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MILS NEWS 22/03/96From: "M.I.L.S." <mils@MILS.SPIC.ORG.MK>Macedonian Information Liaison Service DirectoryCONTENTS[01] MADLEINE ALBRIGHT IN MACEDONIA TOMORROW[02] FRCHKOVSKI: SPREADING OF NATO TO SOUTHERN EUROPE[03] NORMALISATION OF FRY- MACEDONIA RELATIONS WILL NOT INFLUENCE THE SUCCESSION[04] ATHENS WILL ACCEPT A COMPLEX NAME WITH 'MACEDONIA' IN IT[05] ENCOURAGING THE FOREIGN INVESTMENTS[06] BRITISH AMBASSADOR MET WITH TITO PETKOVSKI[07] TANSU CHILER DID NOT ASK TO VISIT MACEDONIA[08] SDSM IN THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL?[09] LIBERALS SUGGEST RELEASING OF THE PARLIAMENT[10] NEGATIVE TRENDS IN ENERGY AND METAL INDUSTRIES[11] DAYS OF ECOLOGY[12] ECO PROTEST IN TITOV VELESMILS SUPPLEMENT[13] Reasons to Worry ('Vecer', 22 March 1996)MILS NEWSSkopje, 22 March 1996[01] MADLEINE ALBRIGHT IN MACEDONIA TOMORROWThe US Information Centre in Skopje confirmed yesterday that the American UN Ambassador Madleine Albright will pay a one- day visit to Macedonia tomorrow. She is expected to meet with President Kiro Gligorov, Foreign Affairs Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski and Defense Minister Blagoj Hanjiski.Ms. Albright will attend the official opening of the US Embassy in Skopje, and will visit the US battalion of UNPREDEP. [02] FRCHKOVSKI: SPREADING OF NATO TO SOUTHERN EUROPEDuring the Prague Conference of the 12 East European countries, all candidates for members of NATO, Macedonian delegation, headed by the Macedonian Foreign Minister, Ljubomir Frchkovski, suggested to the US State Secretary, Warren Christopher, NATO to be spread to the southern Europe, which would include Macedonia and Albania. The spreading would be a kind of balancing with northern Europe, where most members of NATO came from, said Frckovski after his arrival to Skopje.He also informed on the meeting he had with his Chezh counterpart Zelenec where they discussed on the current legal, economy and political bilateral contacts, as well as the possibilities for signing agreements in the field of legislation, which would outline the future cooperation. Macedonian interest in the participation in CEFTA Organisation had also been emphasised, on what Chezh party will give full support. Macedonian Foreign Minister stresed that the invitations for Minister Zelenec and President Vaclav Havel to come to Macedonia were renewed. [03] NORMALISATION OF FRY- MACEDONIA RELATIONS WILL NOT INFLUENCE THE SUCCESSIONMacedonian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, led by its President Ilinka Mitreva, paid a visit to the Slovenian Parliament yesterday in Ljubljana, and discussed the improving of the cooperation between the two Parliaments and the two countries in general. The representatives stressed the pro-European orientation of Macedonia and Slovenia, and exchanged views on obstacles they face in joining the European integration.Ms. Mitreva informed the Slovenian colleagues that the forthcoming normalisation of the relations between Macedonia and FRY will not influence the process of succession of former SFRY nor the mutual stands based on the conclusions of the Badinter's Commission. [04] ATHENS WILL ACCEPT A COMPLEX NAME WITH 'MACEDONIA' IN ITA-1 Television reported the information of the Italian Agency ANSA that Greek Premiere Simitis and Information Minister Reppas, who are paying a visit to Italy, had expressed readiness to accept a complex name for the northern neighbour which would include the term 'Macedonia'.The options mentioned were, as alleged, 'New Macedonia' and 'Slav Macedonia'. The Greek officials said they would succeed to reach an agreement for that in Greece, despite the resistance inside the governmental coalition. Belgrade media also informed yesterday that Athens shows signs of acceptance for the name 'New Macedonia', as a compromise which could be reached soon. According to 'Makfax' agency, Belgrade media wrote yesterday that Athens was greatly relieved by the postponing of Miloshevic's coming to Macedonia. They added that Athens was not against the normalisation of the relations, but disagreed with the intention of FRY to recognise Macedonia under its Constitutional name, without waiting for the results of the negotiations on the name issue in New York. [05] ENCOURAGING THE FOREIGN INVESTMENTSThe US Private Investment Organisation (OPEC) will sign an Agreement with Macedonia next week, by which the investments of the US private corporations in Macedonia will be guaranteed and insured.Today daily 'Dnevnik' writes about the possibility for a branch