This Thursday, south-eastern Macedonia was hit by an enormous storm, rain and catastrophic floods. Negotino and Kavadarci were hardest hit, and damages are estimated at several hundreds of millions of dollars. First reports say that some thirty people were injured in Kavadarci, one person was hit by lightning, and one person is listed as missing. Many objects are also damaged, the railroad Gevgelija-Skopje, the freeway, electric network and the electrodistribution building.
The river of rain swept through the center, the market- place and a number of streets in Negotino, causing enormous damages. Over the weekend, the Macedonian Army was clearing up the streets with heavy machinery and the whole population was busy cleaning up the homes, economic and non-economic objects. The city square has been destroyed, the collector is seriously damaged and the banks of the Temjanichka river, the drinking- water is contaminated, and there also isn't enough electricity.
Over 3,000 individual housing objects have been reported as being damaged, and 500 houses were left without roofs.
In the Kavadarci municipality, the agriculture suffered the most damages. According to initial estimates, some 60,000 tones of production have been destroyed. The agricultural combine "Tikvesh" had the most losses, where 14,824 tones of production were ruined. Individual farmers from the villages Sirkovo, Kamen dol, Rosoman, Manastirec, Palikura, Marina and Sopot are in a very difficult situation, where practically nothing is left from their land planted with melons and vegetables. Otherwise, 39 houses are partially flooded and destroyed in Kavadarci, 46 in Rosoman, 30 in Marina, and just as many in Palikura, Manastirec and Sopot.
The bad weather also hit Valandovo, inflicting extensive damages to the grapevines, the orchards and other agricultural cultures. The rains damaged the waterworks and other infrastructure in the town.
Macedonia's state leaders, including President Gligorov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and Minister Blagoy Handziski paid a visit to these regions. "The most important thing at this moment," the President said, "is to house the people whose homes have been damaged, and then take care of the situation with the electricity, the water, the railroad and the freeway. This will require enormous funds and efforts, but the state will fulfill its obligations according to the law," President Gligorov said.
It is emphasized in Athens that there are no announcements of any "progress" in the efforts to renew the Macedonian-Greek negotiations even after the latest meeting between the Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, the UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali and the mediator Cyrus Vance.
The latest meeting between Vance and the Macedonian minister, according to some newspapers, confirms that the international factor is trying to convince the Republic of Macedonia to sit down at the negotiating table without having the Greek embargo lifted beforehand.
"Nova Makedonija" conveys Greek concerns over the alleged "closer relations" between Macedonia and FRY. Some newspapers feel it is only a case of "vengeance" of Serbia because of the stance of the Greek spectators during the final match at the European basketball championship in Athens.
The Greek press writes that the improvement in the relations between Macedonia and Serbia is reported and proclaimed by the Belgrade newspaper "Politika." This newspaper claims that following cooperation in the field of tourism, diplomacy will soon come in line.
Reports in Greece say that the Belgrade newspaper "Vreme" is also noticing a change in the relations between Skopje and Belgrade. Especially after Goran Perchevich's visit, vice- president of the Socialist party, who was reportedly given a very warm welcome by President Gligorov.
The Greek press bitterly concludes that the pro- government "Politika" does not use name FYROM any more, but Macedonia.
Greece is placing a special accent on the statement of the editor in chief of "International politics" Petkovich, who feels that all the problems between the two neighbors can be solved easily and they can soon start with the mutual recognition. He calls on Serbia to act like Greece, which recognized Croatia and Bosnia at the time.
A part of the Athens press points out that during the incidents over the past couple of days in front of the Greek embassy in Belgrade, one of the main paroles of the demonstrators was "Macedonia, Macedonia."
The negotiations in Geneva between representatives of the Macedonian Government (ministers of education, justice and internal affairs) and the Albanian political parties, in the presence of Gerd Arens, ended without any progress, Makpress reports, calling upon information broadcast by Radio Tirana.
According to Radio Tirana, three topics were tackled - high education, legalization of the Tetovo University, the law on local self-management and the use of the languages.
The Albanian media assesses that the talks passed in an atmosphere of antagonism, emphasizing that the Macedonian ministers did not assent to the legalization of the Tetovo university, in opposition to the efforts of the representatives of the Albanian political parties.
The talks between the representatives of the Macedonian Government and the Albanian political parties will continue, however, the date and location are still not set, Makpress reports. According to this agency, which states Radio Tirana as a source, the protagonists of the affair "paramilitary" will be released from serving their prison sentences during next month, Radio Tirana reported yesterday, calling upon a high-ranking official in the Albanian Ministry of Justice and a PDP official.
The release of the ten men convicted in this, as Radio Tirana calls it "rigged political process," will be done by President Kiro Gligorov personally, within his authorization.
Radio Tirana says that the Macedonian state leadership is taking this step with the purpose of "easing the tension in the inter-ethnic relations and starting closer bilateral relations and cooperation between Macedonia and Albania."
The Albanian press is still giving publicity to the meeting between the Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and the leader of the Kosovo Albanians Ibrahim Rugova in Skopje these days, informing that the meeting focused on the growing strain in the relations on Kosovo and in Macedonia, as well as the political situation that is disturbing the entire region.
As to the issue of the illegal university in Tetovo, according to the Albania media, Gligorov promised to be more active in overcoming the problem, as well as other questions in relations to the realization of the rights of the Albanians in Macedonia.
"Fenimak" from Kavadarci is planning a production of 5,100 tones of nickel this year. 2,500 tones were produced in the first six months of this year alone, which brought in over $ 15 million.
The company "Ohrid" from Ohrid signed a deal with the Turkish firm for the production of domestic appliances "Ilhas" from Istanbul, valued at 400,000 DM.
Austria will review and support the proposal for regulation of Macedonia's relations with the Paris Club. This country recommended that Macedonia influences other countries to which it has greater debts, in order to have them also react positively to this proposal.
The signing of an agreement to avoid double taxation is announced between Macedonia and Slovenia for this fall. At the same time, both countries will intensify mutual contacts in relation to the Geneva negotiations for succession.
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