MAK-NEWS 07/04/95 (M.I.L.S.)
From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>
CONTENTS
[01] MILITARY COOPERATION WITH GREAT BRITAIN
[02] MILITARY COOPERATION WITH NORWAY
[03] EUROPEAN COURT RECOMENDATION
[04] JACOBS IMPOSES POLITICAL PRESSURE, FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS
[05] US CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT MACEDONIA
[06] ANSON VISITS TETOVO
[07] ALBANIAN TRADE UNION DELEGATION TO MACEDONIA
[08] ECONOMIC FIGURES
[09] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: GERMANY IS NOT A GREAT POWER! (Puls, 7 April 1995)
M I L S N E W S
Skopje, 7 April 1995
[01] MILITARY COOPERATION WITH GREAT BRITAIN
Macedonian President Gligorov yesterday received Vice
marshal David Henderson, Deputy Chief-of-staff of the
British Army. The talks were also attended by Defense
Minister Blagoj Handziski and the British ambassador to
Macedonia Tony Millson. They concluded that the cooperation
between the two countries is growing successfully in various
fields, including the defense sector. President Gligorov
stressed Macedonia's European orientation and the country's
interest in being actively included in the collective
security system of Europe, as well as in the Partnership For
Peace NATO initiative.
Henderson had a separate meeting with Defense Minister
Handziski, in attendance of General Dragoljub Bocinov,
Chief-of-staff of the Macedonian Army. They talked about the
mutual readiness to sign a memorandum on military
cooperation during the coming visit of Handziski to London
and his meeting with his British counterpart Malcom
Reefkind.
In his statement following the meetings, Henderson said
Britain will shortly send military experts to Macedonia to
help in the training of Macedonian troops in accordance with
the efforts to modernize the army.
[02] MILITARY COOPERATION WITH NORWAY
Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski yesterday
received John Garder, the newly appointed ambassador of
Norway to Macedonia. They underlined that frequent and
intensive contacts between the two ministries of defense
contribute to the further development of cooperation in the
field of defense. They also discussed a possibility of
signing a memorandum on military cooperation to define
future joint activities. Garder announced a pending visit of
a group of Norwegian experts to the Macedonian Ministry of
Defense.
[03] EUROPEAN COURT RECOMENDATION
The General Attorney of the European Court of Justice in the
case of the European Commission versus Greece, regarding the
unilateral Greek embargo on Macedonia, recommended that the
Court turns down the Commission's initiative and order it to
cover all expenses.
"Having in mind all the circumstances in the case, the Court
of Justice has no authority to decide upon the differences
between Greece and Macedonia and it is my view that the
Court ought to turn down the initiative and make the
Commission pay for all expenses," General Attorney Francis
Jacobs concluded.
Nova Makedonija writes that the Court has confirmed that the
final decision may be favorable for Macedonia and the
Commission, but it should not be expected before next
October.
Jacobs himself believes that the dispute is beyond the
Court's authority, as it is a political problem and it is
not the Court's business to decide who has the right over
the Vergina Sun symbol. Under current circumstances, he
claims, and taking the geopolitical and historical
background of the problem, Greece may even have been in the
right to be concerned that the relations with Macedonia
could grow into an armed conflict.
"The Government and people of Greece are deeply concerned
and firmly believe that another country is usurping their
cultural heritage and has aspirations toward part of their
territory," Jacobs states. Furthermore, he said the Court is
in no position to criticize the position and ways in which a
country defends its own interests, adding there are no
judicial criteria for deciding upon such matters. In this
sense, there are just no legal grounds for deciding whether
the trade embargo is or is not an adequate way to resolve
problems.
[04] JACOBS IMPOSES POLITICAL PRESSURE, FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS
Regarding the recommendation to the European Court of
Justice by General Attorney Jacobs, the Macedonian Foreign
Ministry issued a public statement, saying, "The conclusion
of the General Attorney of the Court of Justice in
Luxembourg is indeed surprising. Leaving the legal aspects
of the case aside as presented in the EU documents, and
especially the provisions in article 113 of the Charter and
other regulations of the Council of Europe, we believe that
this is an attempt by Jacobs to impose political pressure on
Macedonia. In this case, the question is not whether the
court has authority to decide in the dispute between Greece
and Macedonia, as the General Attorney seems to be saying,
but to decide whether Greece is violating the Charter, as
accused of by the European Commission. We are assured that
the Court will make a just decision. Otherwise, it would be
an unprecedented case, unknown of in the past practices of
the EU, and likely to encourage other similar economic
blockades and pressures as ways to resolve certain bilateral
disputes. In unstable parts of the continent, this may
easily result in the introduction of methods of economic
violence."
