STOEL MEETS ANDOV AND LIMANOVSKI
Two days ago, Macedonian Parliament President Stojan Andov
received OSCE High Commissioner Max Van der Stoel. They
discussed the current political situation and ethnic
relations in Macedonia following the incident regarding the
university in Tetovo. Andov said the escalation was a result
of political and not educational goals, aimed at a wider
radicalization of the Albanian question in the region. The
political methods used, he said, would lead toward a wider
conflict on a national basis. Both Andov and Stoel concluded
the rights of minorities must be implemented within the
legal framework and in accordance with the constitution and
law.
Stoel later met with Nijazi Limanovski, president of the
Association of Ethnologists in Macedonia. Limanovski spoke
about the position of the Moslem Macedonians, saying the
Democratic Party of Turks is leading an aggressive policy
toward Moslem Macedonians and the political parties of
Albanians are attempting to assimilate this category of
citizen. Education and government institutions and their
conformist and opportune policy is to be blamed for the
current position of the Moslem Macedonian, he said.
SLOVENIA SUPPORTS MACEDONIA'S SOVEREIGNTY
Slovenia supports the sovereignty and independence of
Macedonia, insisting that problems concerning the illegal
university ought to be resolved within the constitutional
and legal framework of the state. This was stated by Ignjac
Golob, State Secretary of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry, at
a meeting with the Macedonian ambassador to Slovenia,
Dimitar Mirchev. They also discussed the development of
bilateral relations and Mirchev pointed to a need for an
urgent solution to the problem of Macedonian workers now on
a hunger strike in Slovenia.
DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS
- Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov yesterday received
Arnold Hugentobler, ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to
Macedonia, currently visiting Macedonia. They talked about
improving bilateral economic relations and cooperation.
Hugentobler met separately with Parliament President Andov,
Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, and Ilinka Mitreva,
president of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign
Relations.
- Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski yesterday
met with Dennis Schneider, Canadian Charge d' Affaires in
Belgrade. They talked about improvement of bilateral
relations. Crvenkovski stressed the need of establishing
diplomatic ties and opening a Macedonian diplomatic or an
liaison office in Canada.
- Yesterday the governments of Macedonia, Antigua and
Barbuda established diplomatic relations and appointed non-
resident ambassadors yesterday.
ALBANIAN OFFICIAL DEMANDS EQUALITY FOR ETHNIC ALBANIANS
"It is one thing to be concerned with Macedonia as a key
element of stability in the Balkans, and quite another thing
to be resolutely determined to struggle for the rights of
ethnic Albanians living there." This was stated yesterday by
Arian Starova, Deputy Foreign Minister of Albania, as quoted
by A1 Television. If Skopje continues on this course,
Starova reportedly said, "we will not accept unfulfilled
promises by the Macedonian leadership." He said the events
in Tetovo will affect the diplomatic relations between the
two countries. Saying he still supports the idea "to have
this small Slav-Macedonian state consolidated as an
independent and autonomous state", Starova stated that
Albanian diplomacy is expecting to see progress in the
implementation of the rights of ethnic Albanians in
Macedonia and the recognition of them as an essential and
equal element in the Macedonian state.
AKASHI GIVES INTERVIEW WITH PRISHTINA WEEKLY "KOHA"
A1 Television reports that Yasushi Akashi, Special UN Envoy
for the former Yugoslavia, gave an interview with the
Prishtina weekly Koha and commented on relations between
ethnic Albanians and Macedonians in Macedonia. He said the
last report on the situation in Macedonia is not good,
adding that he hopes the dialogue between the Macedonian
ethnic majority and ethnic Albanians will go well. Akashi
also hoped the university issue will be resolved by
compromise. He said stability in Macedonia may be endangered
for two reasons: economic difficulties and ethnic minorities
issues, that is the Albanian minority. Akashi offered to
mediate in the dialogue, underling that internal affairs
ought to remain a responsibility of the International
Conference on the Former Yugoslavia.
PEDAGOGICAL ACADEMY APPOINTS PROFESSORS IN ALBANIAN
The Teachers Council at the Pedagogical Academy in Skopje
decided to appoint Dr. Dzeladin Murati as a professor of
pedagogy in the Albanian language, Redzep Balaci as a
professor of psychology, and Dr. Seifedin Suleimani as a
professor of educational sociology.
