MAK-NEWS 17/10/95 (M.I.L.S)

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje 17 October 1995

[01] THE MACEDONIAN- GREEK MEMORANDUM ANNOUNCED

Macedonian media report that yesterday, simultaneously in Skopje and Athens, the Memorandum for the practical measures of the Interim Accord signed in New York last month, has been announced.

This document actually refers to a part of the practical measures of the Interim Accord from New York. The talks will continue in Athens these days on other parts of the agreement. The Memorandum includes the question about the liaison offices in the two countries, exchange of goods, visa policy, the official communication, the standard and transit mail, bank transactions, several trade documents, documents regarding the bilateral traffic and railway, the air-traffic etc.

The liaison offices are to be opened in the capitals of the two countries, and opening other liaison offices in other cities will be a subject of negotiation in Athens.Visas will be issued at the liaison offices and consulate offices in other countries. Until the opening of the liaison offices, visas will be issued on the border crossings.

The Document says that visas will be issued in 'reasonable numbers', which means that the border may be passed by as many people as the procedure of issuing visas allows.

Visas will not be attached on the passports in neither of the countries. Consequently, the issuing will be identical in the two countries, which certainly means selection of who can cross over the border. Mail to Greece may be sent with the name 'Republic of Macedonia' in which case it will not be returned but it is possible that the Greek side will apply the reference FYROM. The transit mail will not be a subject of intervention. Regarding the bank transactions, the Document considers negotiations between these institutions in order to expand the cooperation in this area.

Trade documents as well as documents regarding the traffic and railway will not be sent back, but they may be possibly designated with additional name(FRYOM). Considering the green cards for automobile insurance an agreement will be signed soon. The international code on the vehicles MK will not be removed but conceivably the back windshield of the vehicle may be marked additionally while its stay in Greece.

The meeting about the liaison offices is expected to be held on Thursday and the talks about the name 'Macedonia" will start at the end of the month in New York.

The news regarding the continuance of the talks is not yet confirmed in the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Macedonian television says.

[02] EU WITHDRAWS THE CHARGES AGAINST GREECE

During this week the European Commission will withdraw charges against Greece to European Court of justice. The charges were announced in April 1994, after introduction of the embargo against Macedonia. However, the practical realization of this decision is not precise, yet it is expected to be considered on the meeting of the European Commissioners who will arrange the agenda of the EU Council at Mondays night. The decision is to be announced at the meeting of the Council scheduled for Wednesday.

[03] THE FREQUENCY ON THE MACEDONIAN-GREEK BORDER EXPANDS

Yesterday on the Macedonian- Greek border the frequency of the traffic increased on both sides. Yet, Macedonian trucks were not seen. As Macedonian television reports, the Greek authorities announced that trucks will be allowed to enter Greece starting from today and they will be issued visas on a piece of paper.

There are no problems in passing the border with Macedonian passport, and the visa is valid for 30 days. The automobiles with the code MK are not sent back but the Greek officials mark the windshield with a label written in English saying that 'the use of the code MK doesn't mean recognition of the name Macedonia from the Greek side'.

Regarding the railway, the situation has not changed yet, i.e. there is no transport from the Salonica harbor, nor there is any announcement about Greek compositions for the needs of Macedonia. According to the information of the Macedonian television the Greek side promised not to make any problems for transportation of Macedonian oil which will start soon.

[04] PLEASURE OF SIGNING THE MEMORANDUM

The Greek government expressed pleasure about the Memorandum for practical measures of the agreement- this was announced by the spokesman of the Greek government yesterday adding that it will encourage the Greek export to Central and Northern Europe. The news agencies in Athens, as 'Makfaks' reports, announced the statement of the Minister for trade and industry, Anastasios Peponis, which says that the Memorandum will very much multiply the economic growth and production in both countries. The Greek national television pointed that businessmen from the two countries are optimists about the development of the bilateral relations.

[05] TUPURKOVSKI: SPECULATIONS ARE HARMFUL

For the Greek BBC service and the newspaper 'Elefterotyphia', professor d-r Vasil Tupurkovski gave a statement about the assassination attempt on President Gligorov saying: "The life threatening attack on President Gligorov certainly has profound consequences for our country and for the wider Balkan region, generally speaking.

More than obviously, we have to be aware of the fact that the democratic process is still quite fragile, and vulnerable to diverse pressures coming from the destructive aspirations of those who believe that the Balkan people do not deserve a chance of life in prosperity and understanding as mutually beneficial to all.

