MAK-NEWS 22/11/95 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <mic@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, NOVEMBER 22, 1995 (MIC)

[01] RUSSIAN ANTI-NATO WARNINGS

The Bulgarian Parliament announced it has received a document from the Upper House of the Russian Parliament - the Council of the Federation, with clear stances in which the Council opposes the expansion of NATO to the East, and in that framework - towards Bulgaria. Videnov's Socialists, who are not hiding the fact that they are against Bulgaria's membership in NATO, had a strong majority in the Bulgarian Parliament.

"The Greek-Bulgarian rapprochement can not be interpreted as a threat to other countries," Greek President Stefanopoulos stated in Sofia on Monday, in the talks his Bulgarian counterpart Zhelyu Zhelev.

At the meeting, Zhelev asked Stefanopoulos to support Bulgaria's application for membership in the European Union, its military part - the Western European Union, as well as NATO.

According to some information, President Zhelev informed the Greek President about the Declaration on the East- West transport corridor, signed by Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, regarding which, reportedly, Stefanopoulos said that "there is nothing better than having the communication knots intersect in the Balkans."

[02] LJUBICA ACEVSKA - AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.A.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov appointed Ljubica Acevska, formerly, representative of the Republic of Macedonia to the United States, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the U.S.A., on the basis of article 84, item 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.

[03] DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH SAUDI ARABIA

The extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Trajan Petrovski, submitted the copies of his credentials to the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud Al Feysal, in Riyadh yesterday. The talks held on this occasion focused on the development and advancement of the bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and Saudi Arabia, as well as the situation in the region of former Yugoslavia and the region of the Balkans.

Prince Saud Al Feysal, in wishing President Gligorov a speedy recovery and return to his duties, emphasized that Saudi Arabia was following the development of the Republic of Macedonia as an independent state, and its peaceful orientation, with great interests.

Ambassador Trajan Petrovski is the first extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with headquarters in Ankara.

[04] SWISS CHANCELLOR KUSPEN RECEIVES AMBASSADOR KERIM

The Federal Chancellor Francois Kuspen received the ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Switzerland, Srdjan Kerim, in the Federal Palace in Bern yesterday, the Foreign Ministry announced.

It was mutually assessed in the meeting that the relations between the Republic of Macedonia and Switzerland are developing successfully. In this context, chancellor Kuspen emphasized that the Swiss Government has earmarked funds from its new budget for 1996, for technical and financial help to the Republic of Macedonia, which, as it was assessed mutually, will contribute to closer cooperation between the two friendly countries.

[05] JAPANESE ASSISTANCE FOR ECO-PROBLEMS

A two-member delegation of the Japanese Special Fund will be staying in the Republic from today, through to the 27th of this month, to offer assistance for resolving some of the existing ecological problems in Macedonia. This Japanese fund presents a mediator between the Japanese Government and the countries from Central and Eastern Europe, for ecological ASSISTANCE, and the cooperation is carried out through the regional ecological center in Budapest. The delegation, consisting of the director of the Fund Mr. Seih Mimura and his assistant Mr. Victor Sakalis, will hold talks in the Ministry of Urbanization, Construction and Protection of the Living Environment, in the Skopje firm OHIS and the Mining Institute, the Veles Smeltery, the electric plant "Bitola" and the Republic Institute for International Technical Cooperation.

[06] KOREAN DELEGATION MEETS WITH STEVO CRVENKOVSKI

As part of its two-day visit to the Republic of Macedonia, Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski received the delegation from the Korean Foreign Ministry yesterday, led by Deputy Minister Kim Chang Riong.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the development of the contacts between the two ministries and the start of more intensive bilateral cooperation.

In conveying the wishes of the Korean leadership for President Gligorov's speedy recovery, as well as the greetings from the Korean Foreign Minister, the delegation invited the Macedonian Foreign Minister to officially visit Pjong Jang at the start of next year. The Foreign Minister accepted the invitation with pleasure.

[07] GOVERNMENT HOLDS 50TH SESSION

The main topic at the Government's 50th session on Monday was the Proposal for the adoption of a law on the transformation of companies and cooperatives with state-owned capital, that work with farming land. As the minister-spokesman Gjuner Ismail stated at yesterday's news conference, the adoption of this law is very important, because the process of privatization includes more than 200 companies from the agricultural sphere, which were excluded from the transformation with the basic Law on transformation of companies with state- owned capital.

As we were informed yesterday, the Government session also tackled the problems with the water supply in the Republic. The Government reviewed the project for the construction of the hydro-system "Zletovica," which, after the end of the first phase (by the end of 1998) will resolve the problem with the water supply in the four most endangered municipalities - Sveti Nikole, Shtip, Probishtip and Kratovo. By the year 2025, on the other hand, with the full realization of this project, the problems with the shortage of drinking water and irrigation of the existing farming land, are expected to be resolved. The whole project costs a total of US$ 100 million, and in the coming period, the Macedonian Government will address the international institutions with a request for a credit of up to US$ 60 million, i.e. 60% of the value of the project, which, among the rest, foresees the construction of three hydroelectric power plants, with an annual production of 50 million KWH.

[08] DELEGATION OF INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE BALKANS IN MACEDONIA

Parliamentary Speaker Stojan Andov received the delegation of the Institute ASPEN from Berlin yesterday. In the longer discussion, the members of this international commission on the Balkans were interested in the democratic changes taking place in Macedonia, emphasizing the sympathies and congratulations on Macedonia's membership in a number of European associations.

Andov briefed his guests on the aspects of the country's foreign policy, especially the relations with the neighbors. In this context, he emphasized the significance of the Agreement on the regulation of the relations between the Republic of Macedonia and neighboring Greece, and the general orientation to help the peace in the region and wider, in war-infested regions.

The delegation also met with the ministers Blagoy Handziski, Ljubomir Frckovski and Emilija Simoska yesterday.

[09] WORKERS IN BUS FACTORY "11 OCTOBER" HOLD DEMONSTRATIONS

Workers in the bus factory "11 October" held a protest meeting in front of the Government building in Skopje yesterday, because their demands, determined as part of their month-long strike had still not been met. After the negotiations in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, and the information from their negotiating team that a part of their May and June salaries will be paid and that they will be given work, the workers, obviously, very suspicious, returned to the factory where, according to the promise made to them, they would be given the other details surrounding their demands.

The payment of their May and June salaries was actually a condition for going back to work, however, whether the strike will end entirely will depend on how pleased the workers will be with what they will be told. As a reminder, the other demands of the workers are: a continuity in the payment of their outstanding wages, dismissal of the general director, determination of the responsibility of the Managing board for the difficult situation of the factory, replacement of the government representative in the Managing board and financial assistance, i.e. guarantee for the realization of the agreed deals.

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