MAK-NEWS 06/07/95 (M.I.L.S.)

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 6 July 1995

[01] GLIGOROV MEETS RUGOVA IN SKOPJE

Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov met yesterday in Skopje with Ibrahim Rugova, the leader of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo, to discuss the situation in Kosovo, Macedonia and the wider region. They expressed concern with the escalation of the Bosnian war, agreeing that peace and stability in the Balkans can be guaranteed by resolving the open issues through political means and strengthening the European option of all Balkan states.

A1 Television reminds Rugova's request to be received by President Gligorov during his last visit to Macedonia had been turned down. Unofficial sources say this was due to a dissatisfaction of the Macedonian leadership by the fact that Rugova used the term Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in the mutual correspondence.

[02] DEMIREL TO ARRIVE IN MACEDONIA JULY 13

On an official invitation of Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, President of Turkey Suleiman Demirel will arrive July 13 on a two-day visit in Macedonia. He will visit Skopje and Ohrid for talks with Gligorov, and they are expected to sign a general agreement on cooperation. Demirel will also address the Macedonian parliamentarians. Accompanying the Turkish president will be the country's foreign minister , who will meet his Macedonia counterpart Crvenkovski.

[03] MACEDONIA AND TURKEY REGULATE MUTUAL TRAFFIC

In Ankara yesterday, Macedonian and Turkish negotiators successfully ended a two-day round of talks, agreeing on issues concerning the bilateral traffic and current communication problems in the Balkans. The Turkish side approved a contingent of 500 licenses for transportation to and from third countries. The transportation of tourists will be carried out freely and all bus lines between the two countries will be coordinated.

They scheduled a meeting between railway officials to discuss possibilities of the Turkish Railroads becoming involved in the construction of the railway between Macedonia and Bulgaria.

[04] HANDZISKI RECEIVES US COMMANDING OFFICER FOR EUROPE

Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski received yesterday William Croutz, US Army Commanding Officer for Europe. They expressed satisfaction with the progress of the military cooperation between Macedonia and the US, exploring new forms of deepening the cooperation. The talks also focused on the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[05] UN ECONOMIC COUNCIL IN SESSION

Macedonian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski is participating in the annual assembly of the UN Economic and Social Council, currently being held in Geneva. The agenda includes issues regarding the development of international relations and the role of UN specialized agencies in economy and social and humanitarian matters. UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali will also take part in the assembly, along with prime ministers and chiefs of missions of the specialized agencies.

[06] PARLIAMENTARIAN COOPERATION DISCUSSED IN BONN

Karl Heinz Hornhues, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the German Parliament, received yesterday in Bonn Srdjan Kerim, Macedonian ambassador to Germany. They agreed on a long-term program for cooperation between the two nation's parliaments.

[07] STOCK EXCHANGE FOUNDING COMMITTEE SUGGESTS FOUNDERS

The Skopje daily Vecher writes that the Founding Committee of the Stock Exchange in Macedonia yesterday listed the following potential founders of the Securities Exchange, due to start functioning this autumn: Stopanska Bank of Skopje, Stopanska Bank of Bitola, Makedonska Bank, Invest Bank, Commercial and Investment Bank of Kumanovo, Rado Bank, Tutunska Bank, Almako Bank, Credit Bank of Bitola, Ohrid Bank, as well as the savings houses Tutun, Inter Falko, Kiro Khuchuk of Titov Veles and the Mining Institute of Skopje. All potential founders have already appointed 3 members each to enter a broker's training course.

[08] PRIVATIZATION COMMITTEE VERIFIES BASIC CRITERIA

The government's Privatization Committee yesterday discussed and verified the proposed criteria for evaluation of privatization tenders and the implementation procedure for each privatization model set by the Privatization Act. The Committee decided that the final version of basic criteria is to be passed by the Privatization Agency's managing board, due to hold a meeting at the beginning of next week.

[09] 150 MINISTERIAL OFFICIALS RELIEVED OF DUTIES IN JULY

A1 Television and the daily Nova Makedonija report that a total of 150 officials in all ministries in Macedonia have been relieved of their duty. The explanations to follow will probably resemble the one given for the most recent replacement of 3 defense ministry official - failure to meet responsibilities.

Meantime, Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski yesterday publicly apologized to the 3 replaced officials for having been searched upon entering and leaving the ministry building and for having their offices sealed. 'This was all done without my knowledge,' he said. The fact that they have been relieved of duty does not mean that they have lost their jobs, the minister said.

[10] ETHNIC ALBANIAN MINISTERS AGAINST VELICKOVSKI

The appointment of Dobri Velickovski a director of the Security and Counterintelligence Agency was not passed unanimously at the latest cabinet session, Vecher writes. The ethnic Albanian ministers did not support the choice of Velickovski, their main remark being the involvement of the latter in the 'Blue Bird' and 'Albanian paramilitary' affairs.

[11] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HOLDS PRESS-CONFERENCE

The Constitutional Court of Macedonia yesterday told reporters that its work over the past 6 months has been characterized by frequent re-evaluation of the constitutionality of certain laws and increased complexity of all proceedings. The Court held sessions over 293 initiatives in this period and the number is expected to amount to 500 by the end of the year, that is twice as much as in 1994. Initiatives are mostly (in 172 cases) raised by citizens, who are followed by political parties and companies. In as much as in 55 per cent of the cases, the Court revealed unconstitutionality and illegal elements. This, Court officials said, is a result of the inconsistency and discord of the judicial system. There have been no problems so far in the respect and implementation of the Court's decisions.

