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MILS NEWS 03/06/96Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <[email protected]>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 03 June 1996[01] UN: 'STILL INDEFINITE STABILITY OF THE REGION'UN Security Council, following the recommendation of the UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, extended the mandate of UNPREDEP in Macedonia for another six months last Friday. The Resolution read that the situation in Macedonia had improved, but that it was too early to consider the region definitely stable.The Resolution also greeted the signing of Macedonia-FR Yugoslavia Agreement on Normalisation of the Relations, but also appealed to both parties to realize it properly, including the mutual border demarcation. Security Council also greeted the improved relations between Macedonia and Greece on the basis of the Interim Accord signed on 13 September last year. UNPREDEP Chief of Mission Henryk Sokalski said the crucial elements for such a decision were the improved political and military relations in and around Macedonia during the last several months, but emphasized they are still not secure enough to withdraw the Mission. Referring to the fact that the Russian representatives had restrained from voting at the Security Council, Sokalski said they were not against the extension of the mandate, but were for a four-months extension, instead of a six-months one, and for a gradual withdrawing of the forces from Macedonia. He added that the mandate extension would cost $26 million, and that the UNPREDEP Mission was examined in the light of necessary reducing of UN budget. In context of that, a report was required to be made in September, which would take into account the options of replacing the military with civil observers and of reducing the number of soldiers to 700. The Security Council concluded, according to Sokalski, that either reducing or withdrawing of the Mission from Macedonia should be done gradually and in accordance with the situation in the country. [02] GREECE IS PREPARING FOR A NEW ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON MACEDONIAThe possibility for Greece to make a new economic pressure on Macedonia due to its firm stand in the negotiations on the name was a hot issue for the Greek media these days.'Makpress' agency reported that the Greek paper 'Epenedipis' had presented the message of the Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos to his Macedonian counterpart Ljubomir Frchkovski, which read that the government in Athens could discourage the investments of the Greek entrepreneurs if Skopje kept its firm stand. 'Epenedipis' estimated that, at this moment, over $100 million were engaged in Macedonia by the Greek businessmen. In context of that, as alleged, the Greek government examined the possibility to strain the 'yielding stand towards Macedonia', which might result to an imposing of an 'embargo on investments'. [03] FORMER SFRY SUCCESSION DISCUSSED IN AUTUMN'Beta' agency reported the statement of Sir Arthur Wotts, the international mediator in the legal inheritance of former SFRY, that the closest term for a plenary session on the succession would be this autumn. He added that he had no idea at the moment for a possible agreement, but that he wanted to become familiar with the stands of the former republics about details, which would help him establish the areas about which a global agreement could be reached.Wotts visited Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje last week, and he will end the tour by visiting Saraevo. [04] SLAVKO MILOSAVLEVSKI - MACEDONIAN AMBASSADOR TO FRYMacedonian President Kiro Gligorov appointed Slavko Milosavlevski, a Professor at the Faculty of Law in Skopje, an extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.Meanwhile 'Nova Makedonija' daily reported that the Assembly of the Republics of Yugoslav Parliament had verified the Agreement on Normalization of The Relations with Macedonia, which the Assembly of Citizens should also do during the first half of this month. [05] POSSIBLE MINISTERIAL MEETING IN SOFIA IN JULYMacedonian and Bulgarian Foreign Ministers Ljubomir Frchkovski and Georgi Pirinski, at the CEI Conference in Vienna, discussed the possibility to postpone the planned June ministerial meeting in Sofia for July, reported 'Makfax' agency yesterday. The postponing came due to objections of three Balkan countries: Macedonia unofficially refused to participate under the name of FYROM; Albania rejected the participation because the date suggested coincided with the parliamentarian elections in the country; and Turkey - because that meeting was to be held at the same time with the UN Conference 'Habitat 2' in Istanbul.[06] COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE OF ST. METHODIUS IN GERMANYMacedonian delegation, led by Education Minister Sofia Todorova and by the Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church Archbishop Mihail, attended the revealing of the commemorative plaque of St. Methodius in El Wangen, Germany, thus marking the 1 111 years from his death.After several meetings with German officials, Macedonian representatives yesterday attended the 'Macedonian evening' in Zindelfingen. [07] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION BOYCOTTED THE SECOND ROUNDOpposition Albanian parties yesterday boycotted the second voting round of the parliamentarian elections, as a reaction to the 'irregular first round voting last week', they said.They also called on the Albanian people to join the hunger strike of 150 opposition leaders, to tally boycott the voting and to organize mass demonstrations. About 160,000 voters were planned to vote in 400 electoral units yesterday for 25 of total 140 deputies. As 'Makfax' agency reported, the US State Department, following the reports of OSCE monitors, suggested these days to the Albanian government to repeat the elections in those areas where the electoral procedures or the Law were not respected. State Department also suggested that the Albanian government asks for help from the international institutions to identify the zones where the voting should be repeated. Meanwhile, at the initial elections for a unique candidate of the Bulgarian opposition at the presidential elections scheduled for the end of this year, the current President Zelju Zelev won only about 33.5% of the votes, while his counter-candidate Petar Stojanov won about 66.5%. The National Union coalition announced Zelev's candidature, while the Democratic Forces Alliance announced that of Petar Stojanov. [08] HISEINI: 'GLIGOROV COULD NOT MEDIATE IN THE KOSOVO ISSUE''Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov is a 'foreigner' and he could not mediate in solving of the Albanian issue in Kosovo,' said Hidejet Hiseini, Vice President of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo, for the daily 'Flaka e Velazerimit'. According to Hiseini, the only way in which Gligorov could contribute to the solution of that issue is to find a justified solution for the Albanian issue in Macedonia, which would contribute to the peace, stability and global democratization of the Balkans.