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FRI, 12 OCT 2001 02:00:57 GMT
PRESS REVIEW Sep. 21-28, 2001PRESS IN BELGRADE PRESS IN TIRANA PRESS IN PRISTINA PRESS IN SARAJEVO PRESS IN BANJA LUKA PRESS IN SKOPJE PRESS IN SOFIA
- STANDART, Sep. 22, 2001
: DECLARATION INCLUDED MACEDONIA
- DNEVNIK, Sep. 25, 2001
: PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION SEEKING INFORMATION ON BULGARIAN PROPERTY IN
MACEDONIA
- SEGA, Sep. 26, 2001
: SOME WESTERN COUNTRIES HAVE A SECRET AGENDA FOR THE BALKAN
- DNEVNIK, Sep. 27, 2001
: "BALKANFARMA" INVESTING $25 MILLION INTO ITS FACTORY IN MACEDONIA
- TRUD, Sep. 27, 2001
: MACEDONIANS ARE MAKING ENQUIRIES ABOUT APARTMENTS IN PIRIN REGION
PRESS IN BELGRADE
DANAS, Sep. 22-23, 2001
Interview: Dimitrij Rupel, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Slovenia
WE WAITED FOR MILOSEVIC TO LEAVE
(...) Slovenia was the first to break off relations with SFRY, and the
last to establish relations with FRY. How do you interpret this
symbolism?
- We waited for Milosevic to leave. We left SFRY because of him, or
rather because of his policy which was unacceptable for Slovenia and
which was going towards annulment of Slovenian identity and Slovenia's
statehood. If it had not been for Milosevic, most probably there would
not have been the developments from the beginning of the nineties, and
most probably we would have remained together.
In the former state the cooperation between economic companies was on an
enviable level, do you expect such a trend in the future, too?
- Slovenia and FRY stand a good chance to continue the tradition of
friendship. It is generally known that the Serbs and Slovenes have had
good relations in the past which became strained in socialist Yugoslavia
and which are nowadays re-established at a very high rate. A sign of
such good cooperation is the recent opening of the Embassy of the
Republic of Slovenia in Belgrade that was attended by a large number of
people, which to be completely honest I had not expected. (...)
Filip Radojicic
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BLIC, Sep. 24, 2001
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Two weeks ago, Stability Pact coordinator, Bodo Hombach, sent a message
from Japan: he had gone there in order to try to raise some pittance for
the Balkan, since in Europe nobody seems to care for that nook any more.
Some time ago news arrived that after the New Year's eve Hombach would
withdraw from the post of the Balkan lip-service benefactor, so the dead
letter of the still-born project called Stability Pact will have to find
another wizard who will continue convincing the paupers in the Balkan
that reconstruction of the region will begin in no time. Why did
Stability Pact fail? Coordinator Hombach had one explanation near at
hand: all decisions and agreements on tens of meetings, symposia and
round table discussions, were obstructed by the almighty bureaucratic
dragon from Brussels. (...)
When the brave knight Hombach was defeated in the battle with the
European monster, what can the Balkan paupers do? To accept the fact
that the Stability Pact was some kind of post-communist "five-year plan"
that kept the Balkan in a state of patient queuing to be permitted to
approach Europe... Or to continue, as if nothing has happened, to hop
around the increasingly empty round tables at which from now on experts
will be warning them that wealth means nothing if they do not secure
themselves against international terrorism first?
During its two-year life, the Stability Pact was an impressive
demonstration of glorious capability of the West to mobilise an enormous
energy for changes in order to keep the status quo. Instead to turn the
Balkan into a construction site where new European people and relations
would be hardened, as Hombach (...) kept promising, the restrained and
obstructed Stability Pact has opened new battlegrounds in the Balkan...
The Stability Pact turned the Balkan into a reservation of poor and
neglected people and countries who are not denied a single right, but
who are not assisted either to achieve any one of them. The Stability
Pact will perhaps be studied as a colossal missed opportunity to change
the social conditions and level of security. (...)
Branislav Milosevic
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NEDELJNI TELEGRAF, Sep. 26, 2001
Notes of the Editor-in-Chief
EGZIBICIJE
(...) Many are surprised that Kostunica can be so belligerent, and it is
a great shame that he did not manifest such capacity during Milosevic's
time. His capability to easily discover enemies and destroyers of the
state is fascinating, so it is puzzling how come he did not use it while
the previous regime was shattering and abusing institutions and justice.
We do not know any more when Kostunica is appearing as the leader of
Democratic Party of Serbia and when as President of FRY, when he is
principled and when he is not...
His criticism would be principled and sincere if he, in order to set an
example, suspended his leader's post in his party and stopped supporting
with his statesman's authority daily activities of "high officials" of
his party and persons around him who did something wrong. By accepting
to act in this way he confirms that he in fact accepts the communist
model of fusion of the party and the state, regardless of his sharp
criticism of communism...
