MAK-NEWS 24/08/95 (M.I.L.S.)

From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 24 August 1995

[01] INFORMATION, SPECULATION, MISUNDERSTANDING, DENIALS...

The news item released yesterday by media in Greece on an alleged joint Albanian-Macedonian strategy in case of a conflict in Kosovo, was described as mere speculation by top diplomatic circles in Skopje yesterday, Macedonian Radio reports. Macedonia and Albania do have good mutual relations, the radio says, but those relations are not built at the cost of third countries. As for Albanian Foreign Minister Sereci's statement of gratitude for Skopje's 'quick reaction to Belgrade's decision to settle Serbian refugees in Kosovo and thus change the ethnic and demographic structure of the region,' it is explained by the fact that Sereci has probably misunderstood Defense Minister Handziski's statement. Yet, this can by no means cast a shadow on the relations between the two countries, the same diplomats say.

The media in Albania paid a great deal of attention to Sereci's visit to Skopje. The Gazette Sqiptare's front page read 'Tirana and Skopje Together in War', adding that the two countries are greatly contributing to preventing the war from spreading south.

Belgrade's government news agency Tanjug cites Macedonian government spokesman Djuner Ismail as saying the authorities in Macedonia do not believe that Kosovo will be destabilized because of several hundred refugee families. All this was to deny the news launched by certain Belgrade media on the Macedonian side condemning Belgrade's decision to send Kraina refugees to Kosovo.

The Yugoslav Red Cross informs 3,623 refugees have been settled in Kosovo so far, but the number is not definite as refugees continue to arrive. According to the Pristina daily Bujku, however, authorities in Serbia are hiding the real number of refugees coming to Kosovo, underlining the statements of the latter on wishing to be settled primarily in Sumadia or Vojvodina and choosing Kosovo as the last alternative.

Meantime, A1 Television says that Karl Bildt, European Union mediator in former Yugoslavia described the settlement of Kraina refugees in Kosovo as worrying, announcing a soon visit to Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Albania.

[02] PASSENGERS WITH FORGED MACEDONIAN PASSPORTS REVEALED AT BORDER

Customs authorities at the Macedonian-Bulgarian border crossing Deve Bair prevented an attempt of a group of 23 Kosovo Albanians to enter Bulgaria with falsified Macedonian passports. The group probably intended to reach Germany via Bulgaria.

Radio Skopje finds out that the revealed group obtained false passports for large sums of money and were to be transferred to Bulgaria by Macedonian tourist agencies.

The deputy minister of the Macedonian crime police said they had paid 3-4,500 Deutsche Marks for a passport, pointing out Senaturs and Balkanturist as the agencies that attempted to get them across to Bulgaria.

Meantime, Macedonian Radio informs of a growing number of cases of stolen Macedonian passports in neighboring Bulgaria. The Macedonian embassy in Sofia issues 20-30 traveling passes to Macedonians whose passports were stolen.

Only this month, it has issued 36 such passes. Findings are that there are also Macedonians who will sell their passports.

[03] 'THINGS SHOULD NOT BE BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION'

The Athens News Agency (ANA) cites the representative of UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali in Skopje as saying that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was acquiring a 'special position' in the region from a strategic viewpoint following recent developments in former Yugoslavia.

In an interview with the ANA in Skopje, the UN chief's representative in FYROM and political director of the UN's peacekeeping forces Heinrich Sokalski also expressed the view that 'at least for the present time' the problem of the Serb refugees 'has not taken on explosive proportions and is more an issue of a political and humanitarian nature'.

Despite being aware of 'the concern of certain governments and of the Albanians of Kosovo', Sokalski expressed the view that 'things should not be blown out of proportion', adding that he saw 'no immediate threat to any of the countries in the region'.

Sokalski said he was also aware of Skopje's desire to change the status, mandate, structure and number of the UN peacekeeping force in FYROM (UNPREDEP).

He clarified however that this desire had not yet taken on an official form, attributing this to Skopje's decision to make such a request if the situation in the region worsens and the stability and security of FYROM is threatened.

According to ANA, Sokalski expressed complete opposition to any change in the mandate of the peacekeeping force which would transform its role from preventive to combat.

'Judging by what is happening in the rest of the region, I would not recommend the taking of decisions for operations of a combat nature. First of all, I do not believe that at the present time there is any need for one to think in these terms, but mainly because the UN is an organization whose mission is peace.'

Sokalski said he was optimistic that there would be 'positive developments' for the entire region of former Yugoslavia during the next few months.

Meantime, Greek government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday that the Greek government is waiting for Skopian intransigence to subside and for fresh negotiations to begin with the government of FYROM. He made the statement rejecting press reports today claiming that the Greek government had turned down two proposals by US Presidential envoy on the Skopje issue Matthew Nimitz.

[04] MACEDONIAN -RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

A first-ever Macedonian-Russian scientific conference began in Ohrid yesterday. It is dedicated to language, literature and cultural links between the two nations.

Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and Head of Church Father Mikhail attended the opening ceremony. The conference, it was said, is an expression of a need for renewal of past useful contacts between scientific and cultural workers in Macedonia and Russia.

[05] MINISTRY CALLS ON PARENTS TO SEND CHILDREN TO SCHOOL

Macedonian Ministry of Education appealed to parents of pupils from Dolna Zhupa (Debar region) who were excluded from the education process over the past 3 years, to enroll their children in the elementary school in the Zhupa education center. Curriculums will be shortened to help children go over the material more easily and quickly.

Classes will be carried out in both Macedonian and Albanian, just as before.

