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MILS NEWS 96-10-29Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 29 October, 1996[01] THE RUSSIAN ATTITUDE - THE MANDATE OF UNPREDEP SHOULD BE ADAPTED TO THE CHANGES OF THE REGIONThe mission of UNPREDEP in Macedonia should not end, instead it should be adapted to the changes in the region, announced the representative of the Russian Federation in the UN, the ambassador Sergej Lavrov, in yesterday's talks in Skopje with the chief of State Kiro Gligorov and the Foreign Affairs Minister Ljubomir Frckovski. This attitude was explained by the Russian ambassador according to his opinion that the situation in the region has significantly changed, i.e. due to the termination of the war in BIH the relationships between Macedonian and its neighbours are normalised and developing, there are no negative effects from the sanctions which have been lifted and the economic relationships and the trade are also furthering. In that context, according to the Russian ambassador of UN, UNPREDEP should be reconfigurated with the same mandate with a smaler number of personnel which is in the trend of lessening of the international presence of the peace forces in Bosnia and in Croatia.Otherwise at yesterday's meeting of the Macedonian chief of the State, Kiro Gligorov, with the Russian Ambassador of the UN, Lavrov, the Macedonian President gave the aspects of the Macedonian pledge and candidacy for a temperate membership in the Security Council of the UN and urged for Russian help in the choice. Kiro Gligorov also elaborated the need of continuing the mandate of UNPREDEP in the following six months. The ambassador Lavrov underlined that the Russian Federation is monitoring the situations with close attention and as a permanent member of the Security Council is also interested in the stability , security and peace in the region. This is also the base upon which rests the Russian attitude towards the the mandate and the numerous components of the peace forces in Macedonia. [02] EU - IN THE FRAMES OF THE REGIONAL ADMISSION RESOLUTION OF THE ALBANIAN QUESTIONThe Council of the Ministers of the state members in the EU in Luxsenburg yesterday have laid the basis of its mutual politics towards South-East Europe which is known as the regional admission, reports the A1 TV. The last version of the concept of the EU politics towards this region, adopted by the European Council, according to the A1 Television has explicitly taken the SR Yugoslavia, BIH and Croatia as states for which this regional admission is concerned. The development of the relationships among these three states well as the complete implementation of the agreed in Dayton is the condition for incorporating in more narrowed relations with the EU.Macedonia and Albania are not mentioned in the conclusion of the European Council, but according to the European diplomats as countries of that region they are part of the regional cooperation from which quality mainly depend their further steps in fastening the relations with the Union. In Skopje and Tirana, according to the A1 TV, the diplomats claim that in the frameworks of the regional admission in this period there is a search for a constructive behaviour in the resolving of the Albanian question in Macedonia. In that context is also cited that Karl Billt in his review of the mutual European politics in the region reports that the regional admission is a political vision of the region, i.e. it is a wider process which should lead to the resolving of the Albanian question in the south of the Balkans as well as the unsolved Croat-Serbian relationships. and the future of the Bosnian Muslims. In relation to the latest version of the project to regionalise the EU, as it is reported by the Macedonian Television, on the Croat National Television the Foreign Affair Minister, Ljubomir Frckovski gave a statement. by which he emphasized that the principle of defining the region as a region of the former SFRJ from which Slovenia is taken out and Albania is included, is changed (purified). According to the Minister, the regional admission to the EU refers to a wider region of the South- East of Europe and not to the appointed 'sub region'. The Minister also underlined that the attitude has been changed , that the regional cooperation should be defined as a condition for admittance of the individual members in the European associations. This is not a condition, instead this associating will depend on the abilities of each country to achieve the European standards in certain segments emphasized the Macedonian chief of Diplomacy. [03] 'TO VIMA' - A NEW POLITICS OF GREECE WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS'Athens is preparing an attack on the friendship with the neighbours', claims the Greek weekly 'To Vima', underlining that in these frameworks there is the possibility of a visit from the Prime Minister of Greece, Kostas Simitis, to Skopje.As it is reported by 'Makfaks' ,'To Vima' also reports that the visit of the Greek Prime Minister will depend on the development of the events