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MILS NEWS 96-09-04Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 04 September, 1996[01] VISIT OF IMPORTANCE FOR MACEDONIAN AND FRY ECONOMIES AND FOR STABILITY IN THE REGIONThe two-days visit of FR Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic and other Yugoslav Ministers and entrepreneurs to Macedonia began yesterday with meeting the host, Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski. The official announcement said that the visit was not only for the benefit of the two countries, but of the stability in the region and wider, as well. It was said the visit would be a great contribution to the more intensive and wider development of the political and economic cooperation and friendship between the two countries and nations. The Agreement on Regulation of Relations between the Republic of Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia signed last April was said to have created conditions for a political and economic cooperation internationally. Both Prime Ministers had underlined the importance of the other agreements in the field of finances and transport, which should be signed today by competent Ministers. The importance of the Agreement of Free Trade Exchange was especially emphasized, as it would enable free flow of people, capital and goods, which is in interest of both countries. The need for the work of the Commission for Establishing the Border Line to be intensified was also stressed.Local media reported that the two officials continued their talks in the Economic Chamber of Macedonia together with the entrepreneurs, when the complementary nature of the two countries' economies was underlined. It was said, however, that the trade exchange worth $2.5 billion in 1989 had drastically reduced. It was concluded that institutionalized bilateral relations would improve the long term, stable and secure connections. Yugoslav President of Economic Chamber interceded for intensification of the cooperation in the infrastructure, transport and banking. It was explained that the above mentioned Agreement on Free Trade included three open issues referring to the quotas in non-ferrous metallurgy, tobacco and agriculture (i.e. livestock and milk). It was said that in the first phase, all customs and non-customs limitations would be abolished, except for certain products, for which it would be done in the following two years. Macedonian Prime Minister Crvenkovski said it was most important at the moment to intensify the improvement of economic bilateral ties and to start applying the Agreements signed as soon as possible. Meanwhile, 'Rade Konchar' factory from Skopje and 'Elektronska Industrija' from Nis yesterday signed a contract for business-technical cooperation DM 4 million worth and for joint appearance in thrid markets. [02] SOLUTION FOR SUCCESSION WITH CONSENSUSLeaders of Macedonian, Slovenian, Croatian and Bosnian Commissions for Succession of former SFRY, who are considering the issue according to conclusions of Badenteur's Commission, met yesterday in Ljubljana. Almost all of them concluded that the Memorandum of Understanding, which is an informal document prepared by the mediator Sir Arthur Wots and which deals with the succession issue, was out of the framework of Badenteur's Commission conclusions. Namely, the Slovenian representative considered the definition of public property disputable, as well as the intention of FR Yugoslavia to maintain former Embassies of SFRY.Meeting participants concluded that succession should be agreed on with consensus, but, as Croatian representative pointed out, FR Yugoslavia was a problem here as it did not intend to join the others, but only to take into account their stands and interests. It was concluded that Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina had identical views with minor separate specifics. Macedonian representatives should have a meeting with mediator Sir Arthur Wots on 11 September in Brussels. [03] MACEDONIA AT LONDON CLUB OF CREDITORS BY 31 OCTOBERMacedonian Government should start the negotiations with London Club of Creditors on debt payment by 31 October, A-1 television reported. The information was that total debt of former SFRY to London Club was $4.7 billion, and that Slovenia and Croatia had already defined their parts and the conditions for its repayment according to IMF principles. Obligations of other former Yugoslav republics should be determined soon according to the same methodology, and forecasts say that Macedonian part would be 5.4%. Some Macedonian officials said it was possible for this percentage to be raised, but not more than 1%, A-1 Television reported.[04] INDIAN AMBASSADOR ACCREDITEDPresident of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov yesterday received the Ambassador of India to Macedonia Nirunan Sen, who handed him the credentials. Indian Ambassador yesterday handed the copies of credentials to the Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski and to the Parliament President Tito Petkovski.[05] MEETINGS OF ALEXANDROS MALLIAS WITH MINISTERS HANDZISKI AND BEDZETIMacedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski, at a meeting yesterday, informed the Head of Greek Liaison Office in Macedonia Alexandros Mallias of the preparations Macedonia was making for the final discussion regarding the study on extension of NATO, scheduled for 17 September in Brussels. During the talks, special attention was paid, according to the media, to the joint activities for the first military exercise within the framework of 'Partnership for Peace' Programme that will take place in Macedonia in October.Ambassador Mallias was received by Minister for Development Abdulmenaf Bedzeti as well, and they talked about the bilateral economic exchange and possible areas for investments. Realization of the project on border cooperation PHARE-1996 was especially emphasized, as well as future activities that should further improve the bilateral relations. [06] SERBIAN-ALBANIAN DIALOGUE WITH MEDIATION OF USAMacedonian media yesterday reported an information of the Albanian agency 'ATA' that USA were going to mediate the solving of Kosovo issue, and that Rudolph Perina had been appointed an official mediator, who is currently a US Deputy Secretary of State and who used to be a US Ambassador in Belgrade.A-1 Television reported the estimations of analysts that signing of the Agreement on Education in Albanian was taking over the obligations by Serbian President Slobodan Miloshevic for immediate normalization of the situation in Kosovo. In context of that, American national radio said this solution was removing the potentially biggest crisis in the Balkans, and was a result of the pressure made on Belgrade by the USA and Germany. British BBC considered the Agreement a possibility for once wide autonomy of the province to be re-established. [07] LAW ON COPYRIGHT PASSEDMacedonian MPs yesterday passed the Law on Copyright, which regulates the rights of the authors to their works, of film producers, of radio and TV stations, etc. It was said that the new Law had been designed according to the international conventions and EU norms.At the 51st Parliament session yesterday, the Law on Macedonian Debt to the International Association for Development of $16.9 million was also passed, which would be used in the transition process of health care sector. The Parliament passed the Law on Ratification of Macedonian- Slovenian Agreement on Free Trade, which would enable reducing of customs duties. And finally, the Law on Macedonian Debt to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development was passed, which provides DM18 million for the project of the development of the private sector and individual farming. [08] SUSPENSION OF TETOVO REFERENDUM IN CONSTITUTIONAL COURTTetovo Town Assembly yesterday concluded that it would start a legal procedure in the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia for establishing the constitutionality of the Government's decision to suspend this Assembly's decision for carrying out a referendum about forming of new municipalities in Tetovo community. According to Macedonia Radio, the Assembly also intended to postpone the discussion for the Draft Law on Territorial Dividing. Determination for the activities referring to the referendum to continue were also declared.