The founder of the institute "Open Society" George Soros told the private TV "A1" at the Skopje airport, on his departure from Macedonia that "I'd like to clear up the question of the Tetovo university. I definitely do not support that initiative, nor have I ever supported it, because I feel that it is a step toward the disintegration of Macedonia. At the same time, I feel and I have always felt that it is wrong to use police methods to squash it. The right approach is to see to it that the Albanians have an honest possibility for education. There are justified demands in relation to the Law, and at the moment, some corrections are being worked on," said Soros.
The Greek President Kostis Stefanopoulos is "particularly reserved" toward the policy of the Government in relation to the "Skopje question," the oppositional newspaper "Elefteros tipos" wrote yesterday. Calling upon foreign sources, "Elefteros tipos" claims, as Makfaks reports, that Papandreou's Government is preparing to accept a compromise solution "behind the scenes," and says that in his recent statement for the Russian television, Stefanopoulos reiterated his stance for about "Skopje's aggressive policy."
The Macedonian opposition has made a revision of history, the Bulgaria media say in reports from the IMRO-DPMNU congress in Kichevo.
The newspaper "Duma," organ of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist party reports from the gathering in Kichevo that the biggest oppositional party in Macedonia admitted, for the first time in public, that the first name of the revolutionary organization in Macedonia was Bulgarian-Macedonian-Odrin Revolutionary Committee and that all the leaders of IMRO felt as Bulgarians. That way, "Duma" writes, the IMRO-DPMNU congress actually recognized the "Bulgarian character of the national liberation movement."
By the end of March 30, this year, a total of 96 companies have carried out full privatization. As for the old privatizations, made according to the old law of Prime Minister Ante Markovich, the Administration for Public Income has checked 332 of them, out of a total of 418.
As for the large companies, in 112 of them (out of a total of 115) boards for transformation have been formed, as initial organs for their execution.
545 companies have placed adds calling the former owners to clear up the ownership matters with them. 331 companies have submitted their decision for transformation, and 178 have received official opinions from the Privatization Agency. The final word about the transformation is given by the Commission for privatization, and so far, it has issued visas to 163 companies.
These companies have a total of 33,059 employees, and the overall value of the capital is 600 million DEM. Of this capital, over 30 million DEM have been transferred to the Fund for pension and invalid insurance.
The Privatization Agency has trained 129 appraisers so far, and some 40 appraising houses have been formed. The Agency is also taking part in the funding of two projects with the World Bank - the project for social reforms, which costs US$ 17.1 million and the project for development of small farms, which costs US$ 24 million. Also, Macedonia has made a deal with the World Bank to carry out 1,031 privatization during this year, but according to estimates at the Agency, a maximum of 900 privatizations will be done this year.
Macedonia has officially jointed the agreement for cooperation in the field of patents, and become a member of the World Organization for Intellectual Ownership in Geneva.
This organization has 80 member-states throughout the world and now Macedonia has an insight into 130,000 protected patents.
The President of the Macedonian Government Branko Crvenkovski has received a Dutch economic delegation led by the ambassador of the Kingdom of Holland Gerhard Van Palandt.
The purpose of the visit, according to the Dutch delegation is to thoroughly examine the Macedonian market, increase the exchange between the two countries and not only in the sphere of agriculture and industry, but also electronics, telecommunications and the development of tourism. The Dutch delegation also showed an interest in joint investments, the cabinet of the Prime Minister informs. The meeting was also attended by the president of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce Dushan Petreski.
The Ministry of Traffic and Relations has issued decisions banning the work of several private TV station in Skopje, and according to authorities at the Ministry, this action is expected to also have a broader effect and apply to TV stations in the province.
The reason for this action, as it is stated, is the fact that not one TV station has a working permit from the Ministry of Traffic and Relations, and such a permit is not even possible, seeing there is no Law for radio-diffusion, and the old law does not even mention the existence of private TV stations, as at the time when it was passed (1973) such a possibility was not even comprehensible.
Yet, in the past couple of years, a number of private radio and TV stations were opened in Macedonia, which were tolerated by the authorities.
The functioning of private TV stations requires a large number of regulations, in view of the fact that none of them respect the copyrights, they take over programs from other countries without permission, etc.
How far this action of the Ministry will go, and whether all private TV stations will be closed, and what will become of the private radio stations, is still not known, but according to statements of officials at this ministry, the action of delivering work ban decisions will continue in the future.