but it also writes that there is a clear intention of Greece to include Macedonia in the plan for cooperation with the northern neighbours. For that purpose, according to 'To Vima' the Greek government has prepared a package measures for security, friendship and equal cooperation the aim of which is a total normalisation of the relations and cooperation with Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia. It also states that the Cabinet of the Prime Minister Simitis in the cooperation of Greece with its neighbours gives a special place to the relationships with the SR Yugoslavia. The new 'aggressive' politics of friendship of Greece with its neighbours, according to 'To VIma' is based upon the support that Athens intends to give the neighbours for their quicker entering the European integrations. Greece also announced that she will support all the requests of the neighbours for financing of their infrastructure. The document which is prepared by the Government in Athens also predicts regular political consultations on all levels which includes regular contacts of the Defense Ministers and the chiefs of the General Staffs as well as using the frameworks of NATO for planing and maintenance of mutual maneuvers. [04] CHARGES AGAINST TWO FRENCH BANKS FOR BLOCKING THE FUNDS OF THE FORMER SFRJSlovenia, Croatia, BIH and Macedonia as it is reported by the Belgrade newspaper 'Nasha Borba' have pressed charges against the French banks 'Sisiete Zzeneral' and 'Kredi Lione' for blocking the funs of the Central bank of the former SFRJ. The charges are pressed due to the fact that these former republics of SFRJ fell that the blockage should not have been done due to the fact that the National bank of Yugoslavia is not the only heir of the former Yugoslavia. The 'Nasha Borba' also emphasizes that the Parisian Economy Court will make an inspection on the 11th of November.[05] A GOVERNMENTAL PROJECT OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE SMALL AND MEDIUM FIRMSThe Macedonian government at yesterday's session adopted the proposed project for development of small and medium firms in Macedonia. As it is cited by the media, the project has a modern concept and it incorporates the experiences of the countries with trade economy in the field of supporting of the small firms which is one of the most vital and dynamic sectors of the complete economic development.In the domain of the institutional support most important are the measures for creating local consulting agencies and setting up of the first 'business-incubators' and also in the long term planning creating the first technological park. In the domain of creating and development of small and medium firms, the support will be directed towards creating separate banks or sectors for the same purpose within the existing banks. With the help of the European Bank a fund for development will be established in Macedonia and it will be for the so-called ' risky capital'. This fund will help the development of the small and the medium firms through stock capital. The Government at yesterday's assembly estimated that the support of the small and medium firms in Macedonia will open new perspectives for increasing the employment in the country, for a better exploitation of the local sources of raw materials, energy and its own cadres, for enlarging the flexibility of the economy structure and for the dimensioning of the total economic growth and development. [06] A 13 MILLION DOLLARS CREDIT FOR MODERNIZATION OF THE 'TIKVESH' HYDRA-LAND-RECLAMATION SYSTEMThe World Bank for Development will invest a 13 million dollars credit for the reconstruction and modernisation of the 'Tikvesh" hydra-land-reclamation system, reports today's 'Nova Makedonia'.According to the negotiations with this world finance institution it is expected the credit to be procured by the beginning of the next year while its realisation is expected to start in September. The funds are restricted so that the planned reconstruction and modernisation of this system should last two or three years. [07] THE HUMAN FACTOR WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE RAILWAY ACCIDENTThe not following of the traffic and technical regulations of the 'Macedonian Railway' on the part of the engine driver and his assistant who drove the train with the number 4 908 which was traveling on the relation Bitola-Skopje was the cause for the railroad accident which happened on 4th of October in the Pchinja tunnel on the rail track Veles-Skopje.This is reported in yesterday's announcement of the Inspection Commission for emergency cases within the 'Macedonian Railways'. It is also stated that the engine driver and his assistant are already suspended from their job. Further it is stated that there have not been found any irregularities within the functioning of the APB-system, i.e. that all the distance signals were functioning in order. In the accident which happened at the beginning of the month there were 7 injured passengers ant the material damage is estimated at the value of 12 million denars. [08] SDSM, PDP AND VMRO-DPMNE