MAK-NEWS 06/11/95 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, NOVEMBER 6, 1995 (MIC)

[01] MACEDONIA INTRODUCING BORDER INSURANCE

Radio Skopje reports that starting from tomorrow, the Republic of Macedonia will introduce border incurance for vehicles from Greece and other member-states of the European Union.

This measure, according to well-informed sources, is owed to the fact that Great Britain, Belgium and Portugal have still not verified the green "security" cards for car insurance from the Republic of Macedonia, although they promised to do so. Last Friday, the Republic of Italy was the only one to sign the agreement on the validity of the green "security" cards with the Macedonian National Bureau.

[02] GLIGOROV RETURNING TO HIS DUTIES

By the end of this month, President Kiro Gligorov will return to his presidential duties, "Vecer" quotes well-informed sources. Medical sources confirmed on Thursday that the President is recovering well, even better than expected.

Teamed up with foreign experts, the Macedonian doctors managed to get Gligorov out of hospital in a matter of two weeks from the attempt on his life, after performing a couple of delicate operations to his head. President Gligorov has been home since, under round the clock medical supervision. The President will carry out his presidential duties from his residence, where his cabinet has been temporarily relocated, pending his complete recovery.

[03] "MULTIGROUP": NAIVE AND FALSE INSINUATION

"We categorically state that the company "Multigroup" is not involved in any way in that false and totally naive insinuation designed to change the processes connected with the warming of the microclimate in the Balkans." This was stated at Friday's news conference by the director of the Skopje office of the Bulgarian multinational company "Multigroup" in Skopje, Ivo Janchev, which was organized in order to deny allegations in some Greek, Bulgarian and Macedonian newspapers, regarding this company's involvement in the assassination attempt on President Gligorov.

For the representative of the "Multigroup" company, Janchev, the basic thing is to find out who would have an interest to do something like that. "As the largest private company in Bulgaria, we have no such interest, much less seeing we have such excellent positions in Macedonia, and we would have to be made to allow ourselves to cut the branch we sit on. Minister Frchkovski said he knew the name of the man who assembled the bomb, but we are convinced that the name of our company will not come out of his mouth."

[04] GREEK JOURNALIST CHANGES HIS MIND

Spiros Kozinopoulos, the author of the text which came out in the Greek newspaper "Thessaloniki" on October 30, in which he directly pointed out the Bulgarian group "Multigroup" as being directly involved in the assassination attempt on President Kiro Gligorov, sent a letter to the newspaper "24 Hours" in Sofia, denying what was published in the newspaper the previous Thursday.

In relation to the writing in the Bulgarian newspaper which directly points the finger at Bulgaria and "Multigroup" as being directly involved in the assassination attempt on the Macedonian President, Kozinopoulos says that "such a conclusion can not be drawn after reading the text more carefully."

In the letter to the newspaper "24 Hours," the Greek journalist said, in relation to the statement of the Macedonian minister in resignation, Frchkovski that a multinational corporation from a neighboring country was responsible for the attack, that: "In relation to minister Frchkovski's allegations, I am doubtful whether Frchkovski and the official authorities in Skopje have any witnesses that can support such claims."

Kozinopoulos also underlines in his text that "it can not be true in any way that some of FYROM's neighboring countries could organize or are interested in such a terrorist act."

"Therefore, in the interest of truth, I believe that, in a period of a tendency to develop friendly relations between the Balkan nations, one should not sew weeds and create misunderstandings," Kozinopoulos says.

[05] BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER DENYING INVOLVEMENT

Bulgarian Prime Minister Zan Videnov dismissed accusations on Friday about the involvement of Bulgaria in the assassination attempt on President Kiro Gligorov.

"I categorically state that these insinuations which have appeared in the domestic and foreign media are completely without foundation and present a flagrant provocation of our country," Videnov said in the Bulgarian Parliament.

The spokesman of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Ratko Vlaikov told Reuters that "the authors of these speculations wish to discredit our country and to cast a shadow on our sincere intentions to develop good neighborly relations with the Republic of Macedonia and to stabilize the situation in the region."

[06] DIRTY MONEY FOR A BLOODY ASSASSINATION

The assassination attempt on President Kiro Gligorov was financed by dirty money from Serbia or Russia, the weekly "Monitor" from Podgorica claims, Makfaks reports.

Calling upon the statement of an anonymous member of the Yugoslav military service for counter-intelligence (KOS), the "Monitor" claims that "dirty money" was used to form companies in Sofia, Skopje and Thessaloniki, and that this triangle financed the assassination.

The source further claims that Sofia, Skopje and Thessaloniki have become centers for violation of the embargo, and that these firms formed with dirty money are "a service of the Serbian mafia which smuggles petrol, beside others, for General Mladich as well."

"The advisory body of the firms of the mentioned triangle is the former KOS, while the KGB is most probably concentrated in at least two companies in Sofia," the source claims, adding that "it wouldn't be wise to quote their names in the newspaper."

