MILS NEWS 16/04/96

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

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 16 April 1996

[01] MACEDONIAN-CROATIAN STANDS- COORDINATED

At the press conference after the meeting of the two Presidents, President Tudjman stated that the two countries have similar, even identical view on the events in the world and in the region. Tudjman said: "Macedonia and Croatia agree that all countries from former Yugoslavia are successors and that right of succession does not belong only to the FRY. We have identical opinion for our relations with our neighbors, and that is the mutual recognition, the sovereignty, and we are against any ideas for the formation of any kind of Balkan, Adriatic or East-European unions. The best possible solution for the further integration in the EU is that the countries should not be conditioned with previous unions.

President Gligorov stated that Macedonia and Croatia do not have opened questions, and added that the two countries will cooperate in the future without any kind of historical burdens. He therefore stated that the trade between both countries that ranged to $1 billion before the war, and now ranges to 80 million, should be intensively developed in the future.

President Gligorov emphasized the fact that there were no dilemmas that Macedonia and Croatia are firmly determined for the European integration. In conclusion he stated that Croatia may become an important military factor in the future, in this part of the Balkans.

[02] DISPROPORTION BETWEEN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS

In that respect the parties agreed that possibilities for development of the economic relations should improve, and for that purpose they agreed to form a joint committee for economic and trade cooperation. During the talks, Macedonian officials expressed great gratitude for the Chinese constructive stand on the independence of Macedonia and its international recognition.

During the visit, the Chinese Foreign Minister had talks with President Gligorov, Parliament President Tito Petkovski, the Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, and with the Vice-President of the Government Ljube Trpevski.

[03] DANISH SUPPORT FOR THE MACEDONIAN STANDS

Foreign Ministers of the two countries held a press conference and Minister Frchkovski stated that Macedonia and Denmark have similar stands concerning many issues, and Denmark expressed understanding for the Macedonian stands concerning the negotiations between Macedonia and the EU for the joint membership. Danish Minister Petersen stated that Denmark will continue its support to the peace policy of Macedonia, the processes of transition as well as Macedonian efforts to join the European integration. He added that Macedonian-Danish economic cooperation will be intensified and efforts will be made for the further development of relations.

[04] JOZEF ZELENEC IN MACEDONIA ON APRIL 21

[05] EFFORTS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTMENTS

[06] MACEDONIA UNDER ITS CONSTITUTIONAL NAME AT THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONFERENCE

The themes of the Conference will be the human and minorities' rights, the issues of Cyprus and Near East, and the security of the Mediterranean Sea region.

[07] NEW ROUND OF MACEDONIAN-GREEK TALKS TODAY

Macedonian media reported the evaluations from Athens that no progress will be made in this fourth round of talks (since the Interim Accord was signed on 13 September 1995), and that Cyrus Vance might return his mandate.

Macedonian officials have not given any statements on this issue.

[08] LILIC - 'NO OBSTACLES FOR A FULL NORMALISATION OF THE RELATIONS'

Voislav Seshelj, the leader of Serbian Radical Party, stated that the recognition of Macedonia had been inevitable at that moment, and for that he blamed former Yugoslav National Army and those who had ordered its withdrawing from Macedonia at the beginning of the Yugoslav crisis.

Meanwhile, the European Union had set additional four conditions for FR Yugoslavia to rejoin Europe: mutual recognition with Croatia; cooperation with the Hague Military Court for War Crimes; agreeing with the former Yugoslav republics on the succession issue; and solving the issue of refugees, as well as giving a high level autonomy to Kosovo in the framework of FRY.

[09] REMARKS ON THE RECOGNITION OF FRY CONTINUITY

[10] SDSM - 'PARLIAMENT WILL DECIDE ON THE INITIATIVE FOR COLLECTING SIGNATURES'

Popovski also denied the claim of Liberals that their initiative to form a Survey Commission, to deal with the results from the investigation on President Gligorov's assassination attempt, had been passed by the Parliament.

