MAK-NEWS 16/08/95 (M.I.L.S.)

From: MILS - Skopje <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 16 August 1995

[01] UNPREDEP TO ESTABLISH SEPARATE HEADQUARTERS IN SKOPJE?

At a press-conference yesterday, Macedonian government's spokesman Djuner Ismail said, 'Although the mission of UNPREDEP is being successfully carried out within Macedonia's borders, it is the government's stand that the UN troops in Macedonia ought to transfer their main headquarters from Zagreb to Skopje, as the one in Zagreb no longer exists for reasons we all know. Therefore, the UNPREDEP's mandate will be additionally analyzed and most probably changed.' Ismail said the cabinet's last Monday session did not include the problem with Kraina refugees being settled in Kosovo and possible consequences on Macedonia.

Speaking on the action of replacements of administration officials, he said the Defense Ministry will let off six local chief-of-staffs; the Ministry of City Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection has already rotated 16 construction and urban inspectors, the chief construction inspector of the city of Skopje, along with 5 local inspectors, has been replaced, and another 5 will yet be removed from their position.

Finance Minister Jane Miljovski told reporters that, due to a budget income lower than planned, the government passed draft-laws to change the Law on Taxes and Turnover of Goods and will submit them to parliament for an urgent and short procedure. The basic goal of the changes are to prevent tax evasion and all forms of illegal trade.

Imports and exports will be subjected to strict control to replace the previous practice of controlling goods sold by retailers, which required a huge inspection apparatus and numberless control operations. The state is also determined to put an end to the widespread cigarettes smuggling; in future, all kinds of cigarettes - domestic and foreign - will have to be labeled to considerably facilitate the control over taxes.

Miljovski also said that the Denationalization Act is undergoing a cabinet procedure, expressing hope it could be passed by the end of the year which is a dead line agreed upon with the World Bank.

[02] MACEDONIAN-GREEK DISPUTE FACING A SOON SOLUTION

'The dispute between Macedonia and Greece is very close to being resolved,' said yesterday George Stephanopoulos, the US president's special adviser. In an interview with a Greek paper, Stephanopoulos said both Greece and Macedonia show political will to normalize their mutual relations.

[03] GREECE PREPARED TO DEFEND ITSELF

'The latest dramatic tension of the situation in former Yugoslavia and the threat of a spillover of the conflict towards south have imposed a need on Greece to be awake and fully prepared to defend itself,' Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said during yesterday's celebration of Armed Forces Day in Greece.

Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos said on the same occasion that the nation's defense forces are a guarantee for its security and territorial integrity at the present period of crises.

Leaders of almost all political parties stated similar messages, demanding measures to secure the borders of Greece.

[04] ALBANIA DEMANDS REACTION OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

In regard to the settling of Kraina refugees in Kosovo and the danger of a spread of the conflict to the south of the Balkans and much wider, Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Sereci sent letters to the OSCE, the Contact Group country members and the Council of Europe. He demands efficient measures by the international community to prevent the conflict from spilling over to the south, warning that Albania will no longer allow Belgrade's expansionist policy to be a cause for new flash points in the Balkans.

In an interview with a Croatian television channel, Albanian Parliament President Pietr Arbnori said, 'Albania will never agree with thousands of Serbs to be settled forcefully in Kosovo on other people's land.' Leader of the Democratic Alliance of Albania Neritana Seke, on the other hand, said Albania should help Serbian refugees just like it helped the Bosnjaks, but accused the authorities in Belgrade of intending to use the refugees as cannon fodder.

[05] DANGER OF CHAIN REACTIONS

The US State Department yesterday warned the Government in Belgrade not to settle Serbian refugees from Kraina in Kosovo.

Spokesman David Johnson said the US has seen reports of Serbian government's plans to settle 60-80,000 Serbs in the region. This, Johnson said, 'would be an unnecessary provocation and could cause a chain reaction' to include Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

The Skopje daily Vecer cites Western diplomats as saying that Washington has 'drawn red lines' on Kosovo and Macedonia, threatening by direct military intervention as a response to any attempts to cross those lines.

