The Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias expressed his conviction yesterday that the negotiations between Athens and Skopje will start soon. Papoulias specified when and under what conditions the negotiations could start. According to sources close to the Government, Greece's latest stance is for the negotiations between Athens and Skopje to start with the simultaneous lifting of the embargo and a statement regarding the changing of the symbol on the Macedonian flag.
The 6th Conference of the European ministers in charge of social security, which started in Lisbon yesterday, is also attended by a delegation from the Republic of Macedonia, led by the Minister of Labour and Social Politics Ilijaz Sabriu, the Information Secretariat announced.
Over 140 representatives from 32 member-states of the Council of Europe are taking part in the Conference, 8 countries seeking membership, and 7 countries with the status of observers, including the Republic of Macedonia.
At an informal meeting of the ministers, minister Sabriu expounded on the situation in our country, from the aspect of social security. Underlining the unfavorable conditions under which the transformation process of the political, economic and social system is being carried out, minister Sabriu emphasized that the broken off traditional economic and technological links with former Yugoslavia, as well as the international embargo on the northern neighbor and the Greek blockade on Macedonia's southern border, are resulting with a reduction in industrial output, which is also causing the drop in the GDP and is threatening the living standard of the population.
The main danger for the Balkans comes from the situation in Macedonia and Kosovo, the U.S. expert from the Institute for national strategic research of the U.S. University of National Defense, Jeffery Simon, said at the international Conference for deterring conflicts in south-eastern Europe, which is being held in Sofia.
A wave of Albanian refugees could flood Macedonia and go down south toward Greece, the U.S. professor believes. According to the professor, the Albanians make up 50% of the population in Kosovo, and number one million in Macedonia, which, according to him, is one third of the overall population in the country.
At the conference in Sofia, the Macedonian representatives Jordan Stojanov and Dragan Simovich pointed out the incorrectness of the data of the American professor, in terms of the Albanians in Macedonia and their rights.
The defendant Fadil Sulejmani, rector of the illegal university in Albanian language in Tetovo, who has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for committing the criminal act "inciting resistance," has been released on bail.
Namely, at the request of Sulejmani's defence to release him on bail, the Criminal council of the Tetovo Municipal court set his bail at 200,000 DM. However, after the defence appealed this decision, the Skopje Municipal court set the bail at 100,000 DM. The money was paid yesterday.
The leader of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of the Albanians in Macedonia Arben Dzaferi, told MIC that "Sulejmani's arrest was unnecessary, it disturbed the public and raised the tension in the inter-ethnic relations. Now, the situation is somewhat more relaxed, but if it comes to new arrests, the tension will be raised again."
The Privatization Agency has started the privatization process of the small and middle-sized companies in Macedonia, which did not adhere to the deadline for self-transformation. As it is known, the initiative for privatization was left in the hands of these companies until December 10, last year, and the Agency accepted the submitted programs for privatization even after the deadline expired.
From March, this year, the Agency worked intensively on revising the list of companies received from the Institute for Payment Operations, and through basically direct contacts with the companies, reached the figure of 135, which have not started the privatization at all.
Now, the fate of these 135 companies is in the hands of the Agency, which will continue with the privatization measures. A large part of these companies have already been appraised and now it is possible to start preparing the privatization programs.
The legal deadline of 60 days for the claims of the former owners is still in effect, however, after this period, the Agency will gradually start making the decisions for privatization itself, and the way in which it will be carried out.
Macedonia's GNP has dropped 43.6 % compared to the same period in 1989, is said in the annual report of the People's Bank of Macedonia.
The drop in the GNP is the following:
1990 - 9.4% 1991 - 10.7%
1992 - 13.4% 1993 - 14.1%
1994 - 6.2%
On the other hand, Macedonia's nominal GNP in 1994 was MKD 126,941 million, which presents an increase of 110.1%, compared to last year. The country's GNP last year was 343 million denars, which, compared to 1993, presents a realistic drop of 6.2%.
The reasons for this trend, beside the outside factors (the break up of the former YU market, the sanctions and the embargo) are also some internal factors - deep economic recession, over-employment, drop in productivity, old technology of the domestic companies and their insecurity from the consequences from the structural and ownership changes.
The deals for the sale of the middle-sized companies "Tigar" from Kriva Palanka and "Delikates" from Tetovo were signed at the Privatization Agency two days ago, which are being privatized according to the management buy-out system.
"Tigar" from Kriva Palanka is privatized almost 60% according to the old regulations. The rest of the company's state-owned capital has been transformed, so a total of 209 employees are taking over the running of the company.
"Delikates" from Tetovo is following the same principles of transformation, and it has been privatized 60% so far, while the running of the company is in the hands of 163 shareholders.
The German Government is to approve Macedonia a loan soon, of 10 million DM, as help in the returning of the Macedonian workers from FR Yugoslavia in Macedonia and their more efficient inclusion in the Macedonian economy, i.e. the so-called small private sector.
The loan has a 10 year grace period and a pay-back deadline of 30 years, with 2% interest. According to the project, it also has to include the Macedonian Government with a sum of also 10 million DM.
In addition, the minister- spokesman in the Government, Gjuner Ismail informed that Switzerland will give Macedonia 8 million CHF of which 5 million CHF will be intended for revitalization of the hydro-electric power plants, while 3 million CHF are for projects for protection of the Ohrid Lake.
The Government also made a decision to raise the rents of the business areas 100%, in order to stimulate the further sale and privatization of the business areas.