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MILS NEWS 14/06/96Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 14 June 1996[01] MACEDONIAN LIAISON OFFICE AT NATO HEADQUARTERSFollowing the invitation of NATO Secretary General Javier Solana, a delegation of Macedonian Defense Ministry, led by Minister of Defense Blagoj Handziski, is paying a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels. Macedonian representatives are attending the meeting of Defense Ministers of North Atlantic Alliance and 'Partnership for Peace' member countries. Handziski is expected to address the participants today. Also, a Macedonian Liaison Office is going to be opened today at NATO headquarters, and the Macedonian delegation will visit NATO Coordination Office in Monsk.[02] EU-MACEDONIA AGREEMENT IN FRONT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONThe Standing Committee of EU Members, yesterday at European Commission headquarters in Brussels, discussed the Agreement that should be signed between the Union and Macedonia, reported A-1 Television. The information from Brussels are that the Agreement will be very similar to the one agreed on at the latest EU - Macedonia negotiating round. Macedonian Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski stated for A-1 Television yesterday that the only disputable issue in the Agreement might be mentioning the perspective of joint membership of Macedonia, while the problem regarding the regional approach had been solved.[03] CONFERENCE ON PEACE-PLAN IMPLEMENTATION IN BOSNIAAt the international Conference in Firenze, which began yesterday, the results of the six-month period of peace implementation plan in Bosnia will be discussed. Macedonian media reported that the Conference was opened by Italian Foreign Minister Alberto Dini, who called on all parties which were involved in the Bosnian war to make all the efforts possible to support the peace process. Macedonian delegates, led by Foreign Minister Frchkovski, are among representatives of about 60 countries and various International Organisations.[04] 'ELEFTEROTIPIA': MACEDONIA IN THE BALKAN SUB-SYSTEM OF NATOCommenting the visit of US Secretary of Defense William Perry to Macedonia the day before yesterday, Greek daily 'Elefterotipia' reads that improvement of USA - Macedonia military cooperation is a part of Washington plans to create security sub-systems in southern Balkans. According to Macedonian Radio, the paper emphasizes that this improvement of cooperation is a result of estimations of the White House that in case of eventual crisis with unpredictable consequences in Bulgaria and Albania, Macedonia should be paid greater attention.[05] 'ELEFTEROTIPIA': COMRAS INTERVENES IN FAVOUR OF SKOPJEThe statement made by the Head of US Liaison Office in Skopje, Victor Comras, for 'Nova Makedonija' daily that the name 'Republic of Macedonia' was the only solution for the differences between Athens and Skopje, was understood by Athens as an American intervention in favour of Skopje, read Greek daily 'Elefterotipia' yesterday. According to Macedonian media, the paper cited the statement of Mr. Comras that he had been using the term FYROM in the official correspondence, but that he had been using the name Republic of Macedonia in talks, 'not only because he had lived there, but because he found it the only one solution for Athens- Skopje name dispute'.[06] COMRAS'S FAREWELL MEETINGSPresident of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov paid tribute to the Head of US Liaison Office in Macedonia Victor Comras for his contribution to the development of USA - Macedonia relations yesterday.At the meeting Mr. Comras had with Macedonian Parliament President Tito Petkovski they agreed that economic relations should be further developed and enriched with new cooperation forms. Victor Comras told Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, with whom he also met, that he was satisfied with the bilateral cooperation level reached, stressing that although he was leaving to a new duty, he would continue to contribute in the development of relations in all fields, especially in the economy. [07] BELGRADE INSISTS ON ITS CONTINUITY IN IMFFR Yugoslav government and IMF representatives met yesterday in Geneva after two months break of the negotiations in Paris, which were ceased due to Belgrade's insisting on keeping the continuity of IMF membership. A-1 Television reported that Belgrade was still keeping its firm stand, although FRY officials were aware that returning in the IMF would be a long-term and insecure process.[08] GHALI'S CONGRATULATIONS TO BERISHAAlbanian media reported that UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali sent his congratulations to Albanian President Sali Berisha for winning the elections at the meeting in Istanbul. As alleged, Ghali said that it would contribute to the progress and consolidation of the Albanian democracy.Meanwhile, ruling Albanian Democratic Party yesterday denied the report of OSCE representatives, which reads that activities not in accordance either with Albanian Law on Elections or with OSCE standards had been noticed during the elections. On the other hand, Socialist Party of Albania had confirmed the OSCE report as very objective. [09] OPPOSITE OPINIONS ABOUT THE LAW ON TERRITORIAL DIVIDINGYesterday's session of Macedonian Parliament continued with additional remarks to the Law on Territorial Dividing of Macedonia.Rufi Osmanli of PDPA said the Law had been created in a way which could provoke centralization of the government and bring to a discrimination and ghettoizing of Albanians. Mevljan Tairi stated that the new dividing would disturb the ethnic balance of the population in west Macedonia, and that Albanians would accept the Law in case a chance is given to gather several municipalities into one region. Ilija Gocevski of SDSM required the area of Skopje to be more precisely determined. Liberal Party member Vladimir Stankovski said this Law should have been made before that on Local Self- Government, as it would have been easier to establish the competencies of municipalities more accurately. Veljo Tanarov of SDSM said the new Law on Territorial Dividing would finally make village municipalities able to use a bigger part of the National Budget, while Teodosije Paunovski of Liberal Party thought the 111 municipalities would be too much a burden for the