MILS NEWS 26/03/96

From: "M.I.L.S." <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 26 March 1996

[01] GLIGOROV - 'COLLECTIVE ADMITTANCE IN THE EU IS UNREALISTIC'

On yesterday's session of the Macedonian government, President Gligorov made suggestions regarding Macedonia - EU negotiations on Trade and Cooperation Agreement, scheduled for March 28, in Brussels.

He said: 'it should be clearly stressed, at the very beginning of the negotiations, that it is expected from the Union to approach Macedonia in a greater extend than the one offered in the draft Agreement, especially in the field of economy, said Gligorov. According to him, it would mean giving bigger financial support than the one suggested, providing a better possibility to use the funds and banks connected with the EU, and, in general, more active support of the Union toward Macedonia.'

'Some ideas that have appeared in the Union to condition EU integration process with previous establishing a regional economy association or cooperation between former SFRY republics or all Balkan countries, is unacceptable,' according to Gligorov, 'as each country has achieved a different level of the EU standards. The process of integrating the countries from this region can be made more difficult because they have different principles, different economy, different level and understanding of the democracy, different treatment of the minorities, and different attitude about the privatisation and the position of each individual in the system. It might provoke new problems and even new clashes,' said Gligorov.

He concluded that the Union should, therefore, regarding the admittance of Macedonia, begin from the fact that each phase required had been accomplished accordingly by the Macedonian party, which offers the possibility for the evolutionary associating to the EU to be continued.

On the other hand, Premier Crvenkovski stressed that the Agreement will be a step closer for the complete integration of Macedonia with the EU. It will mean that the strategic aims of the country will be fulfilled, said Crvenkovski.

[02] EU REGIONAL APPROACH IN SKOPJE AND TIRANA MISINTERPRETED

Italian Foreign Minister and the current President of the EU Council of Ministers, Susanna Agnelli informed her counterparts on her visit to Skopje on yesterday's meeting of the Council in Brussels. As Macedonian Television reported, she said the visit had been a successful one and that she had managed to explain the regional approach of the Union. It had been misinterpreted both in Skopje and Tirana as a conditioning of the relations with Macedonia and Albania by the situation in Bosnia or in Serbia.

Agnelli said the only aim of this regional approach was to help in the renewal of the regional connections, which is necessary for the economy development of the countries.

She stressed the importance of the Agreement on Trade and Cooperation with Macedonia, for which negotiations should begin on March 28.

The EU Ministers yesterday also talked about the forthcoming conference on the reconstruction of Bosnia, which should take place on April 12 in Brussels. The Foreign Ministers of the countries in the region indirectly damaged by the war will also be invited. Carl Bilt said one of the aims of this conference will be to determine how would be those countries indirectly helped by their participation in the reconstruction of Bosnia.

[03] SLOVENIA - MACEDONIA MEAT CRISIS

Slovenia yesterday withdraw its decision on prohibiting the import and transit of cattle and meat from the Republic of Macedonia, which came into effect last Saturday. Macedonian Radio reported yesterday that the withdrawal came as a result of the pressure made by the Macedonian diplomacy, including same reciprocal measures.The prohibition was vaguely explained by the uncertain health condition of the cattle coming from Macedonia, without any expert proofs. According to Macedonian Radio, the decision was backed by political reasons, i.e. by concrete groups from Slovenia that had made some pressures. This was confirmed by the General Manager of the Macedonian Veterinary Institute, who said there are no mass diseases amongst the Macedonian cattle, nor any other reasons for such a decision to be made.

The prohibition brought to a severe slowdown in the transport of Macedonian cattle and meat. According to Macedonian meat exporters, the prohibition took place at the pick of the export to the EU countries, and mostly to Italy.

According to A-1 Television, the Slovenian government had brought the decision on March 13, but it came into effect ten days later, and the Italian businessmen were the first ones to react to it. The information continued that Macedonian party answered to this by making a more strict sanitary control of the Slovenian goods imported in Macedonia.

