MAK-NEWS 20/09/95 (M.I.L.S.)

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 20 September 1995

[01] GREEK LEADERS URGE CONSTRUCTIVE NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS

In their messages to Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, Greek President Constantin Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou underline the significance of improvement of relations between the two countries, agreed in the Temporary Agreement signed in New York. They go on to express hope that further talks will give results in the interest of both countries and a constructive development of bilateral relations in a neighborly spirit.

[02] TWO OPTIONS FOR NEW FLAG

Today's Nova Makedonija writes that the Republic of Macedonia will have a new national flag as soon as on October 5, when the parliament session on the issue is to take place. The paper states two options for the flag, both having red color as a background and a golden-yellow symbol as a central figure. The first solution for the symbol would be a rising or setting half-sun, while the second will be a sun with rays going horizontally, vertically or diagonally across the flag.

The paper also finds out that parties included in Parliament are already discussing the possible look of the new flag.

[03] THESSALONIKI TO STAND AGAINST ATHENS

Mayors of cities of northern Greece asked Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou not to make any compromises concerning the name "Macedonia". Should their demand be rejected or should they leave the meeting with Papandreou dissatisfied, they threatened to organize mass demonstrations, this time against Athens instead of against Skopje.

Meantime, opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert met with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, asking for an urgent parliament session to discuss the Macedonian issue.

[04] 220 MILLION DM CREDIT FOR MACEDONIA

During yesterday's meeting with Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, delegation of the Bank of Europe for Reconstruction and Development supported the large reform undertakings in the country. This, they said, will enable Macedonia to make use of new credits totaling to DM 220 million. The funds will be issued in the form of a long-term loan to be used for reconstruction of the banking industry. Starting from next year, additional credits are to be approved for the development of small and medium-sized companies in Macedonia.

The delegation later met with Macedonian Minister of Economy Risto Ivanov to discuss possible aid in the fields of energy, agriculture, leather industry and tourism.

[05] US ARMY SECRETARY ARRIVING IN MACEDONIA TODAY

Secretary of the US Army Toggo West is expected to arrive in Macedonia today. He will be received by President Gligorov, Defense Minister Handziski and General Chief-of-staff of the Macedonian Army, General Dragoljub Bocinov. Mr. West will also visit the UNPREDEP Headquarters and the American contingent wthin the UN mission.

[06] COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S SECRETARY GENERAL VISITS MACEDONIA

As invited by Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Daniel Tarshes will arrive today in a two-day visit to Macedonia. Mr. Tarshes will also meet President Gligorov, Parliament President Andov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and Justice Minister Popovski.

The visit is immediately preceding a scheduled debate at the Council's Parliamentary Assembly, expected to focus on the issue of admitting Macedonia as a full member.

[07] GREEN PARTY OF GERMANY SUPPORTS MACEDONIA

Macedonian Ambassador to Germany Srgjan Kerim yesterday received a note from Joshka Fischer, leader of the Green Party of Germany and head of the party's parliamentarian group at the German Bundestag. He expressed strong support for the admission of Macedonia to the Council of Europe. The party, he says, is convinced that Macedonia has no territorial ambitions towards any neighboring country.

[08] VAN DEN BROEK GREETED THE AGREEMENT

In an interview with today's Nova Makedonija, European Union Commissioner Hans Van den Broek positively evaluated the Macedonian-Greek temporary agreement, stressing that it creates a basis for completely resolving of all problems, including the name issue that is not yet subject to discussion. Asked whether the European diplomacy has proved unable to resolve the Greek-Macedonia dispute since it took American engagement to come to terms, Broek said it would be only fair to remind that Europe, through its mediation efforts started a year ago, emphasized a series of elements that are now integrated in the agreement. The problem was, he explained, that it was then not yet time for a definite solution. As for the European Commission's court procedure against the Greek embargo, he said that authorities in Greece are expected to lift the embargo which will probably result in dropping the case. On the other hand, it is theoretically possible that both Greece and the European Commission believe it would be important to let the Court issue a final decision in order to create a position on all similar cases in future.

Nova Makedonija writes that tomorrow's session of the European Court of Justice is likely to include the issue.

[09] SUPPORT FOR BEROVO

Accompanied by Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski, the Chief of the UNPREDEP Mission, Henri Sokalski; the Head of the US Liaison Office in Skopje Victor Comras, Great Britain's ambassador to Macedonia Tony Millson and the UNPREDEP Commanding Officer Yuha Engstrom, yesterday paid a visit to Berovo. They met local leaders and businessmen to discuss possibilities of economic cooperation. It was pointed out that the further stabilization of Macedonia will attract foreign investment and business and the presence of UNPREDEP troops in the country will probably be no longer needed.