ARE THE MAIN FAVORITES AND RIVALSSDSM, PDP and VMRO-DPMNE are the main favorites and rivals for the following elections in Macedonia. As it is started in 'Nova Makedonia' this statement has come from two separate examination of the public opinion, the firs was carried out by the Institute for Social and Political Research while the second was carried out by the Gullop's 'Brima' agency which works in Macedonia. Both researches are terrain researches and were realised in the beginning of September.In the research of the Institute for Social and Political Research the opinion of 1 400 people chosen at random in 34 municipalities throughout the country was examined. SDSM is the party for which 15 % of the questioned people would vote, then comes PDP with 9,86% of the votes, and for VMRO-DPMNE only 9,57% would vote. According to this research 30,29% of the questioned people were undecided. In the 'Brima' research which was realised with 1.015 at random chosen people, at the first place emerges the SDSM with 18,1% of the votes. Then follows the VMRO-DPMNE with 12,5%, and finally PDP with 11,4%. In this research 28,2% of the questioned said that they do not know what party will vote for. [09] THE MACEDONIAN DONATOR NOT INTERESTED IN THE PROTECTION OF THE LAKE OF OHRIDAt the Donation Conference for the protection of the lake of Ohrid which was organised by the governments of Macedonia and Albania and was held last week in Ohrid, the presence of the expected foreign institution was very small while there was no presence at all on the part of the invited home donators, writes 'Vecer'.From the home investor were invited: 'OHIS', 'Makpetrol', 'Rafinerija', 'Pivarnica', 'The Veles smeltery', 'Almako', 'Jukan', 'Uniprokom' etc. At the conference 10 projects for protection were offered but the foreign donators did not give any particular suggestion although interest was shown by Switzerland, Finland, Holland, Italy, PHARE, GEF and the World Bank. The international commission for preparation of projects -PPC claimed that interest for the protection of the lake was also shown by Austria, Denmark, Great Britain and the European Commission. As it was emphasized by the speakers this conference after all is only the beginning of the process of financing the protection of the lake of Ohrid. [10] A SCIENTIFIC GATHERING DEDICATED TO THE MACEDONIAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SPHEREOrganized by the MANU recently there was an international scientific gathering on the theme 'The Macedonian literature and culture in the context of the Mediterranean cultural sphere'. At the gathering there were present 37 speakers both from the country and abroad who underlined that the Mediterranean is the centre through which the creative fantasy has been expanding both in the art and the culture ant its spirit is closely related to the Macedonian literature and art. A proof of this is the rich Macedonian creation of poetry, short stories and paintings. The Mediterranean idea, is felt also in the medieval clothes in Macedonia as well in today's cultural context between the Mediterranean and the west civilization.As it is stated in 'Vecher' the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Montenegro Academy of Sciences and Arts last Friday made a contract for mutual collaboration in which the aspects of the collaboration are precisely stated. The contract will be in effect for 5 years and if the two Academies do not wish to terminate it will automatically be continued for another 5 years. [11] EMIGRATION VISA FOR THE USA FOR 369 MACEDONIAN CITIZENS GIVEN BY RANDOM ORDERThe Abbacy of the USA in Macedonia today announced that 369 Macedonian citizens are chosen by random order as candidates for emigration visas for the USA for the year 1997. As it is stated, the emigration visa allows every year the citizens of countries with a low emigration rate in the USA to have the possibility to get visas for a permanent stay in this country.MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'Economic Conquests'('Nova Makedonija', 29 October, 1996)Why does Foreign Secretary Ljupcho Frchkovski announce the beginning of 'a new struggle for our independence and integrity'? Who is attempting to infiltrate Macedonia on an economic and political level? It sounds slightly frightening and alarmist to hear our Foreign Secretary heralding that - after merely five years of independence - Macedonia has to enter a new struggle for the same. According to Dr. Ljubomir Frchkovski - who is supposed to know - the heroic period of Macedonia's contemporary history has come to its close and we are now entering a new epoch - the one in which the attempts to lure Macedonia into one or another direction have become much more subtle and sophisticated. In that sense the theses of his lecture at the Institute of National History on 'The Strategic Position of Macedonia in International Relations - With a Special Survey on Relations to Neighbouring States' delivered last week, bear a frightening resemblance to his first press conference as the Minister of the Interior. It was