MAK-NEWS 02/11/95 (M.I.L.S.)

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 02 November 1995

[01] WILLIAM PERRY WILL VISIT MACEDONIA

As 'Nova Makedonija' reports, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, William Perry will arrive in Macedonia on 23 November this year. This will be his second visit to Macedonia as it expects to join 'Partnership for Peace' initiative.

[02] QUICK INTEGRATION IN EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS

The Macedonian Prime Minister, Branko Crvenkovski, had a meeting with the delegation of the EU Parliament led by Doris Pack. They expressed their opinions on the situation in Macedonia and the wider region. Crvenkovski stressed Macedonian efforts to establish good relations with all neighbors and emphasized the importance of the Interim Accord between Greece and Macedonia. He added that Macedonia is interested in quicker association in the European institutions.

The EU delegation had a meeting yesterday with the Minister of Economy, Risto Ivanov. He expressed pleasure on Macedonia's admittance in the PHARE program and hoped that diplomatic relations between EU and Macedonia will be established soon. The delegation was informed about the Macedonian legislature on foreign investments.

During the meeting with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ljubomir Frckovski, the delegation was interested about issues on terrorism, crime and the ethnic origin of the employees in the state institutions. Frckovski pointed out that the general situation in Macedonia is satisfying.

The delegation had separate meetings with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Trade Union of Macedonia. At the meeting with officials from Tetovo local government problems of the citizens in the multinational community were discused. Albanians claimed that they were discriminated while Macedonians expressed the opposite. The delegation was introduced with the problem of the 'Tetovo university' and agreed that three universities in a two-million state is too much even for wealthier countries.

The EU delegation had a meeting with the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE and its Vice President, Dosta Dimovska. The party emphasized the "forgery of the elections, changing the state symbols, the status-quo on the issue of the temporal name and the rights of Macedonians in Greece". Representatives from VMRO- DPMNE stated that they support good relation with the neighbors and the association of Macedonia in the European institutions.

[03] MACEDONIA WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY REGIONAL UNIONS

Yesterday, at the 'Camp Able Sentry' in Petrovec the lieutenant colonel of the U.S. troops in Macedonia, Jin Camena, has been dismissed and the new commander of the troops will be Steven Layfield. Representatives from UNPREDEP, the U.S. mission, and the Defense Ministry were present at the event. The Macedonian Defense Minister, Blagoj Handziski, talked at the ceremony saying that the assassination attempt on President Gligorov was aimed to destabilize the country. He mentioned the accord between Macedonia and Greece and added that Macedonia will soon normalize the relations with Yugoslavia, but it will not associate in regional unions.

The Minister thanked UNPREDEP for the aid after the assassination attempt on President Gligorov.

[04] GREEK CITIZENS WILL NEED VISAS FOR MACEDONIA

As 'Makpres' reports, Macedonian authorities at the border crossings introduced a visa document for the Greek citizens.

The citizens will have to fill in personal data in the form.

A1 TV reports that Greek authorities will recognize green cards for insurance after other EU members recognize the document.

[05] THE COOPERATION WITH UNDP HAS STARTED

Representatives of Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a meeting with representatives of the UN Development Program (UNDP). They exchanged credentials which put into effect the Accord signed on October 30 for cooperation between Macedonia and UNDP. The UNDP office will be opened next year. This Accord will provide wider usage of finances of the organization.

[06] THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS AIMED TO DESTABILIZE THE WHOLE REGION

"The assassination attempt on President Gligorov was aimed against the interests of all Balkan people", stated Gjorgji Spasov, Macedonian Ambassador in Bulgaria, for the magazine 'Novini Plus'. He added that the Interim Accord between Greece and Macedonia fulfills the national interests of Macedonia.

"No one can deny the fact that it is in Macedonian interest to have recognized southern border and to have an open way to Salonica port as an independent state. Macedonia can defend its name as an equal member of many international institutions and organizations', said Spasov for the interview.