[06] MACEDONIAN CHURCH SYNOD HOLDS SESSION

The Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church will start a three-day session today at the monastery St. Mary in the village of Kaliste, near Struga. The session will focus on other orthodox churches' relations with the Macedonian Church with a special accent on the behavior of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Synod has sent letters to all orthodox churches informing of the session.

[07] 'VINKA' EMPLOYEES DEMAND NEW PRIVATIZATION MODEL

The workers in the company 'Vinka' of Vinica have been on a strike for a third day today, protesting against the chosen privatization model and asking for a new one, to include all employees equally. The management turned down the demand.

At a meeting with a representative of the Privatization Agency, the striking committee was told that the agreement between the Agency and the managerial team of 'Vinka' is legal, appealing for a solution satisfactory for both sides, as certain foreign partners already threatened to break up the contracts.

[08] 'MICROSOFT WINDOWS '95' TO BE PROMOTED IN MACEDONIA

On the occasion of today's promotion of 'Microsoft Windows '95' in Redmond, Washington, the authorized distributor of Microsoft in Macedonia - Login Systems, led by Venko Gligorov, announced 'Open Days of Microsoft '95 and Office '95' in Macedonia, to be held 18-23 September. The promotion will include a dozen of separate presentations of Microsoft's latest achievements. Login Systems was involved from the very beginning in testing and sale of this latest Microsoft products, and is already selling the new software in Macedonia. The company is providing also adequate training in this and other Microsoft operating systems and is preparing to accommodate it to the Macedonian market in Macedonian language.

[09] 'BEFORE THE RAIN' AWARDED AGAIN

Milco Mancevski's feature film 'Before the Rain' was awarded the only grand prize at the 24th International Film Festival in Burgos, Spain. Mancevski is invited to receive the award in person in August, 1996.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[10] DOPING BEFORE LOCAL ELECTIONS

(Delo, 18 August 1995)

Last year, immediately before the presidential and parliamentary elections, the Macedonian government paid out nearly DM 2 million in advance for services of the publishing house Nova Makedonija. Now, facing the local elections (announced for spring 1996), the government is again stimulating all the media that will carry out its campaign. All this with one aim - to help the 'independent' media to develop! To help the 'independent' and 'free' journalism that will 'develop' the pluralism in the country and the freedom of speech, and will 'satisfy' the varied political and other informative needs of citizens! Good for the government. Just like in countries with the highest degree of democracy! This is how informative balance is established in pluralistic societies! And again, bravo.

It is not our intention to attack the newspapers receiving government funds. Even less journalists who, mainly due to incapable managers, cannot normally earn a decent living.

Journalists are forced to do what they do because they are in a situation to struggle for bread. Regardless of the fact that it tastes sour to some of them. And it is even more sour because they never feel secure under those paying them, as the latter only throw bones at them, feeling perfectly free to take it back and throw journalists away. The poor journalists simply have no choice.

Yet, someone will say, what's wrong with the government helping the newspapers? Nothing, indeed. Still, the government (any government, that is) is obliged under the Constitution (provided that it respects it) to create equal conditions for all the papers. This substantial financial aid would have been understandable if Nova Makedonija had been a public enterprise. Or if The Students' Word or The Woman had been public companies. Let alone The Macedonian Times (owned by the writer Jovan Pavlovski). But they are not. Nova Makedonija is (still) a socially-owned enterprise (preparations for its privatization are underway). The Woman is also a social company (probably to be privatized as well), and the excuse for the financing of this magazine is really ridiculous: it is a 'traditional monthly magazine for the women in Macedonia.' This sounds ridiculous because there are already several other women's magazines in the country, even of a greater quality than The Woman; yet, the government is not aiding those. The same goes for The Macedonian Times - it is described as a 'magazine presenting the Republic of Macedonia (or, to be precise, its government) to the world in English.'

The financing of Flaka e Vellazerimit and Birlik is another story. Again, we have nothing against the support for newspapers of minorities (although Flaka e Vellazerimit does not seem to be a minority paper as it almost never present viewpoints of the opposition of Albanians, which has a considerable portion of the electorate behind itself). This is even a responsibility of the state. There is only one 'minor' problem in all this. All the money is paid to one single account - to that of the publishing house Nova Makedonija, so it is really doubtful how much of these funds really go for the needs of these papers of the minorities, and how much of it goes for the daily Nova Makedonija and the 'independent' weekly Puls! Those familiar with the journalism in Macedonia will not be surprised by this latest financial injection for media loyally serving to the ruling apparatus. Following the elections, they also received money on other grounds - as a tribute for loyalty and eagerness shown in supporting the state-thwarted elections. The same media that are on the government's payroll were packed with expensive advertisements on privatization for months. The money for all this was generously provided by the Privatization Agency. No one has, at least so far, publicly stated the exact amount of money spent in this way. On the contrary, this is being hidden despite the fact that, knowing the high fees charged for advertising, one easily concludes that big money was in the game. Big money, given to those under direct control by the ruling parties.

Again, prize-winning games introduced to save the newspapers published by Nova Makedonija, are another story. Evil tongues will say that the two cars awarded weekly to lucky readers, are also a way for the government to 'pay the price' for the support by these papers. They even say that the games are introduced under a government directive and that the donors who deliver cars are in fact the same ones who sponsored the Alliance for Macedonia. To deceive the 'enemy' that the papers are not directly aided, this is done with the generous help of companies sponsors. Just like in the case with the Privatization Agency!

(end)

mils-news 24 August '95