be taking part in the direct negotiations at the UN with its well-known stances.

It has been reconfirmed in Athens that the Greek ambassador to the world organization Hristos Zaharakis and Macedonian ambassador Ivan Toshevski will be meeting on Thursday, January 11th, with the mediation of Cyrus Vance. Greek diplomatic circles, according to the same agency, are expressing optimism in relation to this meeting, however, it is not stated exactly on what this optimism is based. Zaharakis and Toshevski are holding direct talks over the name differences for the second time, in accordance with the Interim Accord between Greece and Macedonia, from September, last year.

[05] KOFI ANNAN IN SKOPJE

Kofi Annan, Under Secretary at the UN and special envoy of the UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali, is due to arrive in Skopje today, on a two-day visit to the Republic of Macedonia.

The aim of his visit is to meet with the Macedonian leadership to discuss the present phase of cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the UN. The special representative will also pay a visit to the UNPREDEP General Headquarters and the observation posts and UN facilities in the field.

[06] MACEDONIAN REPRESENTATIVES AT NATO ASSEMBLY

The president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Karsten Font has met with the ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the Federal Republic of Germany Srdjan Kerim. The meeting focused on strengthening the cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and NATO, Makpress reports.

President Font informed ambassador Srdjan Kerim that the representatives of the RM Parliament will take part in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly with the status of associated member, which will be held in April, this year, in Athens.

The signing of the agreement on the "Partnership for peace" program between Macedonia and NATO and the participation in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Alliance rounds off the process of inclusion of the Republic of Macedonia in the NATO political and military structures.

[07] GLIGOROV SENDS CONDOLENCES TO MITTERRAND FAMILY

On the occasion of the death of the former President of the Republic of France, Francois Mitterrand, the President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov sent a telegram of condolences to the Mitterrand family, the President's Cabinet announced yesterday.

[08] BBC PROGRAM IN MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE

From yesterday, the BBC World Service started broadcasting a program in Macedonian language, covering the whole territory of Macedonia through MRTV, the main state radio station in Macedonia and through the networks of the local radio station, which have been equipped for that with the help of BBC. The agreement on cooperation was signed by Melpomeni Korneti, General Director of MRTV and Sam Langer, Executive Director of the BBC World Service, in the presence of the British ambassador to Macedonia Tony Milson and other guests and journalists.

The program will be broadcast every day, on the first and second program of the Macedonian Radio, encompassing news and twice a week, 15 min. magazines, as well as a term for the study of English language. The programs will last, altogether, two hours and fifteen minutes per week, while the local radio stations will have full freedom in the choice and selection of the programs. Macedonia has now become a part of the community of 42 languages in the world that broadcast BBC programs, with two million potential listeners. From now on, BBC will also be heard on the local FM network in the Republic. According to Sam Janger, the service will respond to the true needs of Macedonia and the Balkans.

The program will be prepared by a team of four journalists, including other associates, while Stephen Astley will be editor-in-chief.

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