Epilogh MAK-NEWS 06/02/95 (M.I.L.S.) [**]

Ta nea ths hmeras, opws ta eide to MILS:

  • ** H pGDM zhtaei oikonomikh bohqeia apo tis HPA. Synanthsh Tserbenkofski- Kristofer. Den syzhthqhke to ellhniko empargko.
  • ** Synanthsh Gkali kai Bans gia thn pGDM.
  • ** Arqro sthn efhmerida "Ta Nea". "George Soros - O fylaj aggelos twn Skopiwn".
  • * O OHE zhtaei apo thn dieqnh koinothta ths xrhmatodothsh ths pGDM gia na apofeyxqei h apostaqeropoihsh ths, kai zhta ton ejygxronismo ths paideias sthn pGDM.
  • * Synanthsh twn Yp Politismoy ths pGDM kai ths Toyrkias.
  • * Prosklhsh apo thn Boylgaria pros thn pGDM gia thn episkech stratiwtikhs antiproswpeias sthn Sofia.
  • * To amerikaniko YpEj qewrei meiontothta toys "makedones" ths Boylgarias. Arqro ths "Ntoyma".
  • * H dioikhsh ths UNPROFOR qa metaferqei sta Skopia, symfwna me ton typo ths pGDM.
  • ** Arqro ths "Apogeymatinhs" me leptomereies toy sxedioy ths "xalarhs synomospondias" Ellados-Serbias kai pGDM poy eixe proteinei o Milosebits.
  • * Gia ton nomo peri taytothtwn. Dysaresthmenoi oi Albanoi, dioti mono to onoma qa anagrafetai kai sta albanika, kai oxi ta ypoloipa stoixeia.
  • * An xrhsimopoihqoyn oles oi meionotikes glwsses, tote oi synedriaseis qa qymizoyn ... laikh agora, symfwna me toys slabomakedones toy Tetobo.
  • . Gia ths "Hmeres toy Gkotsef '95".
  • . Nea grafeia toy MILS kai toy "Balkan Monitor" sta Skopia.
  • * Synexeia toy arqroy ths "Poyls" gia tis sxeseis albanwn-slabomakedonwn.

    Dhmhtrhs Paneras

    Boston, MA

    MILS NEWS

    Skopje, 6 February, 1995

  • CRVENKOVSKI SEEKS ADDITIONAL U.S. AID
    On his Washington visit, Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski met U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher to discuss economic issues, particularly the possibility of U.S. aid to help Macedonia settle its debt toward the Paris Club. The Americans said several plans for economic support are now being prepared. Macedonian Television says some U.S. calculations show Macedonia is a country presently receiving the highest American economic aid per capita. They also talked about extending the agreement with UN peacekeeping troops in Macedonia and the U.S. participation in the mission. Crvenkovski stressed Macedonia's interest in further development of bilateral relations with the U.S. Crvenkovski later met with Lynn Davis, U.S. Under Secretary for International Security and Arms Control, congressman Benjamin Gielman, president of the U.S. Congress Committee for International Relations, and ex-Secretary of State James Baker. According to Macedonian Television, the Greek embargo on Macedonia was not a topic in any of the discussions. Washington has already explicitly stated it considers the Greek embargo an obstacle for Greek-Macedonian negotiations. According to Macedonian Television, the establishment of full diplomatic ties between Macedonia and the U.S. no longer depends on the outcome of Greek-Macedonian negotiations. Well-informed sources say closer diplomatic relations now depend more on dealing with internal problems in Macedonia, such as improving the democratic process and providing conditions for the Pedagogical Academy to start courses in the Albanian language. Meanwhile, A1 Television says Macedonia and the U.S. are to establish diplomatic ties in September, elevating the U.S. Liaison Office in Skopje to a consulate.

  • GHALI AND VANCE DISCUSS MACEDONIA
    Nova Makedonija cites reports by Radio Athens of a meeting last Saturday between United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and UN mediator Cyrus Vance. Talks were informative, taking place before the scheduled meeting today in Washington between Vance and Macedonian Foreign Minister Crvenkovski. No details were given, but sources say U.S. special envoy Matthew Nimetz will also be attending today's meeting.

  • "GEORGE SOROS, A GUARDIAN ANGEL OF SKOPJE"
    The Greek pro-government newspaper Ta Nea recently began a series of articles bitterly attacking the multi-millionaire businessman and philanthropist George Soros for his aid program for Macedonia operating through the Open Society Foundation. Referring to Hungarian-born Soros as an "adventurer" and a "guardian angel of Skopje", Ta Nea says he is acting as if he is a "leader and a buyer of the Skopje state". President Gligorov, the paper says, should be worried by the big economic support for his state by Soros, who is "hated by all Jews".