According to the former operative, President Gligorov was a "target" a long time before the assassination attempt itself, but nobody believed either Macedonia or Gligorov would survive for so long. The direct motive for the assassination was Gligorov's policy of opening the door to "clean money" from the West, which leaves the mafia without work.

The assassination plot started by "bribing the Macedonian political peak," the source claims. In support of his thesis, he quotes minister Frchkovski as talking "discreetly" about a "conspiracy" in the Macedonian political peak.

As part of this, he says that minister Frchkovski said that the assassins intended to "change the government structure and to bring a team that would directly execute the instructions of the conspirators," which means, the source concludes, that "there is a reserve team in Macedonia, which is located somewhere around the Macedonian Government."

"The conspirators are now somewhere deep in the background. They are shielded by the darkness of the mutual political calculations, which, if they were to be revealed in public, could jeopardize the positive processes that, in the long run, are positive for the U.S.A., Macedonia and NATO," the anonymous source says, who is presented in the weekly "Monitor" as a former operative of the counter-intelligence service of the former Yugoslav National Army.

[07] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS UNITING

The MPs of PDPA and NDP have formed a joint parliamentary group.

"The new parliamentary group is a result of the mutual agreements between these two parties and the coordinated activities between the parliamentarians of these two Albanian parties," the new parliamentary group announces. A platform for joint activities and the adoption of a program has also been brought, as well as the statute and work agenda. Rahmi Tuda has been elected coordinator of the group, with a rotation of one year. Sali Ramadani is deputy.

[08] NEW DIRECTOR OF PTT - SDAM MP GESHTAKOVSKI

From the 15th of this month, the SDAM member of Parliament and member of the PTT managing board Aleksandar Geshtakovski will take over the function of general director of PTT Macedonia. This decision, which gives the PTT a new general director, several months after the previous one, Ivan Ginovski was dismissed, was made at the Government's session last week.

Panche Kovachev, general director of the Macedonian Railways was dismissed at the same session, due to the expiration of his mandate. Pending the appointment of a new general director, the deputy general director Stojan Naumov will carry out this function.

MACEDONIAN PRESS REVIEW:

[09] "VECER": POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TAKING FINAL EXAM IN ECONOMY"

The Interior Minister in resignation Ljubomir Frchkovski mentioned a multinational economic-financial group from a neighboring country, placed the same in clear correlation with the assassination attempt on President Gligorov, and in the end, when everything is thrown into the same basket, he let the flea out of the sack. The citizens were left offered to think about the surrogate variances of the manifested forms of the "marriage out of interest" between politics and business in the transit economies.

Some five months ago, in the interview for the magazine "Economy Press," Frchkovski was more than clear: "Recently, in Cairo, I located the threat to Macedonia, coming from companies that are organized by the intelligence services of our neighbors and the post-communist countries, before all, Russian and Serbian, which have Southern Cyprus as their center. That danger will increase with the opening of the border to the north and the lifting of the Greek embargo." Thoughts about the strong penetration of Bulgarian dirty money in the Macedonian economy were also directed to the same address.

Frchkovski was clear: "We have a weak stomach with the privatization...In any case, the banks are the prime target of the attacks, especially in this phase of general reconstruction and transformation." This provided a rough sketch of the course of dominating the Macedonian economic sphere. Beside Southern Cyprus, the Austrian capital Vienna also served as an important station for marketing dirty money in the Macedonian economy and banking. In this whole business, the role of the banks is characteristic, with a certain two-dimensionality: as protection of the interests of the capital and a possibility to get the profit out of Macedonia. Therefore, the interest of three Greek banks to be present in the Macedonian market doesn't come in the least bit as a surprise, in light of the Greek interests to conquer it.

Last year, some 200 Serbian firms were opened in Macedonia. The economic segment of the Foreign Ministry wasn't even close to showing appropriate firmness in opposing such tendencies. Only now can we clearly see the absurdity of promoting former "Genex" employees into high officials in this ministry. It's a public secret that former Yugoslav bosses and close relatives of current Serbian ministers, who are sitting at the same table with powerful Macedonian directors and politicians

have been staying in the Macedonian capital because of certain business deals. Everything was garnished with the preserved continuity of keeping up contacts between re-registered Macedonian banks and former Belgrade headquarters. It was even allowed to form new banks with such performances.

The penetration of the Bulgarians on the "Macedonian front" was going a bit more difficult, in light of the fact that the Macedonian-Bulgarian economic communication did not have half a century of joint interests to rely on. Therefore, the focus was on forming a Bulgarian bank in Macedonia as soon as possible. The visit of the former Prime Minister Ljuben Berov (around two years ago) was used for precisely that purpose, i.e. to step up things around the formation of a Macedonian-Bulgarian Balkan bank (in the meantime, a good part of the Macedonian participants pulled out of the bank, but it's still functioning). This was followed by the unsuccessful attempt of the Bulgarian "Prva Chastna Banka" to buy the Foreign Trade Bank. A while later, the capital of the Bulgarian bank entered the Agricultural bank. Meanwhile, they announced they would be opening their own "Chastna banka" here in Macedonia.