[10] MACEDONIAN-SLOVENIAN CONSULTATIONS

Representatives of the Macedonian and Slovenian foreign ministries met in Ljubljana yesterday for regular consultations. They had long discussions on the latest development of the situation in the region and the bilateral relations. They also exchanged information on the two countries' relations with neighboring countries and the EU, concluding that both countries have close or identical views on major international events. Bilateral relations, it was said, are successfully developing and economic cooperation is expected to be intensified over the coming period.

The Macedonian delegation, led by under-secretary Victor Gaber, was also received by Slovenian Foreign Minister Zoran Taler, to brief him on the Temporary Agreement with Greece.

[11] PDP DEPUTIES DISAGREE WITH LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT LAW

At yesterday's session of the Parliamentarian Political System Commission, parliament deputies of the PDP party did not support the draft-law on local self-government, preconditioning it by changes in article 91. The article in question proposes that street names and signs of public enterprises or institutions be written in both Macedonian and the language of ethnic groups in municipalities where the latter comprise the majority of the population. As for the lowest legal percentage of ethnic groups to grant them rights to parallel use of language, PDP deputies suggested that the 20% suggested in the draft-law be lowered to 10%. This brought about a reaction by Justice Minister Vlado Popovski, who suggested to have the Government discuss the issue at today's session. He said the Council of Europe has recommended that public signs be also written in minority languages in certain municipalities, as long as local authorities agree to it. He stated another possibility of incorporating a new article to have the Parliament president schedule local elections parallel for all local self- government units for a duration of four years.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[12] MP'S TO SUGGEST NEW FLAG?

(Vecer, 20 September 1995) Sources close to the Macedonian Parliament presidency say that next Thursday or Friday, a procedure is to begin at Parliament to adopt a new flag. In a package along with the flag, MP's will discuss about the already forgotten law on a national coat-of-arms.

The dynamics of activities at the session has not yet been precisely determined, but the procedure will be designed so that it is completed before the 30-day dead line, agreed on in last week's agreement Macedonia signed with Greece in New York.

As days are numbered, the 16-sun-rays flag that represented Macedonia since August 1992 will be replaced in a short procedure. Meaning, the proposal to pass a new law on the flag, as a first stage, will be presented at the same time with the definite version of the suggested law, which is a third stage. In this way, MP's will skip over the usual practice to debate over a draft law. Thus shortened, the procedure will enable MP's to get the entire matter completed in a single day. Under the current procedural regulations, however, a parliament session cannot be scheduled before 15 days pass after the procedure has been started.

As far as the procedure goes, there are announcements that Government will not be the one to come up with a suggested solution, but the proposal is to come from a group of parliamentarians. The intention is to have a group of MP's consisted of all deputy groups. The suggestion will first of all be discussed by the Constitutional Commission and will then be proceeded to Parliament. Another option is to have the parliament signatories proposing a solution determined by the Constitutional Commission.

The basis for deciding on the new flag, sources inform, will be the suggestions that were chosen during the open competition of three years ago, when independent national symbols were designed for the first time. The following six ideas were then bought out: "MAKO" by Dimko Krstevski, "Phoenix 92" by Kostadin Tancev, "5222" by Branko Kostovski, "A-OPULSI 68" by Ilija Spasovski, "Makedonija 992" by Aco Mitrevski and "08002" by Milivoj Gruevski.

Over 100 ideas entered the competition in 1992, with the red and golden-yellow colors as predominating features in common. The most frequently suggested symbol was the sun, drawn in all kinds of stylized shapes. Upon a proposal of the jury, the Constitutional Commission members voted by a majority of votes in favor of the suggested red flag with a many-rayed sun in the middle. It is these two elements that have led many spectators to believe the new flag will also have red color as a basic one and again a golden sun as a center symbol, only this time in quite a different shape than the current one. Some even point out to three suggestions as the most serious candidates.

The opening of the procedure for replacement of the national flag will also be used to decide on a national coat-of-arms. The previous parliament failed to provide the required 80 votes in favor to adopt this symbol. The matter then stopped at an argument between the Constitutional Commission and the VMRO-DPMNE parliamentarian group. The Commission's suggestion was to have a golden many-rayed sun in the middle (an application of its suggestion for the flag), whereas the VMRO-DPMNE deputies insisted on a lion as a central figure! Neither suggestion was given the necessary two-thirds majority of votes and the issue was dropped and left for better times in the future.

It should be pointed out here, however, that SDSM parliament deputy Nikola Popovski did initiate a procedure on the coat- of-arms as early as last spring. His idea was to keep the old coat-of-arms but without the five-pointed star. Some say that his suggestion will be in the race along with the most successful ideas of the 1992 open competition. Unofficial sources even say that the new flag symbol will also appear on the national coat-of-arms.

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mils news 20 September '95