[09] ANDOV: 'GOVERNMENT HAD NOT ACCEPTED REMARKS OF THE OPPOSITION TO LOCAL ELECTIONS'At a press conference yesterday, the liberal Party again called on the Government to harmonize the stands referring to the Law on Local Elections, and warned that the elections might be boycotted if the rules are not determined. Macedonian media reported that Liberal Party President Stojan Andov had emphasized that the Government had not accepted the remarks of the opposition to the Law on Local Elections.Liberals had a number of objections to the new Draft Law as presented by Minister for Justice Vlado Popovski. Namely, they objected to the voting procedure, to the electoral evidence, financing and the attitude towards the media. Andov stated that the Law did not fulfill the conditions for democratic and fair elections, that the Government had enough time to prepare the elections, which was the reason for being suspicious about their explanation that the administrations were technically not ready for the elections. Liberals had serious remarks to the Law on Territorial Dividing of Macedonia, and Andov described the tensions and discussions as 'daily political bargaining, by which time is bought to keep the ruling positions'. [10] GOSHEV: 'GOVERNMENT HAS NO COURAGE NO PASS A LAW FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS''Despite the expert and constructive remarks presented by opposition parties and the National Democratic Institute from Washington, the Government of Macedonia still had no courage to propose a Law that would secure free and democratic elections,' said Democratic Party leader Petar Goshev at a press conference yesterday. Goshev stressed that Laws on Local Elections and on Territorial Dividing were essential for the regularity of elections and for the internal stability of Macedonia. He presented the requests of his party as following: half of the members of State and other Electoral Commissions and Boards to be elected and accepted by the opposition parties; each voter to be given an electoral ID; the electoral lists not to be open to be filled in constantly; and only two candidates with most votes to be allowed to enter the second round. In case this was not accepted, Goshev said the opposition parties would have to decide whether it would make sense to participate in elections regulated by a law that does not secure fair and democratic elections.As for the Law on Territorial Dividing, Democratic Party leader said that 'SDSM and PDP had started a dangerous game that leads to further regional separation, based on ethnic belonging, which might turn into regional dividing of Macedonia'. [11] HUNGER STRIKE IN DEBARSKA ZHUPAToday's issue of 'Dnevnik' daily reads that over 40 parents have began a hunger strike in the school 'Nedzati Zekirija' in the village of Kodzadzik near Debar, demanding for their children to be educated in Turkish, which is their mother tongue.Children in Dolna Zhupa have been boycotting the education in Macedonian language in the primary school 'Mosha Pijade' in Center Zhupa for five years already, while their parents have been making efforts since last year to have the pupils enrolled in the school 'Nedzati Zekirija', where the education is in Turkish only. According to 'Dnevnik', the school principal stated they would continue to respect the decision of Ministry for Education and that these pupils would not be allowed to attend that school. MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'Current Judiciary Protects Plagiarists'('Dnevnik', 4 September, 1996)The new Law on Copyright and those connected to it introduce severe punishments for those who violate them. However, unless the judiciary becomes much more effective, this area is going to remain an oasis of piracy. The new Law sanctions the plagiarism, piracy of movies production and the illegal reproduction and resale. Culture Minister Slobodan Unkovski estimated the new Law as 'one of the most important Laws in the sphere of culture, as it regulates, for the first time in Macedonia, not only the right of the authors to their works, but all the other rights connected to it.' The Law sanctions a person who would make an illegal reproduction, publishing, public emitting, etc. with 20 average Macedonian salaries. The punishment is the same if the source of a work is the national heritage, and it is not stated, or in case the name (pseudonym) of the author is not stated or his personality is offended in any way. In case a legal subject does not record the profit realized or does not report it, or in case it illegally distributes a computer program, the punishment is also 20 salaries. The Law, for the first time, regulates the transfer of the copyright for public performance, reproduction, distribution or publishing of the work. The refusal of the collective realization of copyright and other rights in connection with it, refusal of giving information about the collective realization of the right to the owners, as well as about production, import and distribution are also sanctioned. Anybody who would produce, import, own, distribute or allow in any other way for the public to receive coded radio or TV programmes, without being authorized to it, will also be punished with 20 salaries. Legal subjects that would not allow the author to have insight into the public performance of his_her work, or would not provide the author with necessary technical conditions for the performance of the work, would have to pay 10 salaries. The same punishment is going to be applied for those who would not inform the authorized association about the usage of the copyright. The seller who would not submit a report about the sold originals of paintings and of music and literary works to the competent association will be sanctioned, as well. The Law introduces a protective measure - ban for performing the duties within 3 months. The Law also protects the authors and bearers of these rights who are Macedonian citizens or have headquarters in Macedonia. As mentioned above, all of this will be of no use if the judiciary maintains to carry out the procedures as slowly as now. The copyright agencies have a long term experience in that. (end)mils news 04 September, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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