Subject: MAK-NEWS 22/03/95 (M.I.L.S.) [**] From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" [01] * CRVENKOVSKI PUSHES FOR INCLUSION IN OSCE PROCESSES [02] ** MACEDONIAN AND GREEK MINISTERS TO MEET ON APRIL 6 [03] ** EMBARGO UNACCEPTABLE, MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS [04] ** EU BELIEVES DISPUTE CAN BE RESOLVED [05] ** GREEK VETO TO BE DISCUSSED [06] ** GREECE INSISTS ON MACEDONIAN SIGNS OF "GOOD FAITH" [07] ** SKOPJE PANDERS TO ITS PUBLIC [08] * KINKEL TO VISIT SKOPJE [09] . DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS [10] . GOVERNMENT BRIEFS [11] . PRIVATIZATION REPORT [12] * LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT DRAFT-LAW ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL [13] * NASHA BORBA LASHES SERBIAN LEADERS IN MACEDONIA [14] * NEVZAT HALILI GETS ANOTHER 30 DAYS [15] . TIME "SPRINGS FORWARD" THIS WEEKEND [16] . FURNITURE FAIR IN SKOPJE [17] . CULTURE VULTURE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ M I L S N E W S Skopje, 22 March 1995 [01] CRVENKOVSKI PUSHES FOR INCLUSION IN OSCE PROCESSES At the ongoing Paris Conference of the OSCE, Macedonian Foreign Minister Crvenkovski has addressed the meeting, saying that Macedonia ought to be given a place in future processes as set by the Pact, since an isolated Macedonia would be only harmful for security in Europe. He said the Pact for Stability in Europe is of particular interest for Macedonia because the Pact aims at recognition of existing borders and the rights of national minorities. The main goal is to avoid conflicts and prevent new clashes in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, as the international community has proved incapable of dealing with this crisis. Crvenkovski said it is Macedonia's priority task to resolve the complex issues regarding security, adding that Macedonia remains determined to resolve all disputable issues through direct dialogue. [02] MACEDONIAN AND GREEK MINISTERS TO MEET ON APRIL 6 Nova Makedonija has cited diplomatic circles in New York as saying that direct talks between Greece and Macedonia are to begin on April 6 at the United Nations in New York, under the mediation of Cyrus Vance. Both countries' UN ambassadors will be there and the talks will be led by the foreign ministers of Macedonia and Greece. [03] EMBARGO UNACCEPTABLE, MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS Djuner Ismail, spokesman for the Macedonian government, said two days ago that a direct Macedonian-Greek dialogue is unacceptable under conditions of a Greek embargo. "I have nothing else to add to this statement," he said. "We have always insisted on direct talks at the UN..., but the embargo must first be lifted. Of course, we will not discuss the name. UN ambassadors frequently meet in official and unofficial meetings, but I have no information of an official Greek-Macedonian meeting in the near future." [04] EU BELIEVES DISPUTE CAN BE RESOLVED Alain Juppe, the French Foreign Minister, has said the European Union is closely following events in Macedonia and has undertaken several initiatives to help find a solution to the Greek-Macedonian dispute. However, he said the efforts have so far been fruitless. Speaking at yesterday's press-conference at the UNESCO palace in Paris, he pointed out the EU believes the problems with the flag and constitution will be overcome and Greece and Macedonia will then live as good neighbors. Regarding the news of direct Greek-Macedonian talks, the French Minister for European Issues, Allain Lamassour, said at the same press-conference that the best solutions are always reached through direct talks between countries, pointing to the examples of Greece and Albania, Italy and Slovenia, and Hungary and Slovakia. [05] GREEK VETO TO BE DISCUSSED Wilhelm Jonck, Secretary-General of the OSCE in Vienna, will arrive in the U.S. for talks with Cyrus Vance, the UN mediator in the Greek-Macedonian dispute. Nova Makedonija quotes top diplomatic circles in Vienna as saying he is to get information on the issues repeatedly used by Greece to veto Macedonia's admission to the OSCE. The same sources say Greece will take a more positive stand in the future. [06] GREECE INSISTS ON MACEDONIAN SIGNS OF "GOOD FAITH" Macedonian media cite France Press as reporting that Greece has requested Macedonia break the ice and show certain signs of good faith before Athens considers a lifting of its embargo. Evangelos Venizelos, spokesman for the Greek government, said Greece insists on "concrete signs of good faith" before ending its trade blockade against Macedonia, introduced because of Greek claims that Macedonia has territorial ambitions toward the northern Greek province of the same name. France Press says Greece was ready to start negotiations early as last week, but Macedonia demanded the lifting of the embargo before talks begin. Athens requests that Macedonia give up the ancient Macedonian symbol on its flag, modify its constitution, and "give up its hostile propaganda against Greece". Venizelos said, "We are ready to participate in talks under UN mediation and in the presence of Cyrus Vance, concerning the constitution and national symbols." He added that unless the government in Skopje show signs of good faith, the embargo cannot be lifted. "The fact that Skopje insists on the lifting of our measures is just as understandable as we would like to see Skopje cease its provocation," Venizelos said. [07] SKOPJE PANDERS TO ITS PUBLIC The conservative paper Kathimerini commented that Skopje seems to go back on what has been agreed on in New York by preconditioning the talks with a lifting of the embargo. The paper says the scheduled Crvenkovski-Papoulias meeting in April should be taken with a pinch of salt. Kathimerini concludes there is a possibility that the statement by the Skopje Foreign Ministry is only issued for domestic use, leaving space for negotiations to start without lifting the embargo. Meanwhile, the Athens news agency yesterday reported that the Greek government has confirmed a direct dialogue with Macedonia under UN mediation will take place sometime at the beginning of next month. [08] KINKEL TO VISIT SKOPJE Klaus Kinkel, Foreign Minister of Germany, will visit Skopje in the near future. This was discussed yesterday, at a meeting between Srdjan Kerim, Macedonian ambassador to Germany, and Peter Hartman, German Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. They exchanged ideas on several