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MILS NEWS 21/06/96Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <[email protected]>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 21 June 1996[01] EU-MACEDONIA AGREEMENT SIGNEDMacedonia and the European Commission yesterday signed the Agreement on Economic Cooperation and Trade by exchanging letters. This was a compromise formally and legally acceptable for both parties. Macedonian Television reported that Macedonian government, in a letter signed by Macedonian Vice Prime Minister Jane Miljoski, precisely stated that the Agreement was being made by the Republic of Macedonia and that it was dissociating from the formulation FYROM by which European Commission was referring to the country.Macedonian government also stated in the letter that Agreement on Joint Membership was an aspiration of Macedonia in the relations with the EU. The Cooperation Agreement, however, reads that it will depend on the results Macedonia will achieve in its democratic and economic development, and good relations with countries in the region (defined as South-Eastern Europe) are mentioned as a factor. The Agreement also obliges Macedonian government to take all the necessary measures to prevent the illegal stay of Macedonian citizens in the Union country members. According to Macedonian Television, that is a solid basis for Macedonia to be soon erased from the black list of countries with which the Union has a visas-passport regime. Jane Miljoski, head of the Macedonian delegation, said that both parties involved in the Agreement had won something: Macedonia had come closer to the most important economic and political European association, and the Union has won a good and serious partner. [02] WORLD BANK OFFICE OPENED IN SKOPJEWorld Bank Office in Macedonia was officially opened yesterday in Skopje, and Ellen Goldstein was appointed its representative to Macedonia. At the opening, the publication 'From Planning to Marketing', a regular report of the Bank on the world development, was presented. It is about the experiences of 28 countries in their transition from central planning to free market economy. Ms. Goldstein stated at the opening that the cooperation between the World Bank and Macedonia has been satisfactory to date, saying that: 'The Bank, aiming to the improvement of the living standard, has supported Macedonia in each transition phase, beginning from the technical and financial aid for the privatization and for the restructuring of the banking system.' She stressed that the World Bank will continue to support Macedonia, pointing out the $17 million credit for health system reform, which was to be approved yesterday, as a proof.The official opening of the Office was greeted by Macedonian Vice Prime minister Ljube Trpevski, emphasizing that it would bring Macedonia and the World Bank closer. [03] FAREWELL VISIT OF TORE BOGH TO PRESIDENT GLIGOROVDuring the farewell visit the Chief of OSCE Mission to Macedonia Tore Bogh paid to Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, the cooperation between OSCE and Macedonia was positively estimated. Gligorov thanked Mr. Bogh for all his efforts and activities in that cooperation.Tore Bogh also met with Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski and discussed the current security situation, as well as the activities of Macedonia within 'Partnership for Peace' Programme. Meanwhile, 'Vecer' reported that the new Chief of OSCE Mission to Macedonia would be Christian Faber-Rod, currently a Danish Ambassador to Ukraine. Mr. Bogh stated recently for 'Vecer' that OSCE Mission mandate in Macedonia would be extended for another six months. [04] GREEK OPINION ABOUT VICTOR COMRAS'S STATEMENTS'Recent statements made by the Head of US Liaison Office in Skopje Victor Comras, i.e. his addressing Macedonia under its Constitutional name, are neither new nor a unique case of Washington's understanding and solidarity with the countries it likes,' reads, according to 'Makfax' agency, the diplomatic dispatch of the Greek representative to UN, Hristos Zaharakis, published by Greek papers these days.[05] FULFILLING NATO AND 'PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE' STANDARDS?Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski said for 'Vecer' that lifted arms embargo from former Yugoslav republics was of the greatest importance for Macedonia, in the context of modern weapons supply, as well as of the gradual fulfilling of basic standards for inter- operationality with NATO and 'Partnership for Peace' systems. Handziski stated that embargo lifting would contribute for the most vital production capacities in Macedonia to be returned in function.[06] FIRST FR YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR TO MACEDONIA'There are no open or unsolved issues between Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia,' stated the first Ambassador of FR Yugoslavia to Macedonia Zoran Janachkovic yesterday, arriving at Skopje Airport. Stressing that he was going to be an 'Ambassador of good will', Janachkovic said he would work on developing a bilateral cooperation in accordance with the universal principles of equality, non interference, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity, based on the joint interests of close and friendly nations and good neighbours.Asked when would Macedonian and Yugoslav teams start working on border line fixing, Janachkovic said that the Agreement on Normalization of the Relations anticipated many things, for which FRY was trying to prepare the necessary documents and conform the stands with the Macedonian ones, after which they would be signed. Newly appointed Yugoslav Ambassador to Macedonia yesterday handed the photocopies of accreditive letters to Macedonian Foreign Affairs Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski. Meanwhile, A-1 Television reported that Macedonian Ambassador to FRY Slavko Milosavlevski should start to perform his duties at the second half of July, and that it was still uncertain where would the Macedonian Embassy in Belgrade be located precisely. Macedonian request for the Embassy to be seated in the 'Macedonian Villa' on Dedinje, which was used by Macedonian officials at the time of SFRY, was refused, as President of the Citizens' Assembly of the Federal Parliament, Radoman Bozovic, lives there at the moment. [07] VLASI: 'YUGOSLAVIA SHOULD BE A TRIPLE FEDERATION'Former high official of SFRY, and currently a lawyer in Pristine, Azem Vlasi, said for 'Nedeljna Dalmacija' that FR Yugoslavia should be a triple federation of equal republics: Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, reported Macedonian Radio.'Since there was no forced borders changing after Dayton, we will have to work on a radical re-arranging of current Yugoslavia and on making it a triple federation,' said Vlasi. According to him, the long-term negative experiences of Albanians with the Serbian regime turned them towards independence. A certain kind of autonomy as a step towards the independence should be accepted, however, if the world and political reality require that. Meanwhile, Kosovo Information Centre announced yesterday that the latest incidents in the province, no matter whether they are individual acts or organized provocations, were increasing the tension, which might become dangerous. Leadership of Kosovo Albanians, read the announcement, peacefully oriented, disagrees with any kind of violation and appeals to citizens to restrain from anything that might strain the situation in the province. 