MAK-NEWS 12/04/95 (M.I.L.S.)
CONTENTS
[01] KINKEL'S ACTIVITIES IN SKOPJE
[02] REACTIONS BY NEIGHBORS TO KINKEL'S VISIT
[03] GLIGOROV RECEIVES US CONGRESSMEN
[04] LONDON CONDEMNS GREEK EMBARGO ON MACEDONIA
[05] MACEDONIAN POTENTIALS PRESENTED IN LONDON
[06] TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER ARRIVED IN MACEDONIA
[07] WRITERS' ASSOCIATIONS COOPERATE
[08] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: TRANSPORT OF OIL EXPLORATION EQUIPMENT STOPPED IN MACEDONIA (Nova Makedonija, 12 April, 1995)
M I L S N E W S
Skopje, 12 April, 1995
[01] KINKEL'S ACTIVITIES IN SKOPJE
Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov yesterday received German
Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, who arrived on a one-day
working visit to Skopje. The talks were also attended by
Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and ambassadors of both
countries, Srgjan Kerim and Hans Lotar Stepan. In a friendly
and constructive atmosphere, they discussed numerous issues
of mutual interest and current problems in the region.
German-Macedonian relations were said to be developing
positively and President Gligorov underlined the economic
and political support of Germany to Macedonia.
Following the meeting with President Gligorov, Kinkel and
Crvenkovski held a joint press-conference. Crvenkovski said
the visit is a significant step forward in the further
development of bilateral relations, pointing out that the
German economic aid is very helpful. Expressing satisfaction
with his meetings in Skopje, Kinkel said that this is a
country which succeeds in avoiding the ongoing war fire in
its immediate neighborhood. "We, as Germans and Europeans,
will continue to stand behind and support the relative peace
and stability here. Macedonia is a country aimed at
establishing democratic structures and a privatized and
developed economy, and this we appreciate very much."
Germany, he said, has aided Macedonia with some 50 million
German marks, donated between 1993 and 1995, and will
continue to send economic aid, lobbying for a greater and
wider European support of Macedonia. Kinkel told reporters
of an agreement on cultural cooperation to be signed very
soon. The agreement, however, will be signed "excluding the
name", that is through verbal notes so as to avoid the use
of the name the Republic of Macedonia and all potential
problems as a consequence.
As for Greek-Macedonian relations, Kinkel said it is of
great importance for stability in the region to have the
relations resolved thoroughly. In this context, he said, it
is urgent to open the relations, if stability in Macedonia
is to be preserved. "With all possible reserves and without
a desire to create illusions, I can say, after the talks
with Minister Papoulias and the meeting with Mangakis in
Luxembourg, that it may now be the moment for progress in
the negotiations and it should be utilized. Therefore, I
once again appeal to both sides to make an effort and solve
the problem." Kinkel refuted news in the Greek media on his
allegedly bringing along a small package of solutions for
the dispute, but, as he said, this does not mean that he
will do nothing to help resolve the problem. He said Germany
shares the viewpoint of the Greek embargo with all other
European countries, except with Greece. "We do show signs of
solidarity with our partner Greece, but we, the 14 country
members of the European Union, have never hid that we
consider the embargo a wrong step." Therefore, the recent
statement of the European Court's Attorney General that the
European Commission ought to drop its charges against
Greece, has no obligatory power at the court.
Kinkel later met with Parliament President Andov and
representatives of the opposition and parties of Albanians
in Macedonia.
[02] REACTIONS BY NEIGHBORS TO KINKEL'S VISIT
Greek media describe the visit by German Foreign Minister
Kinkel to Skopje as an attempt to mediate the dispute
between Greece and Macedonia and to help find compromise
solutions. Makfaks cites the media in Greece as saying
Athens has already refused to accept Kinkel's suggestion to
lift the embargo, made during his meeting with Mangakis in
Luxembourg. Mangakis, however, has stated that his country
has already shown a sign of good faith by accepting to sit
down at the negotiating table. According to the paper
Kathimerini, Kinkel's visit to Skopje is in accordance with
Macedonia's tactics of prolonging the talks.
Macedonian Radio reports the Serbian media as saying the
visit by Kinkel is another confirmation of official Bonn's
policy regarding the territorial and national sovereignty of
Macedonia. The media concludes that Germany is joining the
US in the so-called campaign to save Macedonia. Yet,
Belgrade criticizes Washington and Bonn for refusing to
realize that the true danger for Macedonia comes from its
western, and not its northern neighbor.