[05] US CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT MACEDONIA
As part of a tour to several European countries, US
Republican congressmen Dug Beroyter and Gerald Solomon will
pay a visit to Macedonia on April 11. They are expected to
be received by President Gligorov, Parliament President
Andov and Foreign Minister Crvenkoski, as well as to visit
the US contingent in the UNPREDEP forces in Macedonia.
[06] ANSON VISITS TETOVO
Macedonian Radio reports Hugo Anson, special envoy of the UN
Secretary General to Macedonia, held a meeting behind closed
doors with municipal leaders in Tetovo, yesterday. Tetovo
township president Shakir Aliti told reporters they
discussed the political situation in Tetovo and the problems
in the local government. Vice president Drakche Kuzmanovski,
on the other hand, stated there had been bitter arguments
resulting from the arbitrary claims by Albanian
representatives, who said they are deprived of their rights
and are not included in the local government. Kuzmanovski
said he and Anson had discussed the increasingly frequent
violation of the Constitution and law by Albanian settlers,
the 10,000 or so illegally built houses and the refusal to
hoist the Macedonian flag in the town hall.
[07] ALBANIAN TRADE UNION DELEGATION TO MACEDONIA
A delegation of the Confederation of Trade Unions in Albania
arrived in Skopje yesterday, led by president Kastriot Muci.
Following the meeting with his Macedonian counterpart Zhivko
Tolevski and his associates, they held a joint press
conference to say that this was the first official meeting
of the two unions and was of an informative nature. They
pointed out there are many identical problems and mutual
interests, informing that they had opened several avenues of
cooperation. The common conclusion was that the trade unions
can do much to contribute to the improvement of the
relations between Albania and Macedonia and in the direction
of maintaining peace and stability.
[08] ECONOMIC FIGURES
Retail prices in March increased by 1.6 per cent as compared
to February. The rise of the total index of retail prices
was somewhat alleviated by lower prices of agricultural
products, officials of the State Statistics Bureau said.
Services marked the highest increase of as much as 5.3 per
cent. Cost of living went up by 1.4 per cent in comparison
with February and by 24.6 per cent as compared with the same
month last year.
[09] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: GERMANY IS NOT A GREAT POWER!
(Puls, 7 April 1995)
In 1992, Mr. Klaus Kinkel, former Minister of Justice,
replaced the head position in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Germany, a position previously occupied for 17
years by Hans Dietrich Genscher. At that moment, it seemed
that his mandate would pass in the shadow of Genscher, who
had led German diplomacy as a visionary, leaving a mark on
European politics. But, predictions by many who thought they
were well informed about the German political scene and the
personality of Klaus Kinkel, soon proved to be wrong.
Kinkel, then 56 years old, spontaneously stood out with his
very elegant manner developed over a long career in
politics. A holder of Ph.D. in Law, he had started his
career at the Federal Office for Citizen protection, a
department of the Ministry of the Interior. There, he worked
as the closest advisor to the minister and head of his
cabinet. In 1974, he transferred to the Foreign Ministry,
and 5 years later was appointed a head of the Federal
Intelligence Agency. From there, he went to the Ministry of
Justice, beginning as an under secretary and rising to the
very top later on. Ever since then, world diplomacy has
known who Klaus Kinkel is and what he does.
He took over the foreign ministry at a quite difficult
moment for Germany. The country was reunited and was
experiencing the first moments of sobering up after the
celebration. The Eastern bloc had disintegrated and Germany
was at the same time the barrier and the door for the
inclusion of the East into the West. Russia let go, but did
not completely free the new independent states. The former
Yugoslavia fell apart, and Germany, under a direct influence
of the then Foreign Minister Genscher, recognized in
principle the right of the nations to succeed. But, even
some European partners of Germany accused the country of
having accelerated the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and
trying to impose itself as a leader of the European Union.