[06] MINISTERS SPEAK ON POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF YUGOSLAV CRISIS ON MACEDONIA

In yesterday's special TV show entitled "The Current Military and Political Crisis in the Balkans and Possible Consequences for Macedonia', Macedonian ministers of defense and foreign and internal affairs stated their views on the issue.

Foreign Minister Crvenkovski said the latest dramatic changes on the field are also a chance for all sides to realize the need to abandon the aggressive nationalism and possibly open a door for peaceful resolving of conflicts in the Balkans. The Republic of Macedonia's security is reinforced by the very fact that the sides involved in the war are already exhausted and unable to open yet new fronts. Besides, Macedonia, by its foreign policy, has succeeded to obtain an interest of all Balkan countries in preserving stability in Macedonia, as it is a crossroads of vital interest for all. Macedonia's policy of equidistance played a key role and obviously yielded the desired results. Another important factor, he said, the fact that the international community became engaged in preserving the integrity in Macedonia by having deployed UN peace-keeping troops. The least harmful way out of the crisis, Crvenkovski said, is a mutual recognition of all former Yugoslav republics and respect for the internationally recognized borders. As for Macedonia, the next few months are of a decisive importance; the country must continue with its policy of equidistance and European orientation, in order to achieve an entire series of goals of vital national interest. This will also provide conditions for economic growth and social stability. Macedonia must as well resolutely refuse any suggestions to enter into regional alliances or integration that could presently lead to reactions by the rest of the Balkan countries and new partition plans. The role of the international community in preserving Macedonia's sovereignty, successful so far, must be clearly determined, Crvenkovski stressed. In other words, if Macedonia succeeds to avoid any destabilization in the next three or four months, it will be hardly likely that it could be destabilized afterwards.

Defense Minister Handziski said that, despite the fact that certain military operations are almost certain to occur on the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina, expectations are they will not spread beyond local frames. The most critical region at the present moment is Eastern Slavonia, where Croatia and Yugoslavia might even confront directly and possibly destabilize the entire Balkan region. No less dangerous is the plan to settle Serbian refugees from Kraina in Kosovo, as the latter is a region where ethnic tensions have been considerably strong for quite a long period now. Yet, the planned number of Serb settlers still too low against the 2 million Albanians living there and chances are small that the ethnic structure of Kosovo will be significantly changed.

The position of Macedonia from a security point of view is stable, Handziski said.

Interior Minister Frckovski said that the war in former Yugoslavia started by an attempt to integrally resolved the Serbian question, with an option of resolving the Albanian question in the same manner. As far as Macedonia is concerned, there are no unresolved national questions, as such matters can only be dealt with by democratic constitutions and a system of protection of minority rights through an European option of all the states emerged from former Yugoslavia. Macedonia's security is at a higher level in comparison to other former Yugoslav republics exactly owing to the fact it implements such a policy. Furthermore, he said, it is extremely important for Macedonia that former Yugoslav republics remain within their borders. Any correction of borders is possible only as a result of a peaceful agreement.

Serbia's inner stability is also very significant for Macedonia, as internal conflicts (of a civil war nature) would create a great danger for the region, but Frckovski said this option is hardly likely. Possible armed conflicts in Kosovo would certainly create problems at the northern Macedonian border, but this does not necessarily mean that Macedonia would have to be involved in such a conflict.

