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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-06-05Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 05 June, 1997[01] 14 COOPERATION TREATIES BETWEEN THE UKRAINE AND MACEDONIA TO BESIGNED SOONThere are no open issues between the Ukraine and Macedonia, but a large number of common views rooted in the basic principles of the foreign and domestic policy of both countries... was the conclusion aired during yesterday's press conference, following the two-day visit of Ukrainian Foreign Secretary Genadiy Udovenko. The latter and his host Blagoj Handzhiski took the opportunity to stress that consensus has been reached with regards of coordinating strategies within international institutions. In addition to this Foreign Secretary Udovenko aired Ukrainian support for Macedonia's candidacy for temporary membership within the UN Security Council. Over the past two days considerable emphasis had been placed on the advancing of - above all - economic cooperation.This is being confirmed by the subsequent signing of a bilateral Agreement on Economic Cooperation and Trade. Both statesmen said at the press conference that the overall intensifying of cooperation will obtain its optimum verification through the ratification of the bilateral Friendship Treaty - due to be signed by Presidents Leonid Kuchma and Kiro Gligorov in the second half of this year. In addition to this the Ukrainian Head of Diplomacy has been received by President Kiro Gligorov, by Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski and by PM Branko Crvenkovski. [02] REKINDLING MACEDONIAN ISSUE IN BULGARIA`It is time we considered expanding our relations with Macedonia', stated Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Secretary Stephan Tavrov in an interview for Sofia paper `Standard'. In the opinion of Tavrov relations with Macedonia are positive due to the decision of the Bulgarian Government to recognize the Republic of Macedonia in 1992. MTV reports that the same subject-matter has been addressed by Former Foreign Secretary Gjorgji Pirinski who stated for `Standard' that all bilateral treaties are to be ratified in three languages (i.e. the three official ones) - without specifying which three languages he meant.[03] SUCCESSION TALKS DEADLOCKED AGAINThe latest round of succession negotiations among constituents of the Former Yugoslav Federation, which ended in Brussels yesterday, did not result in any concrete outcomes - Macedonian media report. This means that even within the second draft-text offered by mediator Arthur Watts the main bone of contention was the issue whether SFRY disintegrated or ceased to exist due to the secession of four republics. The first definition is being favoured by the four former constituents B&H, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia - while the second is being advocated by SR Yugoslavia. Although negotiations have been deadlocked again - as A-1 TV reveals - Sir Arthur Watts nevertheless feels optimistic in terms of arriving at a compromise solution. Thus he intends to tour all involved countries in July once again. It is being denoted as motivating that international monetary institutions condition the admission of Rest- Yugoslavia with the solving of the succession issue.[04] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ASKS GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE FLAGSThis Wednesday the Constitutional Court of Macedonia has requested assistance from the Government in the implementation of its temporary order concordant to which foreign national flags hoisted in front of the Gostivar Municipal building have to be removed. Such a measure is being justified by the resistance of the Gostivar Municipal Council to comply with this order. According to Constitutional Court Chairman Milan Netkov a foreign national flag may only be exhibited in strictly outlined cases as this limits the state's sovereignty. In this concrete instance it is more than obvious that Gostivar is not under the governance of three different states - nor do two foreign countries have the last word on a local government level... stated Netkov for A-1 TV. He further stressed that the Macedonian Government is obliged to implement the Court's temporary order should it be committed to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law in the Republic of Macedonia. Gostivar Mayor Rufi Osmani countered this with the statement that he expected that `the Government will come up with a political answer to a political issue', which refers to the enactment of a law on the use of (national) flags. Should other measures be preferred as regards the flags which remain in front of the Municipality - Osmani said - according action would be undertaken.[05] MACEDONIA MEETS STANDARDS FOR FIRST `SAL' CREDIT TRANCHEDuring yesterday's meeting between Macedonian Finance Minister Taki Fiti and WB delegation leader Hassan Feyz'l it has been concluded that Macedonia has met all criteria for obtaining the first tranche (worth 39 million dollars) of the `SAL' loan.Macedonian media report that these funds should soon be transferred to Macedonian hard currency reserves - following the handling of several technical details by the Justice Department. It is already common knowledge that the `SAL' credit amounts to a total of 60 million dollars, designated to the support of structural reforms. `Nova Makedonija' states that the remaining 12 million dollars should be forwarded by 31st March 1998, provided Macedonia meets all other prerequisites imposed by the WB. These refer above all to the liberalization of Macedonia's international trade policy, changes in the agricultural sector (the decreasing of subsidies), the privatization of agricultural cooperatives and facilities in order to achieve the ultimate goal - the increasing of competitiveness and internal restructuring. [06] CRITICAL CONDITION OF RETIREMENT PENSION AND DISABILITY FUND`Vecher' informs that the deficit of means in the Retirement Pension and Disability Funds continues to grow. Thus it has reached the staggering total of 427 million denars over the time span between January - April 1997. the above mentioned daily mentions that this trend is more than likely to continue. Funds gathered so far amount to 7.8% (349 million denars) less than expected initially for this year, and in comparison to 1996 the influx of funds is lower by 