In this respect, I wish to express my satisfaction with the readiness of Greece, in these delicate times, to approach our situation with seriousness and with steps which allow us to qualify them as positive and friendly. In this context, I would like to stress the significance of the comprehensive publicity by the Greek media given to the tragic event of the assassination attempt on President Gligorov. However, if I may take the freedom to comment further, I must say that speculation about who committed the attack on President Gligorov, or who might be the candidates to succeed him are harmful. At this point, it is crucial for the authorities to act decisive in the investigation process. Of course, it is as important to have the system function within its constitutional and legal framework. Let nobody be tempted to misuse the current situation.

I wish President Gligorov all the best and hope that he will be able to resume his presidential duties soon", ended Tupurkovski.

[06] NATO PLAN FOR AUTONOMY OF THRACE?

Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis said yesterday that major investments and projects being advanced in the region where possibly the target of an alleged NATO plan providing for the practical autonomy of the Greek province of Thrace, reports the Athens News Agency.

Kaklamanis was replying to journalists' question on a 'scenario' , published in an article in the Sunday newspaper 'To Vima', said to be included in an Alliance map exercise.

National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis said Sunday that NATO had assured Greece that reports that the Alliance had developed a plan providing for the partial autonomy of Thrace were 'false'.

Kaklamanis said: "The fact that there are forces that have designs on the territorial integrity of our country, and that there are plans for the re-delineation of the entire Balkans, is nothing new,"

"The fact that there is a danger of the war spreading, and of our country suffering the consequences of that war, is also nothing new," he added.

The parliament President said that "what is of major importance is that any such plans are faced by the Greek government, the rest of the political world and the Greek people in a spirit of unity and national unanimity".

Moreover, he said, "there are also the Greek Armed Forces, which are ready to face any danger, with all means".

[07] THE STATE OF HEALTH OF PRESIDENT GLIGOROV- UNCHANGED

The state of health of President Gligorov is good.The body temperature has normalized and the intensive treatment continues- the bulletin of the team of specialists announced yesterday.

[08] PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

The Republican party denied the accusations from the leader of VMRO- Tatkovinska, Dimitar Crnomarov, which says that this party a year ago threatened with assassinations, pointing at the assassination attempt on president Gligorov.

At the press conference, the leader of the party, Ivan Petreski- Jo once again condemned the terrorist attack on the President, saying that the party during the elections last year supported his candidacy. According to some speculations, the assassination was committed by some pro- fascistic elements in the country and abroad.

[09] THE TEACHING AT THE 'TETOVO UNIVERSITY' CONTINUES

As 'Makfaks' reports from Tirana, the Albanian national radio announced yesterday that the teaching at the so-called 'Tetovo University' will continue this week. The teaching, according to the same source, is late two weeks because of enrollment. There will not be any teaching at the faculty for Physics because there were no candidates to apply for scholarships.

[10] SEMINAR FOR THE ECHO PROGRAM

On the seminar for humanitarian activities and cooperation in echo-humanitarian department in the EU and its non- government institutions, which is taking place in Skopje, the situation of the echo-program in Macedonia from 1993 to 1995 has been analyzed. The program concerns, above all, the medical help, the modern equipment given to the medical institutions in the country and the help to 2.500 refugees, as well as to social institutions. This help was transferred through the Red Cross and other non-government institutions.

The value of the help amounts to 25 million ECU donated from the summit of EU in Edinburgh. Also the help from the program PHARE is transferred through the humanitarian department.

[11] THE INTERNATIONAL SKOPJE-JAZZ FESTIVAL WILL START TOMORROW

The Skopje Jazz festival will start on the 18, and it will last until October 23. Six jazz orchestras will perform during the festival, and also two soloist concerts are planned. This year, as it was said at the press conference yesterday, the festival will host distinguished representatives from all over the world, especially guests from the American jazz scene. The public was informed that the promotion materials of the festival had participated in the international marketing festival 'New Europe' in Portorozh. The Macedonian festival won the first two prizes- one for the video and the other for the poster.

[12] SESSION OF MOC

On the mutual session of the direction committees of the Macedonian Olympic Committee and representatives of various sports unions, the proposed law from the Ministry of education and sports has been taken into consideration. The main discussion was about regulating the status of MOC. It was said that this committee should accept the sport federations, instead of the position of the Ministry which says that federations may apply to MOC.

[13] RADOVISH HOSTS THE EUROPEAN FINAL IN WRESTLING

The world association 'FILA' chose Radovish to be a host of the European championship in wrestling. For the title of European champion will meet Bukjin- Jaka from Radovish and the Turkish representative Terass.

