MAK-NEWS 05/07/95 (M.I.L.S.)

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 5 July 1995

[01] MACEDONIA'S COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEMBERSHIP PUT OFF FOR '96

The admission of Macedonia as a full member to the Council of Europe, announced for November this year, will probably be postponed for January 1996. This was stated by the Macedonian delegation that participated in the work of the last Parliamentary Assembly of the Council in Strasbourg.

Head of the delegation, Nikola Popovski said the Legal Issues and Human Rights Commission opposed the suggestion to include Macedonia's Council membership in the agenda of the coming September session, asking that the issue is put off until January 1996. The explanation given was that the Commission needed more time to state opinion on the report of the Political Issues Commission. The sub-committee of the Legal Issues and Human Rights Commission announced that the September session will take place in Macedonia, when the Commissioners will meet leaders of Albanians in Macedonia to clear out certain questions. Apart from the Commission's remarks, obstacles to the admission of Macedonia are also administrative slowdowns, the unofficially announced intention of Greek Commissioners to oppose the admission, but most of all the lack of laws regulating judiciary, local self-government and informing in Macedonia.

A1 Television cites unofficial sources as saying officials of the Parliamentary Assembly stated several remarks during the direct contacts with the Macedonian delegation which, although not included in the official report, are not insignificant. One of them is the fact that the president of the state or the prime minister have never so far given an interview with an opposition paper and this is an important element of democracy in the eyes of the Council.

Commissioners also warned against the fact that there are no daily newspapers that are not financially supported by the state and there is also no television signal for the entire territory of Macedonia but the national television.

[02] NEGOTIATIONS WITH PARIS CLUB TO START ON JULY 17

Official talks between the Republic of Macedonia and the Paris Club of donators are to take place on July 17, Nova Makedonija writes. According to figures of the National Bank, Macedonia's debt towards the largest donators of the Club totals to $ 261.9 million of principal, $ 177.7 million are already payable. Negotiations will also include talks on possibilities of reprogramming the liability.

[03] RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TO VISIT MACEDONIA

Macedonian Parliament member Nikola Popovski said a delegation of the Russian Parliament will pay a several-day visit to Macedonia towards the middle of the month. Russian MP's will visit the Macedonian Parliament to discuss ways to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries.

A Macedonian parliamentary delegation will pay a return visit to Moscow by the end of the year.

[04] CABINET PRESS-CONFERENCE

The Macedonian Government's spokesman yesterday informed reporters at a press-conference on the results of a cabinet session held two days ago. The main issue discussed, Ismail said, was transformation of the social capital, and the cabinet concluded that privatization criteria are to be completed to provide transparency of the process.

The Government also decided to increase the price of railway transportation by 15 per cent, in accordance with the Macedonian Railroad Restructuring Program and agreements with the IMF and World Bank. Due to several recent affairs regarding illegal re-exports of goods through Macedonian territory, the Government announced an intensified control and administration supervision.

Ismail also announced actions to suppress illegal production and smuggling in the country.

[05] DIRECTOR OF SECURITY AGENCY APPOINTED

At yesterday's press-conference, Macedonian Minister of the Interior Ljubomir Frckovski said Dobri Velickovski, a former chief-of-security of the air company 'Palair Macedonia' and a retired official of the Interior Ministry, has been appointed a director of the State Security and Counterintelligence Agency. According to the minister, Velickovski is one of the rare professionals in the country with expert knowledge and experience. Asked about the involvement of Velickovski in a past police affair, Frckovski said any participation of such professionals in affairs is his own responsibility, as they never undertake any actions upon their own decision.

Frckovski announced that nearly a 2 per cent (70 to 100 people) of employees in the ministry are to be declared surplus labor and sent back to the Employment Bureau. Speaking of the general situation in the country as regarding crime, Frckovski informed the government is working on several projects, such as a crime-prevention program with special programs for struggle against illegal drug trafficking and money laundering, as well as against corruption in the state administration.

In the first half of 1995, he said, there have been 21 border incidents, most of which (17 out of 21) having occurred on the border with Albania. There have also been 2,540 cases of illegal crossing over the border, 1,980 of which again on the Macedonian-Albanian border.

[06] GLIGOROV SENDS BEST WISHES TO CLINTON

On the occasion of 4th of July, the American Independence Day, Macedonian President Gligorov sent a telegram to the US President Bill Clinton, expressing gratitude for the US support of Macedonia. Gligorov also stated belief that the establishment of full diplomatic ties would considerably encourage the overall relations and cooperation.

Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski sent a telegram with similar contents to the US Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

[07] WESTERN AUSTRALIA RECOGNIZED MACEDONIA UNDER ITS CONSTITUTIONAL NAME

Following an official meeting with the Macedonian Council in Australia, Western Australia's Minister on Ethnic Issues Paul Ommodey stated his country has recognized the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name. From the international legal aspect, it is only the Federal Government that has the authority to recognize other states, but the media in Australia say the Western Australia's decision has still shaken the Paul Keating administration.

[08] MACEDONIAN-BULGARIAN ARCHIVES COOPERATION

In Skopje yesterday, the Archives of Macedonia and Bulgaria signed a cooperation agreement for the next two years. The document includes cooperation in the research, publication of archive materials on the history of both nations, and exchange in expert technology and methodology. Collections of documents are to be published and expert meetings and exhibitions will be organized.

[09] SKOPJE CEMENT FACTORY AND 'VITAMINKA' OF PRILEP PRIVATIZED

The cement-producing factory 'Usje' of Skopje and the Prilep food-processing company 'Vitaminka' were yesterday privatized upon a management buy-out privatization model.

'Usje', employing 1,170 workers and appraised at 55 million Deutsche marks, will be taken over by a group of 15 managers, who paid out 10.9 per cent of the total number of shares and are to buy out the remainder to 48 per cent (totalling to 23.7 million Deutsche marks) within the next 5 years.

'Vitaminka' has 384 employees and is being bought out by a managerial team of 57 investors who purchased 10.37 per cent of the total number of shares and will buy out 41 per cent (3.124 million Deutsche marks) of the company over the next 5 years.

[10] SECOND DEFLATION IN MACEDONIA

The State Statistics Bureau marked another deflation in Macedonia in June, following the one in the previous month. This is mostly due to the last month's 24 per cent fall of orices of agricultural products.

[11] OHRID SUMMER FESTIVAL

The 35th manifestation Ohrid Summer Festival, to be ceremonially opened by President Gligorov, will start on July 12, the manifestation Council said at a press- conference yesterday. The program includes 24 musical and 12 theater performances by groups from 15 countries.

A bulletin entitled 'Ohrid Summer Festivals, 1961-1995' will also be published.

[12] OHRID LAKE INCREASINGLY POLLUTED

The Macedonian Health Ministry yesterday decided to impose a ban on swimming on the Ohrid beaches of St. Sofia and St. Jovan Kaneo on grounds of the high feces pollution of waters along the beaches and a serious epidemics risk. Apart from this, there is the previously introduced ban on use of beaches near the mouth of the River Grasnica.

[13] ECOLOGICAL GENOCIDE OF DOJRAN LAKE

The situation with the Dojran Lake is growing worse every year. Only a third of the lake is what has remained from its original size. With an average depth of 1.5 meters and a 3 meters maximum depth, the lake is turning into a swamp, the flora and fauna are dying out and the fish are infected by various diseases. A group of experts from the Biology Institute, having followed the life of the lake for over 50 years, say it is unlikely that the lake will ever grow back to its original size. What can be done, however, is to change the course of the nearby Anska River, in order to stop further catastrophe.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[14] 130 MACEDONIAN COMPANIES NOW PRIVATIZED AS PROGRAM PROCEEDS ON SCHEDULE

(Privatization Agency of Macedonia, Press Release, 4 July 1995)

The Macedonian Privatization Agency announced today that a total of 130 companies have now been privatized; a further 462, having received Privatization Agency approval, are due to be privatized within the next 2 months.

Most (58.4%) of the companies privatized to date have been by way of employee buy-outs; a further 12% were management buy-outs with the remainder being bought by outside investors.

The Government income from privatization now totals 13.5 million Deutsche Marks in cash and a further 12.62 million Deutsche Marks released from frozen currency deposits; in addition, shares worth a further 52 million Deutsche Marks have been paid into the National Pension Fund (15% of each privatized company's social, or community-owned, capital).

The Macedonian Government has set itself a target of privatizing 791 companies by the end of 1995. The privatization process to date has predominantly involved small and some medium-sized companies. Increasingly, larger companies will join the process, which will go on into 1996.

A growing number of those companies entering the privatization pipeline are seeking foreign investment participation, either in the form of equity investment or in a joint venture.

(end)

mils news 5 July '95