[07] COOPERATION IN ATMOSPHERE OF PEACE AND STABILITY

"The future of the Balkans is in Europe. Processes of democratization is the only alternative for all Balkan people and Balkan states should cooperate in atmosphere of peace and stability", stated Trajan Petrovski, Macedonian Ambassador in Turkey, for the Turkish newspaper 'Turkiye'.

The bilateral relations between Macedonia and Turkey were evaluated by the Ambassador as friendly and developed.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Turkey led by the chief of the corporation 'Enka', Sharic Tara, was received by Ministers Zhuta and Shundovski. They reviewed the possibility of expanding Turkish investments in Macedonia.

[08] LEGALITY OF PROPOSED ID DELAYED

The Constitutional Court of Macedonia delayed the decision on legality of proposed Identification Card yesterday as well as the proposed law on record book. The main issue is the question whether names of nationalities should be written in other languages except Macedonian. The decision on who will be owner of the retirement facilities was also delayed. At the session, the Court started procedure on the legality of the Law for Accounting as it introduces two rule books that regulate professional titles in the field. The Constitutional Court confirmed the legality of the subscription price of radio and TV. The Court also analyzed the Law on gambling as there are certain irregularities.

Namely, according to the Constitution, violation in the field of gambling should be under judicial jurisdiction not under the state management as the Law proposes.

[09] 'THE LAW ALLOWS FURTHER ALBANIZATION'

The leader of the Democratic Party of Macedonia (DPM), Tomislav Stojanovski, evaluated certain articles of the Law on local management as possibility of further Albanization of western Macedonia. As Stojanovski said, the Government proposed the disputed articles immediately before the adoption of the Law so that the deputies had no choice. He added that the Law on territorial division needs to be adopted soon, otherwise the Law on local management will be inefficient.

[10] RECOGNITION TO THE U.S. PROFESSOR STEVEN BATALDEN

Yesterday, Professor dr. Steven Batalden from the Arizona State University was given an honorable title at the ceremony held in the Rectorate of the University St.Cyril and Methodius. As it was said, Professor Batalden deserves the title as a scientist with international reputation. His efforts as a coordinator of the Russian-East European studies were especially emphasized as well as the expansion of cooperation of the Arizona State university in Tempi and the University St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. "It is a great contribution for affirmation of Macedonian science, culture and education in the U.S. and the world", was said at the ceremony.

[11] THIRTY MACEDONIAN PUBLISHING HOUSES AT THE FAIR IN ISTANBUL

The International Book Fair in Istanbul will start today. As many as thirty Macedonian publishers will exhibit more than 2.500 books. Macedonian publishing houses at the fair are 'Misla', 'Kultura', 'Prosvetno Delo' and 'Detska Radost'.

The participation of Macedonian publishers is financed by 'Detska Radost' with cooperation of the Ministry of Culture.

[12] VASIL ILJOSKI HAD PASSED AWAY

Academic Vasil Iljovski passed away yesterday in his 93 years of age. He was one of the founders of the modern Macedonian drama. He was born in Krushevo in 1902, and finished the Philosophy Faculty in Skopje. He was among the first 14 Academics of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He was the author of many literary works in the fields of philology, folklore and the literature. He had been awarded many prizes such as 'AVNOJ', '11 Oktomvri', 'Koco Racin', and others.

MILS SUPPLEMENT:

[13] BULGARIAN INTERNATIONAL OCTOPUS

(Nova Makedonija, 02 November 1995)

The biggest Bulgarian financial organization, 'Multigroup', is the first foreign organization to be mentioned as an organizer of the assassination attempt on President Gligorov. According to the Greek newspaper 'Thessaloniki', 'Multigroup' is "an economic organization founded in Bulgaria which has connection with the Mafia and gained illegal profits through trade with Macedonia and Serbia. The Greek newspaper also says that the organization has direct connections with the former KGB and presents Russian interests in Bulgaria. 'Multigroup' evaluated these claims as provocation and announced it will take measures to defend its reputation.