As for demands for an integral solution for the Albanian question, present for a long time and raised again as of lately, Frckovski pointed to Arben Dzaferi and NDP as promoters of the idea, supported also by Vasil Tupurkovski. The basis of this exceptionally dangerous thesis, that could lead to a direct confrontation in the region, lies in the claim that the Albanian question is not resolved and that consequently a new historical agreement with the Albanians and other nationalities is needed. This means, he said, that the constitution and structure of the state would yet have to be changed, pointing out that, in general, no state concerned by such integral issues can have no guaranteed stability. Still, according to Frckovski, the thesis has no chances whatsoever, as there is no Albanian question in Macedonia, but only a question of Albanians as a nationality with constitutionally defined position and rights. Therefore, he said, new historical agreements are out of the question and will never even be discussed.

Macedonia is a democratic, unitary state the stability of which is a result of its interior policy based upon the complexity of human rights and protection of rights of minorities living in it. The only regional agreement possibly discussed would be one concerning arms control, that is a form of a Balkan ditente, for which Macedonia could be an initiator.

[07] POLICE APOLOGIZE FOR BEATING YOUNGSTERS

In regard to a 12 August incident when a group of young people from the Skopje settlement of Radisani was beaten up by police officers, the Ministry of the Interior issued a public announcement to say, 'Following a citizen's report of a too noisy party in a neighboring house, authorized police officers intervened, but in an inadequate manner and by excessive use of force at a party in the home of the Talevski family. The police officers involved have been suspended and are subjected to disciplinary proceedings. The city police department apologizes to all citizens concerned.' In regard to the incident, the Helsinki Human Rights Committee of Macedonia bitterly condemned the violation of human rights, demanding thorough investigation and appropriate punishment of the responsible party.

[08] STATE ENCOURAGES MIGRATION BACK TO VILLAGES

'The Agency for Development of Underdeveloped Regions in Macedonia has set aside considerable funds to improve the infrastructure and communal services in villages, in order to encourage villagers who left their homes to go back to their villages,' Agency director Voislav Pejovski said in an interview with Macedonian Radio. He said 70 roads have already been built and funds have been approved for the construction of another 75. Also, 140 local water supply systems have been built and several villages have been electrified. It is a special concern of the Agency, he said, to see to it that farmers duly and regularly receive their retirement and disability pensions.

[09] 'OBOD' DENIES REPORTS OF RAW MATERIALS HELD UP AT MACEDONIAN BORDER

'Not a single vehicle loaded with raw materials for the 'Obod' factory has been held up at the Macedonian- Yugoslav border,' said yesterday the factory's director Goran Vucic. 'All imported raw materials go through our factory in the form of a re-export from Macedonia to Montenegro, but in strict compliance with a procedure determined by the government of Macedonia,' Vucic told a Makpress reporter, denying the news released by the Belgrade agency Beta of 17 trucks carrying raw materials for 'Obod' being held up by Macedonian customs.

[10] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: HOW WE SURVIVE - PART IV

The unsatisfactory economic situation and the professional dissatisfaction among couples often contribute to family problems. Some are settled reasonably and harmlessly, some end in divorce and others merely lead to violence. The number of divorces in recent years in Macedonia is growing and in 1994 there were 485 divorces. Most of those marriages lasted less than five years and the couples were 25 to 29 years old. The statistics are misleading however, because experts say many marriages exist only on paper and only for the simple reason that women have nowhere to move and no money to do so.

According to the SOS Domestic Violence Hotline in Skopje, which was founded in August of 1994 and takes about five calls from distraught women each day, domestic violence is on the rise. They have no statistics, but say physical violence against women and children is most prevalent in families where the husbands abuse alcohol. The hotline also receives calls about rape, incest and psychological abuse. One recent afternoon at their offices, a desperate female voice could be heard pleading for help over the phone: 'My husband hasn't had a job for a year,' the woman told the hotline workers. 'He started to drink. He comes home late and beats us. I'm trying to protect my daughter but nothing helps. He is beating and psychologically abusing us. We live in hell. I cannot tell my parents. I wish I could scream and run away somewhere, but where? Can you find us a place where we could stay at least for a short while.' Unfortunately, this possibility does not yet exist anywhere in Macedonia, due to lack of money to build such shelters. Even the future of the SOS hotline is threatened by lack of funding and it is unclear whether the Dutch humanitarian agency that initially founded the hotline will be able to continue supporting its expenses.

