MAK-NEWS 17/07/95 (M.I.C.)

From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>


CONTENTS

  • [01] GREECE: DEMIREL - MACEDONIAN LAWYER

  • [02] SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ALBANIAN PROBLEM

    REVIEW OF THE MACEDONIAN PRESS

  • [03] MINISTERS' JOB IS A SECRET?

    MONEY - Economy, Business, Finances and Market

  • [04] FINANCES - REPROGRAMMING OF THE DEBT TO THE PARISIAN CLUB

  • [05] BANKS - JIK BANK FROM BITOLA LIQUIDATED

  • [06] ALBANIA - MACEDONIA - TRANSPORTATION WITHOUT TAXES AND PAY-TOLLS


  • SKOPJE, JULY 17, 1995 (MIC)

    [01] GREECE: DEMIREL - MACEDONIAN LAWYER

    On Saturday, almost the whole press from Athens, widely reported about the visit and the talks of the Turkish President in the Republic of Macedonia, during which the general estimate is that Demirel took a stand of a "self-proclaimed lawyer" of the Macedonian President in the dispute with Greece - reports "Nova Makedonija" from Athens. It's noted at the press conference that the two presidents gave "explosive statements" against Greece, during which Demirel even claimed that the exclusive right to use the name "Macedonia" belongs only to Macedonia, which, he emphasized, has troubles because of the unjustified Greek countermeasures. But the Turkish President didn't just leave it to that, but recommended to Greece to show some soberness and to not "set fire in the Balkans". Regarding President Gligorov, a special stress is put on his statements with which he points to the difficulties in resolving the dispute with Greece, the consequences of the internationally condemned embargo and to what has the Macedonian Government done till now in order to find a solution to the misunderstandings among the two countries.

    "Elephterotipia", among the other, notes that Demirel left Skopje satisfied, because he took with himself two signed agreements for political and economic cooperation. But, not only because of that, but according to the newspaper because of the "successful convincing that Turkey is a big friend of Skopje and that it should send a message to the West that he is a leader of a country which is interested only in the democracy, peace, security and economic development of the Balkans". It is noted that the appearances of Demirel in the Parliament, and even during the talks, were regarding two specific questions, on which Athens is specifically sensitive, the program for connecting the countries of the so-called "Balkan axes"- East-West, for which apparently Turkey shows a renewed interest, as well as the agreement for cooperation among the Black Sea countries.

    [02] SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ALBANIAN PROBLEM

    Secretary in General of the European Council Daniel Tarches in the BBC interview, as a respond to the question regarding the treatment of the Albanians outside the state borders, and about helping of this institution regarding this problem, stated that the Council is well acknowledged with the problems of the Albanians in Macedonia and Kosovo.

    "In the talks with the Macedonian state officials we pay more time and special attention to this question and I consider that the problem with the Albanian minority in the other countries too, will be a subject of discussion in the European Council" stated Tarches, as Radio Tirana reports.

    He added that the problem with the minorities causes disturbance in the European Council, for which there is a number of legal papers and lots of practical activities to support the minorities.

    According to Tarches, the problem with Kosovo is very difficult, because, as he stated, "we have no access to this part of the former Yugoslavia".

    REVIEW OF THE MACEDONIAN PRESS

    [03] MINISTERS' JOB IS A SECRET?

    If the Health Minister, Ilija Filipche, professor MD would be deciding about everything in one country, first, probably, he would erase the profession journalist from the list of professors, once for all. He, simply, considers that one country doesn't need neither journalists, nor media. He thinks that they can only stop the ministers in the realization of their highly-minded ideas, that they, the journalists, are made only to observe and through a magnifying glass to estimate the deeds of their highnesses - the ministers. Minister Filipche, simply, is still not acknowledged that the journalists serve the public. Actually, the public is an enigma for him. Why do the people have to know how does the minister plan to treat the sick, how much will it cost them, in what kind of conditions, with what kind of machines? Why does he ought to explain why he changes the directors, is it because it's their fault, or simply because he doesn't like them.

    After the change of the big part of the directors of the Medical Department at the University, at the very beginning of his appointment to the position of the Health Minister, MD Filipche announced that the stuff of the pronoun experts from the Medical Department will control the work of the managing teams in the medical centers in the country and that if there are irregularities the directors will be changed. That is happening these days. Almost all of the past week there is a mass handing of the firing papers for changing a lot of the directors of the medical centers. But that, according to the Minister Filipche, doesn't have any meaning, he does not think that the public should be acquainted with the results of the made controls and analogically to that with his firing papers for appointing new persons at the directors' posts. And the public wants to know what kind of mistakes and irregularities in the work of the till- today directors were found by the experts of the Medical Department. But...

