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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-07-29Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 29 July, 1997[01] CYRUS VANCE PROPOSES - SOLUTION FOR THE NAME `NEW MACEDONIA'Yesterday several Macedonian papers affirmed the speculations of some Greek papers that the name resolution of Macedonia would most probably be come in September this year, when mediator Cyrus Vance will return the mandate, and then the UN Security Council will pass the final resolution. These papers quoted their well informed sources in New York. According to A-1 TV and the newspaper `Vecher', Vance has already offered the UN General Secretary Kofi Annan to return the mediator mandate, and suggested the Security Council resolution of the name.Vance, according to sources from the UN seat in New York, proposed the escape route from the name dispute to be `New Macedonia' on which he had been supported by the UN General Secretary. This idea, according to the same sources, occurred also in the USA, and the resolution is to be passed by the UN Security Council. If the name is really to be resolved in such a manner, the Macedonian part, as it is reported by A-1 TV and `Vecher', sends warning signals to reject it; and even a more radical move is possible - retreat from the UN membership. As New York assesses, this would present a great scandal because for 5 decades of this World Organizations' existence not one member has decided to retreat its membership. Unofficially A-1 TV cites that the USA lobbying on the Macedonian side has already started in the context of accepting Vance's proposal and is expected to be intensified in the following month, when another round of negotiations are to be conducted between ambassadors Toshevski and Zacharakis mediated by Cyrus Vance. In September a more intensified pressure from the USA to the Macedonian side is expected during President Gligorov's visit to New York at the UN General Assembly when he is to meet with General Secretary Koffi Annan and high officials of the USA administration. Otherwise, the Macedonian President and the Government continue to stand behind the attitude that Macedonian is to use its constitutional name - the Republic of Macedonia, both for domestic and international use, while arranging with Greece how to name its northern neighbour. The largest renunciation could be Macedonia to be registered in the UN under the letter R, so that the entry `Republic' would become part of the name itself. According to Macedonian negotiators the entry `Republic' in front of the name Macedonia strictly defines the borders of the state, which does not allow territory pretensions of other geographic regions in the Balkans carrying the name Macedonia, which is the main Greek argument in the dispute. `Vecher' reports that the name `New Macedonia' had even before Cyrus Vance's proposal been suggested as a dispute resolution but rejected by the Macedonian side. [02] `BALKAN' AGENCY - LAST PROPOSAL TO BULGARIA ON OVERCOMING LANGUAGE DISPUTESofia has directed its last proposal to the Macedonian Government for overcoming the so-called language dispute, reported yesterday the Bulgarian paper agency .Balkan'. As the Macedonian radio reports, the `Balkan' agency quotes sources from the Foreign Ministry in Bulgaria that Sofia's proposal is the agreements between Macedonia and Bulgaria are to be signed in the Bulgarian language and the official language of the Macedonian Republic which according to its Constitution is established as Macedonian.According to `Balkan' the proposal has been presented in detail to the ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Macedonia, Ljubomir Frchkovski, and with it was also acquainted the new Diplomacy Chief, Blagoj Handziski. As it is cited, so far there are no reactions from the Macedonian side regarding this proposal. At the same time the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry in collaboration with President Petar Stoyanov has commenced elaboration of a national programme for strategy and tactics in the relations with Macedonia. One of the ideas in that programme presents the preparation of a national consensus in Bulgaria directed towards the resolution of the language dispute. This resolution and the historical discrepancies of the two sides must not interfere in the collaboration in the fields of culture and education, - this is the second thesis in the programme, reports the `Balkan' agency, quoting diplomats from the Bulgarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. At the end it adds that the national strategy is in the starting phase of development when only ideas and suggestions are conveyed. [03] `TO VIMA' PREDICTS NEW CONFLICTS IN MACEDONIAThe Athens Government is particularly worried regarding the development of events in Skopje and the inability of the large national groups in Macedonia to develop a manner of co-existence, writes the Greek governmentally inclined paper `To Vima'. The paper, according to `Makfaks', in the comment announced new conflicting situations in the following period. According to information form `To Vima' in the next few weeks in Macedonia will occur `a new wave of events' aroused by another hoisting of Albanian flags in front of public objects in the towns where Albanian minority lives. The political objective of such action is to cause massive demonstrations of the Albanians so as to affirm the power of the Albanian minority in Macedonia. At the end `To Vima' concludes that the following period would be a good opportunity to see Skopje's Government ability to counter activities of Albanian extremists who some 10 days ago caused bloody incidents in Tetovo and Gostivar.