417 million denars. This means that the Fund gets around 100 million denars less per month this year than in 1996. The Fund management reveals that such tendencies have already created difficulties with regards to regular pension disbursement, which is why they are looking for options to address this problem. The Government has been requested to allocate more Budget means than the compulsory quota (4.3 billion denars for FY `97). In addition to this it has received demands to increase tax on oil derivatives from 9.18 to 20% to the benefit of the Fund. The third requested measure revolves around the Government i.e. State Budget covering the difference between the minimum and the required pension. Concordant to forecasts Budget means allocated to the Fund will be used up by the close of August this year. `Vecher' also announces the holding of a session of the Executive Board of the Retirement Pension and Disability Fund today, which is to result in the final outlining of requests to be forwarded to the Government.[07] LESS TAX REVENUE IN BUDGETOver the first six months of the year a total of 11.9 billion denars (app. 441 million DM) has been gathered in tax revenue and allocated to the State Budget . This sum amounts to 37% less than expected for this year. `Nova Makedonija' reports that 38.6% of tax revenue fall off to tax on goods production and service provision; 34.8% fall off to personal income and revenue tax... In this context authorities state that by the end of the first six months (on 8th July) 45 % of such funds need to be forwarded tot he Budget, otherwise only 90% of expected means would be gathered.Due to such trends - `Nova Makedonija' reports - the Government has announced the introducing of strict tax control, unannounced inspection, etc. [08] SKOPJE CLINIC CENTRE: `SURGERIES CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF MEDICAL MATERIAL'These days a shortage of certain medicines and medical material has become felt at several clinics of the Skopje Clinic Centre. This has entailed the cancelling of a number of surgeries, A-1 TV reports. The clinics most severely affected by this are those specialized on digestive surgery and the Women's Medical Centre. These facilities are mainly in need of thread to close wounds and cuts and similar material, as well as certain kinds of anti-biotics. In such cases where a surgery may not be postponed, patients are requested to procure these materials from major private pharmaceutical suppliers in the country. A-1 TV further states that this shortage of medical supplies has been evident for several months now, though it has become more acute over the past few days. Incumbent temporary Director of the Skopje Clinic Centre Borche Petrovski confirmed this state of affairs. In his opinion it is to be attributed to the fact that the two most recent supply tenders publicized by the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Fund were never implemented, i.e. they have been nullified due to excess manipulation. Thus current misconditions in Skopje's hospitals are being ascribed to the inefficiency of the Health Insurance Fund. The latter has been accused of advertising tenders and then annihilating them, instead of leaving this to medical facilities which could procure necessary material with means allocated by this Fund. This body counters that concordant to legal provisions the Funds is obliged to monitor all supplies, as well as that this shortage has been created artificially by the clinics in order to procure materials at a higher cost prior to advertising a tender. Based on the recent information obtained by the Ministry of Health, the next tender is to be announced tomorrow. This could be conducive to the stabilizing of current conditions.[09] FIRST AGRO-STOCK EXCHANGE IN MACEDONIA DUE SOONMTV reports that recently the nationally-owned `Agroberza' held it constitutive session in Skopje. This is to be followed by the activating of the first Agriculture Stock Exchange in Macedonia.So far authorities are required to improve the Statute of this state enterprise, which would then entail the opening of the exchange through the conducting of the most basic kind of operation: the trading of one agricultural product in the beginning. Later on the entire range of agricultural produce would be included... The exchange - it is being planned - may be entered by individual producers, by domestic and international physical and legal entities concerned with production and trade of agricultural produce. One of the advantages to this exchange is the low 0.7% provision for completed transactions, for procured reproduction materials - in addition to the right to participate in solidarity and natural disaster funds. The services of the exchange may also be used by temporary members, with a higher provision of 1% though. [10] TWO INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOR `MAKPETROL'These days the `Makpetrol' oil company has received two international awards, A-1 TV reports. The first of them `Euromarket `97' is being awarded to non-EU countries by the Brussels-based `Euromarket' Research Centre for quality in management. The second one, the `Arch of Europe' is being awarded for product and service quality. The `Makpetrol' management has been given this recognition due to the development and furthering of economic and commercial relations with the EU - and because of its contribution to regional and national development, its quality staff and its encouraging of individual initiative.[11] DPM: `GOVERNMENT RECONSTRUCTED IN ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE SDSM'In the opinion of DPM leader Tomislav Stojanovski the new Government will hardly be more successful than the previous one - both because of its members and its short mandate. The Government reconstruction is being attributed to the need to stabilize the SDSM internally, which resulted in the sacking of established cadre regardless of their personal assets. According to the DPM, the new line-up fortifies the position of the PDP, a party which aired requests similar to those of the PDPA during its Central Assembly in Struga last week - in addition to criticism addressed to the Government it constitutes. With regards to the appearance of the Albanian Ambassador at this event, the DPM also advocates his proclamation as `persona non grata', as this diplomat quite apparently endeavoured to spread Albanian unrest throughout Macedonia in the name of the ultimate cause - a Greater Albania. As regards the development of events at Gostivar, the DPM demanded the implementation of the Constitutional Court ruling in the entire country, as well as an increase in the number of such Court initiatives.