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MILS NEWS 21/02/96From: "M.I.L.S." <[email protected]>Macedonian Information Liaison Service DirectoryCONTENTS[01] FRY RECOGNITION OF MACEDONIA THIS WEEK[02] FRY WILL RECOGNIZE MACEDONIA UNDER ITS CONSTITUTIONAL NAME[03] NEGOTIATIONS ON THE AGREEMENT WITH EU POSTPONED[04] TASKS AND POWER OF UNPREDEP REMAIN THE SAME[05] SWISS SUPPORT FOR MACEDONIA[06] PRESENTATION OF GREEK PRODUCTS[07] LAST CONSULTATIONS BEFORE 'THE HISTORIC SESSION'[08] MAAK-CONSERVATIVE PARTY - 'DISSATISFACTION WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT'[09] SDPM - 'COOPERATION BECAUSE OF SIMILAR STANDS'[10] CLP - 'END OF AN UNNATURAL SITUATION'[11] SEPARATION OF THE MOSLEM COMMUNITY[12] MEETING OF EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEES IN SKOPJE[13] INTERNATIONAL SKI CUP ON POPOVA SHAPKAMILS NEWSSkopje, 21 February 1996[01] FRY RECOGNITION OF MACEDONIA THIS WEEKFRY recognition of Macedonia might take place during this week, stated the British Foreign Office Minister, Nicholas Bonsor, after the talks he had yesterday with Serbian President Slobodan Miloshevic in Belgrade. Agency 'Makfax' reported that Bonsor mentioned the possibility for Great Britain to recognize FR Yugoslavia imediately after that.Meanwhile, Niko Vector, the Spokesman of the European Commissioner, Hans van den Broek, repeated the day before yesterday in Brussels, that the only condition for EU recognition of Belgrade, is the normalization of the relations between FRY and Macedonia. [02] FRY WILL RECOGNIZE MACEDONIA UNDER ITS CONSTITUTIONAL NAME'Macedonian and Serbian Socialists do not have identical views, but the discussions in Belgrade were held in a constructive atmosphere.' - said Blagoja Filipovski, the Vice President of the Socialist Party of Macedonia, on yesterday's press conference. Referring to the talks the delegation of this Party had with the leadership of the Serbian Socialist Party and with President Slobodan Miloshevic, Filipovski said the mutual recognition between the two countries will take place very soon. According to Filipovski, Macedonia will be recognized under the constitutional name and with state continuity begining in 1944. He also reported the opinion of Miloshevic that there are no disputes with Macedonia regarding the border zone. Filipovski said the announcement of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, on the functioning of Macedonian and Serbian markets as one even during the sanctions, was untrue, as the attitude of both the Macedonian Government and the Socialist Party was that the UN Resolutions must be respected.Ljubisav Ivanov, regarding the statement of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce on the 'agreement for mutual abolishing the custom duties and taxes', said there were discussions about revoking the additional custom expenses, and not of the custom duties in general. It would provoke reactions in the European Union and would not be in accordance with GATT and the European norms, said Ivanov. On this press conference, similar contacts were announced that will take place, with the Bulgarian and Albanian Socialists, as well as with the Greek United Left Wing, which Congress (scheduled for 14 and 15 March), will be attended by the Macedonian Socialists. Meanwhile, Macedonian Television unofficially informed that Serbian President Miloshevic might soon pay a visit to Macedonia. [03] NEGOTIATIONS ON THE AGREEMENT WITH EU POSTPONEDThe starting date of the negotiations on the Agreement on Cooperation and Trade between Macedonia and the EU will be 28 March, instead the previously set date of 22 February 1996. According to Macedonian Radio, the postponing happened due to the fact that the European Commission experts have just accomplished the text of the draft Agreement. The procedure anticipates an adoption of the draft Agreement by the Macedonian Government first. As Macedonian Radio informed, it is most difficult for the European Commission to precisely formulate the so-called 'evolution clause', which determines the future development of relations between the two parties. It is expected that the Macedonian party will require the Agreement to precise that the next step will be the associated membership of Macedonia in EU. According to the information from Brussels, the reply to that request will depend on the approach of the Union towards the region and the factors related to Macedonia, while the final solution is still uncertain.