[04] EUROPEAN BANK INCLUDED IN PRIVATIZATION OF `MACEDONIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS'The European Bank for Renewal and Development and the Macedonian Government during the weekend in London signed a letter of intentions to include the European Bank in the process of privatization of the `Macedonian Telecommunications', reports the Macedonian Television. According to the agreement, the European Bank for Renewal and Development should invest in the `Telecom' privatization fresh capital amounting to approximately 5% of the firm's value.According to the Minister for Traffic and Connections, Abudelmenaf Bedzeti, the concrete sum will be known after estimation of the `Macedonian Telecommunication' will be done and according to approximate estimations it should amount up to 50 million dollars. Minister Bedzeti states that there is an open possibility the granted credit from the European Bank amounting 50 million dollars to be converted and accounted as an investment in the firm, however this is left for examination for some better times. In relation to the `Macedonian Telecom' privatization a Government Managing Committee is being formed which will coordinate future activities involved in the privatization and regarding signing the mandate letter with the European Bank which will cover all prerequisites that this bank sets down for a complete involvement in the process of transformation. According to Minister Bedzeti the mandate letter is to be signed by the end of August and by the end of this week a public tender will be announced on electing the Adviser Bank under whose surveillance the privatization will be conducted. The tender should be open till 31 August and by the end of September the Macedonian Government will have made its choice on the owner of the "Macedonian Telecommunications'. By the end of this year it is considered that 35% of this firm's shares will be put for sale. [05] IN NOVEMBER MEETING OF BUSINESSMEN FROM MACEDONIAN AND ITALYThe Economy Minister in the Macedonian Government, Boris Rikalovski, yesterday had a meeting with the Italian Ambassador in Macedonia, Faustino Troni, at which they discussed the instruments of intensifying the economy collaboration between the two states and the realization of the credit line of 24 million DM intended for equipment, reproduction materials and semi-manufactured products from Italy. As it has been concluded for that purpose in November Macedonia should be visited by Italian businessmen and then the priority projects will be decided upon. Ambassador Troni, as it is reported by the Macedonian Television, at the meeting placed particular stress on the interest of some larger Italian firms to invest capital in certain capacities in Macedonia.[06] STEAM POWER PLANT `OSLOMEJ' PUT INTO OPERATION AGAINAfter a 3 month cease of work due to conducting the regular annual remount, yesterday the steam power plant `Oslomej' was again entered the electrical system of Macedonia. This presents the second largest capacity for electrical energy in the state which daily distributes to the consumers about 2,4 million kilowatt hours electricity . This year's plan for energy production of `Oslomej' presents 617 million kilowatt hours, while by the beginning of the remount in was only 287 million kilowatt hours. The successfully conducted remounts guarantee undisturbed production of electricity in the following period when the need for energy will be increased, assess `Oslomej' officials.[07] ADDRESS OF KIRO GLIGOROV AT ILINDEN CELEBRATION IN KRUSHEVOThis year Macedonia celebrates the 94th anniversary of the Illinden uprising and the foundation of the Krushevo Republic. The main celebration of this huge and important holiday will traditionally take place on the 2nd August in Krushevo. At the largest people's gathering which is to be located on Mechkin Kamen in Krushevo the Macedonian Head of State, Kiro Gligorov is to address the people. Also the presence of Parliament President, Tito Petkovski, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and some other ministers and VIP's of our public life is announced. As is was announced yesterday by the organizers, at this great national celebration of Macedonia - Ilinden speeches will be held by the mayor of the Krushevo municipality, Ivan Andreevski, and by Gjorgji Caca, president of the Council of Scientific- Cultural meetings. A rich cultural-art programme is predicted and a solemn opening of the Scientific-Cultural meetings `Ten Days of the Krushevo Republic'.