MAK-NEWS 26/01/96 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, JANUARY 26, 1996 (MIC)

[01] PHARE OPENS UP TO MACEDONIA

The proposal of the European Commission to include Macedonia in PHARE, allowing it to use up to 25 million ECU from its funds annually, is quite acceptable, Castinielli emphasized. "Macedonia meets the necessary requirements, which means it respects the international law, it promotes peace and stability and good neighborly relations in terms of democracy and the respect of human rights and the rights of the minorities in Macedonia, and there are favorable conditions to resolve the problems through dialogue," the report says.

Considering the vulnerability of the region and Macedonia's significance for its stability, Castinielli feels that modernization and economic advancement is necessary. In the statement for the Macedonian Radio, Castinielli says that he sees no problems why the European Parliament should not confirm this opinion at its session in February.

[02] PERFECTION OF MARKET AMBIENCE

The Forum, which is also attended by President Kiro Gligorov, was formally opened by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, who said, on this occasion, that it represents a continuation of the successful cooperation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, regarding the implementation of the structural reforms in the introduction of market economy in Macedonia.

"In conditions when we are restoring normal relations with the neighbors, when our membership in the international institutions is giving us equal treatment, we feel that the estimates pointing to the intensification of the economic activity and the realization of growth rates, are realistic and correct. However, it is clear that we have still a lot of work ahead of us and efforts to perfect the market and economic ambience in the country, that we will have to continue to seek solutions to the accumulated problems, so as to achieve successful and quality development and progress in the future. The Forum will make considerable contributions in this direction and for the realization of our primary goal: the creation of a modern, stimulative, productive and profitable economy, with an appropriate balance with the social and humanitarian aspects," Prime Minister Crvenkovski emphasized.

Kenneth Lee, the director of the World Bank for Macedonia stated in his address that the success so far from the implementation of the reforms in Macedonia was impressive, and that he considered Macedonia to be a model to other countries in transition. The Forum was also greeted with a videotape by the new director of the World Bank, James Wolfinson, and the representative of Macedonia to the World Bank Managing Board Evelyn Heffrens. Finance Minister Jane Miljovski said that the obtainment of new markets and the creation of an open economy were the chief tasks in Macedonia's future development.

"We must offer the foreign investors better working conditions than those in their countries, by reducing the taxes, the customs rates. Our advantage is not only the cheap work force, since it participates with only 7% in the overall production costs," Miljovski said.

In the afternoon, the seminar continued with a presentation by the foreign guest, about their experiences with the various development models in their countries. Unofficially, President Gligorov is also expected to attend.

[03] MILUTINOVICH ANNOUNCES RECOGNITION OF MACEDONIA

"Vecer" reports that he made this statement in his telephone conversation with the Italian Foreign Minister, Suzana Anielli, whose country is presently chairman of the EU.

Milutinovich said that it will come to recognition as soon as some "technical" problems are resolved.

According to diplomatic sources, FRY and RM could announce the decision of their mutual recognition by the end of this week. It is stated that Belgrade should recognize Skopje under pressure from the EU. Western diplomats say that at the meeting scheduled for 29 January, the EU may make a decision to return the ambassadors to Belgrade, and one of the conditions for this to happen is the recognition of Skopje.

The previous meetings in Skopje and Belgrade focused on everything that was of interest for the present and future relations - from the recognition and the permanency of the existing borders, the mutual communication, to the question of continuity of former SFRY, which is the only one still causing controversy.

Both sides are seeking modalities for mutually acceptable solutions regarding the recognition, which will enable Macedonia not to give up its legal continuity of the former SFRY, on which official Belgrade insisted until recently.

[04] DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH VATICAN

During the day, the Vatican representative to Macedonia was received by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and other high- ranking state officials.

[05] GLIGOROV PLANS TO VISIT CROATIA

[06] MACEDONIAN OFFICE IN CANBERRA SOON

The correspondent of the Macedonian Radio reports that minister Bolkus spoke about the to-date development of bilateral relations between Macedonia and Australia. In his statement for the Macedonian Radio, minister Bolkus said that a Macedonian diplomatic mission will soon be opened in Canberra, emphasizing the need to expand the activities of the Immigration department based in the Australian embassy in Belgrade, and to open up a permanent office in Skopje.

[07] SPEEDIER DELIVERY OF POSTAL PACKAGES

The meeting is focused on questions regarding the modalities and conditions for establishing more expedient and more rational delivery of postal packages, as well as expansion of the cooperation and implementation of new conditions in the international postal traffic, in order to enable the economy and the Macedonian citizens to use these services more efficiently, PTT "Makedonija" announced.

[08] HUGE INTEREST IN MACEDONIAN-GREEK ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Regarding the aim and effects from this visit, Ms. Markovska told "Nova Makedonija": "This Conference was organized by the Greek Institute of International Economic Relations from Athens, whereby a number of Macedonian experts from the economic sphere were invited. However, we weren't the only presenters of Macedonia and its economy, there were also a lot of other experts from Greece, dealing with the Macedonian economy. These persons are quite familiar with the economic situation in Macedonia."

Markovska says that three types of contacts were organized, whereby one of them was with the most popular Greek economic newspaper "Natemporiki." The second day was entirely dedicated to the Conference on Macedonian-Greek relations. "What we noticed was the large presence of businessmen, consultants, professors from all over Greece, who stayed to follow the Conference from start to end. They showed an enormous interest, asking a large number of questions about the privatization, the banks, the establishment of businesses, tax issues, the opening of enterprises in our country, etc. We made our presentations, whereby I spoke about the privatization process in the country, as well as the direct foreign investments, while prof. Petkovski talks about the stabilization and the banks. I must say that there were no problems in the presentation of the materials. They were presented the way our side planned, exclusively using the term Republic of Macedonia, and no corrections were made by the other side. Actually, it was generally asserted that it was 'fashionable' to speak positively about Macedonia at the moment."

"The last day," Ms. Markovska says, "we had separate bilateral meetings with people who had special questions to ask us. They showed all kinds of interest to work with us on an economic plan, and I believe that some of them might soon be fruitful."

[09] COMPLAINT BY ALLIANCE FOR MACEDONIA REJECTED

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