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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-08-04Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS NEWSSkopje, 04 August, 1997[01] CELEBRATION BOOED BY OPPOSITIONLast Saturday 2 August in Krushevo the great Macedonian holiday Ilinden was celebrated . In front of approximately people at `Mechkin Kamen' were present the complete state top, and a speech was held by the state's President , Kiro Gligorov. The VMRO-DPMNE supporters booed the state leadership and exhibited the prior state flag while stamping the new official one. The Great people's gathering at `Meckin Kamen' that was held with strengthened security measures, began with humming of the Macedonian hymn, while the official state delegates headed to President Gligorov, the Assembly Chairmen, Tito Petkovski and PM Branko Crvenkovski laid flowers at the monument symbolizing the century struggle of the Macedonian people for free and independent state. Afterwards flowers was placed by delegates of the opposing parties the VMRO- DPMNE and the LDP.It was hard to achieve the position that the Macedonian Republic deserves in the international community accompanied by many hindrances and obstacles, stated President Kiro Gligorov adding that a the strengthening of the peace and security on the Balkans must spring out of the new Balkans political reality in which `out people took the destiny in their own hands, and we will allow nobody to pass decisions in our name, to decide upon our identity - on who we are and how we are named'. Speaking of the current ongoing in the state Gligorov stated: -In this period we have passed the basic laws enabling the development of the market economy, we have chosen a commercial manner of privatization which is being successfully realized and we are determined to turn Macedonia into an attractive region for foreign and joint investments. Gligorov reminded that `history teaches us that national euphoria and exclusiveness lead not to unity and success, adding that ` this requires national and civil harmony so as to keep and develop our state as a home land for all people living in it'. The speech of President Gligorov and the presence of the Macedonian state delegates, was almost all the time, during the official part of the celebration, booed by a larger group of the present citizens mainly supporters of the VMRO- DPMNE. The arrived in Krushevo by buses from all regions of the state headed by their leader Ljupcho Georgievski. For `Dnevnik' he stated: -Today's gathering speaks enough of the dissatisfaction of the Macedonian citizens with the current politics. The gathering showed that it's about time Ilinden instead of state holiday to become a national holiday of the Macedonian people. Last Friday the policy tried to remove the tents that had been set up by the VMRO-DPMNE at the `Mechkin Kamen'. `This close encounter' went with no incident and with an agreement the tents to be removed by Saturday morning. [02] PARTY FEEDBACKThe Social Democratic Union of Macedonia , it is cited in the report, severely protests against the behaviour of a group of VMRO-DPMNE activists headed by their leader, Ljupcho Georgievski, and members of the party leadership who arrived at `Mechkin Kamen' to desecrate the holy traditions of the Macedonian people. The messages of the demonstration denied the state symbols of the Macedonian Republic. They also booed the slogan `Long live Macedonia', the messages for peace and well neighborliness and national unity, all which only affirm the objectives and remind of the action methods of this political party, it is said in the reports of the Social Democratic Union.The Liberal - Democratic Party report on the occasion of these events points out the humiliation of the Macedonian Republic and every Macedonian citizen individually. These events are a most convincing example showing where a wrong political line leads to - the SDSM to monopolize the history dates and use the party objectives. On the other hand, the VMRO-DPMNE wishes to impose a thesis that a party that authentically represents the national interests which is equally dangerous and leads towards division of the Macedonian nation, it is stated in the LDP report. According to the Democratic Party of Macedonia the events that occurred last Saturday are indecent and planned anti- Macedonian behaviour. No one has the right to adopt and monopolize the state and pan-national Macedonian holiday and thus insult all features of the state. Eventually, the current authorities, it is stated in the report, must learn the lesson that the imposing identification with the SDSM will cause divisions among the people. The Labor Party expresses disappointment and severely condemns the extreme primitivism and anti-national behaviour of the VMRO-DPMNE leadership during the Ilinden celebration at `Mechkin Kamen'. [03] CONGRATULATIONSThe President of the Macedonian Republic, Kiro Gligorov, on the occasion of the National holiday of the Republic - 2 August received numerous congratulations from citizens, work organizations and institutions from the state, as well as from many statesmen and international institutions. Congratulations were received from the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Elcin, the President of the Italian Republic, Oscar Louigi Scalfaro, the President of the German Republic, Roman Herzog, the President of the Croatian Republic, Franjo Tudzman, King Albert of Belgium, the President of the SR Yugoslavia, Slobodan Miloshevich, the General Director of the FAO, Jacques Dyour, the President of the Albanian republic, Redzep Meydani, the Federal President of the Austrian Republic , Tomas Klestiel, in the name of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Alija Izetbegovikj, the President of Island, Olafur Ragnar Grimson, the President of the Muslim Republic of Pakistan Farouch Achmet Khan Leghar and Jean, Archduke of Luxembourg.