[08] VMRO-DPMNE CELEBRATES ILINDEN AT SAME PLACE AND TIME AS THE STATE CELEBRATIONAs it has already been announced the VMRO-DPMNE party also plans to have a party celebration in Krushevo on the occasion of the jubilee of the Ilinden uprising on the same spot and at the same time as the state celebration of the holiday. They plan to have speeches by the leader of the party, Ljupcho Georgievski, a rich culture and art programme, camping of the VMRO-DPMNE Youth and participation of more than 500 people who had been persecuted from the state `due to their convictions for a independent Macedonian state'.According to the president of the Council of Scientific-Cultural meetings `Ten days of the Krushevo Republic', Gjorgji Caca, the announcement of the VMRO-DPMNE to organize a rally in Krushevo at the same tine and on the same place where the state celebration is to take place presents a provocation to the state celebration. `Dnevnik' reports', the president of the party Committee of the VMRO-DPMNE, Gjorgji Naumov, stated that the party organizes its own celebration of the holiday because it is not against the law to such a thing. According to Naumov the Bill for national holidays it stands that Ilinden is only a state holiday. `If the holiday had been proclaimed for a national holiday we would have celebrated it in another place, and would have also participated in the state's celebration', stated Naumov for `Dnevnik'. According to him the UN since 1992 sent to Macedonia an official demand to be handed with the date of the national Republic Day so that they could send their greetings. The Macedonian Assembly that same year did not give green light to the proposal Ilinden to be proclaimed for a national holiday of Macedonia due to PDP and NDP's disagreement with it, and now Macedonia practically has no national holiday. Naumov ended his statement for `Dnevnik' by announcing that the VMRO-DPMNE on 2nd August in Krushevo will not conduct a demonstration for which a permission of the Government is necessary, but a people's rally and a party's own celebration of the holiday. MILS SUPPLEMENT[09] `Gaining Credits Demands Returning Credits'(`Dnevnik', 28 July, 1997)Macedonian work banks haven't been giving credits for more than four months now because they have no repayment guarantees and demand a sooner passing of bills on guaranty and executive proceedings which will provide payment of mortgage within 24 hours, and not within 24 months or years. In he first half of the year hardly 10 million DM have been granted as investment credits. The economy owes to the banks over 150 million dollars. The court `sessions' regarding non-returned credits last even for one year, while the banks calculate interests which they know will never be paid. `TAT' has gone beyond all limits setting an example of `how not to perform'. The bankruptcy of this savings bank from Bitola is a message to the state saying that it should as soon as possible pass a bill on executive proceedings and a bill on guaranty according to which the bank will be able to charge all future agreed mortgage on a credit within 24 hours, and if not within that dead line, than within 24 months or never, bankers recommend. The high credit interests that we charge to the economy firms is not the essential problem due to which Macedonia has no investment activity. Some government structures want to impose the high interest and the alleged greediness of the banks for quick earnings as the main reason for the credits' unattractiveness. I claim that Macedonian will remain a `sleepy' economy region until the state comes to the idea to prepare the bill on execution proceedings, by which the trustee and the bank will be protected in every way, says one well known Macedonian banker. Zoran Trpevski, director of the Macedonian Bank, has recently at a meeting in the Economy Chamber revealed the instance that in the states of the European Union the banks fail to sell only 3 to 4% of the mortgages, in cases of bankruptcy of the credit user. While the Macedonian banks succeed only to sell that percentage, which presents an inappropriate working condition. The bankers recommend that it is about time the state to cease tolerating the debtors at the expense of the banks and demand from the Assembly to vote in favour of the bill on executive proceedings. There are bad and some good projects that we as a bank wish to credit. However, not having healthy bills in this region makes us very careful when undertaking this. For instance, a friend of mine came from Sweden, opened a firm, took a credit, gave goods on hold to his partners, but they did not cover him up because they did not pay for the goods. He had to go bankrupt because there is no law regulating the charges. Thus he went under as well as the bank that had given him the credit because he can not work to pay back the credit, explains Trpevski. He says that the draft-bill on executive proceedings, which the Assembly is expected to discuss about these days, resolves a large number of reprimands given by the bankers, such as: shortening the proceedings time terms, proving justification of the demand, what documents are needed to prove ownership etc. -In the first phase we had problems with persuade the law professors to sit down with us and clear up certain matters regarding the draft-bill. They refused to sit with us, the bankers. However, finally, after long-lasting persuasion they realised that we are those who need that bill the most and agreed that we should work together for which I am very grateful, says Trpevski. The bankers claim that one of the main reasons causing high interests is not only the large demand for money but also the lack of bank protection. That is why they practise the only instrument for protection, and that is `ceiling' on interest rates which is contrary to the provision on commencing the investment cycle. (end)mils news 29 July, 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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