The chiefs of the headquarters of the armies of Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Turkey, generals Dragoljub Bocinov and Ismail Haki Karaday, yesterday, in the rooms of the Military Academy in Skopje, exchanged the Document for building trust and security between the two countries. The Document will be enforced on the 1st of August this year. According to the statements of the two chiefs this so-called "Skopje Document" represents one more dimension of the close cooperation between the two countries and an expression of the will of Macedonia and Turkey to contribute for the stability and security of the Balkans.
The Document consists of such activities as visits of observers of the military exercises, military contacts between the two armies, training of Macedonian military personnel at the academies in Turkey, exchange of personnel and military units.
"This is not going to be a document against the security of the third countries" said Karaday "but a document for building up the stability of the Balkans".
Dragoljub Bocinov said that this document is of great significance for Macedonia because it is getting it closer to the systems of the collective security in Europe. This document opens the door for Macedonia to become a member of NATO, consider the two chiefs.
Yesterday, President Kiro Gligorov received the chief of the Headquarters of the armed forces of the Republic of Turkey, army general Ismail Haki Karaday. In the sincere and friendly conversation, in which the chief of the Headquarters of the Army of Republic of Macedonia, lieutenant-general Dragoljub Bocinov also took part, President Gligorov was acquainted with the contents of the document for building the trust and security.
Yesterday, President of Republic of Macedonia, received the High commissioner for minority questions of CSCE, Max Van der Stoel.
In the talk there were opinions exchanged about the popular issues of the rights of the minorities in the Republic of Macedonia. During that, the High Commissioner estimated the politics and the steps taken in Macedonia, in this sphere, as positive.
President Gligorov estimated that the dialog and the common responsibility for improving the legitimate rights of the minorities in the frameworks of the legal institutions, are the only possible way for their effective solution, for strengthening the mutual trust and for the stability in the Republic of Macedonia. He underlined that the previous experience too, has shown the advantages of that kind of political orientation, in contrast to the politics of encouraging conflict and meddling in the internal affairs of Republic of Macedonia.
In the talks also, there was a common estimation that the preventions for the accepting of Republic of Macedonia in CSCE by Republic of Greece causes big damages for the organization itself and for the security of the region and of Europe, was stated in the report of the President's Office.
The law regarding the courts, a basic act for constitution of the third judiciary authority, was elected yesterday by the Parliament of Republic of Macedonia. "For" the law voted 81 parliament members from the Social-Democrats, Liberals and Socialists. "Against" were seven persons from the parliamentary group of PDP and the "Tachists".
The use of the law regarding the courts will start on the 1st of July, 1996. In this mandate, the law was debated for two days, while it was in the Parliamentary proceedings for almost three years.
The vote followed the five-hour break, which was demanded by Ace Kocevski (coordinator of the LP), after the parliamentary group of PDP announced that it's not going to vote in favor of the law. "We did not managed to convince you, nor did you convinced us" said Gazmen Ajderaga (PDP), pointing out to the not voting in favor of their amendment for founding an appellate court in Gostivar.
At the moment when the break was requested, there were 85 parliament members present in the conference hall. For the law regarding the courts to be voted in favor for, you need at least 80 votes, and then there weren't that many there. During the five-hour break, in the Parliament actually they have been waiting for several more parliament members, to provide the needed number of votes.
The two-day parliamentary debate ended yesterday in the afternoon hours with acceptance of the 50 out of 100 submitted amendments. Parliament members voted in favor of the basic courts in Vinica, Kratovo, and two in Skopje, while court branches in Makedonski Brod, Valandovo i Demir Hisar, which was not predicted in the Government's suggestion.
Voting in favor of these amendments, according to PDP, was the cause for their insisting for an appellate court in Gostivar. This suggestion was supported by the parliament member Mirko Tripunovski (SP) also, but the amendment didn't get the needed number of votes.
