MILS NEWS 06/03/96

From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@MILS.SPIC.ORG.MK>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 6 March 1996

[01] SIMITIS - NAME ISSUE SHOULD BE SOLVED SOON?

Greek Premiere Constantine Simitis, reported 'Makfax' agency from Athens, made a political decision to solve the name issue of Macedonia, as soon as possible. According to Greek papers, the decision was made together with the Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos after their meeting with the Greek UN Ambassador Hristos Zaharakis yesterday. The pro-government daily 'Ta Nea' comented the view of the diplomatic circles in Athens that the continuous postponment of the name issue is not in the interest of Greece, as the Greek-Turkish relations are becoming more and more tense.

According to 'Ta Nea', the solution would be a name which would satisfy both parties, i.e. a complex name for which both sides would have to yield. Such a name has still not been found, but Simitis would, allegedly, immediately after it is found, convene the leaders of the political parties under leadership of the Greek President Stefanopoulos. The left wing orientated 'Elefterotipia' stressed, on the other hand, that the name issue was in the last phase and that both Athens and Skopje were making efforts to exchange documents on mutual compromise.

Meanwhile, Athens News Agency informed that the Greek Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA) met yesterday to discuss 'the entire range' of national issues, including Greek-Turkish relations and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Government Spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the KYSEA meeting had focused on Greek - Turkish relations, while there had been a 'briefing' discussion of the FYROM issue, which had also been discussed the day before by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and other officials.

On FYROM, Reppas said that dialogue was continuing and that no new ideas had been put forward.

[02] FORMER SFRY SUCCESSION ISSUE FROZEN

According to A-1 Television, FRY had made an attempt yesterday to add to the Agreement on the normalization of the relations with Skopje that there are no unclear issues in the relations of the two countries. Macedonian party, on the other hand, once more expressed its readiness to sign the previously agreed text of the document. The version reads that the issue on the succession of the property of former SFRY is frozen and will be solved by the Group on Succession and within the Conference on Former Yugoslavia.

[03] MACEDONIA EXCLUDED FROM THE AID

At the Conference on 'Restructuring and Cooperation of the Countries of Former Yugoslavia' held in Rome the day before yesterday, it was said the World Bank and the UN will allocate $ 4 billion total financial aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia . Representative of the Italian Foreign Ministry Paolo Bruni said that 'Macedonia was excluded from this aid'.

[04] GLIGOROV - RUGOVA MEETING

Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov met yesterday with the leader of Albanians in Kosovo and a President of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, on his request. Discussions focused on the current situation in Macedonia, in Kosovo and in the region.

The day before yestreday, Rugova also had meeting with the Albanian President Sali Berisha in Tirana, concluding that a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristine is necessary, but it should be mediated by a third party. The official announcement was that Rugova and Berisha discussed the situation in the region and the necessity to solve the issue of Kosovo as soon as possible.

Albanian side had recently stressed that the third party in the Serbia-Kosovo discussions should be the USA.

[05] ACCELERATING TRANSPORT CONECTIONS WITH BULGARIA

Macedonia Premiere Branko Crvenkovski and the Bulgarian Transport Minister Stamen Stamenov, expressed yesterday their mutual satisfaction from the current cooperation in the field of transport and communications, and their hope for a more fruitful economy cooperation between the two countries. It was agreed that the current activities regarding the construction of the rail way and of the roads in the East - West Corridor project, need to be intensified.

Both sides also agreed on forming joint expert groups in creating regulations which would improve the transport circulation, emphasizing the need for modernization of current border crossings, as well as the opening of the new ones. It was said that the work of the customs officers and other workers at the border crossings must be improved. The Ministers concluded that bigger investments will be necessary to intensify the construction of the rail track which will connect the two countries.

During the meeting Stamenov had with the Macedonian Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski, he extended the invitation to Frckovski from the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski, to pay a visit to Bulgaria.

[06] AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR ACCREDITED

Macedonian Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski received yesterday the newly appointed extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Australia to Macedonia Noel Campbell, who handed him the copies of the accreditive letters. On this occasion issues of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the current situation in the region and the relations of Macedonia with its neighbours, were discussed.

Ambassador Campbell will be received by President Gligorov today, when he will hand him the original of accreditive letters.

[07] PROTOCOL VISITS OF THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR

On the meeting with the Macedonian Minister of Agriculture Nikola Parakeov, the UK and Northern Ireland Ambassador to Macedonia, Tony Millson, discussed the situation in the agriculture in Macedonia and stressed the necessity for further international assistance in this area.