[04] MACEDONIAN AND BOSNIAN ENTREPRENEURS MET IN SARAEVO

Macedonian Radio reported that about 100 Macedonian entrepreneurs had paid a visit to Saraevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), yesterday. The high rating of the Macedonian enterprises in Bosnia was stressed on the meeting at the Bosnian Chamber of Commerce. It was said that the cooperation before the war was of $ 400 million.

Discussions focused on the possibilities for better information exchange, participation of the Macedonian economy in the reconstruction of Bosnia, forming joint ventures, using the optimum transport services, free trade and organizing the bank cooperation, etc.

[05] SFRY RESERVES - CREDIT BASIS FOR BALKANS

The Governor of FR Yugoslav National Bank Dragoslav Avramovic finds it impossible for the FRY funds in foreign countries to be de-frosted before the foreign currency and gold reserves are divided among the former Yugoslav republics. Their governments have to agree on the way of dividing it, said Avramovic on the press conference held yesterday in Belgrade, after FRY negotiations with the World Bank. He also presented the idea for the SFRY foreign currency and gold reserves not to be divided, but to be used as loans of the international financial institutions for economy development of the Balkans.

According to Avramovic, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania could be qualified for such a loans, besides the former Yugoslav republics.

[06] PEACEFUL PROTEST IN TORONTO

Macedonian emigrants in Canada peacefully protested in front of the Parliament of Ontario in Toronto, yesterday.

As 'Makpress' reported, the meeting was organised as reaction to all negations of the Macedonian nation and its existence, a nation that differs from others by many distinct characteristics. A petition was sent to the Greek government to stop with forging of the Macedonian history.

Also, Canadian government was requested to recognise Macedonia under its Constitutional name.

[07] LAW ON SIGNATURES, REFERENDUM, AND CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT

On its yesterday's session, Macedonian government passed the proposals for the Law on Collecting Signatures Procedure, for the Law on Referendum Scheduling, and for changing the Constitution. The proposal are related to the question of the direct participation of the citizens in the decision making process. Ensuring the credibility of the signatures and the way of checking their number were stressed as most important features.

[08] SIGNATURES COLLECTING BURDENED WITH DILEMMAS

Today's 'Vecer' reads that Parties - supporters of the initiative for collecting signatures for early elections, asked from the State Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court to explain more precisely the signatures collecting procedure. Only Ministry of Justice replied that the government is currently preparing relevant regulations which should be passed soon.

Democratic Party and VMRO - DPMNE, however, did not wait for these regulations, and organised the collecting of the signatures on the basis of the present Constitution entries. According to 'Vecer', the first dilemma that appears is if it is really a citizens initiative, when parties are handling it. Another dilemma refers to the place of collecting the signatures, according to 'Vecer', i.e. whether the elementary human right, the privacy, is not disturbed by agitating from door to door.

The comment continues with the question why the initiators did not try to collect the signatures in the township electoral commissions, which would provide presence of all parties.

It was announced that the Law on Collecting Signatures Procedure will be on the Agenda of the Parliament on Thursday. In case it is passed, and in case the current action is illegal, the Parliament might reject the initiative. According to 'Vecer', the Law will most probably offer the possibility for the question to be raised before the Constitutional Court, which would make the decision definite.

[09] SIGNATURES FOR REFERENDUM IN THREE TO FOUR DAYS

The response of the citizens to the initiative on early elections is excellent, was said yesterday by the Spokesman of the Democratic Party Jovan Manasievski and by the VMRO - DPMNE Secretary General Boris Zmeikovski.

According to today's 'Dnevnik', they said the needed number of signatures will be collected in only three or four days, and that even a much bigger number of signatures will be collected. Both Parties expect to have the first result of the action today, and it was added the action would continue after the sufficient number of signatures is collected. 'Dnevnik' reports that both Parties are hurrying to end the action successfully, as there are unofficial information that the government might very soon propose a Law on Referendum to the Parliament, and even schedule one.

The daily informs that more than 6 000 signatures were collected only in Shtip till yesterday, while 1 300 in Kratovo and over 1000 in Strumica.