PDP REQUESTS CONSULTATION FOR A PRODUCTIVE PARLIAMENT
The PDP parliamentary group yesterday held a session at
parliament. Following the meeting, coordinator Ismet
Ramadani said they had discussed events in Tetovo,
Macedonian Radio reports. The parliamentary group decided on
a need of talks with President Gligorov, Parliament
President Stojan Andov, and other top officials, to state
their view that the PDP must be consulted before proposing
new laws to regulate sensitive issues concerning ethnic
relations. In this way, Ramadani said, the process of
passing new laws will be more productive. The group has
still not decided whether to continue its participation in
parliament. It will not take part in the continuation of the
tenth session, and has yet to decide upon future
participation. The final decision is expected today.
PDP and NDP representatives yesterday met with Parliament
President Andov.
WRONG POLITICAL STEPS LEAD TO WARS, DZAFERI SAYS
According to Arben Dzaferi, leader of the Tetovo-based PDP
faction, the main cause for the current crisis in Macedonia
is the desire of one people to dominate over another. This,
he said, is being done by the Milosevic regime, and is being
carried out through laws in Macedonia. We will not
dissociate ourselves from Fadil Suleimani and the idea for a
university, Dzaferi said. Our conditions are to have
Suleimani released and the university courses restarted.
Only then will we discuss matters. At present, the conflict
is between the people and the authorities, but it may easily
turn into an ethnic conflict. The idea is for an Albanian-
language university that is not destabilizing to Macedonia;
on the contrary, such a university would only contribute to
long-term stability within the country. The government is
taking the wrong steps, and wrong steps lead to wars.
PARTY REACTIONS AND STATEMENTS
Several political parties in Macedonia reacted yesterday
concerning the university in Tetovo.
- The Democratic Party says this is all a result of the
current government's policy and its working behind the back
of the nation. The government's secret meetings with
informal political groups are disturbing, as this introduces
distortion into the political system for which the
government must account. The government makes promises
easily, acts with a delay instead of in a preventive manner,
and always retreats in the face of ultimatums by the
political parties of ethnic Albanians. The Democratic Party
insists that the government openly tells the public what it
has promised the ethnic Albanians.
- VMRO-DPMNE says the parties of the Alliance for Macedonia
and their coalition partner PDP bear the greatest
responsibility for the current ethnic tension and any future
escalation.
- VMRO-DP accuses the current government of using the media
as a means of promoting the Albanian minority into a partner
for resolving the university in Tetovo issue.
- The Democratic Party of Turks in Macedonia emphasized the
danger of radicalization of ethnic relations, demanding that
President Gligorov uses his authority to resolve the problem
through dialogue and within the institutional framework.
NEVZAT HALILI TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
Nevzat Halili, leader of the new party of Albanians in
Macedonia PDP - Party of National Unity, was taken into
custody yesterday, Makpress reports. Halili is a close
associate of Fadil Suleimani, the rector of the university
in Tetovo, and was directly involved in the events
surrounding the university, especially in the village of
Poroy.
PARLIAMENT POSTPONES SESSIONS
The Parliament Information Service announced the
postponement of the tenth, eleventh and thirteenth session
for next week, due to requests by parliamentary groups.
HEPATITIS IN RESEN
Health workers in Resen discovered 45 cases of contagious
hepatitis in the elementary school "Mite Bogoevski" in
Resen. Nineteen of the pupils have been affected since the
beginning of January. The epidemic center in Resen declared
the situation an epidemic state in elementary school. The
schools will continue their work, but under strengthened
measures to improve hygiene and communal conditions.
CULTURAL BRIEFS
The French Cultural Center in Skopje and the Association of
Cultural Cooperation between Macedonia and France will
organize lectures at the French Cultural Center. Professor
Dr. Kiril Temkov of the Faculty of Philosophy of Skopje will
give a lecture on "Voltaire and His Epoch of Light", at 6
p.m., today. Tomorrow at 6 p.m. professor Nano Ruzhin will
speak about Macedonia and its foreign policy.
UNPROFOR TO DISTRIBUTE GIFTS TO CHILDREN
UNPROFOR troops will play a delayed Santa Clause tomorrow,
Thursday, February 23, when it distributes gifts to nearly
100 students from 20 schools around Skopje. The gifts are
from two Danish companies - Lego and Stimorol - and the
schools were selected by the Macedonian Ministry of
Education. Soldiers from the Second Finnish Company based in
Skopje will entertain people with traditional songs from
Finland. The event takes place at 13:30 hrs at UNPROFOR
Headquarters.