[04] TASKS AND POWER OF UNPREDEP REMAIN THE SAMEMacedonian Defense Minister, Blagoj Hanjiski, met yesterday with the new Force Commander of UNPREDEP, Brigadier-General Bo Wranker, the former UNPREDEP Commander, Brigadier-General Juha Engstrom, and the Chief of Staff of the Macedonian Army, General Trajche Krstevski.Minister Hanjiski informed General Wranker about the defense system of the Republic of Macedonia, and opinions about the current situation in the region were presented. The positive influence of the UN Mission on the stabilization of the situation in Macedonia was also stressed. After the meeting, Wranker said the future actions of the Mission in Macedonia will be based on what was determined by the UN Security Council, i.e. the tasks and the power of UNPREDEP will remain the same. Former UNPREDEP Commander, Juha Engstrom, yesterday paid a farewell visit to the Macedonian Foreign Minister, Stevo Crvenkovski, and they expressed their mutual gratitude for the achieved high level of mutual cooperation in the realization of the UN Mission tasks in Macedonia. They also stressed the belief that UNPREDEP will be fully supported in future both by the UN and by Republic of Macedonia, as well as by all peace factors of the international community. [05] SWISS SUPPORT FOR MACEDONIASwiss Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia, Gaudes Ruff, during the talks he had with the President of the Foreign Policy Commission of the Macedonian Parliament, Ms. Ilinka Mitreva, emphasized the stand of his country to fully support the economy reforms in Macedonia and the efforts of Macedonia for active integration in the international community.The mutual interceding for improving the bilateral relations of Macedonia and Switzerland was also stressed, as well as the interest in improvement of the parliamentary cooperation. [06] PRESENTATION OF GREEK PRODUCTSThe first exhibition of Greek products, after the signing of the Interim Accord, will be opened on 24 and 25 February this year, at Skopje Fair. This was informed by the Head of the Liaison Office of the Hellenic Republic in Skopje, Alexandros Mallias, on a press conference yesterday, who said that the main aim of the Greek enterprises is to find partners in Macedonia, and that many of them are interested in contacts and joined ventures. On the exhibition, about 100 Greek enterprises will present general consumer products, fabrics and sewing machines, clothes and other textiles, as well as other consumer goods.[07] LAST CONSULTATIONS BEFORE 'THE HISTORIC SESSION'A-1 Television informed on many speculations in the public about the voting of the members of Macedonian Parliament for the proposed new Government. There are guesses that the severe debate will not end today, that President of the Parliament will submit his resignation on the session, and that the 'presentation of messages and feelings' might result in earlier elections. According to A-1 Television, there are also attempts to involve President Kiro Gligorov in the clash between the Coalition Parties, and announcements that he will attend the session and participate in the discussion.A-1 also informed that the Parties had made the final consultations about the today's session of the Parliament. Some of the participants of the session presented the attitudes of their Parties for the Macedonian media. Tushe Goshev form SDSM said: 'We hope the Republic of Macedonia will this time be given a truly responsible Government. SDSM will support that Government and take over the responsibility for its actions. We hope that, after that, the Parliament will pass more qualitative laws and will better control the way the Government performs its actions.' Ismet Ramadani from PDP: 'Our Party expects to become a more important factor both as a political party and a parliamentary group with new ratio of the forces in the Parliament. We expect the new Government will be more effective, as it will be purely political, and we support it. PDP expects there will be a good and constructive opposition in the Parliament, and that the laws passed will be much better.' Mirko Tripunovski, Socialistic Party: 'Our opinion is that the candidates suggested for the new Government of Premiere Crvenkovski will completely realize our requests and that their engagement will confirm our agreements on realization of our program aims. Our attitude is that the reconstruction should be supported and our Parliament members will vote for the new Government. We think the actions of the opposition in the Parliament will bring to more positive results in the realization of the pluralism and in the improvement of the democratic relations.' Ace Kocevski, Liberal Party: 'We expect that arguments and facts presented on the session will prove that the current platform of the Alliance for Macedonia will be abandoned. We hope that the members of the Parliament will completely take over the responsibility for the future development of the situation in Macedonia. The Parliamentary group of the Liberal Party will vote against the proposed new Government, and the reasons will be presented on the session.' Tomislav Stojanovski, Democratic Party of Macedonia: 'I will not vote for this Government, as I did not for the last one, because of one reason of greatest importance both for my Party and for the citizens of the western part of Macedonia. Not a single position