'Nova Makedonija' reported a statement of FR Yugoslav Internal Affairs Minister Vukashin Jokanovic that the latest incidents in Kosovo were a deed of separatists who were against peaceful living together, and whose actions were straining the nerves of each Kosovo citizen. [08] WASHINGTON ASKS FOR NEW ELECTIONS IN ALBANIAMacedonian Television reported that US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Barns said the repeated elections at 17 electoral units in Albania were irregular, as the opposition had only six days to prepare. Washington asked from Tirana to cooperate with OSCE and to organize new and fully democratic elections.Also, Albanian paper 'Koha Jone' read yesterday that several members of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Asssembly expressed readiness to suspend Albania from the forum due to the unfair elections. [09] CHOKREVSKI: 'I WAS MISUNDERSTOOD'Macedonian Internal Affairs Minister Tomislav Chokrevski replied to the interpellation submitted to the Parliament, saying that interpellation was referring to the freely and openly expressed opinion, not to his work, and that it was a compilation of selected words from his speech. 'The things said in my speech referred neither to all journalists, nor to the journalistic profession in general. I would like to use this opportunity to apologize to everybody who felt hurt, and whom I did not have on mind,' said Chokrevski.MILS SUPPLEMENT[10] 'Autumn Will Bring A Culmination'(Extracts of a statement made by Ljupcho Georgievski, leader of VMRO - DPMNE for today's edition of 'Dnevnik')'Current political climate, created after the Initiative '150,000 signatures' was rejected by the Macedonian Parliament, has been imposed by force and by violation of the Constitution. A great majority of citizens are disappointed by the current situation and ask for something more to be done. The situation is fragile. Political tensions, combined with the social dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction with the level of democratization of the country, will reach their culmination this autumn. VMRO - DPMNE has been prepared to introduce a more aggressive political strategy to 'channel' the dissatisfaction. More and more political subjects are expressing their readiness to use the 'street democracy' as another possibility the Constitution offers,' said Georgievski, adding that he hoped the Constitutional Court would make a decision 'according to their conscience'. 'The latest stay of Jane Miljoski's delegation in Brussels is another debacle of the Macedonian foreign policy. There are attempts now to present the complete defeat of Macedonian negotiators as a victory, and to present our leadership as very patriotic because they had rejected to sign the Agreement with 'FYROM' reference. And they have done that quite thousand times till now. Therefore, it is only an excuse for the defeat in the eyes of Macedonian public. It showed that a soap bubble, which had been blown up for years already, had exploded. That bubble was the claim that 'our joining the EU was at hand'. It becomes obvious now that our country is quite far away from Europe and in a rather worse position than other Eastern European countries. This is the moment when somebody has to ask: 'What now?' This is the most important national problem for any person who feels at least a little responsible for Macedonia. Where will Macedonia be in the next five, ten, fifteen years? Europe slapped us. Macedonia has been made a buffer-state for the EU.' 'The exaggerated flattering to the West brought to an exaggerated attacking of Russia, to an interruption of excellent economic relations and to abandoning of markets that Macedonia used to have. I am afraid that such a non- balanced policy will leave us hanging somewhere between the East and the West,' said Georgievski. He predicts, however, that Macedonia will find its place inside the European family, but after fifteen or twenty years. Until then, according to him, Macedonia must not allow itself to spoil the relations with Russia. 'Macedonian politicians should at least restrain from making non-serious statements,' he said. Georgievski considers the equi-distance policy with the neighbours had been abandoned, especially during the last five-six months. 'Since Frchkovski and Unkovski came to their current ministerial positions, we can say Macedonia has again being made a Serbian economic and cultural colony, while the relations with other neighbours are being constantly worsened. The definition from 1990, that except for Serbia, all other neighbours are our enemies, is being re-introduced.' Georgievski supported this with 'the imposing of a customs union that is being agreed by the two governments', which is 'a joining of Macedonia to Serbia'. 'The policy of Macedonian government towards Serbia might de-stabilize Macedonia and even bring to a civil war. The government and Kiro Gligorov must remember: Macedonia will never again return to Serbia!' About the economic situation inside the country, Ljupcho Georgievski said: 'Besides the privatization process plunder, the national budget is also being robbed. Papers inform the public about smuggling and the gray economy, but not about the budget plundering as a part of the organized crime. Also, it is a public secret that for each work a Ministry gives, at least 10% of the payment go directly to the pockets of the Minister or his assistant. Everybody who works with the government can confirm that,' Georgievski accused. 'In case early elections do not take place soon, for the next regular elections in two years, all the political parties will unite with a unique aim: to completely break SDSM,' said Georgievski. (end)mils news 21 June, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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