[03] GLIGOROV RECEIVES US CONGRESSMEN
Macedonian President Gligorov yesterday received US
congressmen Dug Beroyter and Gerald Solomon. Also in
attendance was Victor Comras, Chief of the US Liaison Office
in Skopje. They discussed US-Macedonian relations and the
current situation in the region. They all concluded that the
establishment of full diplomatic ties between Macedonia and
the US is a necessary step to complete bilateral relations.
Speaking for Greek-Macedonian relations, Gligorov repeated
Macedonia's readiness for direct talks with Greece as the
only way to achieve progress in the negotiations. Therefore,
he emphasized, the lifting of the embargo would be a
necessary step to start equal and successful talks.
The US Congress delegation was also received by Parliament
President Andov, who reported on the second parliamentarian
elections in Macedonia and the work of parliament. During
the meeting with Foreign Minister Crvenkovski, the US
congressmen confirmed America's interest in maintaining
peace and stability in the region.
Beroyter and Solomon later met with representatives of
parties of Albanians involved in the work of parliament.
At a short press-conference later on, Beroyter said there is
no difference between the US official standpoint on the
issue of full establishment of diplomatic relations with
Macedonia and the view held by the Republican Party. "We
would like to see progress in this direction, as we are
aware of the difficulties caused by the international
sanctions on Serbia which also affect Macedonian citizens.
We fully agree with the official policy of our Government,
which has its official representative here, thus supporting
your sovereignty. We would like to see Greece and Macedonia
overcome their problem and this is a commonly held view. I
personally believe that it is time that the US established
full diplomatic ties and sent an ambassador to Macedonia.
This would clearly show to your neighbors that we fully
believe in your sovereignty and that you are a sovereign
state." He also informed reporters of his meetings with
officials of parties of Albanians in Macedonia. "It is
important that you recognize the differences between people
and that you stand together on certain issues significant
for the survival of Macedonia. We understand your concern
with the minorities, but things should be approached in a
constructive manner, and minorities should also be turned
into majorities, in the political sense of the word. I hope
that ethnic groups here, as it is the case now, will
continue to support Macedonia as an independent state."
[04] LONDON CONDEMNS GREEK EMBARGO ON MACEDONIA
In regard to the recent statement by the European Court's
Attorney General Jacobs, the British Foreign Office issued
an official statement to say that his statement is only a
first step, and the final court decision will probably be
coming in another month. Regardless of the outcome, however,
the United Kingdom still believes that the act of closing
the Greek port of Salonika for trade with Macedonia is a
dangerous destabilization of the region, without any legal
justification. "We call on Greece to lift the measure
immediately and without any preconditions. We still believe
that the best possible way to resolve the dispute is to
start the negotiations under the UN Secretary General's
mediator Cyrus Vance, and we appeal to both sides to fully
cooperate with him," the statement says.
[05] MACEDONIAN POTENTIALS PRESENTED IN LONDON
Macedonian Minister of Finance Jane Miljovski yesterday
addressed delegates at the annual summit of the Bank of
Europe for Reconstruction and Development. Yesterday's
incident with the Macedonian flag was resolved by Miljovski
himself, who placed a Macedonian flag at the official seats
of the Macedonian delegates, who returned to the seats
following this. Meantime, the Bank management sent a letter
of apology to the Macedonian delegation, justifying its use
of the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with the
UN official standpoint on the issue.
The presentation of Macedonia's business potential attracted
considerable attention, and Miljovski answered questions
from potential investors and business partners. Due to
problems connected with the use of an official name for
Macedonia, the presentation included marketing materials
prepared in Skopje, despite the usual practice of the bank
to finance this with funds from its own budget. Miljovski
spoke highly of the work of the Bank's Assembly and
expressed satisfaction with the Bank's cooperation with
Macedonia, especially at a time when Macedonia is faced with
an irrational economic blockade by a EU member country. In
this way, he said, Macedonia managed to provide considerable
financial support for 4 projects, including completion of
the technical equipment for the Skopje airport.
[06] TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER ARRIVED IN MACEDONIA
Mehmed Gulhan, Defense Minister of Turkey, arrived in a
three-day official visit to Macedonia. He will meet with his
Macedonian counterpart Blagoj Handziski, for talks on
current problems in the region and future cooperation in the
field of defense. They are to sign an agreement on
cooperation in the fields of technology and the defense
industry. The Turkish minister will also be received by
President Gligorov and Prime Minister Crvenkovski.
