MAK-NEWS 13/11/95 (M.I.L.S.)

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 13 November 1995

[01] MACEDONIA ACCEPTED IN 'PARTNERSHIP FO PEACE'

Since none of the 16 member countries of NATO have objected on the proposal of the Committee on Macedonia's acceptance in 'Partnership for Peace' it is expected that an agreement between Macedonia and NATO will be signed soon.

The accord that is to be signed in Brussels consists of 8 articles referring to the conditions for the membership. The organization guarantees active aid to member countries being attacked or having their sovereignty, independence and the territorial integrity threatened. It is expected that relations with NATO will be defined with the so-called 'individual program' which will be created by Macedonian and NATO team of experts. This program will eventually lead to a full membership of NATO and 15 out of 26 members of 'Partnership for Peace' have signed such a program.

Macedonian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense gave statements for the press considering the admittance saying that NATO member states have decided that Macedonia fulfills conditions needed for a membership such as development of democratic processes in the society, ability of the armed forces to prevent foreign aggression and is a member of other European integration organizations. The 'individual program' for Macedonia will add to possibilities of fulfilling the two additional conditions for a full membership of NATO. Those important conditions are reconciliation of procedure of the armed forces command and making communication systems compatible to those of NATO standards. These conditions will be fulfilled through joint maneuvers with member states.

[02] MACEDONIA IS A GERMAN PRIORITY IN THE REGION

A delegation of the Macedonian Parliament Commission of Foreign Affairs led by its President Ilinka Mitreva had talks with German Foreign and Defense Ministries officials.

Both delegations agreed that bilateral relations between the two countries are good and expressed satisfaction on the high level of political and economic cooperation. The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Claus Neubert, and the section chief of the Administration for Southeast Europe, Hass, stated that the Republic of Macedonia is a priority of German foreign policy in the region. It was also said that Germany will continue and intensify the political and economic support to Macedonia. German officials also expressed readiness to support Macedonian membership in the collective security systems.

Meanwhile, the German Embassy in Skopje informed the press about the forthcoming visit of the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the German federal Bundestag, Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Hornhues, MP, to Macedonia. From November 16th through November 17th, 1995, Prof. Dr. Hornhues will be guest of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Macedonian Parliament. Prof. Dr. Hornhues will also meet with the President of the Parliament Stojan Andov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and the Minister of Defense Dr., Blagoj Handziski.

[03] THE NAME PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED BY THE END OF THE YEAR

Greek press, referring to information from the UN, reported that the Greek representative in UN, Hristos Zaharakis, met last weekend with the mediator in Macedonian-Greek negotiations, Cyrus Vance. They had talks on the possibilities of resuming Macedonian-Greek talks on the name issue. At the meeting, according to confidential information that Greek press refers to, Cyrus Vance proposed three names of which the most frequent is 'Nova Makedonija'. Greek press also states that Cyrus Vance will soon meet Macedonian representatives and it is expected that an agreement may be reached by the end of the month. Athens press concludes that Mediator Vance is ready to organize an official meeting between the two sides and resolve the name issue by the end of the year.

Athens daily 'To Vima' states that the problem may only be resolved by a composite name and "Skopje" will be disabled to monopolize it. As 'Makpres' reports, the Greek daily says that the new state has adopted the name paying no attention to the fact that it has only a part of the geographical territory called 'Macedonia'. The daily mentioned the division of Macedonia in 1912/13 when 51% went to Greece, 39% to "Skopje" and 10% to Bulgaria. According to that, the daily says, Skopje does not make a difference between the geographical and the ethnic Macedonia which will eventually lead to attempts on including the other parts that are purposely named by Skopje as Aegean and Pirin Macedonia.

The daily in conclusion adds that "all peoples have a right to choose their name and the fact that Macedonians have adopted the name a century ago cannot be ignored."

'Nova Makedonija' in today's addition reports that the former minister for North Greece, Nikolas Martis stated that if "Skopjans" preserve the name 'Macedonians' the whole Greek history will be abolished. Namely, the theory that says Macedonians are not Greeks abolishes the continuity of the Greek nation. He added that the worst thing is that all foreign encyclopedias have accepted the theory.

[04] CURRENT TALKS WITH MACEDONIA ARE UNACCEPTABLE, SAMARAS SAYS

Athens Greek Agency reports that Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras gave a press conference on Saturday in New York, where he is currently holding discussions with the Greek-American community.

With regard to current talks in new York between Greece and Macedonia on the issue of the latter country's name, Samaras reiterated his party's strong opposition to acceptance by Greece of any name that contained the word 'Macedonia', adding that the current bilateral talks were unacceptable.

He stressed his party's call for a referendum on the issue, or at least a meeting of party leaders with the President of the Republic.

"One of the reasons we would not accept a composite name such as "New Macedonia" is because we know that within a week, a month-six months, the 'New' will have disappeared, and plain "Macedonia" will be used, " he explained.

[05] ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND MACEDONIA SHOULD BE INTENSIFIED

During the weekend Macedonian Foreign Ministry officials received the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolai Nikolaevich Afanasievski. They had talks on the further expansion of economic and political relations between the two countries. In that respect they agreed that contacts between both countries should raise on a higher level as an inevitable step for a new quality in mutual relations.

The delegations reviewed regional issues and agreed about the need of strong support to peace initiatives.

Delegations paid great attention to resolving problems in economy relations between the two countries such as the rapid fall of the goods exchange. They emphasized the need of regulation of mutual relations and support to concrete projects.

Afanasievski was also received by Macedonian Parliament President, Stojan Andov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, and Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski. He expressed wishes for a full recovery of President Gligorov evaluating his peace policy as a great contribution to peace and good relations between the countries in the region. Considering economic relations, Afanasievski stated that the ongoing construction of the gas line is an example of successful cooperation.

[06] AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DISCUSSED THE NAME ISSUE ON MACEDONIA

Australian Labour Party, as Macedonian Radio reports, announced its new policy for the next four years.

Considering the Macedonian name issue the party will demand using of the constitutional name of Macedonia by the Australian Government. Macedonian Radio also reports that Macedonian community in Australia strongly opposed the decision of the Prime Minister Gerth Evans who stated that the Macedonian Ambassador will be registered as an Ambassador from FYROM. Meanwhile Evans stated that the decision is temporal and it will be withdrawn after an agreement between Skopje and Athens is reached.

[07] COOPERATION WITH SEVERAL UNITS OF LOCAL MANAGEMENT

A delegation of the US Agency for International Development, led by Don Manning and George Giss, is on a two-day visit of Krusevo. The delegation had talks with representatives of local management units and agreed that processes of transformation should be assisted in the development of the economy, public administration, finances as well as development of infrastructures of the local management units.

[08] LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD NEXT AUTUMN

The Presidency of the Assembly of the Cities and Communities Association had a session in Krusevo on the local elections.

It decided that the elections will be held in local units, next autumn.

[09] DIMITAR MALIDANOV AWARDED IN BULGARIA

Macedonian painter Dimitar Malidanov has won one of the five equal prizes at the International Graphic Biennial in Varna, Bulgaria. Malidanov has participated with two art works.

Also, six other Macedonian artists have participated at the competition.

(end)

mils news 13 November '95