[12] PHILOLOGICAL FACULTY TO BEAR THE NAME OF ACADEMICIAN `BLAZHEKONEVSKI'Upon the 50th Anniversary of the Faculty of Philology in Skopje, the Staff Council of this institution decided to name the faculty after Blazhe Konevski, the leading linguist of Macedonia, founder of the Macedonian Language Dept., author of the first Macedonian Grammar book and renowned scholar - in recognition of his work and achievements. Yesterday's festivities on this occasion at the Faculty were also attended by President Kiro Gligorov.MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] `Greece Obtained Concession on Macedonia by Washington'(`Nova Makedonija' - 1st June 1997)Solid commercial and economic ties are used by Bulgarian weekly `168 Chasa' (`168 Hours') to prove that Greece has obtained the US `thumbs-up' to become active in Macedonia - in return for concessions it will have to make towards Turkey upon resolving the Cyprus issue and the problem surrounding the islands and islets... `Macedonia has been gift-wrapped for Greece by Washington, in return for defusing the Greek-Turkish issue. The US have decided to spread themselves out thinly in the Balkans as they would otherwise be forced to choose between the Greek chair and the Turkish divan. This accounts for the message addressed to Costas Simitis, requesting the speedy resolving of problems with Turkey. Washington continues to consider Ankara its basic strategic ally in this part of the world, due to the natural link between Europe and Asia. They are however unwilling to let Greece slide through their fingers. Thus Turkey will have its demands with respect to Cyprus granted; as is the case with contended islands and islets. In return for this Greece has the permission to engage in Macedonia, first on a commercial and political level - and then in the domains of politics and culture...' This is part of a story published in Bulgarian weekly `168 Chasa', written by the correspondent of the Bulgarian National Radio in Skopje who is - he states - relying on diplomatic sources. The weekly further claims that Athens did not have any objections to a deal of this sort, as this suited the historic mission to strengthen its influence northwards and to create a new position throughout the transition of new political `strata' in the Balkans. The emergence of Greece in Macedonia - states `168 Chasa' - opens new possibilities to `con' neighbouring states in the struggle over partial control of this important geo- political area in the Balkans. The weekly stresses the syntagm `partial control' as the `controlling majority' would still remain in the hands of the US - regardless whether the latter will appoint brokers or not. Concordant to the above mentioned anonymous sources Greek dominance in Macedonia may be attributed to the preceding vacuum in our country... `Western diplomats serving in Macedonia think that the process of de-Bulgarization has been completed a long time ago, while adding that all its relics are most likely to be finished off by the Young Lions of Kiro Gligorov. The President himself, who turned 80 in the beginning of May, said in his most recent address to the Macedonian Parliament that the future public enemies in term of inter-ethnic relations are to be sought inside (the radical faction within the IMRO-DPMNE) and outside Macedonia (in the Greater-Bulgarian aspirations.' The foundation for such tales is found by `168 Chasa' in the fast emergence of Greek business in Macedonia, then in the favourable views of Macedonian politicians on Greek- Macedonian relations and in the most recent cultural and other events occurring in both neighbouring countries. The author of the mentioned story reminds his readership that President Gligorov received the visiting journalists (invited by the Macedonian Information Secretariat) in person, unlike the Bulgarian reporters who recently stayed at Ohrid and Skopje without drawing any major attention upon themselves. Macedonian media are also being accused of `envying the Bulgarians' and their presence in the country which accounted towards their support of Greece. `168 Chasa' is evidently unhappy with the positive development of Greek-Macedonian relations, as it states that Greece appeared to be the most suitable neighbour for Macedonia since `Athens does not have a problem with the Macedonian effort to distance themselves from their genuine historical Bulgarian descent through the thesis on ancient Macedonians and an ancient Macedonian state traced back to the rule of Alexander the Great. Skopje is very fond of evoking different kinds of guilt which each neigbouring state seems to be burdened with in terms of relations with Macedonia - especially in the case of Bulgaria. Greek wrongdoing has quite obviously have been forgotten...' notices the weekly while raising the question whether Skopje has not abandoned the policy of equi-distance by favouring Athens - and to what the price for this amounted. `History has proven that every bilateral kinship in the Balkans is automatically seen as a threat to third parties. Will this not upset the fragile political equilibrium in the region? Is this not an indirect assault on `Greek-Bulgarian relations?' asks `168 Chasa' - at the same time stressing that strong Greek presence in Macedonia appears to imply that Macedonia is to turn into a `buffer zone' or a training ground for Russian-US `outsmarting strategies' very soon. It has further been stated that Athens is most likely to accept a name which will please Macedonia... `and Washington will be happy with the fact of having killed several flies with one stroke (the settling of the Greek / Turkish issue, the creating of a chance for Simitis to get the better of his opposition by opening up to the north and NW i.e. Albania and therefore the fact that they even twice `barred the door' against Russian emergence in the area). Thus they have already designed the pop quiz which has to be answered quickly and appropriately by Balkan diplomats', concludes `168 Chasa'. (end)mils news 05 June 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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