[07] WRITERS' ASSOCIATIONS COOPERATE
In Bucharest yesterday, writers' associations of Romania and
Macedonia signed an agreement on cooperation, to increase
contacts and exchange of experience.
[08] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: TRANSPORT OF OIL EXPLORATION
EQUIPMENT STOPPED IN MACEDONIA
(Nova Makedonija, 12 April, 1995)
The illegal transport of oil exploration equipment, recently
revealed in the New York Times, had been routed through
Greece and Bulgaria and was stopped in Macedonia. The trucks
held in Macedonia are only a part of the equipment loaded on
hundreds of trucks and headed for Serbia, despite the
international sanctions. Macedonian customs officers
confiscated 6 trucks which entered Macedonia at the border
crossing of Novo Selo, on the Macedonian-Bulgarian border.
On its way from Iran via the Greek port of Salonika and the
Greek-Bulgarian and Bulgarian-Macedonian border, the
equipment traveled under various documents, arriving in
Gevgelija as a load of drills for water examination. The
cargo was to be reloaded from the trucks into freight-cars
to reach its final destination in Skopje, as stated in the
documents. Yet, this destination is probably far from being
final, as the documents are quite suspicious.
Citing CIA sources, The New York Times claimed that the
cargo set off from Iran and was to reach Serbia, in spite of
the international embargo. At the moment, according to the
paper, the cargo is now divided and kept in Greece, Bulgaria
and Macedonia, awaiting the final transfer to Serbia. The
report received much publicity in all three Balkan
countries, in contrast with a silence of official
authorities in all three of them.
According to the papers, the cargo is said to have arrived
in Greece on March 20, on the Iranian ship "Ershat" , which
is owned by the Canadian company "Triton International",
which is in turn owned by a Serbian emigrant. The equipment
was to be used for oil exploration and exploitation in
northern Serbia and eastern Croatia, under Serbian
supervision, in order to solve the current oil problems
faced by Serbia. The undertaking aroused CIA interest, and
the agency informed authorities not only in the US, but
also in Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria of the arrival of the
cargo at the Salonika port.
Nevertheless, despite the warning, the equipment crossed
several countries and borders, but part of it was held in
Macedonia. Several companies from different countries had
been included in this illegal transport, with the help of
various customs declaration documents. It is interesting
that both Bulgarian and Greek authorities refused to stop
the cargo, in spite of warnings by the US, calling for the
"proper" documentation.
Immediately after the arrival of the ship in Salonika, the
American intelligence agencies warned Greek authorities not
to allow the cargo to be unloaded, but the latter refused to
do so. Part of the equipment was loaded onto trucks and
Greek officials said the equipment was headed for a company
in Bulgaria. The Greeks stopped the transport even after the
convoy crossed the Greek-Bulgarian border, forced to do so
by strong American pressure. However, the trucks arrived in
Bulgaria, now with new documents stating that the shipment
is meteorology equipment for Macedonia and not banned by
international sanctions. For the same reasons, the Bulgarian
authorities allowed the trucks free transit through
Bulgarian territory, ignoring the US demand to stop the
trucks.
What concerns one is the fact that the convoy, with a final
destination in Macedonia as stated in documents presented in
Bulgaria, headed for Blagoevgrad after crossing the Greek-
Bulgarian border, and even then turned around and headed for
the Macedonian-Bulgarian border. This maneuver remains a
riddle, as there are only less than 30 kilometers from the
border-crossing on the Greek-Bulgarian border to the Greek-
Macedonian border at Novo Selo.
And thus, the trucks arrived at the Macedonian border with
documents proving they carry meteorology equipment for
Macedonia. The convoy reached Gevgelija, where the cargo was
to be reloaded into freight-cars and transported to Skopje
and distributed to 4 companies.
The investigation of the load in Gevgelija, however, showed
that the trucks were carrying equipment for oil
exploitation. Unofficial sources say that, besides the six
revealed trucks, no other truck has been noticed as entering
Macedonia or crossing the border at any point. It is
uncertain whether there are more of these trucks in the
neighboring countries, but, according to the latest news,
the authorities in Greece stopped the unloading of the cargo
at the Salonika port, under a renewed American pressure.
(end)
mils-news 12 April '95
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