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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-01-23Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 23 January, 1997[01] ALL QUIET ON THE NEW YORK FRONT...Negotiations between Athens and Skopje on divergent opinions regarding the name-issue are to continue at the UN Plaza (NYC) in February. This has been determined during the first meeting of negotiators Christos Zacharakis and Ivan Toshevski this year which - according to `Makfax' - has not resulted in anything concrete.[02] ATTITUDE OF SR YUGOSLAVIA LARGEST IMPEDIMENT AT SUCCESSION TALKSYesterday another round of succession talks, i.e. the division or former Federal property, has commenced in Brussels. Macedonian media, however, report that no significant visible progress has been made so far. Almost all former constituents of the Socialist Yugoslav Federation have brought forth their own objections, in spite of the fact that SR Yugoslavia continues viewing itself as the only successor - which represents an inevitable obstruction to the further denouement of this matter. Mediator Sir Arthur Watts has proposed a text consisting of implications to the further trend of negotiations in shape of a definition on Federal property, focusing on certain segments such as the archives and diplomatic missions. In connection to this the Yugoslav delegation claims that the UNESCO Charter defines archives as historical treasures, which should therefore not be disintegrated. As far as diplomatic missions are concerned, SR Yugoslavia stated that it had no intention to discuss this issue until it had a precise definition on federal property. A-1 TV reports that the remaining delegations consider international arbitration the only possible option to achieve a just and soon division of former Federal property.[03] `USA' APPROACH RECOMMENDED TO MACEDONIA: PRIVATE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONSThe Director of the US Preventive Action Centre, and Head of the South Balkans Project, David Phillips visited Macedonia yesterday. During his stay he was received by Foreign Secretary Ljubomir Frchkovski, Education Minister Sofia Todorova and the Parliamentary Commission on Inter- ethnic Relations. After these talks - MTV reports that Phillips expressed his admiration of the decisiveness of the Macedonian Government to democratize society. The US visitor has also emphasized the importance of Macedonia in maintaining regional stability, assessing the country's endeavours for integration into Europe and for implementing international human rights standards favourably.Upon meeting the members of the Parliamentary Commission on Inter-Ethnic Relations, Phillips stressed that the Centre's International Relations Council has recommended additional measures conducive to the positive intentions of the Macedonian Government: such as election reforms to ensure authentic ethnic heterogeneity within the Parliament, the introduction of governmental offices and opportunities for multi-ethnic affirmation as well as the forming of private tertiary education institutions, without decreasing education quality. David Phillips indicated that such private institutions and multi- lingualism exist in the US. [04] DATA ON BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MACEDONIAN DEFENCE SYSTEMYesterday Defence Secretary Blagoj Handzhiski received the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Macedonia H.E.Amb.Petar Dobroserdov. The objective of this meeting had been the familiarization of the Russian diplomat with the basic characteristics of Macedonia's Defence system, in addition to the determination of the country to obtain NATO membership and the fulfillment of minimum criteria for fully-fledged membership within the Treaty Organisation. Official records reveal that talks also focused on bilateral cooperation in the Defence sector, as well as on multilateral collaboration within the `PFP' Programme - since both countries are members of the former. [05] ABOUT ONE MILLION POUNDS ALLOCATED TO MACEDONIA BY `KNOW- HOW' FUND PER YEAR`The `Know-How' Fund represents a British bilateral technical assistance programme covering CEEC (central and eastern European countries) and central Asian countries, in order to aid the transition of states into pluralistic democracies and market economies. For this purposes the Fund is drawing on British experience in key sectors, and endeavours to encourage British investments into the region', stated Stuart Lang - the Head of this Britain- based organisation - during yesterday's press conference in Skopje. Lang revealed that assistance provided by this Fund for Macedonia has so far been focused on the financial sector, on the developing of small and medium- size businesses, on furthering media and environmental protection. Up to now (since 1994) this British corporation invested app. 4 million DM into Macedonia for technical assistance - and 2 million DM into supporting payment flow. According to annual estimates around one million pounds is being reallocated by this Fund in Macedonia. Fund activities particularly stressed by Stuart Lang included the support of the Macedonian Stock Exchange, and the repeated `know-how' transfer to Macedonian brokers.