It's obvious that women in Macedonia face many different problems regardless of their nationality, educational level and age. But all these troubles have one common denominator - the economic crisis and the traditional way of life.

Portrait of a Businesswoman: Necmiye Arif Necmiye Arif imports luxury cars that are snapped up by the nouveau riche of Macedonia. In the last year she has sold more than 300 Citroens, Subarus and Kia vehicles.

Since she works up to 16 hours per day and reinvests all her profits into the business, Necmiye, 48, has not bought a new car for herself. Instead, this successful Turkish businesswoman - the only female car dealer in all Macedonia - still drives around the city streets in a beat-up old Lada.

That will all change soon. In May, Necmiye signed a contract to sell Opels - one of only three Macedonian firms licensed to do so by the German car company. As part of the agreement, Necmiye must buy an Opel and use it for her own personal transportation.

'The German partner is very rigorous in requests for capital, capability and experience,' Necmiye explains.

'Today our firm, which is called ESA and employs 30 people, has two car showrooms and service centers in Skopje and one each in Kumanovo, Strumica and Gevgelija.' Being a woman in a man's world has only inspired Necmiye to fight harder.

'It is not easy to be a businesswoman because I must also be a wife and a mother and I have many obligations, I must organize my time very carefully,' she explains.

However, 'I don't care what the others think. I can choose the people with whom I work and they are proud of me. I am working just like a man and am successful.' Both men and women trying to do business in Macedonia today must overcome economic difficulties. Because of the Serbian blockade and the war in Bosnia, the Opels can't be shipped directly from Germany to Macedonia, for instance.

Instead, the cars are transported from Germany through Austria to Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria before they finally arrive in the shiny new rooms in Skopje. That adds from 1,300 to 2,500 DM to the price of the car.

But that hasn't stopped Macedonians from buying new cars, a popular and conspicuous symbol of the driver's affluence. IN the last 30 days alone, Necmiye's firm has sold 51 cars.

Necmiye says she pays most of her workers 550 DM per month and pays herself the same salary, preferring to invest her profits back into ESA than to spend it on luxury products. Vacations too, are out. The workaholic Turkish businesswoman has not traveled anywhere for pleasure since 1989 - the year she began working in private business.

Necmiye never imagined this kind of life when she graduated in 1969 with a degree in classical painting from the Academy of Art in Zagreb. After having three children with her husband, a goldsmith, she started designing clothes in her apartment to remain creative.

Soon, she had customers from as far as Belgrade. Artists and singers bought her clothes. She even had her own models working for her at fashion shows.

When Macedonia took the first step toward privatization in 1989, Necmiye decided to do the same. With 30,000 DM in savings and profits from her clothing design business, Necmiye started an import-export firm that imported office materials from Turkey. Then she began exporting lumber to Turkey, Greece and Italy. At the height of her business, Necmiye's firm even had a lumber mill in Kosovo.

When the Greek embargo halted exports to the south, she began importing Turkish furniture to Macedonia. Her business grew slowly, but surely. So when the Macedonian government lowered import taxes on foreign cars in 1994, Necmiye was poised to jump into this market. Using capital from her import-export business, Necmiye signed agreements to import and distribute Citroens, Subarus and Kias.

But that didn't satisfy her ambitions so in May of 1995 Necmiye turned to Opel and agreed to invest 2 million DM to import the German cars, which have long been popular with Macedonian consumers. As a precondition of doing business with Opel, ESA had to cancel its agreements with the other car firms, but she does not regret it.

In all these years, Necmiye's main motivation has been to build a better life for her sons Tacaettin, 24, Ricaedin, 21, and Salai, 17.

'Their future is my permanent preoccupation.'

(to be continued)

(end)

mils-news 16 August '95