MILS NEWS 02/04/96

From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@MILS.SPIC.ORG.MK>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 2 April 1996

[01] HANJISKI - REACHING A MILITARY BALANCE ON BALKAN

Macedonian Minister of Defense Blagoj Hanjiski expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, suggesting it could be a new stimulus in the building of mutual trust and security among the Balkan states. He expressed hope that the participants of the Conference would become members of NATO as soon as possible. Hanjiski also stressed the results achieved by the preventive diplomacy of Macedonia, and proposed reaching a balance of the military forces in the Balkans, without concentrating troops at the borders. The Macedonian Defense Minister underscored the need for sharing information on international terrorism.

Hanjiski had several bilateral meetings during the Conference. He spoke with William Perry, as well as with Albanian and Turkish Defense Ministers Safet Zuljali and Oltan Zungul.

Macedonian Radio reported yesterday on a suggestion made by some of the participants, for another meeting to be held in Bulgaria in September, which would be attended by representatives of all Balkan countries as well as the USA and Russia.

[02] ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR AT PRESIDENT GLIGOROV'S

Attention was also paid to the efforts for the development of the democracy, and for the affirmation of peace in the Balkans. President Gligorov and Ambassador Nicu said both countries should work for integration with the European and Euro-Atlantic political, economic and security structures.

[03] MACEDONIAN - GREEK PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

Meanwhile, the Director and the Editor in Chief of the leading Greek daily 'Elefterotipia', Serafim Findanidis, is paying a visit to Macedonia. He was invited by the editorial staff of the daily 'Nova Makedonija', and it is expected that the cooperation between these two papers will accelerate.

[04] EXPERIENCES EXCHANGED ON PARLIAMENTARY SOLUTIONS

[05] CIVIL SOCIETY PROGRAMME PROMOTED

It was said that the Programme would be more effectively carried out if it included a cooperation with the government, the media, the non-governmental organisations and with the business sector. Special addressers, i.e. four books about the activities of non-governmental organisations from and outside Macedonia were also promoted.

[06] HALF MACEDONIAN ARMY - PROFESSIONAL TILL THE 2 000

[07] CONSUMER GOODS PRICES UNCHANGED

[08] ANOTHER 40 000 SIGNATURES SUBMITTED

Yesterday, the legal aspects of the procedure on the initiative were discussed in the Macedonian Parliament, which will be presented at today's 42nd parliamentary session.

[09] ACCUSATIONS BETWEEN VMRO - DPMNE AND SDSM

President of the Kumanovo township SDSM Organisation Jordan Micevski, rejecting the accusations replied there were no extremists amongst their members, and that the relations with VMRO - DPMNE were neither good nor bad.

The daily 'Dnevnik' reads there were two guesses in SDSM about the breaking in. The first one was that the members of VMRO - DPMNE had done it themselves, in order to attract the attention of the media and to accuse SDSM for imposing pressure on them, and the second guess was that pro-Serbian extremists had caused the incident.

No new details from the investigation had been announced by the police yet.

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[10] Competition for Mentors

('Nasa Borba', Belgrade)

According to the reactions from Athens, the great American interest in Macedonia came as a result of the policy of Kiro Gligorov. The opening of the US Embassy, the appointing of Christopher Hill for an Ambassador, and especially the coming of the US Ambassador to UN, Madleine Albright, to Skopje, was felt as a provocation in Athens. It might also be understood as a disease of Athens and of all other Macedonian neighbours, with a constant allergy to everything else except to the loses of Skopje.

There is a great possibility that Serbian President Miloshevic suffers from the same disease. He had announced and than postponed his going to Skopje several times so far.

In case the visit takes place, it would be useful for his peace action in the region, but it would, on the other hand, be bad for the Serbian relations with the traditional partner - Athens. Despite the fact that Athens was not too generous - neither regarding the visas, nor regarding the recognition of new Yugoslavia and the Thessaloniki port.

According to Macedonian reporters, Miloshevic himself canceled the meeting planned for last Thursday, and said it might take place the following week. It is possible that Miloshevic does not arrive in Skopje at all, since 'neither Serbia burns for Macedonia, nor the other way round', i.e., as diplomats say, 'there are no problems in the bilateral relations'. The formal normalisation is put behind due to the more difficult tasks that both parties have with others, but it definitely provokes tensions and comments both in Athens and in Skopje.

To all the above said one might add the so-called First Congress of the Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia and their letter to Miloshevic not to recognize Macedonia, which is not connected with the postponing. The Congress itself was a kind of a 'rigged happening', as it was attended only by delegates who were invited in written by the leader of the party (those who were not invited were not allowed to enter the Congress), and its aim was to support Miloshevic, as 'the Serbs in Macedonia are in a greater danger than those in Knin', it was said at the Congress. It did provoke, however, a great publicity in part of the Belgrade media, so it was a contribution to the postponing of the normalisation of the relations between Skopje and Belgrade. And, just to remind, the leaders of this party had attended the 'military strategy' training with Mladic in Pale.

(end)

mils news 2 April, 1996