He said the goal of the initiative was to make a political alibi and to raise suspicion against SDSM, as if it had something to hide. He explained that SDSM disagreed with their proposition to appoint Stojan Andov a President of the Commission, because Andov had replaced the President at the time of his absence, and that was not in accordance with the legal aspects of his pretensions for the position of the Commission President.

Referring to the signatures collected for a referendum for early elections, Popovski said the aim was to enliven those opposition parties which revoked the 'election race' during the regular elections. The attitude of SDSM is, according to him, that such constitutional precedents must not be made, but the Party has agreed to let the Parliament decide on the initiative, to prevent the opinion that they are afraid of the initiative.

[11] DEMOCRATIC PARTY - 'GLIGOROV DOES NOT ACT AS A PRESIDENT OF ALL CITIZENS'

The announcement also read that 'the political intervention of Gligorov was a direct attempt to mix the places of the law, i.e. the Constitution from one hand and the politics from another'.

[12] LJUPCHO GEORGIEVSKI - 'MAXIMUM FROM THE INITIATIVE'

Georgievski emphasized that he had managed to make a lobby in the US Congress, people who would observe the democratization processes in Macedonia and follow the action of collecting signatures. 'They will make efforts to guarantee the democratization processes in Macedonia,' said he, and refused to expose their names, to 'prevent an additional pressure to be made on them'.

[13] EASTER MARKED WITH TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS

MILS SUPPLEMENT:

[14] To the Future - Independent ("Vecer", 13 April 1996)

Our concrete task lies between the history and the future, and it is not less important from our historical missions to overcome the problems of the time we are living in. The Republic of Macedonia chose the independent development, simultaneously choosing clear democratic changes in the framework of its constitutional and political system and the market economy. In its international politics Macedonia chose the peace and the cooperation with all countries and nations in the world. Macedonia confirms itself as an active participant in the good relations with its neighbors, it became a true stabilizing factor in the Balkans and the South-East part of Europe.

There is no force that can keep us from fulfilling our tasks. The task includes our peoples' choice, as well as our responsibility for the construction of the new international order and that is the way Macedonia will lead to Europe.

Our way to the European integration is an answer to the ideas of any kind of local integration. Macedonia is firmly interested for the cooperation with all its neighbors, yet just under basis of the real mutual interests. We should carefully build those relations but we cannot accept any kind of schemes which are inherited from the past time, nor can we accept any schemes imposed by other countries. In other words all countries in this region should base their relations starting from the independence of each country and the principles of the international law. If some countries find it convenient for their interests they can as well integrate but by means of self-determination.

We do not accept any kind of already given formulas for different unions, federations or confederations among the countries of the former Yugoslavia, the Balkan countries or the countries near the Balkans. Europe and the Balkans have a bitter experience of such a political creations.

That's why, according to us, the future must be built on completely different basis: under the principals of the modern community, under international law and on the basis of mutual respect of the independence. That is the only way we can successfully bind our economies, we can ease problems concerning the succession, etc. The connection with the European integration should speed up this process of cooperation which is in the interest of all Balkan countries. In that context, as it's already known, we cannot accept the attitude according to which the integration with the EU has been conditioned by previous made regional unification, i.e. the conditions are equal for all the countries that want to enter the EU. We assume that such an attitude is unacceptable, and it is contra- productive for the European integration processes and democracy in the whole. We firmly stand for the international efforts and peace initiatives such as the Dayton agreement. In that respect, as a country that has regulated its relations with all former Yugoslav republic in the highest level, we support this process and we are looking forward to see it come to its successful end.

In the name of this concern, let me address to the friendly Croatian people and let me tell you our message for peace and our sincere wish to continue our centuries long friendship and cooperation for the entrance of our future European home. I would also like to send this message to all nations, to all leaders and all good people in this region and in Europe", concluded President Gligorov in his speech for the Croatian Parliament.

(end)

mils news 16 April, 1996