Genscher left and was replaced by Klaus Kinkel, who seemed
to feel obliged to prove from the very beginning that
Germany has never had, nor has now, the intention to become
the European leader. This view, however, was indicated by
US President Bill Clinton at one occasion, who pointed out
that Germany was the most serious US partner in Europe.
Although followed by the shadow of his predecessor, Kinkel
succeeded in giving German policy much of his personal mark
and some of his temperament and openness, sometimes even his
fearless manner (as in the case when he kept using the name
"Macedonia" in the middle of Athens at a press-conference
following his meeting with his Greek counterpart
Papoulias). Yet all this, somehow, only made German policy
more acceptable, understandable and even more relaxed to
some extent. All this is to Klaus Kinkel's merit.
His contribution to relations between Macedonia and Germany
is also great. The relations constantly improved, especially
during the period while Germany was presiding over the EU.
Unfortunately, despite the obvious efforts by Kinkel to help
in resolving the Greek-Macedonian dispute, it turned out to
be fruitless. Yet, the numerous direct contacts between
Macedonian and German diplomats revealed a common desire to
see the cooperation grow in all fields and even in the most
delicate one - the filed of defense.
The following is an interview of Klaus Kinkel with a Puls
reporter.
Question: Mr. Kinkel, Germany is no doubt a great economic
and political power. Yet, in our view, there seems to be a
large discrepancy between Germany's economic power and
political influence. Tell us, please, your opinion on this?
Answer: I am afraid I do not share your opinion on which
your question is based. It is wrong to try and equalize the
economic and political power of a nation. Germany is not a
world power and no one in my country has such aspirations.
I myself, as a foreign minister, try to contribute to a
balance in the country's foreign policy now that it has been
reunited, the same as the balance of our closest allies.
This is not a question of a greater political influence or
even leadership; we are trying to enable a united Germany to
undertake all of its tasks in the international community as
well as all of its responsibilities.
Question: Despite the fact that Germany, along with France,
is the biggest lobbyist for an integrated Europe, it would
seem that your allies are still afraid of the German power
and influence. It can often be heard that Germany intends to
become a leader in Europe.
Answer: I repeat, I am not aware of a single political force
in Germany with such aspirations. On the contrary, Germany,
along with France, is doing all it can to push the European
integration forward. And when I say integration, I mean
joining of essential political segments, in foreign policy
as much as in the security area. It is exactly in this field
that we insist on replacing the method of making decisions
from a consensus method to one of majority of votes! This
certainly includes a readiness to recognize and go along
with the decisions made by the majority, even though it may
be contrary to one's own attitude. This principle is quite
the opposite to a leadership aspiration.
Question: US President Bill Clinton pointed to Germany as to
one of America's most important partners in Europe, thus
indicating a leading role for Germany. This gave way to
dissatisfaction among certain European partners of Germany.
How would you evaluate your current relations with the US?
Answer: A close partnership with the US is of vital interest
for Germany, in the same way that partnerships with France
and Poland, our largest neighbors, are. Germany has much to
thank the US for; the American support for the reuniting of
Germany played a decisive role. The German-US relations are
good. In order to keep them that way, the relations must be
fostered. Analyzed from a long-term aspect, this
particularly refers to cultural, scientific and, probably
the most important of all, human relations. The
transatlantic dialogue must not be limited to meetings
between politicians and officials. The future ideological
leaders in the transatlantic relations can be shaped only
through an intensive exchange of young people, most of all
in the field of ideology. This is not a new type of trans
Atlantic partnership; this is more of an attempt to resolve
concrete problems regarding numerous tasks which can be
resolved only by the joint efforts of Europe and the US.
Question: In an attempt to provide a balance in security,
Germany fully supports the economic and political
integration of Russia into Europe. Due to the unpredictable
development of events in Russia, this is indeed a hard task
for you and your country. What are your relations with
Russia now?
Answer: Germany is one of the countries which strongly
supports current Russian reform processes in the economy and
politics. In this context, the credo of Germany is that, in
the long run, Western Europe can prosper only if Central and
Eastern European states achieve economic prosperity and
political stability. Russia is a key factor in this issue.
Therefore, I will continue to lobby for its inclusion in
European security institutions.
In fact, during the last meeting of EU ministers in
Carcasson, they accepted my suggestion to develop special
relations between the North Atlantic Treaty and Russia, in
the form of a Charter on Cooperation. The Russian
Government, nevertheless, has to deal with the Chechnya
situation and make sure that it respects human rights,
rights of nations and OSCE principles.