The law regarding the courts is predicted to have an unique organization of the judiciary, with basic and appellate courts, permanent mandate of the judges which will be elected and dismissed by the Parliament, and fonding from the Budget.
"The Judiciary Law is first and necessary condition for the judiciary finally to be established in accordance with the new regulations of the Constitution of Republic of Macedonia as one of the three authorities or as an independent judiciary authority" stated in his day-before-yesterday addressing the parliament members, the Minister of Justice Vlado Popovski.
After the law regarding the courts was elected, the Parliament continued to work following the rest of the topics of the 22-d session.
The achieved agreement with the Parisian Club, looking at things in the fraction of the world finances, has almost equal treatment as our acceptance in the United Nations, was stated at yesterday's press-conference by the Minister of Finances, Phd. Jane Miljovski. Adding that that way there will be presumptions created that close to the end of this year we'll join the negotiations with the London Club regarding our commercial debt.
According to Miljovski the total debt to the Parisian Club is about US$ 300 million. Now it has been re-programmed with 15 year period of paying off and a grace-period of 6 years (and plus we've been approved consolidation period of one year, during which there won't be paying off of the debt also). While, part of the debt, as high as 70 - 75 million US%, which was supposed to be paid off during this year, will be re-programmed to six years, with a grace-period of two years. Under these conditions the paying back of the penalty interests for the not-on-time servicing of the debt will be performed.
"Macedonia managed to get excellent conditions for re- programming the debt" stated Miljovski. Excluding Russia and Peru, nobody else has gotten such an arrangement. Even more, stated Miljovski, in the agreement the clause "good will" is presumed, which anticipates a possibility after the period of two or three year, in case the economic conditions in the country worsen, to sit again and negotiate with the Parisian Club once again. That way, Miljovski makes a commentary, the specific conditions in which Macedonian economy works are being valued.
What kind of an arrangement for re-programming the debt will be arranged with the Parisian Clubs depends on two figures, says Miljovski: "national revenues per capita and the size of the deficit in the trading balance". We tried to impose one more argument - the fact if there is an insisting to pay the debt off this year, the money will be directly taken from the means intended for the reforms.
Now, states Miljovski, bilateral negotiations follow for the countries - creditors regarding the re-programming the debt, because with the Parisian Club only the global frames are arranged. The achieved bilateral agreements can't be with worse conditions than those arranged with the Parisian Club, even though they can be at least a little bit more flexible.
According to the data from the Statistics Bureau there are 81,917 companies registered in Macedonia, which is 1.3% less than in May. Only in June, there have been 1,044 companies registered.
Regarding the ownership, 95.6% are private, while 1.6% are state owned.
Even 62.5% of the companies are registered for trade, while only 9.4% for industry and mining.
The domestic capital consists of 96.3%, miscellaneous one is presented with 2.4%, and the foreign one with 1.6%. In the capitol city of Skopje, there are 41.4% of the newly founded companies registered.
Participation of the sales tax in the budget of Macedonia in 1990 consisted of 70.2 from the total revenues, while in 1991 the same percentage consisted of only 43%. The estimates for this year's budget consist of 58.4%. Why is it like that was shown by the statistics, which confirmed that with the fresh meat, for example, the means collected from the sales tax are decreased for 60%, with the sugar for 55%.
On the other hand, though, something similar was presented with the example of the citrus fruit which is not being produced in Macedonia: in 1990 there were 39,521 tons imported, while in 1991 65,018 tons. In total, the registered sales in 1990 of these products consisted 14,967 tons or only 37.9% from the imported quantities, while in 1991 this percentage consisted of only 13%.
All this shows the role of the gray economy in Macedonia, for which there are attempts to stop it with the Law regarding the Trade which predicts for the open-space markets sale of agricultural products only.
The recent protest of the sellers of various products at the open-space markets regarded their demands for the present situation to remain, but according to the information of the Government of Macedonia, these kind of demands are not accepted. The traders at the open-space markets were given period of three months to retreat their goods from the markets, and that period is finished one of these days.