The Macedonian banking was crippled on a domestic plan. And, in conditions when the strongest financial institution "Stopanska Banka" was pushed into a process of painful reorganization, garnished with the halving of its capital. This way, enough room was made for the rest of the Macedonian banks to get a bigger piece of the, in excess, one billion dollars, which should be "wheeled in" the Macedonian economy in the next couple of years. Announcements about the formation of a new bank, which will have a couple of powerful Macedonian companies behind it, (Skopje brewery, "Fershped," OHIS, etc.) only show that such transactions certainly pay off.

In light of such expectations, the closeness of some Macedonian business structures with the political establishment, (or better yet, the possibility to be a part of it) guarantees them good wind in their sails, or to get a good big bite out of the promised big "bucks." The casting list of the businessmen who were invited to attend talks with the high delegation of the European bank, which stayed in Macedonia last month, indicates their closeness with the SDAM and the Liberal party. This list was dominated by businessmen who weren't even present in the Macedonian economic map a couple of years ago. In Macedonia, everything is going toward a forced transfer of power between the director factor. In the long run, the Social-Democrats are not hiding their orientation to force the private business sector. Antoni Peshev's presence in Branko Crvenkovski's first government only verified such interests.

Faced with the transformation of the capital in the companies in which the directors are a part of the Macedonian management factor, is kept aside from the other business movements in the country. Sveto Janevski and Shterjo Nakov got "stuck" in the Commercial court with the privatization of the Skopje brewery and "Fershped." Dancho Shuturkov, with the unsuccessful attempt to internationally "marry off" "Makedonija Tabak" and his petty deals in Russia last year, was ready to exchange his significant role in the Macedonian economy for the position of Minister of Trade. Ljupcho Popovski is "struggling" in the process of disassociation of "Stopanska banka," after Gavrilo Gavrilski passed away, the directors in "Makpetrol" are being changed after every encore, the authorities are slowly starting to "plug" Ljubisav Ivanov-Zingo's "secondary" businesses...

In this diluted business space in the country, people who were outsiders until yesterday are strongly announcing their presence. Many of them, with strong connections with the Bulgarian and Serbian capital, are courageously trying to participate in the privatization of important Macedonian companies. The state of the economic policy has only paved the realization of their intentions. It was possible in Macedonia, in only two years and an initial debt of 50,000 DEM of its final form, to go on to buying a whole trade network in certain towns. This way, the path to the parliamentary benches was paved with roses for these newly-formed businessmen.

On the other hand, businessmen unsatisfied with the current political situation in the country have already formed their club in the country. They were left empty-handed either in the process of privatization of the capital or in the distribution of the post-election merits. Only the eventual return of Vasil Tupurkovski on the Macedonian political scene could speed up their political transfer. At his moment, they are satisfied with merely digging a new well, without naively spitting in the old one. The experiences of the businessmen who got "burnt" in Petar Goshev's campaign only makes their caution more justified.

In the long run, it's naive to expect any reinforced inter-party director transfers, only one year from last year's elections. Those who chose the first side have two more years to eat from the "cookie jar," while the others are left with no other alternative than to blow even at yoghurt. The prospect of installing a certain director-party balance seems more likely with the recovery and announcements of President Gligorov's return in his presidential cabinet. The transfers which only cause headaches are left for later, although there does seem to be a certain process of distancing of the government from certain businessmen. That was announced in the inaugurating speeches of the presidents: Gligorov and Crvenkovski. This, as a confirmation that success in business, with the possibility of jumping into the pan of politics does not always go "with clean hands." This was enough to make Berluskoni pack up his briefcase in Italy.

Following the attempted assassination on Gligorov, the current authorities have the chance to clean up the metastasized forms of "marriage out of interest" in their own ranks. Today, it will be less painful than tomorrow. For the time being, the authorities were satisfied only with the "silent elimination" of individuals from the second line. The reconstruction of Crvenkovski's cabinet has come late after the assassination attempt on Gligorov. However, the announcements (and of course, strongly emphasized needs on our behalf) to add one billion dollars of clean capital in the country, gives weight to all thoughts about the necessity to air out our economic-political sphere. The to-date comfort of the authorities, which provided reinforced spontaneity of the dirty business-communication with our neighbors, might have had some kind of explanation as a necessity in the process of economic survival of the young state (strengthened with the clear pragmatism to win last year's elections), however, precisely now is the moment when the authorities have to decide whether they want to promote yesterday's business delinquents into respective business owners - even their own political colleagues. In any event, the current political leadership is taking its final exam.

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