[10] MACEDONIAN VETERANS ORGANISATION INITIATED A PEACE CONFERENCE

The Conference called 'Peace, Security and Development of the Balkans', initiated by the Macedonian Veterans Union, will be held from May 5 to 7 this year in Luxembourg. The preparations were the main reason for the visit paid to Macedonia by Serz Burga, Secretary General of the World Veterans Organisation. He met with representatives of the Macedonian Veterans Organisation, and with Macedonian Premier Branko Crvenkovski. For Macedonian media, Mr.

Burga stated that the initiative had been accepted because it is considered that there are still serious tensions amongst certain countries in this region. The experience of the World Veterans Organisation shows that it can contribute to the solving of the problems, by making pressure on the government. Mr. Burga said there was a great interest in the Conference, which was proved by the fact that the government of Luxembourg will sponsor it.

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[11] Trading - Twice a Week

('Nova Makedonija', 26 March 1996)

The bull and the bear, symbols of most stock markets in the world, will start 'playing' on the Macedonian market also, when the stock market officially begins its work the day after tomorrow. Everybody hopes that Macedonian stock market will have the characteristics of a 'bull's' market, i.e. that the prices of the securities will be raising. It would attract many investors, who would equally take the risk of gaining or losing.

On the very first working day of Macedonian stock market (the trading will be taking place twice a week from 10.00 a.m. till 13.30 p.m.), the subjects of trade will be the state bonds, owned by Stopanska Banka at the moment, and the shares of several banks and enterprises. The bonds will be in demand at the so-called first market - reserved for highest value securities. Namely, as the brochures published by the Macedonian stock market explain, the issuer of the bonds will have to submit a finance report of its work for the last three years. The report will have to be verified by a specialized revision house, such as 'Coopers & Lybrand', 'Delloitte & Touche', or by the Institute for Payments Circulation. The shares will have to be a property of at least 250 share holders, and the basic market capitalization of all securities of an issuer will have to be minimum 20 million DM.

The criteria of the second market are less strict. The minimum publicly owned securities should be 15%, the number of share holders should be 100, and the market value should be at least 9 million DM. A verified finance report for the last two years is necessary. Tutunska Banka, Invest Banka, Almako Banka and Balkanska Banka fulfill these conditions, and their shares will be placed on the market the very first day. This should be officially confirmed today, after the Commission of Demands is constituted. The Commission will be in charge of approving the list of securities, which will be subjects of trade at the stock market.

In the Macedonian stock market they expect that the biggest trading scope will be the third market one (although it is not expected to be the situation at the very beginning). At this segment, which has not an official character, trading will be made with securities which will not be demanded at the first two markets. The condition for participation in this first market will be the last year's finance report of the work. It is expected that, at the beginning, shares of some firms owned by the Privatisation Agency will be offered on this market, and that it will spread later.

After each trading day, the stock market will submit an official list of all relevant data to the media. The data will be about: the name of the securities issuer, the character of the securities (e.g. a bond, a regular share, a priority share, etc.), the interest rates, the dividends, the minimum price of shares, the change of the prices, etc.

Those interested in buying or selling stocks or bonds will be able to do that through some members of the stock market - i.e. through their stock market departments, which will become independent broker associations after the regulations are completed. Stock market members have already started to promote their brokers departments in public. Balkanska Banka did that last week, by promoting 'Broking', and Invest Banka will do it today.

At the moment, Macedonian stock market has 19 members, 13 of them being banks, three - insurance companies and three - savings banks. The 19 banks are: Almako, Balkanska, Zemjodelska, Izvozna i Kreditna, Invest, Komercijalna, Kreditna (in Bitola), Makedonska, Ohridska, Radobank, Stopanska (in Skopje), Tutunska and Teteks Banka. The three insurance companies are: 'Makedonija', 'Tabak' and 'Winner Broker Insurance'. The three savings banks are: Postal Savings Bank, TAT and 'Fershped'.

(end)

mils news 26 March 1996