[04] KARL GUSTAV TO VISIT MACEDONIAThe King of Sweden, Karl Gustav, on the 24 -th this month will come to Macedonia in visit of the Swedish platoon which is part of the UNPREDEP, announced the Royal Palace in Stockholm. King Karl Gustav will be accompanied by the Defense Minister of Sweden Bjoern von Sydow. According to a representative from the Royal Palace, protocol meetings with highest representatives of the Macedonian top are also planned.[05] US CONDEMNATION DEMANDEDThe leader of the Democratic Party of the Albanian in Macedonia , Arben Dzaferi, has directly offered to the American State Department a memorandum that should be used for a resolution which will condemn Macedonia for the state of the Albanian minority. This was stated on the `Voice of America' by Dzaferi who together with the rector of the illegal Tetovo university , Fadilj Sulejmani and his deputy Milaim Feyulahu are currently in America. The Albanian media, `Makfaks' reports, claim that the visit is on the invitation of the State Department. Dzaferi, according to this American radio, met with Congressman Trafinagio, who expressed his support to the demands of the Albanians in Macedonia and stated that the USA did not react properly regarding the Gostivar and tetovo events. Dzaferi gave the Congressman the memorandum which is to be handed to the State Department and should be used for the resolution which will condemn Macedonia, adds the radio. The Congressman directed a message to the State Secretary, Medleine Albright, `America finally does not stay aside in front of the terror in Macedonia'.[06] 8O BUYERS IN THE BAGThe time term within which the lessees of the store premises in the City Trade Center in Skopje should express themselves regarding the offers from the Share Company `CTC' on purchasing of the stores, is slowly running out. Taking into consideration the fact that the time term is 15 days from the day of delivery , yet all offers were not placed by the lessees at the same time, so one can say that the time for thinking has run out for those that are among the first who placed offers and they are now expected to give a definite reply. Until now the commission of the AD'CTC' has received 80% replies of different contents.The General Manager of the Public firm for Dealing with housing and office space of the Macedonian Republic, Jovan Siljanovski, informs us that the accepted offers cover mainly smaller stores which have more acceptable prices and offer better overall conditions for purchase. There are a number of offers that have not been received answers and a part of them have been rejected with notices and objections on different sorts of grounds. Above all, objections are placed against the estimated store values, the means invested by the lessees in equipping the interior of the premises which has not been taken into consideration during the evaluation etc. The commission has already begun to sum up the results of the arrived replies to the offers and it will issue a report to all users of the store premises in the CTC after the dead line has run out. In the mean time, conditions have been made for a dialogue with the lessees in which they will come to a mutual resolution in overcoming the problem in favour of both sides interested. It is obvious the lessees , the Share Company and the Public Firm are willing to clear up all disputable moments and they all hope that this problem will finally be taken off the agenda. Otherwise, in the mean time, 2 complaints have been filed regarding the court decision on temporal stopping of the premises selling and the Public firm is awaiting the Court to pass a decision on them. [07] A HARVEST OF STRAWIn the Sveti Nikole area of the Ovche Pole these days the harvest activities were completed. However, the harvesters, instead of enjoying happiness, with these activities will suffer bitterness. It is already known: the results are under the expected, lower that the expectations for this year. The worst is, instead of wheat, barley and rye the fields were full of large stacks of straw which no one buys and accepts, particularly the paper factory from Kochani which is undergoing bankruptcy and its production capacities are being left unused for quite some time now.The data presented by the Regional Unit of the Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resource Managing show that in the Sveti Nikole municipality only 12.057 hectares of wheat had been sown out of which the individual sector possesses only 2.000 hectares. The situation is being monitored from one centre and in the neighbouring municipality of Lozovo, in that region 17.687 hectares of bread corn have been sown. However, after the combines have done their job, it was concluded that the results are lower by 40 to 50% of the pessimistic expectations for this year. And now it has been realized that the `hungry mouths' will have higher hopes in the national sector. The average there reached 2.180 kilos, and in the individual sector the figure is symbolic. Thanks to the national sector which owns most of the field sown with corn, the average reached 1.890 kilos from a hectare. [08] SKOPJE - SARAJEVO - REGULAR AIR CONNECTIONWith the first flight of `Air Commerce' of Bosnia and Herzegovina today the new air connection Skopje-Sarajevo- Skopje was opened in a festive manner. This is the first regular flight on this relation after the 4 year-long war that encompassed Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company `Air Commerce' which in fact, renews this air connection will fly 2 times weekly: on Mondays and Fridays, at 8.45 a.m. from Sarajevo and at 2 p.m. from Skopje. Travelers can buy tickets from the travel agencies throughout the state.