Budget. Minister of Justice Vlado Popovski informed the MPs that half of the current 34 municipalities were being financed by the National Budget, which is, according to him, normal and in a harmony with Council of Europe Charters. He said the new Law would improve and democratize the balance between nationalities in the Republic, as it would express the Turkish nationality with 6 bilingual municipalities and the Serbian one with 2 bilingual municipalities. Voting for the Law was postponed for the next session because of the lack of quorum. [10] NDP: POLICE IS TRYING TO FRIGHTEN AND UPSET THE ALBANIANSParty for National Democratic Prosperity (NDP) announced these days that Macedonian State Security Administration had been permanently upsetting Albanians in Macedonia, mostly by taking them to informative talks. According to the announcement, most of them are members of NDP, or journalists and citizens who had expressed disagreement with the governmental policy. Daily 'Dnevnik' reports that NDP had been especially worried by the fact that even juvenile Albanians were being brought to police stations. NDP considers that Macedonian Internal Affairs Ministry are doing this in order to provoke fear and insecurity among Albanian citizens.[11] ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S MONUMENT IN SKOPJE?Alliance of Ancient Macedonians informed at a press conference yesterday that they intend to build a monument of Alexander the Great in Skopje. The plan is to build a big monument which would present Alexander on his horse Bukefal, dressed in a uniform and armed, surrounded with eight lion figures. The initiative came as a result of their shame to have only a small street in Skopje named after this Macedonian Emperor, while Greeks have a monument of him in Thessaloniki.Meanwhile, Macedonian businessmen Gjorgji-George Atanasovski is going to promote his newly formed Macedonian Alliance, which motto is 'For The Good of Macedonia'. All officials, political parties leaders and media in Macedonia have been invited to the promotion. MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'New York Ghost in A Bottle'('Nova Makedonija', 14 June 1996)Macedonian -Greek relations are in a slowdown at the moment, and without any good chances to be improved. The intensity of contact, which began last September after the Interim Accord was signed, is seizing. Also, to the statements of Macedonian Foreign Minister Frchkovski that Macedonia does not intend to change its name under any conditions and that the New York talks are coming to their end, the 'first party' (Greece) is reacting by a threat of imposing an investments blockade to Macedonia and with a parliamentarian memorandum about the 'firm stand of Skopje'. If to all this the frozen visit of Frchkovski to Athens is added, as a result of his statements, but probably also due to the conclusions that such a meeting could bring to anything spectacular, it becomes obvious how much are the bilateral relations serious. It becomes less important now which party has strained the relations first. It is important now to overcome this situation and to have the New York spirit returned. Macedonian entrepreneurs and diplomats, who work and contact with Greek partners, say the blockade threat can already be felt. It is simple to explain why did Athens decide to threaten with such a blockade. Because the economic relations between the two countries began to develop in a way which politics could not influence. It is, certainly, not good for the Greek party, as that was one of the aces they intended to use to make Macedonia yield. It was also an ace which enabled Greece to present itself, in the eyes of the world, as a caring neighbour, but also which provided them with an influence and even control. The first Greek notification that they would punish Skopje for its firm stand by imposing a blockade on Greek investments in Macedonia provoked two opposite opinions: the first one, mainly theirs, was that Greek investments in Macedonia would reach an extraordinary high level, and the second, mainly a domestic one, was that our southern neighbours' investments were brought to the level of 'two- three cake shops', adding that we should not be worried about the blockade, as 'we can survive without Greek cakes'. The Interim Accord gave Greece the role of a promoter of Macedonia in the European Union and its Organisations and, this is more important, Athens was given the privilege for all European financial 'injections' to go through it. It looked ideal at that time: Macedonia was to be given money that were to be invested in its economy through Greek companies. Greece would have had a part of the profit for its firms and pockets and Macedonia would have received 'fresh' money. Both countries should have won by bringing their economies closer to each other and by overcoming their misunderstandings. The situation is, unfortunately, much more different and serious. Greek pressures, coming from Simitis - Pangalos team, are now much more subtle. There are no revolutionary and nationalistic statements or meetings, but there are many moves made 'under the skin' to examine how serious is the position of Macedonia and to change its firm stand. That relations are delicate, although still not critical, can be proved by the intensive activity of the Head of Greek Liaison Office in Skopje. The talks he is having with high Macedonian officials show that Greece is reconsidering its stand. And nobody expects anything from New York talks any more, as they are turning into an excuse for regular contacts between the two countries. Because, what is their role now when both countries have already appointed diplomats to contact with domestic officials in all levels? What can the negotiators Toshevski and Zaharakis do more in New York than the Head of Greek Liaison Office in Skopje, Mr. Alexandros Mallias? And what can be agreed on in New York than can not be in Skopje? It appears that the New York talks are being led between two diplomats who know each other very well, but who have very different opinions about the same issue. Unless the dialogue, which is taking place far away from the Balkans and in a more relaxed atmosphere, is more productive, but which result is not likely to be favourable for Macedonia. (end)mils news 14 June, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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