    In such a conditions, meaning, when the minister ignores the existence of the public, and furthermore orders to all that work in his ministry to have that kind of attitude - to be silent, we now don't know why are the directors in the medical centers throughout the country being changed, where and how many directors have been changed, will the ones that have been change get new jobs, or only some of them. We don't know the actual faults of the previous ones, nor the successes and the values of the newcomers. If it was not for our correspondents and the rumors, we would have probably not known that there is a mass change of the directors, after all. Minister Filipche would say: "What does it matter?"

    For him, actually, it is completely irrelevant to inform about that where he is planing to take a trip and what for, too. The only thing that you can find out in the Health Ministry, and even that is "top secret" is that beginning on Monday, July 17, till July 27 the Minister will be on a business trip somewhere. His business trip is a big secret. The Health Ministry, together with this minister, is keeping it a secret also the eventual findings and agreements that are being signed, or at least you should have them when you are planning to go on a business trip. Why shouldn't we doubt that in the Health Ministry the matters are getting kind of too private.

    MONEY - Economy, Business, Finances and Market

    [04] FINANCES - REPROGRAMMING OF THE DEBT TO THE PARISIAN CLUB

    The negotiations among Macedonia and the Parisian Club about the reprogramming the Macedonian debt will start today. Macedonian delegation made up of the Finance Minister Jane Miljovski, his deputy Hari Kostov, Minister without a portfolio Ljube Trpevski and the Governor of the National Bank Borko Stanoevski, are in Paris since last Saturday.

    US$ 260 million main part and US$ 40 million interest used Macedonian loans which represent the debt to the Parisian Club will be discussed. Regarding specifically the reprogramming, US$ 210 million loans received before December 2, 1982, which can be reprogrammed will be discussed, while the means received after this date are not considered for reprogramming.

    Out of the members of the Parisian Club, Macedonia owes the most of the means to the US, Germany, France etc. Considering that during the negotiations with the club, Croatia got 14 years pay off term with a grace-period of 3 years, and considering that Croatia is in a better financial state, it is expected for Macedonia to get better conditions. The speed of the negotiations will depend on the record coordination on the both sides.

    [05] BANKS - JIK BANK FROM BITOLA LIQUIDATED

    After the liquidation of the Bitola's exposition of "Jugobanka" and of the first Macedonian - Austrian bank "City-West", these days the exposition of the Yugoslavian - investment bank from this city was also closed. Vice-director of this bank, Boris Petkovski, claims that the cause for the closing of the bank is not the non- liquidity, even though there is not enough live capital for re- registration on disposal, but that the bank is a victim of the higher-up state politics and the answer for its closing should be sought in the Government and the National Bank. According to the vice-director, there has been a chance for the bank to be registered as a miscellaneous and for JIK Bank from Belgrade to take part in the building of the capital, but that is not possible because of the 820 Resolution of the Security Council, and there aren't powerful enough founders in Macedonia. The employees though blame the vice-director for not managing to re- register the bank even though it owns capital as high as DEM 7-10 million in real estates, and they claim that there is DEM 50 million capital of this bank lying in Belgrade.

    It is expected that the bank will be re-registered as a branch-office of the Skopje's Export and Loan Bank and that about 20 people will be employed there instead of the present 85.

    [06] ALBANIA - MACEDONIA - TRANSPORTATION WITHOUT TAXES AND PAY-TOLLS

    Transportation of the goods in the bilateral countries, transit, to and from third countries between Macedonia and Albania, since last Saturday will be conducted without permissions and pay-tolls. This is arranged among the Ministries in charge of both countries in Struga.

    Contingents of 10,000 permits for bilateral and transit transportation and 200 permits to and from third countries have been exchanged.

    At the meeting it was predicted that the transportation of the goods by vehicles weighing 6 tons and above and used surface of 3,5 tons will be conducted without permits.

    Regarding the transportation of the passengers in the line traffic, shortening of the procedure for issuing permits was arranged, while the free tourist transportation of passengers will be done with the stamped list of passengers by the transporter and by the customs officials.

    (END)


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