[09] PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION DISAPPROVED THE EARLY ELECTIONS INITIATIVELaw Commission of the Macedonian Parliament, at its session last Friday, concluded that there was no legal basis to schedule a referendum for early parliamentarian elections in Macedonia till the end of this year. After a long discussion, in which representatives of the initiators (VMRO - DPMNE and Democratic Party) also participated, the Commission, with 8 votes for and 1 against (of the Liberal Party representative), decided to suggest the Parliament to reject the initiative.During the discussion, Gjorgji Naumov of VMRO - DPMNE, said that Macedonian Constitution provides the sufficient base for the initiative, which was also supported by the various international institutions. Slavko Petrov of the Democratic Party asked whether it was logical for the people's deputies who have the right to disband the Parliament themselves could ban that to the citizens who had chosen them. Pancho Minov of the Liberal Party said the Constitutional basis of the initiative was estimated indisputable, and that it was illogical to claim that the sovereignty citizens had given to the MPs could not change in four years. Tushe Goshev of SDSM said the Constitution did not give the right to disband the Parliament neither to the President, to the government, nor to the people, but only to the Parliament itself. He stressed that, however, it was not written anywhere that the Parliament could schedule a Referendum on early elections. PDP deputies said they would support the initiative in case new Laws on elections would be passed. Macedonian Parliament will have this item on the Agenda at tomorrow's session, and the latest information are that the leaders of VMRO - DPMNE, Ljupcho Georgievski, and of Democratic Party Petar Goshev, will attend it. It is expected that the Liberals will suggest a new formulation of the initiative: proposal - decision for scheduling a referendum on early parliamentarian elections. Today's issue of 'Dnevnik' daily informs about forecasts these days that the ruling block in the Parliament will schedule neither a referendum nor early elections. The response of the opposition is predicted to be a severe civil reaction, continuation of lobbying in the European institutions, bringing the initiative to the Constitutional Court of Macedonia, starting a procedure at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg, and organizing a joint 'meeting of democracy'. [10] 0.7 PER CENT DEFLATIONIndustry products prices in Macedonia were 1.4% lower in April than in March this year, and market prices were 0.7% reduced. This was announced by the Macedonian Statistics Institute recently, as well as that the costs of living in April were 0.6% lower. Trade turnover was increased for 11.7%, and the physical scope of the industrial production in April 1996, compared with the average one of last year, had increased for 0.8%. It was, however, 6.6% lower than in March 1996.Macedonian Television yesterday informed that 233,892 unemployed were registered in Macedonia in March. 74.2% of them were looking for a job for the first time, and 54.3 were no older than 30. Last December, 26,135 bankruptcy workers were listed, and 2,874 were dismissed as surplus manpower. [11] THEATRE FESTIVAL 'VOJDAN CHERNODRINSKI' OPENEDThe 31st Theatre Festival 'Vojdan Chernodrinski' was opened yesterday in Prilep. During the seven festival evenings, plays of the Drama Theatre and Macedonian National Theatre from Skopje will be presented, as well as of the Theatres from Bitola, Prilep, Shtip and Titov Veles. The opening was marked by giving the traditional life contribution awards to the actress Nada Geshovska and to the actors Kiril Kjortoshev and Ljidzmi Sejfula.[12] WOMEN'S TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN SKOPJEDutch representative Linda Sertis was a winner of the international women's satellite tournament 'Skopje '96', which ended yesterday. She won against Lizel Hort from South African Republic with 2:0.Bulgarians Pandzerova and Dimitrova won finals competition in doubles against Macedonian-FR Yugoslav couple Lazarevska- Mishic with 2:0. MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] 'Europe Is Going to Accept 3,000 Tons of Tobacco'('Nova Makedonija', 1 June 1996)European Union has approved the same tobacco export quota to the Republic of Macedonia for the EU markets as the one of former Yugoslavia, which mostly refers to the oriental tobaccos. More precisely, the current quota of 1,500 tons has been increased to 3,000 tons, in which the greatest part has been given to the 'Prilep' brand, which has a great part in the cigarettes production. Also, in case this quantity is properly realized annually, there will be a possibility for it to be 5% increased during the following five years. In case it is not realized, the quota approved is planned to be reduced. This was agreed at the second discussions round between the Macedonian delegation and the EU representatives, when the future cooperation and a list of products to be marketed under preferable conditions were negotiated. As for the Macedonian tobacco industry, this is a possibility not only to increase the export, but also to further develop and improve the production, as there were some failures in the last several years. For example, last year only about 15,600 tons of tobacco were bought off, which was less than planned and less than several years ago, when it reached 23,000 - 25,000 tons. The correction of quotas came after the opening of some eastern countries markets, where the marketing of the American blend cigarettes, in which final production the oriental sorts are used, has rather increased. The domestic producers will, therefore, be challenged to further modernize the production. It is, however, most important, that the primary production will be encouraged. The enterprises have already announced stimulating measures, and there will be payments in advance of at least 20%. That should improve the quality of the final products and the increasing of the marketing. It also anticipates higher price of the raw material, in accordance with the movements at the foreign markets. It will be difficult to overcome all the problems which brought the tobacco producers in a rather difficult financial situation during the last two-three years. But, the fact that there are chances to gradually change the situation is encouraging. It becomes more probable to make the tobacco and the cigarettes one of the greatest aces of the Macedonian export. To put it in other words, it would mean influx of foreign currency in the country. As a reminding, tobacco and cigarettes export reached its peak three years ago, when it brought an $106,000,000 income to Macedonia. (end)mils news 03 June, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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