MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market
The first lesson was held in the religious object, in front of 60 students. According to eyewitness reports and the Tetovo private TV "ART," around 1,000 villagers congregated in front of the building, while around one hundred police officers observed this event without coming into direct contact with the gathered people. The same source claims that UNPROFOR and UN representatives in Macedonia also attended the happening.
After the end of the lesson, the rector Sulejmani asked the congregated people to peacefully disburse. He announced that the classes on the philological and philosophical faculty would continue on Monday.
Aliti stated that PDP will not withdraw from the Government. In response to the question why the Albanian ministers in the Government did not take part in the opening of the university in Mala Rechica, he said: "Because I told them not to come."
The reports stress the presence of the head of the Albanian lobby in the U.S.A., Diogardi, who was presented as the "head of the delegation of the U.S. Congress." His words were also quoted: "Do not fear, you have brothers and sisters in America." The report also says that "representatives of the Washington University," UNPROFOR, UN, OSCE as well as "representatives of the political parties of the Albanians in Macedonia" attended the opening of the Tetovo University.
At present, they can not be provided classes in Albanian language - which was a demand and motive for the boycott - for three subjects. Several university professors have agreed to hold these classes, but till the completion of the formalities concerning their part-time employment, the students of Albanian nationality will follow the classes in Macedonian language. This was agreed with the student representatives from the first and second year at the College, while the acting director of the Teachers' College Borislav Micevski told them that they would have to follow classes regularly from that moment onward.
According to the decision of the college council, the students of Albanian nationality will have to make up for all the classes missed during the boycott over the weekends, in order to verify the winter semester.
The talks focused on the educational system in our country and the processes that went on in this sphere. They also discussed the legal provisions in the educational system, and in that context, it was mentioned that a Law for university is expected to be prepared soon.
In the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the to-date cooperation in the field of science and technology and confirmed the mutual interest for its intensification, in view of the fact that two neighboring countries are in question, and in particular due to the presence of a great number of members of the Albanian nationality in Macedonia. An emphasis was placed on the need for quicker realization of the Agreement for cooperation in the field of science and technology between the two countries, which was signed last year.
Minister Todorova informed the ambassador of the Republic of Albania about the increasing participation of members of the Albanian nationality in certain scientific-research projects, the allocation of financial support for the publishing of scientific essays and magazines whose authors are members of the Albanian nationality in Macedonia, the employment of scientific-research personnel in the institutes for national history and folklore, as well as the beginning of the issuing of scholarships to students from the Republic of Albania for post- graduate studies.
The ceremony that was organized in the President's Cabinet, on this occasion, was also attended by Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski.
VECER: Two days ago, the news appeared in the
Macedonian media that you signed the agreement with the so-called
University in Albanian language in Tetovo. Is that true?
MENGES: Yes, that is true.
VECER: Did you know that this university is not legal?
MENGES: No. That is your view on matters, but not also
of the people who organize that University.
VECER: Do you cooperate with all universities of the
ethnic populations?
MENGES: We support freedom of speech and research. We
find that it is important to establish academic links with those
universities who are prepared for that. That's why we make
agreements.
VECER: Have you contacted any other universities like
the one in Tetovo?
MENGES: Yes, we have contacts with a couple of
universities in the former communist countries.
VECER: Do you also have contacts with similar
universities in the U.S.A.?
MENGES: We are in contact with all the universities in
the U.S.A..
VECER: It is known that there is an initiative in the
U.S.A. for the foundation of a university of the Hispanic
population. Have you made contacts with them?
MENGES: I don't know anything about that. You are
stressing something I don't anything about.
- I must repeat that we have contacted all universities
which are open to freedom of speech and research. Those are
academic activities and exchange of information.
VECER: Did you ask them to show you some kind of
documents that they are registered as a university?
MENGES: I hope that will happen soon.
VECER: That is you viewpoint?
MENGES: As far as I understood them, they meet all the
requirements of the Macedonian laws and expect to function as a
normal university, as a normal educational institution. However,
I'm not in a position to provide independent for the problems
with the registration.
VECER: Did you ask for a document for the registration
of that so-called university? I'm asking you because such
documents don't exist.
MENGES: That is a novelty to me. They said that they
fulfilled all the legal demands and therefore were included in
the program for transition to democracy.
MONEY - Economy, Business, Finance & Market
Last year, the construction operative from Macedonia carried out construction and project making services abroad of up to US$ 66 million, which is 15% less than 1993.
The total value, on the other hand, of the agreed work was estimated at US$ 84 million, which is 47.8% less than in 1993.
Outside the country, the presence is greatest in Russia, Ukraine, FR Germany, the Czech Republic, while there is also growing interest for appearing in Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, as well as Tunis, Morocco, Algiers, etc.
According to information from the construction companies, construction work valued at US$ 110 million has been agreed on the territory of the Russian Federation, while the construction work finished so far is valued at US$ 30 million. The rest of the work, to the value of US$ 80 million has to be realized this and the next year.
The biggest project on this market, on which Macedonian firms have been present for 20 years already, is the construction of the converting plant in the town of Novokuznec, to the overall value of US$ 77 million, which has to be completed by the end of 1997. Work valued at US$ 5.6 million was carried out in Ukraine last year, in the Czech Republic - US$ 5.5 million, in Bulgaria - US$ 14.3 million and in Germany - US$ 9.5 million.
As for the markets in the former YU republics, US$ 2 million were realized in Montenegro.
The first amendment requests that the unpaid wages to the workers be turned into shares, as foreseen with article 12 of the Law for "losers" and to be asked whether they want shares or money.
The second proposed change applies to the introduction of deadlines for giving notice to the workers before they are proclaimed technological surplus. It is also proposed to change the basis for calculation of the level of unpaid wages and the funds the workers have to receive upon being dismissed.
It was pointed out that last year's rice production was at the level from 1939, and that the rice is being threatened with disappearance from the Macedonian fields.
The rice producers stated that the announced import of 2,000 tones of white rice is just like adding gasoline to the fire, and requested for this additional import of rice not to be allowed for this year.
It was also said in the meeting that there are possibilities to plant rice in Macedonia on around 3,000 hectares, this spring.
Slavevski believes that the model of privatization from case to case should be abandoned, so as to go for massive privatization with the issue of privatization cheques.
The president of the Democratic party Petar Goshev, who also took part in the discussion, stated that a group of people from the authorities were choosing methods so as to take the major part of the state-owned capital for themselves. He added that if true privatization was what they wanted, firstly they should start with denationalization.