Ambassador Millson also met with the Macedonian Minister of Culture, Slobodan Unkovski, and discussed the need for signing of a program for mutual cooperation in the field of culture.

[08] PETKOVSKI - MOST SERIOUS CANDIDATE FOR A NEW PRESIDENT OF THE

PARLIAMENT According to A-1 Television, the current Vice-President of the Macedonian Parliament Tito Petkovski will most probably be elected a new Parliament President. That is, in fact, a decision of his Party, SDSM, supported by other Coalition Parties. It is not expected for the resignation of Stojan Andov to be discussed on today's session of the Parliament.

The Parliamentary Election Commission have to confirm the candidacy for a new President, after which the members of the Parliament will vote. According to the Macedonian Television, however, not a single candidacy was submitted to the Commission till yesterday.

Meanwhile, some MP's gave public statements on the future work of the Parliament:

Nano Ruzin (SDSM) - 'I expect from the new Parliament President to deepen the democratic processes inside and outside the Parliament in future, to respect the institution 'Member of the Parliament', to respect the statute, to improve the informing of the deputies and of the public, and to withstand the challenges of the already divided Parliament.'

Mirko Tripunovski (SPM) - 'I expect that real political determinations will be expressed in the Parliament in future. I also expect that the requests of the citizens for faster passing of the laws will be fulfilled. I do not, by no means, want to say that the Parliament has not functioned properly so far.'

Abduraf Prusi (PDP) - 'My opinion is that the quality of the work of the Parliament will improve, and that a good opposition will be created, which will positively influence the decisions of the Government. Regarding the President of the Parliament (Andov), our Parliamentary group does not have any remarks on his work.'

Ace Kocevski (LP) - 'The Parliamentary Group of the Liberal Party supports President of the Parliament Stojan Andov in his submitting a resignation, which is a result of his high ethics and his respect for the Constitution and the Laws.

These are the reasons why we think that no other deputy of the Alliance for Macedonia, a possible future President of the Parliament, will have the moral credibility to perform that function. I claim that the Parliamentary group of the Liberal Party will try to return the dignity of the opposition.'

Tomislav Stojanovski (DPM) - 'I expect that changing the President of the Parliament will bring other changes. It would probably bring to a new stile of work, starting the session on time, and greater engagement both of the deputies and of the President.'

Kenan Hasini (DPA - Party for Moslem Way) - 'We will now have more numerous opposition in the Parliament, which will probably make the discussions more constructive and longer.'

[09] HIGH TIME FOR THE OPPOSITION TO UNITE

'MAAK - Conservative Party has joined the initiative for collecting 150 000 signatures for a referendum on early elections, and the opinion of its members is that it is a high time for the opposition Parties to unite.' - said the President of this Party Strasho Angelovski on yesterday's press conference. He pointed out that the Macedonian Parliament, on its today's session, should explain the procedure of collecting the signatures. Angelovski estimated the current political situation in the country a 'quiet coup d' etat', and expressed his worry for the dragging out of the FRY recognition of Macedonia, as well as regarding the waiting for the political outcome of the situation in the country.

[10] DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL UNION IN SKOPJE

A delegation of the European Football Union, led by its president Lenart Johanson, paid a visit to Skopje yesterday, meeting with the representatives of the Macedonian Football Association. Issues of: aid to the Macedonian Association by the UEFA; the eventual participation of another Macedonian team in the European Cups; the possibility for UEFA to participate in the financing of the program for the youth football development; and the help in standardization of the play grounds according to UEFA criteria, were subject of discussion.

The delegation was also received by the Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and by the President of the Macedonian Parliament, Stojan Andov.

Today, an Agreement on Including Macedonian Football Association in the assistance program for Eastern European countries, is expected to be signed.

[11] ARCHBISHOP GAVRIL PASSED AWAY

Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, who was the third (retired) Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Gavril, passed away the day before yesterday in Skopje. Archbishop Gavril died at the age of 84. He was a founder and a Dean of the first Macedonian Orthodox Theological Faculty, made the first translation of the Bible in Macedonian language, and oppened the Cathedral St. Clement of Ohrid in Skopje. He contributed a great deal to the affirmation of the Macedonian Church. Following his wish, Archbishop Gavril will be buried at the Church St. Naum of Ohrid in the settlement of Radishani in Skopje. The Holy Synod proclaimed a three days mourning in the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

(end)

mils news 6 March 1996