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Tuesday, 26 November 2024
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MAK-NEWS 02/02/96 (M.I.C.)From: "M.I.C." <[email protected]>Macedonian Information Centre DirectoryCONTENTS[01] PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN MACEDONIA - INDEPENDENT[02] PRESIDENT GLIGOROV PROPOSES SPECIAL COMPARATIVE STUDY ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BALKANS[03] ELIZABETH REHN: MAIN PROBLEM - EDUCATION IN MINORITIES' MOTHER TONGUE[04] ALLEVIATION OF VISA REGIME WITH GREECE[05] BORDER OPEN TO ALL[06] RECOGNITION BY FRY AT ANY MOMENT?[07] POLITICAL FILES TO BE OPENED BY LAW[08] FIRST PRIVATE EXPERTISE AGENCY[09] TAX RETURNS TO BE FILED NEXT WEEKSKOPJE, FEBRUARY 2, 1996 (MIC)[01] PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN MACEDONIA - INDEPENDENTUN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali recommended yesterday that the peacekeeping forces in Macedonia form an independent mission that will report directly to UN headquarters in New York. In other words, this means that Ghali's proposal, which has yet to be adopted by the UN Security Council, will transfer the command of the troops in Macedonia from Zagreb, directly to the UN in New York.The mandate of the mission in Macedonia, which is comprised of 1,000 soldiers, "should become an independent mission," the Secretary-General recommended. Boutros Ghali noted that the mission "has helped ease the serious concern in the country over outside threats to the security." [02] PRESIDENT GLIGOROV PROPOSES SPECIAL COMPARATIVE STUDY ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BALKANSPresident Kiro Gligorov asked Elizabeth Rehn, special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Center, yesterday to initiate a procedure to prepare a special study which would make a comparative review of minority rights in the Balkan countries.Elizabeth Rehn has been in Macedonia the last two days, during which time she has met with President Gligorov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, Speaker of Parliament Stojan Andov and the ministers Ljubomir Frckovski, Emilija Simovska and Vlado Popovski. Furthermore, she had a meeting with the representatives of non-government organizations in Macedonia. [03] ELIZABETH REHN: MAIN PROBLEM - EDUCATION IN MINORITIES' MOTHER TONGUEThe UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Balkan countries, Elizabeth Rehn, stated yesterday, following her meetings with President Kiro Gligorov and other high-ranking officials in Macedonia that "the main problem in Macedonia is the education of the minorities in their mother tongue at all levels." She expressed understanding for the minorities and their desire to be equal with the majority in the educational process, saying that she had gained the impression, after talking with all the relevant factors in the Republic, that there was a wish in the country to resolve this problem. Of course, as she feels, this can not be done quickly or according to outside instructions, but slowly, with negotiations inside the country.Ms. Rehn underlined as the second major problem in the country certain conduct of the Macedonian police that does not correspond with the European democracies. She pointed out cases of arrests without warrants, holding people in custody for more than 24 hours, etc. Rehn feels this is a problem the competent ministries have to deal with, and which will be resolved in time. Asked about the situation in Kosovo, she expressed grave concern about the great deal of mistrust that exists between the Albanians and Serbs, and that "Kosovo must not be forgotten now, when Bosnia is in the focus of events." Rehn announced her visit to this FRY province soon. [04] ALLEVIATION OF VISA REGIME WITH GREECEThe Foreign Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Stevo Crvenkovski received a high-ranking delegation of the Greek Foreign Ministry yesterday, led by the political director, ambassador Aleksandar Filon, which is on two-day consultations in Skopje. The two sides expressed satisfaction with the level of normalization of relations that has been achieved between the two neighboring countries, emphasizing the willingness to have them improve and advance even more.During the day, the Greek delegation held the first round of negotiations with the delegation of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, led by Under Secretary Victor Gaber. The two delegations agreed on a number of points and views regarding the more successful implementation of the Interim Accord from New York and the other documents on cooperation signed in other fields. In the talks between the two delegations, an emphasis was placed on the willingness of both sides to alleviate the visa regime, and to provide a greater circulation of citizens and goods. [05] BORDER OPEN TO ALLIn the past four months, since the Macedonian-Greek border has been opened, according to data of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, a total of 20,073 citizens have entered Greece. 324 have been sent back, of which 61 are with origins from Aegean Macedonia. In the first two months since the opening of the border, the Macedonian customs officials have sent back only three Greek citizens. Visas have been issued to 6,817 people from Greece.[06] RECOGNITION BY FRY AT ANY MOMENT?Makfaks has learned unofficially, from well-informed sources in Belgrade, that it is only a question of days, maybe even hours, when Macedonia is recognized by FR Yugoslavia.The same sources say it is quite likely that active diplomatic activities over this question could be taking place behind closed doors. Unlike the opposition, the authorities did not react yesterday as well to the EU's decision from Monday to keep silent about the recognition and the normalization of the relations with Macedonia. The president of the Citizens' Association of Serbia Vesna Peshich has asked the Federal Government to recognize Macedonia under its constitutional name. "It is not in Yugoslavia's interest to drag on the recognition of Macedonia at a time when many European countries are prepared to recognize FRY," Peshich emphasized. The leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia Voisla Kostunica insists on "modus vivendi" between Serbia, Macedonia and Greece. [07] POLITICAL FILES TO BE OPENED BY LAWThe Macedonian Parliament instructed the Government yesterday to draw up a special law that will regulate the opening of the political files. 50 MPs voted in favour of this initiative, one was against and six abstained from voting.Apart from that, the Parliament did not support the Government initiative to form a special commission that would take part in the assessment of the scientific applicability of this documentation. The Government suggested that the commission be made up of seven persons, namely, three MPs, two scientific workers and two members of the State Security Service. According to the data from the Government's proposal, the State Security Service with the Interior Ministry has close to 14,000 files on Macedonian citizens, of which more than half date from before the year 1952. [08] FIRST PRIVATE EXPERTISE AGENCYThe first private Expertise Agency "Ekspertiza" has been formed in Skopje. It will mainly deal with expertise in a number of fields. The Agency employs a number of experts, with an average 3,000 individual expertises."Ekspertiza" will conduct expertise in the field of traffic - traffic accidents, machinery and electro-technology, construction, architecture, etc. [09] TAX RETURNS TO BE FILED NEXT WEEKDuring last month, some 300 new tax returns were filed in Skopje alone. This figure is still not final since new returns are coming in. Officials at the Public Income Department are saying that this time, as well, the citizens are much more conscientious than the enterprises. Tighter control of the private entities is announced.(end) |
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