issues, concluding that bilateral relations between the two countries is improving greatly. [09] DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS - At the ongoing Paris Conference on a Pact for Stability in Europe, Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski met with Bernard Difour, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry of France and head of the French delegation. They talked about the UNPROFOR mandate in Macedonia, pointing out the need for an urgent regulation of bilateral cooperation between Macedonia and France. - An official delegation of the Macedonian Ministry of Health, led by Minister Ilija Filipce, met in Ankara yesterday with Dogan Baran, Turkish Minister of Health. They exchanged ideas on the organization and functioning of health services in open-market conditions, health reforms, and the possibility of Macedonia purchasing medical equipment and medicine from Turkey. [10] GOVERNMENT BRIEFS At a yesterday press-conference, government spokesman Djuner Ismail spoke of the first 100 days of the new cabinet. The government, he said, is building its platform upon reform dedicated to a healthy economy and complete restructuring of the state. He stressed that media criticism has contributed to the correction of some government solutions. Naturally, there have been unpleasant moments, he said, pointing to the first private court dispute to be initiated by Interior Minister Frckovski against the weekly magazine Delo; Frckovski is upset about the 17 February article "Frckovski up to his neck in...". As for the work of the government in the past 100 days, Ismail said the cabinet has been discussing routine issues. They have accepted most plans for restructuring firms, set aside 91 million budget Denars for development of agricultural production, along with 80 million Denars for construction of a regional irrigation system. The government has also been following the work on the gasification project and the situation with the judiciary in the country. Ismail said the government will soon appoint its vice- presidents. He announced that Risto Kostovski, former deputy Director-General of PTT, has been appointed a PTT Director- General. [11] PRIVATIZATION REPORT The Macedonian Agency for Transformation of Firms With Social Capital yesterday held a press-conference to present the 1994 privatization results and work in the first part of 1995. Up to March 15, the Agency has received 302 transformation programs, submitted by 33 large, 61 medium and 208 small companies. The Agency has approved 139 completed privatizations. Nearly 600 companies with social capital have issued public advertisements to call former owners to submit claims of ownership. Last month, the first public sale started for 10 companies, said Evgeni Zografski, Director of the Finance and Control Department. Another 12 companies will be offered for sale by next Monday. Around $10 million has been raised by privatization transactions so far, and the banks' foreign currency debt toward their clients has been lowered by 1 million German Marks. Starting next month, shares will be offered for tender every Tuesday. The Macedonian stock exchange is to start functioning sometime in September. [12] LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT DRAFT-LAW ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL The VMRO-DPMNE party regards the draft-law on local self- government, to be discussed at one of the coming parliament sessions, as anti-constitutional, party officials said yesterday. This particularly evident, they said, concerning articles regulating the use of the official Macedonian language and alphabet within local self-government. VMRO- DPMNE says the article regarding the criteria for use of native languages in those units is also disputable. The draft-law, according to the party, creates no conditions for democratic local elections; it is unclear and impractical. The law would result in too much centralization and concentration of power within the hands of the state administration, which will be chosen upon the principle of nationality, instead of qualifications. All this, the party warns, leads to federalization of Macedonia or the creation of a state of collectives, which is a practice unknown to the world. [13] NASHA BORBA LASHES SERBIAN LEADERS IN MACEDONIA Yesterday's issue of Belgrade-based Nasha Borba wrote about the recent statements of Dragisha Miletic, political leader of Serbs living in Macedonia. Sudden and radical public announcements by political leaders of Serbs in Macedonia are issued in an irrational manner, writes the paper. Miletic, just like many other leaders of Serbs in other former Yugoslav republics, says he speaks in the name of all other nations and nationalities living in Macedonia, when he actually is speaking about his personal beliefs. Independent media in Serbia find it amusing that the government- controlled press in Belgrade are marginalizing such behavior of political leaders of Serbs in Macedonia. Nasha Borba says these government papers are not following the current Serbian policy expressed in the motto "Peace Has No Alternative". [14] NEVZAT HALILI GETS ANOTHER 30 DAYS The Municipal Tetovo Court has decided to extend the 30-day imprisonment of Nevzat Halili, leader of the newly formed party PDP-National Unity. He is to remain another 30 days in prison while the court investigates his participation in a crowd disturbance and prevention of police officers from exercising their duties. [15] TIME "SPRINGS FORWARD" THIS WEEKEND At midnight on Saturday, 25 March, the clocks go forward hour. [16] FURNITURE FAIR IN SKOPJE Yesterday, the 21st International Furniture Fair was open in Skopje. The fair includes presentation of decorations, kitchen appliances, office furniture, raw materials and industrial machines. Firms from Macedonia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Israel, Bulgaria and Italy will be represented. [17] CULTURE VULTURE - The French Cultural Center in Skopje, in association with Macedonian Radio and Television, has organized a jazz concert of the Trio Manuel Rocheman of Paris at 8 p.m. on Saturday March 25 in the M1 studio of the Macedonian Radio and Television. - Tonight at 7 p.m., a "Law Night" will take place at the USIS (American Library) in Skopje, with presentations by a visiting U.S. judge and a visiting U.S. law professor. (end) mils-news 22 March '95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------