Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Macedonia, Stevo Crvenkovski, yesterday in Moscow met Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Andrey Kozirev. Right after that, the Agreement for cooperation between the governments of the two countries in the field of education, science and culture and the Protocol for cooperation between the ministries of foreign affairs were signed.
In the beginning of the talks, in which on the Macedonian side the Assistant Minister Ljupco Arsovski, the chief of the Office for the Russian Federation Vlado Blazevski and the Ambassador of Republic of Macedonia in Moscow Gane Todorovski took part, Minister Kozirev presented to Minister Crvenkovski the greetings from President Jelcin to President Gligorov.
During the talks it was said that this visit represents a challenge for more intensive cooperation in the political field in the future. At the same time, it is expected that visits on higher and highest level of a Prime Minister and President will be realized too. Satisfaction from the successful development of the bilateral relations and the cooperation in several fields was expressed.
Mr. Crvenkovski informed about the priority of the Macedonian politics in the external-political field, especially about the relations with the neighbors and about the Greek embargo. An interest was expressed about the Russian attitudes towards the resolution of the created problem after the fall of the former Yugoslavia, and especially about the Russian participation in the Group of Four at the London Conference, which took place last week. Considering the interest that exists in Moscow, Macedonian attitudes regarding the American presence in Republic of Macedonia were clearly presented.
Macedonian interest in further specific support by the Russian Federation in the acceptance of Republic of Macedonia in the CSCE, and in the Black Sea initiative was emphasized, especially if you take into consideration the good relations of the Russian Federation with Greece, which is opposing all that. There was talk also about the cooperation in the business field, where the need for intensifying the goods' exchange was emphasized in order to increase the Macedonian offer on the Russian market. Macedonian interest was expressed regarding the constructions of the Balkan gas line Burgas - Skopje - Drac, which would then continue to Brindizi, Italy. Special interest was expressed in the improvement of the right of Republic of Macedonia to use the transit through Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and through Bulgaria. Among the other, the interest of Macedonia was emphasized in importation of raw oil from the Russian Federation, as well as spare parts for the Skopje Oil Refinery.
A content of the present degree of cultural cooperation was expressed, to which the yesterday signed Agreement for cooperation in the field of culture, education and science will also contribute. There was talk about the cooperation between the ministries of defense of the two countries. Minister Crvenkovski invited Minister Kozirev to officially visit Macedonia, which was pleasantly accepted. After the talks, in an exclusive interview for the Macedonian Radio-Television, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Andrey Kozirev stated that the visit of Minister Crvenkovski to Moscow demonstrates the good relations between the two countries, that the cooperation will be broadened further because the Russian Federation will continue to support Republic of Macedonia on political, as well as on economic plan.
Yesterday, Prime Minister of the Government of Republic of Macedonia, Branko Crvenkovski, received and talked to the Delegation of the USA, headed by Eric Newsom, deputy of the assistant for political questions of the Secretary of State of USA.
During the meeting there were opinions exchanged about the popular political, military and security situation in the areas of former Yugoslavia and wider in the region.
Despite that Macedonia, out of all the other members of former Yugoslavia, is the only one which managed to avoid the war and keep the peace , it is still a subject of the dangerous situations in the region. In this direction, during the talks, the efficiency of the preventive acting of the international community and the peace forces of UN was emphasized, and also in that context the presence of the American soldiers in Macedonia.
Macedonia as a small country, respects and is very much interested in keeping the principles of the international community. In the same context, it's also interested in becoming a member of the big collective security systems, which till now was prevented only by neighboring Republic of Greece, and its embargo which represents not only a political and economic problem, but is also a security problem not only for Macedonia, was said at the meeting. In this direction, it was commonly stated that the acceptance and the membership of Republic of Macedonia in the system Partnership for Peace would be very important for the security of the whole region.
Deputy Assistant of the Secretary of State for political and military questions in the State Department of USA, Eric Newsom, was yesterday received by the Minister of Defense of Republic of Macedonia, Phd. Blagoj Handziski.
With this visit, the process of regular contacts with the representatives of the State Department of the USA began, at which there will be talks about the security situation in the region, and also about further cooperation in the field of defense, about the common activities in the programme Partnership for Peace and the expected equal membership of RM in this initiative, about finding new forms and means for these activities and about building a new European security structure in the context of widening NATO with new member-states of this collective security system.
At the meeting there was talking about the unjustified embargo on weapons imposed by the UN and about the support for its selective lifting for the Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Slovenia.
The State Ministry of the Holy Seat in Vatican, yesterday announced the Decree of the Pope John Paul II, with which for an Apostle Nuncio in Republic of Macedonia Monsignor Edmond Farhart, Archbishop of Viblos is announced.
Monsignor Farhart was born in 1933 in the place called Lip Kfa, in Lebanon.
In the service of the Holy Seat he got in as an official of the Congregation for the doctrine of the confession, while till 1970 he was an official of the General Ministry of the Bishop's Synod.
The total lose in the wholesale and retail trade, as well as in the external trade is 2.27 billion denars (US$ 61.5 million). The only comfort is that the trade has slower increase in the loses compared to this year's business.
This kind of situation in the trade reflects in the rest of the business considering the fact that in the trade there are 50,000 enterprises or 63% of the total registered. According to the indicators of the finishing accounts in the Bureau for payment operations the number of the registered enterprises in one year has increased for 17.6%, but the employment is falling down and in the trade it has decreased for 4.7%. It is suspected that this is happening on the account of the liquidation proceedings.
The realized net wage in the trade in 1994 is lower for 10.7% than the wages in the business. Lagging behind is especially high in the retail trade where there is the lowest average net wage realized of 4,821 denars (US$ 130.7)
Half of the American corn contingent of 40,000 tons is already sold. This quantity represents 40 - 50% of the needs of a livestock food in the cattle raising.
The price of the wheat was 5 denars for a kilo (US$ 0.14) if you pay at once or 6 denars (US$ 0.16) with postponed paying on 10 equal installments.
The wheat was otherwise, provided with a commodity credit worth US$ 7 million. The Government of Macedonia is supposed to return these means in a period of 30 years with a grace period of 5 years and an interest rate of 2%.
According to the investment programme in the public section in Macedonia, made by the Government of Macedonia, in the transportation infrastructure, during the next three years, there should be 20 projects realized, which total value is US$ 670 million.
The biggest investment is the construction of the railway track Beljakovce - Bulgarian Border in the frameworks of the East - West corridor worth US$ 120 million.
For construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of major, regional and local roads there are US$ 385 million predicted with which 12 projects should be realized.
Among the most significant ones are the roads Veles- Prilep, which needs US$ 110 million, and Skopje-Tetovo, which needs US$ 71.5 million, Tetovo-Gostivar with US$ 26.8 million and Stip-Strumica with US$ 28.5 million. There are about US$ 50 million predicted for the local roads.
The projects in the PTT communications weigh US$ 174.9 million. With that money the supplement of main telephone exchange systems for Strumica, Gevgelija, Kicevo and Gostivar should be realized, as well as mobile telephones, earth satellite centers and supplement of new telecommunication net, as well as PTT connection of the undeveloped areas.