With skillful appearances and use of media, Kostunica is blurring his
main objective - to preserve he federal state. Nowadays when he seems to
believe that Yugoslavia is inevitably counting its last days, he is
washing his hands and laying responsibility at somebody else's door...
Deserting the sinking ship, Kostunica is feverishly trying to win for
himself the biggest possible power in the Republic, even at the expense
of interrupting the changes in Serbia which are despite all the problems
somehow proceeding... The current clash is not a mere conflict between
Kostunica and Djindjic as a shallow-brained person might conclude and as
Kostunica wishes us to believe. For us this is the matter of a choice
whether we will go on with the painful reforms and become a civil
society, or whether we shall remain to pine away on the ruins of
Milosevic's state.
Momcilo Djorgovic
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NIN, Sep. 27, 2001
Interview: Zoran Zivkovic, Federal Minister of Internal Affairs
100 Thousand Cars stolen
(...) Our country is a transit area for white slavery, illegal
emigration, narcotics and arms trade. How will the police deal with this
problem in the future?
- By joining Interpol possibilities are created for putting this mosaic
together. A big problem is that we cannot be responsible for one part of
our territory. It is under international protectorate and none of state
agencies of either Serbia, or Montenegro or Yugoslavia have the
possibility to work there. Everybody, including Interpol, is aware that
Kosovo and Metohija is the most criminated part of our continent. If we
use popular terms such as narcotics road, arms road, we can say that
Kosovo is a highway for that sort of crime. (...)
Slobodan Ikonic
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PRESS IN TIRANA
SHEKULLI, Sep. 22, 2001
ALBANIA UNDER SUSPICION
To put it briefly, when we say that terrorists can enter and leave
Albania as they please, it is no accusation. It would be an accusation
if we would say that terrorists come and go, act and organise themselves
with permission of the government and the Albanian state, but that could
be said only by some idiot in Albanian press. We have the government
that is controlled, ordered and directed by American officials, we have
secret services for everything and everybody, but not for the Americans
and the CIA, our country is a satellite of the Americans, and in order
to be able to say that again and again, we have lately spent a great
deal of effort and pride. In such conditions, if we would conclude that
the government and Albanian secret services are playing Bin Laden's
game, it would be easier for us to believe that bombing of the twin
buildings was organised by the Americans themselves. One should think
that the Americans are not blind and know what their instruments in
Albania are doing, be they government officials or statesmen, or even
007. For that reason, and not just that, such accusations are crazy.
This is one of the reasons that prompted American ambassador to hurry up
with convening the press conference where he took Albanian state and
government under his protection. We say "one of the reasons", because he
invited journalists to "Rogner" in order to publicly state the stand
that does not seem to be also his personal stand. On the other hand,
even when they are discontented with their state and government because
of internal issues, it would not even occur to the Albanians that there
is a connection between them and international terrorism. This exceeds
even the wildest fantasies inspired by animosity towards the
authorities. That would be horrible.
Mustafa NANO
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SHEKULLI, 21.09.2001.
RESTORATION OF MACEDONIAN CRISIS
Yesterday the parliament of Macedonia voted in favour of
the restoration of the crisis to this country when Macedonian deputies
rejected one of the constitutional amendments that refers to equal
treatment of the Orthodox, the Muslim and the Catholic religion, proving
once again that the peace process hangs by a thread. And while the
chairman of the parliament abstained from voting, there was not the
necessary majority of votes for this article to pass.
Rejection of this clause seriously threatens the future of the process
while in the meantime the demands for a referendum seem to further
strain the political situation in the country. We are facing
developments often mentioned in the forecasts of foreign analysts who
were suspicious about the readiness of the parliament to pass amendments
that would bring peace and stability to Macedonia. Ever since the main
political protagonists of the crisis put their signatures on the
agreement in Ohrid, fear of the negative reaction of the parliament
accompanied the difficult peace process. Although they put their
signatures on the agreement forced by extreme pressure of the West,
Georgijevski and his associates have never concealed scepticism about
the new solutions prescribed by the agreement when interethnic relations
in FYROM are concerned.
Open opposition to the campaign of collecting arms by NATO was a clear
signal that official Skopje wished to find a pretext that would explain
rejection of the entire peace project. In the past few days when the
attention of international community was completely diverted by the
American crisis, Skopje seems to have prepared to tear down what could
have been considered the last wall that separates peace from war, the
unity of the country from the chaos of dissolution. Indeed, in the past
few months the peace process in Macedonia has often been the matter of
the last minute.
