MAK-NEWS 20/12/95 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, DECEMBER 20, 1995 (MIC)

[01] CRVENKOVSKI: "NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS UNAVOIDABLE"

The Macedonian-Greek relations are more intensive and more dynamic, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Stevo Crvenkovski said following yesterday's meeting in Bonn with his Greek colleague Karolos Papoulias.

Crvenkovski said that from this moment on, this process of economic cooperation will be regulated by the logics of the market and that it will not be able to be influenced by politics that much. On his behalf, Papoulias stated that Macedonia is playing a positive role in the present situation in the Balkans. He added that Macedonia's rapprochement to Europe, and the existence of the state in general, is viewed positively by Greece.

In reporting on these talks, the Greek news agency ANA conveyed Papoulias' assessment yesterday that the talks with Crvenkovski were constructive, and that both countries wish for "a second, productive phase of the talks." "Skopje," Papoulias added, "has understood the positive role that Greece can play for its rapprochement with Europe, and the very existence of the Skopje state."

The head of the Macedonian diplomatic corps stated for radio "Deutsche Welle" that there are no serious obstacles to the normalization of the Macedonian-Yugoslav relations.

In answering one of the journalist's questions, Crvenkovski said that the period of commotion in the relations between the Balkan states, following the peace accord, will unavoidably bring a normalization of the relations Skopje- Belgrade. "We believe," Crvenkovski stressed, "that FRY has no reason to obstruct the anticipated diplomatic relations and mutual recognition."

[02] DIRECTOR OF PRIVATIZATION AGENCY DISMISSED

At its last session, the Macedonian Government reviewed certain questions related to the implementation and realization of the Law on transformation of companies with state-owned capital, presented through the information of the president of the Government Commission on the transformation of companies with state-owned capital, which included information and conclusions of the Agency for the transformation of state-owned capital of the Republic of Macedonia.

The Government was informed about the to-date level of privatization, concluding that it needs to be given a complete review, not only on the issued decisions for the transformation of the economic subjects, but also data on signed verified agreements of the commercial courts throughout the Republic, with a view to having a general insight into the matters and building a strategy in the further course of work. According to certain findings, the Government recommended to take care of the protection of the state capital, which is under the jurisdiction of the Transformation Agency.

The Government submitted its remarks to the Privatization Commission and the Managing Board of the Transformation Agency. Considering the problems caused by the difficult communication between the Agency and the Government Commission, as well as the dissonance between them, in the interest of intensifying and making the process of privatization more efficient, the Government dismissed the director Miroljub Shukarev, as well as the member of the Managing Board Sveto Janevski, who can not be a member of this Board in view of the difference in interests.

Furthermore, assessing that it is impossible for members of the Managing Board of the Agency to also be member of the Managing Board of the Government Agency for the restructuring of the 25 "loss-makers," the Government dismissed Petar Georgiev and Vladimir Gelev. The Government appointed Verica Hadzi Vasileva-Markovska acting director of the Privatization Agency, previously assistant director.

[03] CLOSING SPEECH OF RM AT UN COMMITTEE

Yesterday, as part of the 50th session of the UN General Assembly, the second Committee finished its work, which, on behalf of the Republic of Macedonia, was chaired by ambassador Goce Petreski. In his closing speech, ambassador Petreski underlined a couple of moments from the work of this Committee. For instance, that during its work, the Committee adopted 40 resolutions from the domain of the economic and financial issues of the work of the UN, and, what is most important, most of the resolutions were passed with consensus, which was not a practice in the previous sessions of the General Assembly.

[04] ROBERT BUDINTER - PRESIDENT OF COMMITTEE ON FRENCH- MACEDONIAN FRIENDSHIP

The French Senator Robert Budinter has been elected the new president of the Group for French-Macedonian friendship, which played an important role in this past period in the French Senate, in developing the overall good relations between Macedonia and France. Budinter's predecessor was Roland Bernard, who was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia to France on December 4, 1995, based in Lion, with a decision of the Macedonian Government.

[05] RAILROAD TRAFFIC WITH A NEW SCHEDULE

At last week's Balkan Conference, which was held in Belgrade under the organization of the Yugoslav Railways, and which was attended by representatives of the Macedonian Railways, the new organization scheme for cargo traffic was defined, following the lifting of the sanctions against FRY.

It was agreed for two pairs of cargo trains to transit through the tracks of the Macedonian Railways, from Sapron (Austria) towards Thessaloniki (Greece), and vice versa, which will be used to transport containers and cars towards Thessaloniki and fresh and easily perishable goods in wagon coolers towards Western Europe. In Macedonia, a train heading towards Budapest and Sofia, and vice versa, will be assembled every day, while 11 pairs of previously defined trains remain towards Greece. Six pairs of regular compositions will transit every day between RM and FRY, on the line Trubarevo-Tabanovci- Nish, and two pairs on the line Trubarevo-Volkovo-Kosovo Pole. A certain number of reserve trains are also foreseen to be put into work any time the need arises.

This new scheme will go into effect from January 22, 1996.

[06] 31 POLITICAL PARTIES REGISTERED IN RM

In accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Court, this Monday, the political parties in Macedonia submitted the necessary documents for re-registration. All 31 political parties fulfilled their obligations on time, thereby meeting the conditions for extending their legitimacy for next year.

As a reminder, this obligation comes from the Law on political parties, which requires the political subjects, 15 days before the end of every year, to present the court documents that they still fulfill the necessary conditions to remain listed in the register of political parties. This year, instead of the complicated procedure of submitting 500 copies of membership documents and just as many Macedonian citizenships, which was practiced until last year, the parties are required to submit statements, which guarantee that the necessary founding number of 500 members is observed.

[07] SILENT OBSERVERS

The largest opposition party IMRO-DPMNU is condemning the efforts and blackmail of FRY, i.e. Serbia, to present itself in front of the international public as the only successor of the political and legal continuity and material assets of the former SFRY. According to IMRO-DPMNU, the Republic of Macedonia, together with the other former members of SFRY, is an equal successor, and any kind of withdrawals or concessions of the Macedonian authorities before the threats and pressure from FRY, are detrimental to the Macedonian sovereignty, is said in the party's announcement.

IMRO-DPMNU condemns the government's methods of concealing facts and events from the Macedonian public, which are of vital importance to the international community in the period when the future of the Balkans is being resolved, and which place the Macedonian diplomacy in the position of being a silent observer, without a stand or vision about the future of RM.

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