What kind of corporation is 'Multigroup'?

Its residence is placed at the entrance of Sofia. The media pointed to this organization as an organizer of the attempt after the announcement of Minister Frckovski at the press conference that the attempt had been organized by a multinational financial group based in a neighboring country. Frckovski did not mention names of organizations or corporations. After few reports of the media on Multigroup's connection in the assassination attempt, its general secretary, Boiko Draganov, stated that the organization will sew those who published 'false' information. Sofia protests on the statements in the Greek press as well as on a statement in the Macedonian magazine 'Puls'.

The corporation is constantly being analyzed by the Bulgarian press and also some foreign media is interested about the organization. It is in the center of the attention especially after the assassination of the Bulgarian businessman, and the affairs in the international business between Multigroup and the Russian-Bulgarian company 'Top Energy'.

Many things about the organization are unclear in Bulgaria.

Yet, according to Bulgarian information, the organization had been formed by high Bulgarian officials with assistance of the Intelligence service at the end of the 80s. The organization was owned by former spies, sons, sons in law and other close people to the Bulgarian high officials until the end of the communistic rule of Todor Zhivkov. The organization was created to transform the political power of the former Communist Party into economic which, later, would transform into political party in the new political, economic and social changes.

In 1988 a similar organization was formed under the name 'Multiart' which had been founded by the present leader of Multigroup, Iliya Pavlov. Pavlov is former Bulgarian wrestling champion. The prosperity of his organization is due to his first marriage to Toni Chergelanova, the daughter of Chergelanov who was the chief of the Bulgarian Intelligence Service. Other founder of the organization was Dimitar Ivanov, an official in the Department of the National Security. He was Vice President of the corporation until October 2 1995. He quit a day before the assassination attempt on President Gligorov, however he remained to be a chief of the department for regional development. Some Greek and Bulgarian press inform that Ivanov was the one who had made the explosive on September 28, aimed for the attempt.

Anyway, 'Multiart' gained profits from the metallurgy industry 'Kremikovci'. Then, Pavlov formed a corporation in Malta under the name 'INP Trading'. He worked with old submarines and until 1993 he was the owner of the Bulgarian gambling houses.

On June 25 1990, a corporation under the name 'Multi international Holding' has been formed in Liechtenstein.

Regulations in Liechtenstein do not allow registering the name of the owner. That's very important because we cannot be certain who is the leader of 'Multigroup'. 'Multi International holding' has also been registered in Dragomir, Bulgaria. The organization is the owner of 'MI Engineering', 'Sofia inc.', 'Ares Delta', 'Intkom', 'Multiagro' and others.

Concerning the founding of the organization, two Bulgarian former high officials in the regime of Zhivkov are marked as leaders of the corporation. The first, Ognjan Doinov, has emigrated to Great Britain and, later, to Austria. The second, Andrei Lukanov, became the first Bulgarian President after the fall of communism. Some information say that Lukanov and Doinov have opposite interests, however it is not strange that the economic interests brought them to cooperation. In that sense Robert Maxwell is mentioned and his interests in investment in Bulgaria.

According to some information 'Multigroup' has 3.500 employees in Bulgaria. A year ago Pavlov in an interview stated that there are 300 to 400 employees in Macedonia. The corporation has organizations in Europe and the U.S.A. Its present interest is to cooperate with the Russian-Bulgarian company 'Top Energy'. In that sense, Pavlov has support of the Russian Prime Minister, Chernomirdin and the chief of the Russian corporation 'Gasprom', Rem Vyahirev. The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Videnov, had severe disputes with members of the Government as he has different views on the issue of 'Multigroup'. The organization works in many fields in Bulgaria such as trade, banking, insurance, tourism and other areas.

(end)

mils news 02 November '95