[14] NEW COACH OF THE MAN REPRESENTATION IN HANDBALL

Dragan Mishchevich is the new coach of the handball national team of Macedonia. Eventually, a new selector of the team will be elected until the election of a new state captain.

The representatives of the Handball Union explained the resignation of the current treiners -Atanasovki-Ivanovski, as making the wrong choices in selection of the players.

[MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[15] IS GLIGOROV ALL THEY HAVE?

(Fokus, 13 October) Part II The right of different opinions from the official one will definitely be reserved for those who will apply it in a "constructive way". However, the level of constructivness will depend on constructors of the new reality. It all seems like "democracy in a frame of the social union'. Above all the return of the President to his duties is necessary, so that he would be able to demand responsibility from those who did not act preventively to lower the risk of assassination. And, of course, to ask himself about people who suddenly appeared trying to minimize at least a part of his reputation, honesty, wisdom and good will...? Finally, it is natural for him to consider the dilemma if everything runs in a state that largely depends on one person. The cowards who often "lose their mind" when they lose the object of admiration. Experiences of a similar regime, however, should not be told to a person who has gone through its very beginning until its bloody end. Any other solution that would exclude the President's come back even for three days, after which he may withdraw, creates many speculations. Then the room for insinuations will be widely opened. Then he will see that the public does not have a place to articulate their political views. Our southern neighbor speculates with Sojan Andov, Vasil Tupurkovski, Branko Crvenkovski, Ljubomir Frchovski and Blagoj Handziski as potential presidential candidates. Including those who do not have the legal right for candidacy, we can doubt their honest concern about our future. Nevertheless, in the current situation all combinations are possible. Even the most impossible: Branko Crvenkovski and Ljubomir Frchovski to support Stojan Andov as a mutual candidate. The political paths are unpredictable...

In return, Andov will not take any "measures" against "the first policeman" for errors in the security system protecting the president and a probable prediction that they both can seriously oppose him in the presidential race. It all depends on the appraising, nobody can guarantee they will find out they have no chances against Tupurkovski or other candidate, encouraged by the doubtless success of Ljubisha Georgievski (concerning the short campaign and the minimum political background) in the last elections, who will grab the throne of the narcissi opponents.

That prediction may have a different clash. The first to be done, logically, is relaxing the constitutional obligation of presidential function. It will be quite easy to get the needed votes facing the present uncertainty. The attention will be directed to Parliament and the elections for deputies, concerning the fact that the institution of the president of the Republic, no matter the reputation the candidate enjoys, will have influence as much as the British Queen in Great Britain. So, there will be no need of presidential elections, Parliament will agree about the president.

In that case the next three years will be used for completing the privatization and directing the international financial help to companies with "constructive" point of view. Until the constitutional relaxation of presidential function there will be negotiations about whether Gligorov can or cannot deal with his function. The opposition will accuse the government of manipulating the president, and the government will deny the accusations with indignation to the people who do not have a bit of respect to those who lead the nation. Telegrams with support will fill half of the media and the other half will be used for the regions in crisis all over the world.

The missing chain will be probably the trial against the assassins. Instead of reprimand, the police will "guarantee our peace and security". The police rulers will be slandered from those who "lost their minds in attempt to rule the country". The trial itself, of course, will be a spectacle.

Then, probably, CNN and many reporters will come into our city and keep us in center of their attention. The accused, surely," will not admit the crime". Then... memoirs and new indications that will lead to other assassins which will keep the regularity of the trial suspect.

Of course, the worst alternative in these moments is to witness a series of assassinations which will eternally destabilize this region. Having this in mind, it is a high time for negotiations between the political parties. If they do not have intentions to start the history and the future of this people again they will have to take politics in the state seriously. Otherwise, nobody will be amnestied from the responsibility and we will all have to suffer the consequences.

Finally, this is the time when the nation passes or fails the exam of maturity. A great wisdom is needed to exit the maze, the way out is- a strong hand. Macedonia is on the first test of its democratization.

This is, at last, the first serious attack on the determination to solve problems in a democratic manner. This fight should end without winners and losers... For that, there is a need of at least minimum tolerance and understanding for the arguments of the second side, which are not opposite just because they "hate the country". At least, a bit of patience shown to the "First side" needs to be implemented in the dialogue among all sides.

The investment is really great.. Now we will see how serious the players are!

(end)

mils-news 17 october '95