MAK-NEWS 16/01/96 (M.I.C.)

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

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, JANUARY 16, 1996 (MIC)

[01] MACEDONIAN AND SLOVENIAN AGREEMENT ON FREE TRADE

Macedonia and Slovenia are to sign an Agreement on free trade, designed to gradually form a tax-free zone by the year 2000, Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov stated after talks with his Slovenian counterpart Milan Kucan.

Milan Kucan, who stayed on a one-day visit to Macedonia yesterday, announced the arrival of the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Drnovshek to Macedonia soon, to sign an Agreement on free trade, as well as an Agreement on the protection of investments and the evasion of double taxation.

Slovenia ranks fourth in Macedonia's foreign-trade exchange, while Macedonia is seventh among Slovenia's foreign- trade partners.

The two presidents announced cooperation on an international plan, over the issue of succession to the former SFRY. "We can not be secessionists," Gligorov said. He added: "We are not denying that Yugoslavia is a successor to the old state. We are only saying that it is not the only successor." Both Kucan and Gligorov said they would defend the stand that Yugoslavia fell apart as a state, and all the states that have been formed subsequently are its equal successors.

The presidents of Macedonia and Slovenia emphasized their common European orientation and goal to become members of the EU. Gligorov said that Slovenia was closer on that path, since it has done much more on an internal plan, in relation to the question of privatization and market economy, that it already has sound foreign currency reserves, adding that, however, Macedonia also does not face the obstacles it used to. In this context, he mentioned the Agreement on free trade, which is due to be signed between the two countries.

Kucan said that both countries have chosen the same path of membership in the collective security systems, and Slovenia has received the act of Macedonia's accession to the OSCE and the NATO initiative "Partnership for peace" with great sympathies. Gligorov and Kucan applauded the signing of the Dayton peace agreement, as a possibility of establishing lasting peace in the region, since Slovenia and Macedonia, which are at the very edge of the war-torn regions, have an interest in the normalization of the situation. "We would like to see the establishment of relations which do not lag behind in the quality of the relations with other countries," Kucan stated.

Gligorov said he had informed Kucan about the contents of his talks with Serb President Slobodan Milosevic on October 2, last year, and the different versions in the public. He also made a cross section of the relations with all of Macedonia's neighbors.

[02] AGREEMENT ON TRANSPORTATION WITH SLOVENIA

A delegation of the Macedonian Ministry of Transport and Communications, led by minister Dimitar Buzlevski, started its two-day official visit to Slovenia yesterday. The visit is aimed at signing an Agreement on transportation between the two countries, which will regulate the overall relations between the two countries in this field.

According to the Agreement, the road transportation, specifically transit and bilateral transport, will be totally liberal, while the permits will be exchanged on a reciprocal basis only for transportation to and fro third countries.

[03] GOVERNMENT DEMANDING NEW REPORT ON "CIK"

At yesterday's session, chaired by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, the Macedonian Government was informed about the talks between the competent ministers and the strike committee of CIK Kumanovo. Namely, the conclusions accepted by both sides, regarding the opening of 160 new jobs by March 31, this year, 30% of this number in each month - January, February, March. In addition, it was emphasized that the report of the liquidation manager has not been accepted, and instructions were given to prepare a new, more detailed report with financial indicators, up to the period of December 31, 1995. In this context, the inspection organs were instructed to carry on with their work, not only in CIK, but also in the other subjects doing business with this combine. According to the information of the competent ministers, the only point left unresolved is the question of the confirmations for the disabled workers. In this regard, the legal provisions will be reexamined, and material possibilities to reinstate the disabled workers will be sought. One of the chief tasks, following the meeting, which has yet to be realized, will be to stop the liquidation process of CIK Kumanovo by March 15, to transform the Combine, i.e. privatize it in accordance with the existing legal provisions.

[04] RECOVERY PROJECT FOR VILLAGES

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Supply, Ivan Angelov left on a brief working visit to Italy yesterday, to take part in the work of the session of the Managing Committee of IFAD, which will also deal with the project for the recovery of villages in eastern and southern Macedonia. IFAD has already expressed readiness to take part in the funding of its realization, Makpress reports.

[05] OPENING OF LIAISONS OFFICES IN SKOPJE AND ATHENS

The official opening of the liaisons offices between Macedonia and Greece is scheduled to take place in the two capitals simultaneously, precisely at noon. Speedy preparations for this are being made in both cities. At the start, the Macedonian flag is planned to be raised in Athens, and the Greek flag in Skopje.

The head of the Greek liaisons office Aleksandros Maljas has already arrived in Skopje and submitted his credentials. Macedonia, on the other hand, has still not appointed its diplomatic representative to the Greek capital.

[06] ATHENS READY FOR COMPROMISE

Greece has made a concession and is ready to accept a "compromise compound name" for the northern neighbor, which will contain the name "Macedonia," the Athens weekly "To Vima" claims, commenting the recent meeting between the ambassadors Zaharakis and Toshevski in New York.

As Makfaks reports, the Athens weekly says that the "brave decision" to accept a name containing the word "Macedonia," in contradiction to the stand according to which the name of the northern neighbor can not contain the word "Macedonia" or any derivative of that name, was made by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias.

"To Vima" adds that the Athens' decision to accept a compound name depends on the analogous constructive attitude of the other side.

[07] GREEK PRESS: MILOSEVIC HAD PROPOSED PARTITION OF RM

Back in 1991, Serb President Slobodan Milosevic proposed to Greece to divide up Macedonia, however, Greece refused. This, as Makfaks reports, is stated in the book that came out in Athens yesterday "Behind closed doors" by the journalist Aleksandros Tarkas, who is close to the former Greek Foreign Minister Andonis Samaras.

Samaras was covertly informed about Milosevich's plan during one of his visits to Belgrade in 1991. The author claims that Milosevic told Samaras that 150,000 Serbs lived in Macedonia, and not 40,000, mainly concentrated in Tetovo, as well as a large number of refugees from the northern Yugoslav regions. Former Prime Minister Constantinos Mitsotakis, who was in office at the time, said he would think about Milosevic's proposal. Mitsotakis first revealed the plan in 1992, during talks in the German leadership in Bonn. Somewhat later, during his stay in Rome, as the author claims, Mitsotakis told former Italian Prime Minister Juliano Andreotti that "everyone around Skopje - Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, are prepared to split it up. Only Greece has no territorial aspirations, although at the beginning of the crisis, Serbia suggested we divide Skopje." So far, various international sources have informed about Milosevic's proposal for the division of Macedonia.

[08] PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR TAKES ON DUTY

Yesterday, the newly appointed ambassador of Portugal to the Republic of Macedonia, Hector Maija e Silva submitted the copies of his credentials to Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski.

Today, the Portuguese ambassador is due to meet with President Kiro Gligorov, Speaker of Parliament Stojan Andov and Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski.

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