of the Greek Ionian Bank to be opened in Skopje. The paper says representative of the Bank had meetings with the Macedonian National Bank, as well as with Stopanska, Komercijalna and Rado Banks. Uncompleted regulations in the banking system of Macedonia is still a problem, adds the paper. Ionian Bank is one of the oldest in Greece and is controlled by the government. [06] BRITISH AMBASSADOR MET WITH TITO PETKOVSKIBritish Ambassador to Macedonia Tony Millson met yesterday with the Macedonian Parliament President, Tito Petkovski, on the issue of exchanging the parliamentary experiences of both countries. Ambassador Millson congratulated the new position to Petkovski, and expressed his hope that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries will be further improved.[07] TANSU CHILER DID NOT ASK TO VISIT MACEDONIAThe former Turkish Premiere Tansu Chiler did not ask to visit Macedonia, official sources in Skopje informed yesterday, which denies the statement given by the Greek Spokesman Reppas that Macedonia had refused to welcome Chiler.[08] SDSM IN THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL?Vice President of the German Social-Democratic Parliamentary group G=FCnter Ferhoigen, discussed yesterday with SDSM leadership the possibility for SDSM to join the Socialist International. It is expected that this ruling Macedonian Party will be admitted as a member on this year's Congress of the organisation.[09] LIBERALS SUGGEST RELEASING OF THE PARLIAMENTLiberal Party PM's yesterday officially submitted a proposal for releasing the Macedonian Parliament in September this year. They also suggested the new electoral laws to be adopted by then.The explanation of the proposal reads that after the breaking up of the coalition "Alliance for Macedonia', this came as a necessity. The stand of the Liberals is that 88 members of the Parliament, elected in 1994, should reconfirm the trust of the voters, as at that time, they were candidates of the coalition: SDSM, LP and SPM. [10] NEGATIVE TRENDS IN ENERGY AND METAL INDUSTRIESThe production of energy, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, has remained negative at the beginning of this year. This was said on yesterday's meeting of the Associations for Energy and for Metal Industry, emphasizing that 10 enterprises in this sector were bankrupt. The reasons for such negative trends were said to be the disturbed reproduction flows, the lack of system solutions, disparity of the exchange rate of the denar, and the unsuitable interests rates and credit-monetary policy. In order to overcome the problems, it was requested that the necessary regulations must be completed and macro economy policy defined.[11] DAYS OF ECOLOGYMarch 21, the Day of Spring, the Week of Ecology and the first day of the campaign 'Youngsters for a Healthy Natural Environment' (established as a traditional one by the Macedonian government), were marked yesterday in the whole Republic. Young people, mostly pupils, cleaned the school yards and buildings, and there were many exhibitions and performances, as well as afforesting actions. Macedonian Ministry of Works and Ecology obliged itself to provide 400 000 seedlings to be planted this year. The central celebration was to be a multimedia happening, but it was postponed for a few days due to the bad weather.[12] ECO PROTEST IN TITOV VELESThe Week of Ecology was marked yesterday in Titov Veles by an eco-protest in front of the Smeltery 'Zletovo', one of the greatest polluters in Macedonia. 2 000 citizens expressed their revolt for the carelessness in the solving of the ecology problems of the town. The ecologists from Skopje, Kumanovo, Tetovo, etc. also participated in the protest, informed Macedonian Radio. This gathering was organised by the Ecology Association 'Vila Zora' and they sent a letter to President Kiro Gligorov, Premiere Crvenkovski and to the Ministry of Works and Ecology, in which they require urgent measures to be taken for the pollution problem to be solved. They request the technical production to be rationalised, a study to be made for a production with ecologically acceptable solutions, protection of the Vardar River from pollution, engaging of the Government in the financing of the permanent solutions for the Smeltery problem, public announcements of the results of the pollution and an urgent passing of the Law on Protection of the Environment.MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] Reasons to Worry('Vecer', 22 March 1996)Is Macedonia becoming a dangerous place to live in? This question is more present in the public