  • UN REPORT URGES EDUCATION REFORM
    The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Issues, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, recommended that the international community offers economic assistance to Macedonia, in order to prevent destabilization of social relations in the country. In his report, Mazowiecki points to the "negative impact on human rights because of the delay in enacting and implementing some of the basic laws related to the juridical structure of the State." While acknowledging the efforts made by the government to promote and respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, Mazowiecki urges the Macedonian government "to give favorable consideration to the initiative aimed at the promotion of the educational system at the university level." The report, including conclusions and recommendations, was published two days ago at the UN office in Geneva, as a supplement to the 1994 report, issued last November. Mazowiecki's report followed his visit to Skopje last July.

  • MACEDONIAN AND TURKISH MINISTERS OF CULTURE MEET
    In Istanbul, yesterday, Macedonian Minister of Culture Eshtref Aliu met with his Turkish counterpart Salash. The Turkish minister said his country is ready to sign a protocol on bilateral cultural cooperation, to include presentation of Macedonian cultural achievements in Turkey. This would pave the way for a premiere of Milcho Manchevski's award-winning feature film Before the Rain, the participation of distinguished Macedonian movie directors in the Ankara Film Festival, several exhibitions of paintings, and a concert by the Macedonian rock group Leb i Sol. Aliu reciprocated with offers for Turkish participation in many cultural festivals in Macedonia.

  • MACEDONIAN MILITARY DELEGATION INVITED TO BULGARIA
    Last Friday, Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handzhiski received Angel Dimitrov, Bulgarian ambassador to Macedonia and Nikolai Iliev, Bulgarian military attachi in Macedonia. They agreed to renew military contacts, and announced a visit to Bulgaria by a delegation from the Macedonian Ministry of Defense on February 6 to 8 . The visit will explore the possibilities for military cooperation.

  • MACEDONIANS IN BULGARIA DECLARED ETHNIC MINORITY
    The Sofia newspaper Duma says last year a U.S. State Department Report on Human Rights declared Macedonians in Bulgaria an ethnic minority. Washington claims there are citizens in southwestern Bulgaria declaring themselves as Macedonians and their ethnic interests are protected by the party OMO "Ilinden". The report, Duma writes, says the Bulgarian Constitution allows no parties based on ethnic, racial or religious principles. That is why OMO "Ilinden" is denied registration and its meetings are prevented by the police.

  • UNPROFOR COMMAND TO BE TRANSFERRED TO SKOPJE
    The monthly Skopje-based Macedonian Times magazine writes that the UNPROFOR Command is shortly to be transferred from Zagreb to Skopje. This UN decision is supported by NATO and is brought about after Croatian President Franjo Tudjman decided not to extend the agreement to have UN peacekeeping forces on Croatian territory.

  • MILOSEVIC'S PROPOSAL FOR A WEAK CONFEDERATION
    The Greek newspaper Apogevmatini has published details of the plan for a weak confederation, presented by Serbian President Milosevic to Greek Prime Minister Papandreou: 1. Signing an agreement on no military attacks between Belgrade and Skopje and Athens and Skopje; 2. Forming a joint military defense staff with a permanent main office in Salonika, meaning Serbian and Macedonian military officers will be deployed in the Salonika army base; 3. Joint military maneuvers, also open to participation by other countries, such as Bulgaria; 4. Free trade zone embodying the three states and "special trading rights" for Skopjeans and Serbs in the Salonika region, resembling those of Tito's Yugoslavia; 5. Enabling Skopjeans and Serbs to communicate with western European countries through Greece's network; 6. Intensified works on the project for connecting the river Termaikos through Axios-Vardar (Skopje) with the Serbian river Morava, eventually connecting up to the river Danube in the long-term. 7. Joint membership in international organizations through mixed delegations. A joint bank of the confederation would have a main office in Belgrade and a Balkan university would be established in Skopje; 8. The name for the Skopje state would be Slav-Macedonian Republic (a name strongly supported by Serbia and Russia); and 9. Clear massage to those desiring a Greater Albania that Greece would be directly involved in a war against Albania, should a conflict arise in Kosovo.

  • DRAFT ID LAW DISSATISFIES ALBANIAN MP's
    Albanian deputies in the Macedonian parliament have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's proposed Law on Personal Identification, to be discussed at the next parliament session on February 8. Albanian MP's say the proposal to have only personal names written in both the Macedonian and the languages of minorities is a restrictive and inadequate solution and a flagrant violation of the Constitution. The PDP submitted an amendment, suggesting that all data on the identification documents be written in both languages. This is considered by the government as contrary to the Constitution. Naser Ziberi, PDP deputy coordinator, said the government should have brought the Law on Personal Identification after enacting a law on the use of languages of minorities, which would regulate all relevant issues, including use of languages in citizens' ID's. He said should the PDP proposal be rejected, the draft law be withdrawn from parliamentary debates and the PDP leave the government coalition, since its further participation would be irrelevant. Mersel Biljali, NDP coordinator, said the government's draft law cannot even be regarded as a compromise. He claimed the Macedonian language is in no way endangered by the parallel use of languages of minorities on ID documents. The PDP and the NDP are expected to form a joint opinion on the proposed Law on Personal Identification.

