A Macedonian delegation, invited by the Japanese foreign ministry and led by Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, arrived yesterday in Tokyo for a visit of several days. Apart from a meeting between the two foreign ministers, contacts will also be made between the Macedonian delegation and several senior officials of the Government of Japan, as well as representatives of Japanese economic foundations and the Japanese-Macedonian Committee of Economy.
Yesterday Crvenkovski met the directors of the Foreign Policy Bureau and the Bureau for Relations with Europe and Overseas. Talks focused on the need to intensify overall relations and to widen economic cooperation.
Upon an invitation from the Macedonian Parliament President Andov, the President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly will arrive in Skopje today. At tomorrow's 20th parliament session, he will deliver a speech on the role of the Council in strengthening and expanding the European Parliament.
Following the session, Martinez will be received by President Gligorov, Prime Minister Crvenkovski, and then pay a visit to the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he will meet Youth Council officials and Council member countries' ambassadors in Macedonia. The visit coincides with the ongoing procedures of admission of Macedonia to the Council of Europe.
The Luxembourg Court of Justice case, initiated by the European Commission against the Greek-imposed embargo on Macedonia, has slowed down, A1 Television reports. Despite claims by the British Attorney Jacobs that the case has entered its final stage, the debate among the 13 judges is being obstructed by the increasingly large political dimensions of the case. Judges are said to be wishing that Greece and the European Commission could come to some sort of an agreement and give up the case - such an option , if considered, would significantly ease their task. The option, however, is preconditioned by the Greek-Macedonian relations; should Greece lift its embargo on Macedonia, the proceedings would simply be stopped. Otherwise the judges at the Luxembourg Court will have to state their final decision within the next two months.
Yesterday the Socialist Party of Macedonia held a press- conference to inform reporters of their latest participation in the Forum in Athens, organized by Sinaspizmos and dealing with "The Balkans Approaching the Year of 2000". Stating details from this gathering of left and progressive forces in the Balkans, the Socialist delegation member Levinski said they had addressed the summit in the Macedonian language and the media in Greece had published their speeches in quite a correct manner. The Macedonian delegation was awarded a tribute by the mayor of Athens. Sinaspizmos accepted the invitation to take part in the coming congress of the Socialist Party.
The Forum, A1 Television comments, achieved its goal to promote a thesis for the creation of a third Yugoslavia, condemning the "unjust" policy of Europe toward Serbia. Costandopoulos, leader of the party organization, referred to Macedonia as a "state which still has no name". The Greek press, Macedonian Television says, was eager to underline the presence of Macedonian Socialists at the conference, pointing out that the party is a coalition member in the Macedonian government.
The daily "Eleftherotipia", in an article entitled "Skopje Government Comes to Athens", writes that delegates of the Macedonian Socialist Party sat at the same table with their Greek colleagues for the first time. Therefore, the paper concludes, Skopje has been recognized in Athens under the name "Macedonia".
A1 Television reports of an incident in Gostivar two days ago during a soccer match between two local teams, one consisted entirely of ethnic Albanians and the other of Macedonians. A fight broke out in which 15 fans were injured, the playground fence demolished and several shop and car windows broken. The referees and players escaped to the dressing rooms. The incident is believed by many to have been provoked by nationalist-oriented political parties. The local police have gathered full information on the incident, but A1 Television says the information has not been made public but is being kept at the police headquarters. Unofficial sources say 5 individuals have been summoned for questioning and that the situation in the town calmed down at 8 p.m. the same day.
The decision of the Criminal Court in Tetovo to set bail for the accused Nevzat Halili, leader of PDP-National Unity, at DM 70,000 has been confirmed by the District Court in Skopje. Upon paying the bail, Halili was released from prison yesterday and will remain free until the court sentence comes into effect. He was sentenced to one and a half years in prison, on the grounds of participation in crowds and prevention of police officers in exercising their duty in the village of Poroy, on February 17, 1995.