Question: Federal Germany played a "role from the shadow".
It would seem that the German policy on the complex Balkan
question is just like that - "an active noninterference".
How do you explain this?
Answer: I am afraid I will have to oppose you. In accordance
with its importance and responsibility for security in
Europe, Germany had a leading role in seeking a peaceful
solution to the Yugoslav crisis from the very beginning.
From the start, Germany was engaged in the International
Conference on the former Yugoslavia, participated in the EU
monitoring mission and in the control over the
implementation of the sanctions on Federal Yugoslavia.
Germany received over 400,000 refugees from the civil war in
the former Yugoslavia, which is more than any other European
country. Germany appointed Hans Koschnik an administrator of
Mostar.
Today, Germany is a member country of the Contact Group
which is currently doing all it can to prevent a possible
increase of clashes in Bosnia. Within the framework of the
Contact Group, and as a member of the Security Council,
Germany has recently been active in the development of new
UN mandates for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Besides this, the Federal
Government of Germany had a particularly active role in
strengthening the Bosnian-Croatian federation. Now you see
how Germany is acting as a leading force for peaceful
solutions to conflict in the region, both in joint actions
with other countries and in accordance with its influence on
certain sides in wars.
Question: In the process of the disintegration of the former
Yugoslavia, Germany, in principle, supported the right of
nations to self-declare. Germany was the first country to
send diplomatic representatives to Macedonia. The Republic
of Macedonia went through a difficult period because of
problems with the name, the Constitution and the flag. How
do you explain the fact that the sovereignty and
independence of Macedonia is permanently brought into
question?
Answer: Germany, just like almost all European states and
other significant factors in the world, recognized your
country and its sovereignty and territorial integrity. In
regard to the issues in dispute, your country ought to be
able to overcome the differences with Greece in a way which
takes into account your principles, but also the concerns of
Greece. In my contacts with Athens, I also insisted on a
quick solution for the dispute and will continue to do so.
Question: The Republic of Macedonia contributed to
maintaining peace and stability in the region and will
continue to do so. And yet, it has not been integrated into
political and security institutions in Europe, which is a
direct threat to its stability and economic welfare. Would
you say that this is due only to the arrogant behavior of
one country or is it also a result of something else as
well?
Answer: I have always lobbied for a quick and complete
inclusion of your country in European and transatlantic
structures. Unfortunately, such decisions in the Union and
in OSCE can be decided only upon a consensus. We are up
against connecting bilateral problems with multilateral
efforts for security and cooperation in Europe.
Question: Following the escalation of the war in the former
Yugoslavia, the international community backed Macedonia's
plea for securing its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The US asked Germany to share their obligation to deploy UN
troops in Macedonia. What is your view on such a
possibility.
Answer: The Federal Government has not received any demand
for inclusion of German soldiers in the UN forces. If we do
receive such a request, we will surely consider it with due
seriousness.
Question: Bilateral economic relations between Macedonia and
Germany are currently not at the level both sides are hoping
for. The trust Macedonia has in Germany is manifested by the
fact that the total national foreign currency reserves have
been deposited in a German bank. Will your coming visit to
Macedonia contribute to concrete agreements on economic
cooperation and where do you see possibilities for further
development of the bilateral relations?
Answer: You just presented a very negative picture of the
relations! The trading relations between our two countries,
despite the negative political circumstances, have been
developing satisfactorily during 1994; the trading scope in
the first 11 months of 1994 was higher than in the entire
previous year, with a trade surplus of over 25 million
German marks in the favor of your country. Donations by your
citizens working in Germany also contribute to improvement
of the payment operations balance in Macedonia. This proves
that we are doing all in our power to increase the economic
cooperation. We would like to see development in the field
of consulting in the current market reforms in Macedonia, in
projects for technical cooperation in agriculture, in
financing studies and engineering services for establishing
railroad links between Macedonia and Bulgaria, and in
intensifying trade cooperation. Over the past few years, the
German-Macedonian economic relations have improved
considerably. If we continue to follow this direction, the
relations will continue to develop in the future. The
condition for this is that Macedonia remains on the course
of market reforms, privatization of companies and
rehabilitation of banks.
(end)
mils-news 7 April '95
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