with every new murder. And we have witnessed at least one murder a week since the beginning of this year. Some of them were brutal, some were done for money, some of negligence. What is sure is that they increase the tension amongst the citizens, as a human destiny, a drama and a tragedy of a whole family lies behind each of them.The fact that more than 200 murders have taken place in Macedonia since its independence must not be neglected. It increases the feeling of jeopardy in the public, which had resulted in several meetings of mothers and parents, who were trying to organise themselves for a more secure life. Many competent experts find the reasons for the murders in the lower quality of life, in the ineffectiveness of the police, in the slow reaction of the courts, etc. D-r Zoran Suleimanov, the Assistant Minister of Justice, whose specialty is the research of the murders phenomena, has different attitudes about it. He recently published a book titled 'Murders in Macedonia', in which he presents all the characteristics of the murders for the period from 1973 to 1983. According to him, the murders in Macedonia are at a constant level of 38 average murders per year. The difference is that several paid for murders have taken place since 1991, as a consequence of the new social system. Therefore, one can not jump into conclusions that things are going downwards. What we should be afraid of is the future. 'We voluntarily took the risk of building a new system, and had accepted all its positive and negative sides. That is why it is normal to expect an increased number of murders in future. My opinion is that their number will increase, maybe three or five times. But I do not think that the motives will change, I think the reasons will be settling of accounts between organised groups, drug trafficking, orders murders etc. The social layers will be becoming more and more distant, and we have to expect from people to start killing for money.' says Suleimanov. He claims there is no system which can make people feel completely secure and that until there are relations between people there will be crimes, as well. 'We can make efforts to reduce the crimes, but we can not prevent it. There is a feeling of insecurity amongst the citizens, but it is not due to the increased number of murders, but due to the greater interest of the media in them. Nothing else. There might be insecurity due to the bigger number of other crimes, but that is another issue. The picture of crime in a country was always created from the situation regarding murders, as capital crimes. And if the public is animated in this area, it can be in others, as well.' Suleimanov writes in his book that the best prevention is 'the improving of the social and economy conditions of life, overcoming the primitivism and the narrow-mindedness of people.' Increasing the level of the consciousness of people is a sphere where actions should be taken immediately. Also, arms smuggling has to be stopped, the control of who possesses a weapon must be improved, the education level has to be raised (especially the sexual education). Efforts have to be made to fight alcoholism, to reduce tensions inside families, and to improve the the media approach on crime issues.' 'The responsibility of the government is limited. Taking into account the fact that the most developed systems have not succeeded to deal with murders, drugs smuggling and other crimes, we must not think we could do something 'big'. What we have to understand is that we will have to fight constantly. And there will be no successes if there is no cooperation. One should pay special attention to the improvement of the legal procedures and of the implementation of verdicts, so that people's confidence in the law system becomes greater,' says Suleimanov. In his book, he writes that 384 murders took place in Macedonia in the period from 1973 to 1983. It is interesting that 72% of them were done by respected citizens, quiet and family oriented ones, but, at the same time, constantly surpressed and mistreated. Only 0.5% of them had appeared later as recidivists. It is also interesting that 89.1% of the murders were done by men, and only 10.9% by women. Women are, however, more consistent, as 90.5% of them finish what they have started. The men-murderers in Macedonia are usually at the age of 21 to 30 years, married, and without completed primary education, usually farmers. The most often used weapons by them are pistols, rifles, knives and axes. (end)mils news 22 March 1996 |
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