[12] GOVERNMENT FULLY ACCEPTS UNIVERSITY'S REMARKS

At a session two days ago, the Macedonian Government almost completely accepted remarks by the Senate of the University Cyril and Methodius of Skopje, regarding the draft-law on higher education. The remarks mainly concerned university autonomy.

[13] SKOPJE MAYOR INVITED TO ATHENS

The newly appointed mayor of the city of Skopje Jove Kekenovski is invited to attend a meeting of mayors of South Eastern European cities, to be held in Athens October 5-6, A1 television reports. The conference is organized by Dimitros Avramopoulos, mayor of Athens, in an attempt to promote cooperation between European capitols.

[14] NO COMMENT BY MEDIA IN SERBIA ON PERCEVIC'S VISIT TO SKOPJE

The media in Serbia published no comment on the recent meeting between Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and Goran Percevic, vice-president of the Milosevic-led Socialist Party of Serbia, A1 Television reports. The only information was presented by Percevic himself in a radio interview, who described the meeting as highly successful, expressing deep personal satisfaction with the talks with both the president of the country and of the parliament. Saying they had discussed relevant economic and political issues of mutual interest, Percevic said the correct and open dialogue ought to continue, as it will create an atmosphere to resolve all problems between Macedonia and Serbia.

Citing unofficial sources, the Belgrade independent newspaper 'Nasa Borba' reveals President Gligorov stated his country's viewpoints on Serbian-Macedonian relations. Serbia's refusal to recognize Macedonia, Gligorov reportedly said, is an anachrone approach toward the new Balkan reality, pointing out that Macedonia is not a secessionist state but a country that declared independence once the former Yugoslavia had already disintegrated. Macedonia, Gligorov also said, is entitled to a part of the legal inheritance of the former federation.

Top political circles in Serbia view the visit of Percevic as a sign that Serbia might be ready to enter an official dialogue with Macedonia in the near future.

[15] NEW PASSPORT REGIME ON MACEDONIAN-GREEK BORDER

As from the beginning of July, buses and transportation vehicles are required new 'green licenses' to cross the Macedonian-Greek border. Licenses will also be issued at the very border-crossings upon a previously obtained permission from the ministry of transportation and communications. This is a result of the long-lasting refusal of Greek authorities to cooperate in the regulation of mutual traffic or to set a mutual contingent of bilateral licenses.

[16] TO SERBIA WITH MACEDONIAN PASSPORTS ONLY

As from yesterday, Macedonian citizens will no longer be able to cross the border with Serbia with personal identifications as before, the Ministry of the Interior announced. They will be required valid Macedonian passports at all crossings on the Macedonian-Yugoslav border.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[17] INTERNATIONAL BANK A MUST FOR EFFICIENT INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS

(Vecer, 6 July 1995)

The financial support of exports, and esspecially of exports of capital and investment projects is a basic priority of the economic policy of any country, regardless of the degree of its development stage. Therefore, there is almost no country in the world that does not have a special banking institution specialized in financial support of exports, a so-called export-import bank.

The idea for establishing a bank for international economic cooperation in Macedonia is almost 4 years old, but very little has been done to realize it so far.

Ljupco Trpevski, minister in the Macedonian cabinet, says the idea was initiated as early as back in 1991. Yet, besides the obvious need for such a bank, matters are still at a standstill. Such a bank would be a serious partner to foreign financial institutions, provided that it has a sufficient portfolio, no inherited debts, stable sources of assets and highest-level state guarantees behind itself. Such a bank, with a purely commercial orientation, could also perform as an efficient partner in negotiations with international banking institutions such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Bank. The presence of such institutions in Macedonia would be more than important, not only because of the capital they would potentially invest (these institutions could provide financial back up for the establishment of such a bank here) in the reconstruction and revitalization of the Macedonian economy, but much more because this would be a green light for other banks and the private capital to start investing in Macedonia, Trpevski explains.

The founders of such a bank would be the state, banks and legal entities. The state budget would primarily have to set aside founding capital and establish measures in the economy for a continual and stable inflow of funds for the bank. According to Trpevski, the Central Bank of Macedonia would have to become involved in the financial support of the country's exports along with the state and this potential international bank, to issue guarantees and insure credits aimed for exports.

To establish such a bank (the suggested name is MABMES - Macedonian Bank for International Economic Cooperation), Trpevski said, is more than necessary, particularly today when the element of financing exports is a factor equal in importance with prices, and sometime even plays a leading role in the entire exports of a country. Numerous companies in Macedonia that take part in international tenders for investment projects abroad have failed to win at auctions despite offering to charge the lowest commission, only because of other companies' offering more favorable credits. Impoverished and aiming at making the highest possible profits, the developing countries are often forced to accept services of more expensive companies offering more favorable credits.

The construction companies in Macedonia, Trpevski says, have been built with such a capacity that can be used optimally only through highly expanded exports of services. At the same time, a large number of companies are using imported raw materials that are paid in foreign currencies. Added the imports of energy and Macedonia's foreign debts, the importance of such an institution for the country becomes clearly obvious.

(end)

mils-news 6 July '95