then that he suggested that the assassination attempt on Kiro Gligorov had been carried out in order 'to create controlled instability', i.e. in order to 'decrease or annihilate the country's political and economic integrity - and to make both susceptible to the political, economic and all other interests of the conspirators'. How similar is this to last week's speech on 'the new aggressive methods and the intense presence with the aim to first influence economic and then political life in Macedonia'? In addition to this, Frchkovski had been mentioning 'some individuals' whose mission seemed to be the 'recomposing and restructuring of the political team currently in power in a country which should keep heeding the political interests of those conspirators' as early as one year ago... and now he is again warning that 'some' are 'preparing the ground for exerting political impact', but not through playing havoc with the public's emotional state - but through infiltrating economic structures. To simplify the above (and by using 'our lesson of the day' the privatisation process) the head of Macedonian diplomacy is warning that somebody is - slowly but surely - buying up Macedonian national stocks in order to become the majority shareholder, i.e. the one who has the last word when it comes to Macedonia. One should bear in mind the fact that such a strategy is not a 'Balkan Fairy Tale', but rather a 'widely-used approach throughout the world'. Therefore - it may appear paradoxical - it has been accomplished to put an end to the old-fashioned Balkan 'dagger, pistols and bombs' method of conquering, and the Balkans have joined the global family where will is imposed by mainly (at least outwardly) non-violent methods. But is such a state of affairs truly worrisome and alarming? And who is out to threaten Macedonia's integrity from a political and economic perspective? The fact that Foreign Secretary Frchkovski is generalizing and talking of 'neighbours' in a genuine spirit of diplomacy should not prevent us from assuming that this euphemism - most likely - refers to above all the SR Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. If, of course, nobody disagrees and objects that Albania is sufficiently economically well-off to join in - or that Greece has any other intention but besides putting on the thumb-screws regarding the name-issue through investing in Macedonia. It is at this moment that it becomes obvious that Yugoslavia has the best economic prerequisites to fortify its position in Macedonia - since many bilateral links have not even been severed, and businessmen of both sides could hardly await unobstructed cooperation. This was more than apparent throughout the immediate aftermath to the lifting of UN sanctions. Half of them were disappointed because they could not continue to make money of sanction violations - whereas the other half were overjoyed that they would at last be able to work with people they know, and with whom they did not have to communicate in English or any other foreign language. Bulgaria is characterized by another type of qualitative and quantitative danger. What we have been warned off - as a possible consequence to the assassination-attempt on President Gligorov - 'controlled instability', has virtually become reality in Bulgaria. Political and Mafia feuds and the huge amount of means which have to be laundered somewhere - as well as the looseness of the border and the size and immunity of Macedonia's economy - have put this country on the map as a constant threat to Macedonia's stability. Thus those new warnings of 'new and aggressive methods' of neighbours attempting to influence our economy - and subsequently political decision-making - should turn our heads in this direction. At last but not the least Frchkovski merely told the truth when speaking of the increased neighbourly interest to invest in our economy. This, however, may or may not result in political dependence. Thus nobody seems to be in favour of economic isolation or closing-up before processes we want to start happening. This could also be derived by monitoring Gligorov's visit to New York last month, as - compared to earlier instances - the most recent talks with neighbouring states were not dominated by political (international affirmation, recognition or the name) but by economic issues. The balance and control exhibited throughout the past five years of independence over economic and political invasions do not leave any room for speculation with regard to our commitment and to our adhering to the motto that 'our affairs will remain ours to control and resolve'. This - of course - does not exclude our pro- European orientation, or our endeavour to become a fully fledged NATO member. And in spite of Minister Frchkovski's rather sinister warnings he himself said that Macedonia nevertheless has 'the strength, the stamina and political prudence to survive and to hold its own stand within the region'. (end)mils news 29 October, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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