[09] NO JUSTIFICATION`Nothing justifies the protests and booing of the audience at the opening of the Athletics World Championship that were directed towards the national team of the Macedonian Republic', assesses the paper of the moderate left wing `Elefterotypia' `Makfaks' reports, reprimands to the behaviour of the audience were expressed on the pages of the pro-governmental paper `Exousia' as well, which also reports that the athletes from Skopje calmly bore the loud shout-outs and crossed the Athens stadium with smiles on their faces.[10] INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND PAYMENT BALANCE - PART I (G. Bishev)The natural characteristics of the Republic of Macedonia as a small country at the intersection between Western and Eastern transport corridors determine its economic survival and development as dependent on the level of openness and cooperation with respect to the global community. Due to these reasons it appears quite logical that a Strategy on the Economic Development of the Republic of Macedonia should be based on the net export rate as a development catalyst. The orientation of Macedonia towards an export-based development - as well as the success of such a strategy - are being determined by external and internal factors.Among internal factors affecting the economic development of the Republic of Macedonia in terms of concentrating on net- export are: a/ the necessity of reducing subsistence expenditures in conditions of low domestic saving; b/ the restructuring of the business sector and increasing of investments may entail production growth and the change of economic structure over the next stage through the trend of increasing the trade of tradable goods and services on the account of non-tradable ones; and c/ favourable institutional solutions creating prerequisites for reviving international trade, revolving around such key elements as a high level of the international trade liberalization regime and the restructuring of customs legislation. Thus over 97% of all export goods and more than 98% of all those to be imported fall within the free export/import regime. This is complemented by the total convertibility of payments/dues to/by international partners on grounds of subsistent transactions. The only transactions to be restricted are those concerning the payment balance. At the same time new customs tariffs have been enacted, lowering the average customs duty rate to 10.1%, while adapting the entire customs tariff system to the international standards and principles of the World Trade Organisation and the tariff system of the European Union. The success of an export-based strategy will also depend on external factors, of which the most important would be: a/ the economic cycle undergone by global economy, as it will bear an impact on demands for Macedonian products; b/ the pace at which the economic and political crises in countries of the narrower region will be resolved. In this context, the decreased buying power of the populations in these countries is expect to entail the deterioration of trade over the first few years, on account of increasing trade with the wider region (EU, the Vishegrad Four) and Greece and Turkey. Once the political situation has become stable in countries belonging to our immediate surrounding, and sound economic growth has been achieved, the former level of goods and services trade would be achieved again. Ergo these countries would again grow into significant trade partners of the Republic of Macedonia; and c/ the pace at which the Republic of Macedonia achieved integration within international economic and trade associations, institutions and organisations - first and foremost the EU, the OECD, the WTO, etc. The economic structure of the Republic of Macedonia has been created in conditions when Macedonia still represented a federal constituent of SFR Yugoslavia, within which its development priorities were marginalized and subjected to the needs of the wider community. The unfavourable structure thus inherited has deteriorated considerably over the past few years, as a result of old production technology and the lack of opportunity to update and modernize the latter on grounds of low investment rates. Such a production structure embodies a restricting factor in terms of the export potential of Macedonian economy. This may account for the fact that the structure of goods entering international trade can be unfavourable as regards the prevailing of reproduction material both in the export and import sector. With respect to the former sector reproduction materials constitute a share of 54.2% of overall exports; consumer goods prove to be another key category with 37.0% while production means constitute merely 4.2%. The structure of imports is quite similar, as reproduction materials dominate with a share of 57.6%, consumer goods amount to 31.7% of all imports and only 10.7% fall off to production means. Bearing in mind that new technologies are conducive to the decrease in huge material and know-how expenditures in the production process, the optimum objective should be to lower the amount of reproduction materials in both the export and import sector. Their share should be reduced to between one third and one quarter of the overall goods turnover. Considering, however, also the fact that the Republic of Macedonia lacks technology in comparison to other West European countries - though trade will mainly have to focus on the latter during the first few years as the immediate surrounding is being shaken by crises - the contribution of technological progress for a structural transformation of export and import may only be felt in the short and medium term. (To be continued...)mils news 04 August, 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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