  • TOWNSHIP MEETINGS COULD SOUND LIKE A MARKET
    If the languages of all minorities are used during the sessions of the Tetovo township assembly, meetings would resemble market crowds. This was said at last Friday's press-conference by the Macedonian members of the Executive Committee of the Tetovo Assembly. The conference followed the latest statement by Minister of Justice Vlado Popovski, concerning the use of languages of minorities. Representatives of the Executive Committee sent an invitation to Popovski to open the next Assembly session.

  • TRIBUTE TO GOCE DELCEV
    The 123rd anniversary of the birth of the great Macedonian revolutionary Goce Delcev was celebrated in several cities throughout Macedonia and abroad. The Skopje church of "Sveti Spas" gave a liturgy, and many political parties, associations and citizens visited Goce Delcev's tomb. The international festival Days of Goce '95, held in Istanbul, included a debate regarding Turkish-Macedonian cultural and historical relations.

  • MILS/BM PREMISES OPEN
    More than 100 guests (majority from the diplomatic corps in the Republic) attended the opening celebrations of the new premises of MILS and Balkan Monitor, last Friday. The new premises will enable better circulation of people, information and ideas, generally improving the links between the Republic and the Diaspora. In this occasion, the Director of MILS and BM, Mr. Ljupco Naumovski, stated that this achievement is a result of the efforts done by the people from the Diaspora in order to help the Republic. " The initiative undertaken by the Australian-Macedonian Society Inc., the Ilinden Foundation and Human Rights Committees in Australia and Canada, prove that the process of their spiritual reintegration with the Republic has begun", added Naumovski.

  • MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: PARALLEL LINES NEVER MEET - PART II
    (Puls, 3 February, 1995) The political naiveti of the leaders of parties of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia in their attempts to fight nationalism seems irrational. Especially their inclination to accept the thesis of parallel lives as an alternative to coexistence and a model of a multi-ethnic democracy, in which all ethnic groups would live side by side, but separately. The tradition of coexistence in the region is deeply engraved deeply in the minds of the people. It was this coexistence which saved Macedonia most recently, just as it did during the Second World War and during the half- century existence of Macedonia within the former Yugoslavia. Coexistence was alive, with all its negative aspects as a warning. But also it was alive with all its richness in joint development, along with the specific identity of Albanians, Turks, Rhomas (gypsies) and Serbs. Dzhemail Maksut, an actor at the Turkish Drama Theater, was never upset by acting in movies of produced in Macedonian and in plays at the Macedonian Theater, nor was the public irritated by his appearance. The Rhoma Theater "Pralipe", despite all its problems, became an international theater with European qualities. Luan Starova and Kim Mehmeti are gladly read by both Macedonians and Albanians. Just as the poetry of the deceased Adem Gajtani. Over a dozen Albanian and Turkish writers have been included in school textbooks during the past years. One of the main negative results of the latest development of politics in the country is the involvement of the youth in politics and their mutual indifference. Albanians are missing out on modern democracy by insisting on separatism and parallel living. This is retrograde, full of conflicts and far from the principles of a civil society. Albanians in Macedonia still seem unable to understand that the newly composed Albanian national monolith is dispensable. Political interests of Albanians in Macedonia simply had to be segmented. This is not only a political, but also an economic process. Friendships and private relationships are being dissolved not because of national reasons, but rather as a result of the emergence of class differences. People are now linked by business and capital. Everyone lives in a world of his own. The shock of democracy and of money is still too big even for the most persistent fighters for patriarchal relations. A monolith simply does not function in such conditions. That is why parties of Albanians in Macedonia are now in a search for newer, firmer ground - new homogenization and imprisonment of the mind. The parallel life is a new myth. Politicians urge people to turn toward inwards and seal off oneself, despite all the risks of doing this. Rather, politicians should be urging people to recognize their interests and to open one's mind toward wider and common interests. One of the greatest supporters of this parallel living is no doubt Macedonian nationalism. It can be seen during the first sessions of the new parliament, despite the fact that VMRO-DPMNE is no longer present. Everyone seems concerned with the defense of fatherland Macedonia. The new saviors now come from the field of education, even at the risk of turning a purely educational problem - training teachers in languages of minorities - into a political problem. At the same time, the government shows a lack of efficiency in building a world of equality. What is missing are some new state mechanisms and democratic institutions; the old mechanisms are still in effect despite all the changes. Political flexibility and administrative efficiency are almost impossible. This results in politicizing even the most trivial problems in ethnic relations. The whole thing is even given an international dimension by introducing the dilemma whether national groups are more deprived of rights in a world in which everyone is deprived of rights. To make matters even worse, the police are brought onto the scene, getting farther and farther away from modern civilizing standards. Regardless of whether parallel living is supported as a political policy or maintaining conditions which have created it in the first place, the consequences are always the same. They will negatively affect coexistence, as the main feature of parallel lines is that they never meet. And, if ever, their crossing usually ends up in conflicts and wars.