[06] EDWARD L. FERGUSON APPOINTED PRESIDENT & CEOThe `AMBO' Corporation (Pound Ridge, NY) has announced, on 17th January 1997, that Mr. E.L. (Ted) Ferguson - formerly Director of Oil & Gas Development for Europe and Africa for `Brown & Root Energy Services' has joined `AMBO' as President & CEO following the untimely passing late last year of its founder and President, Mr. Vuko Tashkovikj.The `AMBO' Corporation (an acronym for the `Albanian- Macedonian-Bulgarian Oil Corporation') is the project developer of the 826 million $ Trans- Balkan Oil Pipeline which will carry crude oil from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Bourgas to the Albanian Adriatic Sea port of Vlor. Ferguson's responsibilities include identifying majority partners for the project, overseeing relationships with transit countries, and coordinating the just-entered financial phase. He will report to the non-executive Chairman of the Board of `AMBO', Mrs. Stephanie Tashkovikj. Ferguson has thirty (30) years of experience with `British Petroleum PLC'. He has held senior positions responsible for oil pipeline and production activities worldwide in places as diverse as Libya, Italy, Alaska, the Shetland Islands, Rotterdam and Norway. Ferguson earned the honour of Member of the British Empire (MBE) in January 1982 as a result of his outstanding work in the Shetland IsIands. At the time of his retirement from `British Petroleum', Ferguson was the Works General Manager of BP's largest petrochemical complex worldwide with over 2 000 employees and an annual budget in excess of 150 million dollars. The feasibility study for `AMBO's ` Trans-Balkan Oil Pipeline, conducted by the international engineering company of `Brown & Root Ltd.' in London, has determined that this pipeline is economically viable and competitive when compared to costs of shipping directly from the Black Sea to both the US and the Netherlands. Furthermore, the feasibility study clearly demonstrates that this pipeline will be both economically competitive and complementary with other proposed pipelines. The resulting pipeline will become a part of the region's critical East-West corridor infrastructure which includes highway, railway, gas and fiber optic telecommunications lines. This pipeline will bring oil directly to the European market by eliminating tanker traffic through the ecologically sensitive waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. [07] INVESTMENTS BY GERMAN FIRMS INTO MACEDONIAThe `Radika' gypsum mining facility of Debar and the `Transkop' transportation company of Bitola are to be privatized with the capital of German firms, via purchasing the firms by issuing stocks for additional funding - `Vecher' reports. It is also being revealed that the controlling majority (51.06%) over `Radika' is to be given to `Knauff GES' (Weisenbach, FRG), for the investment of 4 960 000 DM. Thus the company's main assets will amount to 12 960 000 DM, and employees are to own up to 6 million DM of the company in stocks.The new owner of the Bitola-based transportation company is the `Balth - Papp AMT Spedition' of Munich, which is also to obtain 51% of company shares for the investment of 1 230 000 DM. The overall value of `Transkop' shares amounts to 3 939 300 DM, of which 30% are to be purchased by employees. The remaining stocks are to be forwarded to the Privatization Agency. `Dnevnik' reports that the Skopje-based `Makedonija- Proekt' company is to be purchased by the German counterpart `KIK Krepps und Kiefer' whose representatives have visited Skopje yesterday. During stage one the German company is to purchase 32% of the stock capital, and subsequently this percentage is to rise to 40%. [08] MINISTER SUPPORTS SUSPENDING OF `PELAGONIJA' DIRECTOR GENERALThe strike of app. 3 000 `Pelagonija' construction workers (commenced on 13th this month) is being continued, and yesterday the company's Strike Board was received by Civil Engineering & Urbanism Minister Jorgo Shundovski. Strike Board representative Slave Nikolovski stated that the meeting focused on demands put forward by strikers. With respect