for a minister or a vice minister is suggested to be given to a Macedonian from west Macedonia.' [08] MAAK-CONSERVATIVE PARTY - 'DISSATISFACTION WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT'On yesterday's press-conference of MAAK-Conservative Party, held in Gostivar, the dissatisfaction with the new structure of the Government, especially for the suggested new members Polozani and Liuma, who have proved themselves as not loyal towards the country. It was stressed that such irresponsible attitude of the mandator has provoked a dissatisfaction among the Macedonians from west Macedonia.These are the reasons why this Party requires this Parliament to be dismissed and new parliamentary elections to be organized. MAAK-CP announced the possibility to organize a second 'meeting of the truth', in case the Macedonian Parliament adopts the suggested new Government. [09] SDPM - 'COOPERATION BECAUSE OF SIMILAR STANDS'Social Democratic Party of Macedonia fully supports the suggestion of the Premiere for thorough reconstruction of the Macedonian Government. This support is a result of the close cooperation of this Party with the SDSM and the Socialistic Party of Macedonia. SDPM has similar stands with these Parties, which is more important than a coalition partnership made to win elections or something else, was said on yesterday's press conference of this Party. It was said that this Party initiated a cooperation with the Liberal Party, as well, but that they have not received any reply.SDPM is included in the new Government with one candidate for a vice minister, who is the Vice President of the Party. [10] CLP - 'END OF AN UNNATURAL SITUATION'Citizens - Liberal Party does not agree with the attitudes that Macedonia is in a political and parliamentary crisis.On the press conference this Party held yesterday, this situation is only a clash between the two parties in the Alliance for Macedonia, and the time has come to end the unnatural situation in which former partners are. The representatives of this Party estimated the reconstruction of the Government a normal democratic procedure, which often happens in the countries with longer democratic tradition than Macedonia. However, it was said, there is a possibility for SDSM to become a ruler of the country without being aware of that, which might transform the political pluralism into a 'pluralism of the power' and lead us back to the one - party system. [11] SEPARATION OF THE MOSLEM COMMUNITYThe central celebration of the Moslem holiday, Ramadan Bairam, was held yesterday in the 'Jaja Pasha' mosque in Skopje. The Head of the Moslem Religious Alliance, Reiz Ulemah Haji Effendi Suleiman Rejepi, talked about a toleration, peace and mutual respect. He said that the newly formed religious community of Macedonian Moslems is anti Moslem, and that its President, Jakup Selimovski, wishes for a discord between Moslems in Macedonia.The Republic Association of Cultural and Scientific Manifestations of Macedonians-Moslems addressed the Macedonian Parliament in written, saying that besides 'their existence was never denied, there is neither enough nor adequate care and policy, which are important factors for their presenting as Macedonians'. The letter further reads that this part of Macedonian nation was excluded both in the previous and in the proposed new Government, which is a 'big ethnic injustice'. The letter continues with the claim that Macedonians-Moslems have been neglected and put aside, and that the Parliament should take better care of them. [12] MEETING OF EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEES IN SKOPJEThe forthcoming 'Olympic Days in Macedonia', scheduled for 24 and 25 February in Skopje, will be attended by the Presidents of 12 European Olympic Committees, by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaran, and by the President of the European Association of the Olympic Committees, Jan Rog. President of the Macedonian Olympic Committee, d-r Vasil Tupurkovski, informed on the press conference yesterday, that the topic of the round table talks will be 'The Place of the National Olympic Committee in the Society'. An exhibition called 'From Athens 1896 till Atlanta 1996' will be opened, and an Olympic Academy will be held, as a cultural happening with special contents.[13] INTERNATIONAL SKI CUP ON POPOVA SHAPKAThe 27th 'Shara Mountain Ski Cup', under patronage of Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, will be held on Popova Shapka next weekend. Eleven European national teams will participate: Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, FR Yugoslavia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, France and the representatives of Macedonia.There is still a possibility for the national teams of Austria and Germany to join them. Skiers will compete in slalom and great slalom. (end)mils news 21 February 1996 |
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