The publication "Texts on Freedom" by Celeste Kolgan of the Institute Hudson of Indianapolis, USA, was presented in the Macedonian language as part of an international conference CIVITAS, currently being held in Prague and organized by the US Information Agency. The publication was exhibited at the section "Macedonia" within the exhibition hall of Radio Free Europe, at which participants discussed citizen participation in public life and the development of democratic forms in society. The publication was realized as part of a project of the US Institute for Contemporary Studies, presenting American experience with higher education institutions.
A one-day scientific session took place yesterday at the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences (MANU), dealing with "Restorable Sources of Electric Energy". The aim of the session was to explore domestic electricity resources, particularly water, solar and wind power, since fossil reserves are almost used up and their further exploitation will cause considerable pollution. The fact that Macedonia is the only country in the world without a national energy policy was just another reason for holding the session.
At the Army Center in Skopje, yesterday, the Ecology Association of Macedonia - whose honorary member is President Gligorov - organized a celebration on the occasion of June 5, the international Day of Ecology. The award "Green Apple" was presented to Dr. Ljupco Grupce, and the "Rotten Apple" to the joint-stock company "Fenimak" of Kavadarci.
In the attendance of metropolitan Petar and Ratomir Grozdanovski, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Church, the Australian Eparchy of the Macedonian Church held a gathering near Melbourne yesterday to present the 18 Macedonian church communities in Australia. The event is aimed at reconciliation and unity among Macedonian church communities in Australia. A managing board was elected, along with a committee to deal with educational issues, as well as delegates to the Church Synod.
1. The political will and the right to self-determination of the Albanian people, as a natural right which must belong to any nation, was not respected in the dismantling processes of ex Yugoslavia and the creation of new states from it.
2. NDP is worried about the work of international community institutions and their disengagement in the global solution on questions of all the ex Yugoslavian peoples, according to the unique principals. The international community should put an end to the practice of accepting and sanctioning, through force, the already existing situations and, with necessary seriousness, seek a solution for the Albanian question as a precondition for security, peace and stability in the region and elsewhere.
3. Based on the universal principals of international rights and the engagement in peaceful solutions to questions, an acceptable solution, at the present moment, for the Albanian question in the ex Yugoslavian territories is recognition of Kosovo as a neutral and independent state, securing a constitutive status for Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, and autonomy for national rights of Albanians in Presheve, Bujanovac and Medveg and in Montenegro.
4. NDP is confirming, once again, its program definition that the Republic of Macedonia should be defined as a democratic and sovereign state of its citizens - of the equal populations of Macedonians, Albanians and all other ethnic and national units living in it. According to this definition, NDP is going to determinedly oppose all forces and tendencies for forming a one-nation Macedonian state, which would be in discord with the multi- nation reality; such tendencies will always create crises, insecurity and inability in a Republic and region.
5. NDP disagrees with the position and judicial- constitutional status of Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. The current Constitution is the main source of national and citizen non-equality, and was approved against the will of the Albanian people and its representatives. The first condition for starting the elimination of non- equality and institutional discrimination is the change of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, in conformity with the platform of NDP for national equalities. The political platform is to be approved by the political subject of Albanians in Macedonia.
That is why NDP is inviting all political parties and other associations of Albanians to unite and carry out democratic and political steps on the basis of the unique platform, as a precondition for the position of Albanian subjects, in initiating a process of realization of real national and citizen equality in Macedonia.
6. The second parliamentary elections were non democratic and unequal, because they were organized and based upon discriminating laws, which did not secure a real proportional representation of Albanians and other ethnic groups in the Parliament. The Parliament and the current Government are the main generators of ethnic crises and tension. The current ruling parties, including the chairman of the Republic, in an attempt to cover the incapability and failure to solve political, economic, social, educational questions etc. are mounting up conflict situations and political processes against Albanians, obstructing democratic development processes, and tending to present Albanians as destabilising and dangerous elements of Macedonia to the eyes of both the domestic and foreign public.
That is why NDP shall become engaged and shall cooperate with the entire parliamentary opposition and all non parliamentary forces in the scheduling and holding of new parliamentary and presidential elections which will be truly democratic and equal. Tetovo, 27 May 1995 (end) mils-news 6 June '95