to these it was reported that Minister Shundovski supported the suspending of Director General Ivan Dichev.According to MTV Nikolovski said that a budget had been drafted with the help of the ministry, in order to facilitate the forwarding of one of the withheld pays via commercial credit. It has also been determined to establish legitimate management structures, by organizing assemblies and shareholder meetings. Striking `Pelagonija' employees furthermore paid a `working visit' to MTV / Macedonian Radio premises, and requested improved coverage on issues relevant to this construction contractor and lobbying in favour of employees demands. [09] TRUD: `EU COMMISSION DOES NOT SUPPORT REQUESTS OF OMO ILINDEN'The Sofia newspaper `Trud' reports that according to the corresponding EU Commission members of `OMO Ilinden' (organisation of Macedonians in Bulgaria) do not possess collective rights - i.e. their requests for autonomy and minority status recognition would contradict the Bulgarian Constitution and Bulgarian sovereignty. The decision, dated on 21st December 1996, forwarded to the members of `OMO Ilinden' (considered illegal by Bulgarian authorities) furthermore states that submitted demands were not concordant to international conventions on minority rights.[10] SUPPORT FOR `VINOZHITO'The Presidium of the Association of Macedonians of the Aegean Part of Macedonia, with its seat in Bitola, has forwarded a letter to `Vinozhito' (party of Aegean Macedonians in the Republic of Greece) expressing their compliments on the party's annual assembly. In addition to this they have also received wishes for successful working and the outlining of decisive views in human rights issues (right to education, access to press, radio broadcasting, TV and religious worshipping in mother tongue)... `Justice is on your and our side. Nowadays Europe is more than ever committed to the recognition of minority rights in all European countries. This also obliges the Republic of Greece to recognize the existence of ethnic Macedonians in Greece. We are not demanding the alteration of borders, but remain nevertheless proud of our ethnic origin - and as Macedonians we shall contribute towards the development of the country we live in. Together with the Macedonian Government we will strive towards the recognition of the right to re-patriation of Macedonians exiled from Greece (as ethnic Macedonians) by the Government of this country and the Council of Europe.[11] REHN WARNS OF `EXPLOSIONS AND FIRE' ON KOSOVOThe Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Former Yugoslavia to the UN Human Rights Commission, Elisabeth Rehn, warned that political conflicts and violence on Kosovo may be conducive to `explosions and fire'. During yesterday's press conference held in Helsinki, following her visits to several Former Yugoslav Republics, Rehn expressed the fear that certain political forces in Serbia may use the Kosovo issue to their advantage - thus risking the inciting of a civil war.[12] DPM: `TETOVO BEYOND STATE CONTROL'Local elections `96 should not be considered complete until the election marathon in Tetovo is brought to a close... stressed DPM leader Tomislav Stojanovski yesterday. He further assessed that events currently evolving in Tetovo are beyond state control, as the Constitution legal provisions and the `rule of law' do no longer prevail there. Thus DPM is demanding the resignation of several government official, said Stojanovski. The top of the list is being occupied by the NEC due to its indifference towards the state of affairs at Tetovo; followed by the Municipal Election Commission for being incapable of addressing issues and its involvement in party show-downs - and the Election Councils whose members show up armed at polling stations.Considering that the DPM had no doing in the Tetovo incidents, it follows up on its ethic obligation to again advocate a meeting of all Tetovo mayor candidates, Stojanovski claimed. [13] ACTION AGAINST AIR POLLUTION IN SKOPJEDue to increased air pollution (almost 3 times more sulfur dioxide and smoke than permitted parameters) in Skopje the Ministry of Civil Engineering and Urbanism has launched a public appeal to reduce using their vehicles to a minimum.It has been recommended to switch off engines while waiting at the traffic lights, while police has been put in charge of monitoring exhaustion at several points in Skopje. Technically faulty vehicles are to be excluded from traffic. Technical check-up facilities have also been notified to measure exhaust parameters without exception prior to registration, and to deny the latter to those not conforming to required standards. MILS SUPPLEMENT[14] `Half