MAK-NEWS 15/01/96 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, JANUARY 15, 1996 (MIC)

[01] NEW ROUND MACEDONIAN-GREEK NEGOTIATIONS IN FEBRUARY

The talks between ambassador Ivan Toshevski and Greek ambassador Hristos Zaharakis, mediated by Cyrus Vance, lasted around four hours. Ambassador Ivan Toshevski stated for the Macedonian Radio that the talks were held in a friendly and sincere atmosphere, with a broad exchange of views. He added that the talks are expected to continue during the second half of February, again in New York.

Following this first round of Greek-Macedonian negotiations, the Greek media inform that they were held behind closed doors and that the two ambassadors, Toshevski and Zaharakis refused to give any statements after the meeting, Makpress reports. According to news from New York, Vance stated that "a wide spectrum of questions were reviewed" and that the dialogue will continue.

Assessments in Athens say that the talks had only an "inquisitive" character, as a result of the political crisis in Greece, created by the long absence of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou.

The Greek media say that if "Skopje accepts some kind of compromise for a compound name at the negotiations," then the Government will table the proposal in front of the Council of political parties, in order to take a joint stand.

The newspaper "Elefterotipia" conveys Foreign Minister Crvenkovski's statement that Macedonia rejects the most frequently mentioned name "New Macedonia," as well as any other solution imposed by the Security Council.

[02] MACEDONIAN OFFICE STARTING

[03] MEETING GLIGOROV-KUCHAN

The meeting between Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and his Slovenian counterpart Milan Kuchan will focus on the mutual relations and cooperation, as well as other questions of mutual interest.

[04] MACEDONIAN AMBASSADOR TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

In the longer discussion that followed this formal act, and which was also attended by the Foreign Secretary Mitchell, Nikovski conveyed greetings from President Kiro Gligorov and expressed satisfaction with the to-date development of relations, understanding and support Ireland has been giving Macedonia. Furthermore, both sides expressed an interest in strengthening the cooperation in fields that offer objective possibilities.

[05] US$ 40 MILLION CREDIT

This credit was also announced in the exchange policy decision and the projection of the balance of payments for this year, and adopted at the last session of Parliament, before New Year. If the credit is approved, as officials at the Ministry of Finance say, the funds will be used for the structural adaptation and development of the private sector in industry and agriculture.

[06] TIRANA CONCERNED FOR MACEDONIAN ALBANIANS

"Despite the efforts and activities of the international community in Macedonia, which is a multinational community, there are still deviations and inter-ethnic intolerance," the Prishtina "Rilindija," which comes out in Tirana, quotes Ghali as saying.

The Albanian state agency ATA conveys the Secretary- General's assessments that the working group for minorities with the Conference on former Yugoslavia in Geneva has taken a number of measures in various spheres, to the benefit of the Albanians and the other national minorities in Macedonia.

The incident that took place in Tetovo on January 17 "compelled the working group in Geneva to immediately start negotiations between the representatives of the Macedonian Government and all political parties in Macedonia," Ghali said, assessing that "even after these talks, as well as the numerous meetings, many questions remain unsolved."

The Albanian media do not specify when Ghali's report was sent to the Security Council.

[07] LIBERALS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT RECONSTRUCTION

"The Republic Committee of the Liberal Party hopes that the subsequent reconstruction of Government will contribute to better understanding and respect between the parties comprising The Alliance for Macedonia, to the strengthening of its role and efficiency in fulfilling its election promises pledged before the citizens, as well as the growing of the trust between the parties from the parliamentary majority," the Republic Committee of the Liberal Party says in the announcement from its session held Saturday.

MACEDONIAN PRESS REVIEW:

[08] "NOVA MAKEDONIJA": ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, THE INTERIOR MINISTRY AND FRCKOVSKI

At that time, I was still uncertain how the Prime Minister would react to Frckovski's resignation, and the controversial police actions in a couple of Skopje suburbs, in search of some kind of evidence connected with the assassination attempt, were underway.

"Liberal": "A lot of time has passed since the assassination attempt and minister Frckovski's infamous news conference, at which he tabled some information that led us to believe that they were a 'step away from catching the assassin," many serious accusations were made on account of that 'multinational group,' and still, there's absolutely nothing, no information, no lead, no action in connection with what was stated as an assumption and indication.

If we don't count those 'birthday parties' called 'action - clean city,' or 'let's clean up the sheds and garages for our closest ones,' there is absolutely nothing, no charges, no nothing, and the investigative judge says that the investigation into the assassination attempt is treated as any other case. For God's sake, how can that be?"

The "Liberal" goes on to say: "Isn't someone impeding the investigation. Could the minister, who gave a sign to start the 'MULTIGROUP HUNT' himself, have made up the affair, only to conclude that 'there's an obvious tendency to cover up evidence connected with the assassination attempt'."

Crvenkovski: "As first, it shouldn't only be a Government task, and second, the analysis shouldn't be scaled down only to the 'technical part of matters,' i.e. to enter the trap of dealing only with the consequences, and not the cause, i.e. the motives.

...Considering the seriousness of the moment, the possible developments, the character of the institution of the Interior Ministry, weighing numerous 'pros' and 'cons,' I have made a decision not to accept the submitted resignation. Of course, I bear full responsibility for my decision, just as I would have been held responsible had I made the opposite decision and some unforeseen consequences had developed."

Minister Frckovski ends the bickering with a genealogy of the "Liberals" in the weekly "Puls," as an occurrence in which such a large number of controversial question had never been answered in such a direct way, deciding to end the "marriage" with the Liberals.

Frckovski: "We will list at least four reasons why this infectious relationship in the ruling coalition should be terminated...

1. Affirmation and the spreading of the political 'moral' according to which you can rule, and someone else will bear the responsibility for that, which is an undemocratic principle 'par excellence';

2. Such a practice has a contagious effect on a thin layer in the SDAM, which politically resembles the Liberals. Raising its ambitions, without any foundation (from time to time), the LP is permanently trying to calculate (unsuccessfully) with the strength of this layer, attempting to make a normative reference out of its behavior, and to establish it as the "shrewd policy" of negligible gains;

3. The political position of the 'Liberals' in the inter-ethnic relations may be the purest reflection of the lack of stance and acting the "strong" (IMRO-type) opposition in the absence of the latter in Parliament;

4. The fourth point of intoxication applies to the general weakness of LP to build up political stances which could serve as a reference for its own base and the lobby groups, whose interests it represents. However, considering the LP's 'base' (which, in effect, is the same as that of their cohort Vasil Tupurkovski) there is a serious danger of identifying some ideas of this 'lobbying' from the direction of the northern neighbor..

In view of the fact that these views of minister Frckovski's were published only yesterday, we have yet to expect a response from the Liberals. So, the fight is continuing.

(end)