MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market
Other than that, the gathering was addressed by the "dean of the Faculty of Philosophy" Masar Kodra, who characterized this even as historic. The self-proclaimed rector Fadil Sulejmani said "the university is already a reality which opens the door to knowledge" and that "no one can prevent the people's thirst for knowledge."
The former congressman from the U.S.A. Diogardi said that he came on behalf of the best democratic traditions to see the start of the work of the university. He also read out letters sent to him by the congressman Christopher Smith, secretary of the U.S. Helsinki Committee and Benjamin Gilman, chief of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress, in which they asked him for "additional information in relation to what was happening in Macedonia." The gathering ended without any incidents.
When asked in which function he stayed in the country, whether as a private person, a professional politician or exclusively as an Albanian lobbyist, Diogardi said that he was the president of a nongovernmental organization and a professional politician.
The rector Sulejmani reiterated that the University exists, that is a reality and that the educational process can not destabilize Macedonia and that the Albanians are its loyal citizens. Sulejmani thanked President Gligorov for allowing the previous day to pass in peace and that Macedonia passed the exam of democracy will flying colors in front of the world yesterday. Sulejmani stated with regret that if the police decides to obstruct the educational process by force, he would have to call on the people to protect it. "200,000 Albanians will protect the University," Sulejmani threatened.
Joseph Diogardi, former congressman, Shirley Kohen, journalist and Mihajlo Mihajlov, announced as representative of the American University "George Washington," who were in Tetovo yesterday, did not establish any contacts with the U.S. office, which is an usual procedure for all official visits.
Yesterday's news that Victor Comras, head of the U.S. Liaisons Office would also be in Tetovo, have been denied.
In announcing the government stances in relation to yesterday's event in Mala Rechica, Ismail emphasized that the present authorities tackled the resolution of the problems in the sphere of education with full conscience and responsibility, whereby the legal institutions of the system provide the basic frame for their resolution. "The government never said that there were no problems in the education, but the measure for their resolution will be what reality can bear," said Ismail.
As for the activities of the former congressman Joseph Diogardi, the spokesman said "pressed by the fact that he can no longer articulate himself politically, he has found the place for his political engagement right here." Otherwise, Ismail said that Diogardi would continue to enjoy this country's hospitality.
In response to the journalists' questions related specifically to Diogardi's activities, Ismail said that "the Macedonian Government was reassured by the American organs that he is here purely on a private visit and that in the coming days the Macedonian organs will study the modalities of his stay here." As to today's eventual intervention of the police, which did not take place yesterday, Ismail emphasized that "the police will intervene if something that is outside the law occurs."
As for the question of the rights of the Albanians, it has been agreed for all the rights that the citizens of RM enjoy to also be enjoyed by the Albanians. In this context, Ismail's personal stand is that the space of the collectivity has become to narrow for a citizen from the end of this century to remain inside its framework."
Mr. Nikovski emphasized that Great Britain was concerned over the developments in Macedonia, saying that the high British officials stressed that solutions to this question should be sought within the framework of the system. In the talks with ambassador Nikovski, they said that solutions to some justified demands of the minorities in Macedonia should quickly be found, and that the problems in relation to these questions are a result of Macedonia's economic situation. This is partly also a result of the Greek embargo, which is marking its anniversary today.
According to the officials from the British Foreign Office, the European Union is responsible for this, which took Athens to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg over the issue of the Greek embargo.
The opening of the University has been proclaimed the event of the year, while the Albanian TV announced it as a holiday for all Albanians. The report stressed that the ministers in the Macedonian Government, the MPs, but also a great many guests representatives of international institutions, in particularly the OSCE and UNPROFOR, would be present at the opening.
The leader of the ruling Democratic party Eduard Seljami conditioned the cooperation with Macedonia with the "fulfillment of the rights of the Albanians in that Republic." Seljami also did the same at the press conference with the domestic and foreign journalists, at which, otherwise, he admitted that there are misunderstandings in his party over the procedure for adoption of the new Albanian Constitution.
Gjurev stated that around 80 citizens congregated in a religious object located in the village of Poroy, and that this act was also attended by the self-proclaimed rector Sulejmani and the Albanian lobbyist, the former Republican congressman Joseph Diogardi. "Sulejmani told an authorized person that the University would continue working at any cost, and that if the police continued to obstruct the classes, he would call on 200,000 Albanians to defend it." The police sources claim that Sulejmani called on the villagers from the surrounding villages to protect the "students."
The Under Secretary in the Interior Ministry said that the police in Tetovo was not in a state of emergency, and that all the activities went on as normal. Gjurev explained that "it is still studied what kind of legal weight and what kind of consequences are caused by the Fadil Sulejmani's activities."
The police prevented the classes in philosophy and the theory of literature, which were held by the professors Rahmed Duda and Ismet Hodza, the private TV station from Tetovo ART told MIC. The same source claims that the police did not use force and that the first lesson lasted from 10.30 to 12.00 h. ART TV claims that Sulejmani told the police that he would summon the people, or more specifically 200,000 Albanians to defend the university tomorrow, if the police continued to obstruct the classes.
MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market
According to the information, the meeting had an exclusively inter-chamber character, without political background.
From the Serbian side, prominent bankers took part in the meeting, for example Nikola Stanich, the former vice-governor of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, and presently director of Invest Banka, otherwise known as one of the key figures in Avramovich's program for economic stabilization.
The information was denied that the Macedonian businessmen might hold meetings in the Serbian Government, and according to information, the talks between the chambers will last two days. No other information from this meeting can be obtained.
Yesterday, the news was published in Belgrade that taxes will be doubled upon the import of goods from abroad, which protects the Yugoslav economy. Nevertheless, this decision does not apply to goods from the former YU republics.
After the mutual abolishment of the taxes for the busses which service lines between Macedonia and Yugoslavia, the former regular bus lines between the two countries are now being restored.
Following the hunger strike by a couple of Macedonian entrepreneurs in Maribor, for the collection of 250,000 DEM from the Slovenian firm "Gradish," today it was announced that those funds will be received, and the strike would end. The strikers and another 30 workers are expected to receive the money by today, at the latest.
At present, they can only collect funds from the savings accounts of the citizens, and as for the placements, they can only be carried out through the banks, which charge a commission from 0.5% to 2% for their mediation.
The savings banks agree for the agreement for interest policy from last year to stay valid, provided the difference between the active and passive interest of 2.5% remains.
This year, 180,000 pairs of shoes are expected to be manufactured, and only up to July, 60,000 pairs from the children's program, intended for the markets in the U.S.A., Germany and Holland. It is estimated that a revenue of 4 million DEM will be realized from the exports abroad and around 1 million DEM from the sales on the domestic market.