of Pay For Littering'(`Vecher' - 21st January 1997)The new legal provisions on ecology are being implemented `without mercy'. Thus, for instance, those parking their vehicles outside spaces designated for such a purpose, i.e. on a lawn, those who litter, wash their cars in a lake or river, those caught picking protected plants or exploiting endangered species, etc. may be fined on the spot. Fines may grow to total from one-fifth to a half of their pay - and they are being outlined within the new Law on Environmental Protection and Development. Fines are to be charged by police officers, forest and park rangers or by other authorized personnel entrusted with environmental protection. This novelty (authorization to fine of the above mentioned categories) concerning `ecological' offences, is one of the more relevant new elements of this act of law - besides the not exactly trivial fines for both individuals and legal entities (leading staff of companies). This new act of law, passed towards the close of last year, is already leaving its impact on reality via implementation. As Civil Engineering, Urbanism and Environmental Protection Minister Jorgo Shundovski claims this has given his ministry something it had been lacking for a long time: the power to concretely react to many varying issues concerning environmental protection. The Ministry of the Interior has also been updated on these new `eco-competencies', and coordination has already begun to increase: both ministries have reached a consensus on joint operations. `This week the Ministry is to appoint a Charge D'Affairs for the post of Chief National Environmental Inspector, which will mark the establishment of the Ecological Inspectorate which is to monitor the implementation of this law. This will round of our possibilities to intervene', says Minister Shundovski. The Inspectorate - according to legal provisions - is to be comprised of experts in the protection of water, air, soil, noise pollution and (non-) ionic emission entities. In addition to this there will be an inspector for space implementation. Minister Shundovski, however, stresses that though this body is not formed yet there is a team within the ministry - headed by the Under-Secretary of Ecology - which has already conducted several investigations. Such as the one on the `Zletovo' Metallurgy-Chemical Facilities of Veles (decision penalty measures and installing of protective equipment already issued), the concrete production plant and leather processing company of Skopje and the ongoing investigation on the Skopje Mining and Steel Production facilities. Another achievement is the establishing of a Fund for Environmental and Habitat Protection (with its own giro- account) in order to facilitate funding procurement. One more source of financial means are vehicle and naval vessel registration charges, amounting to 4% of the basic insurance - except for vehicles with a catalizator (2%). This has been regulated by forwarding a written notification to all registration facilities. Ergo these charges (app. 100 denars) should already be forwarded to the Fund. It appears, however, that the Ministry has omitted a regular source for this Fund as regards customs fees for vehicles without a catalizator being imported into the country. These fees should be transacted to the Fund directly, instead of being entered into the State's Budget. `Other novelties enacted through this Law include the integration of the so- called `eco tax' (to be paid by major polluters) into the new Tax Law. Then the forming of the `Eco Product' Institution / concept which outlines its own criteria and standards. We intend to define these during two seminars (one on a more general level, and another scientific), as well as incentives to strive to obtain this quality norm and penal measures.' The minister has also mentioned the preparation of a list of products whose import will be prohibited, and the distribution of the same to local authorities which are obliged to compile Local Ecological Agendas for Action. Air pollution is to be monitored on a daily basis, and the ministry hopes that it will be able to provide to mobile laboratories with the aid of the PHARE Programme for this purpose. Thus everything in the Ecology Dept. (which is about to receive reinforcement these days) of the ministry seems to be working `full speed ahead'. One commendation on the new Law and its implementation has already arrived from the Republic of Slovenia, which has submitted a request for a copy of the Law for analysis. (end)mils news 23 January 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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