It is sufficient to remember the effort of Leotard and Pardew to pacify
the crisis that at times resembled a real civil war, just as it should
be underlined that Ohrid agreement was achieved only after a long and
complicated diplomatic round of talks aimed at convincing the officials
of Slav Macedonians to agree to a consensus. For these reasons, the
result of yesterday's vote in Macedonian parliament was expected.
It is a question now how to find a way out of this blind alley which
deputies of VMRO-DPMNE were ready to bring the peace process into. They
are aware in Skopje that neither Europe nor the USA are concentrated on
this crisis any more, or perhaps even have the wish and the necessary
means to bring the Macedonian turmoil to a balanced state. Much might
depend on the internal capability of Macedonian politics to find the
needed energy and return the process back to the normal track and avoid
the scenario in which there would be no winners. The price of yet
another national crisis is already quite clear. It is still necessary to
prove that there is a wish to avoid another war that could prove to be
fatal for the country which is deeply shaken from the foundations of the
multiethnic formula on which it was constructed ten years ago.
Ilir KAMENICA
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KORRIERI, 22.09.2001.
TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
Macedonian prime minister Georgijevski and his party are manoeuvring in
order to skirt the agreement signed on August 13 in Ohrid. This began
with small obstructing games of postponing the debate about amendments
of the constitution in the parliament that are the very core of the
agreement, than they proceeded on to larger "operations", such as the
proposal of a referendum.
To call a nation to a referendum about laws that regulate life of the
citizens is generally a normal thing. But in the actual case, it is a
completely immoral proposal. If a referendum in Macedonia were to take
place today and the citizens were directly or indirectly asked whether
the Albanians should be given equal rights, the result would be 65 per
cent against. With this card in his hand Mr. Georgijevski could tell the
whole world that "the people themselves decided by their own free will"
to tear up the Ohrid agreement and leave everything as it is. However,
the world, but especially the Albanians in Macedonia cannot fall into
such a banal trap. A referendum cannot question human rights of a
minority, especially if the majority is prejudiced, defiant and at the
same time scared. Mr. Georgijevski knows that with such a game he cannot
succeed, but he is determined to try all possible means. Another proof
of Mr. Georgijevski's excitement is the fact that he tried in a very
infantile manner to establish a connection between the terrorist act of
September 11 in the USA with the demand for freedom and equality of the
Albanians in Macedonia, an attempt that was immediately blocked by
American envoy in Skopje, Mr. Pardew.
The developments in Macedonia are raising serious suspicion about the
will of certain political leaders to truly achieve ethnic co-existence
within the framework determined by the Ohrid agreement. Such tendencies
to evade the problem or make speculations are noticed especially now
when the world is preoccupied with more difficult problems. American
military forces are hastily accumulated in the Gulf and the Indian
ocean. A strike is expected to begin any minute against epicentres of
terrorism. This has acquired a very specific form after the historic
speech of President Bush in Congress. At such a moment, when it is
believed that American attention is diverted from the Balkan, political
plots are conceived in Skopje perhaps in the conviction that when a
forest is on fire nobody notices lighting of a single match. However,
political traps and plots cannot pass unnoticed, just as it is
impossible not to notice reinforcement of paramilitary units and hasty
import of tanks and modern airplanes from Ukraine. How to prepare a war
while speaking of peace. Such news from Macedonia cannot be considered
as a good sign.
Sabri GODO
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PRESS IN PRISTINA
ZERI, Sep. 25, 2001
RETURN
One of the questions about which there is a consensus between
international and domestic representatives in Kosovo, but also centres
where the destiny of Kosovo is decided is the agreement about the
necessity that Kosovo Serbs be included in the institutions that are
being developed here. The most significant step in this direction is
believed to be the possibility of participation of the Serbs in November
elections for the parliament of Kosovo. In this connection there are two
trends. One is to fulfill all technical formalities in order to enable
the Serbs to participate in the elections, that was completed by issuing
of the certificate by the Central Election Commission to the coalition
of Serb political parties and organisations called "Return”. This trend
seems to lead to the participation of the Serbs in the elections.
Contrary to this process is the attempt of official Belgrade to present
the Albanians and Kosovo as the bearers and site of terrorism. At the
head of this campaign is Kostunica himself, but also Djindjic, Covic and
their ministers. When they proclaim that "the Albanians are terrorists
and Kosovo the seat of terrorism" they leave no doubt: a man is bound to
have the impression that he were listening to Slobodan Milosevic
himself. You will say that we knew they were the same.
The problem is that international community is expecting the help of
these people in re-integration of Kosovo Serbs in the institutions that
will be established after November elections.
That is how a sad dilemma is opened: Is it possible that the new
leadership in Belgrade considers "Return" their chance for
re-establishment of a regime for which Kosovo is nothing but a permanent
residence of terrorism? That could be the fatal move Belgrade is playing
carried on the backs of Kosovo Serbs.
Bardh HAMZAJ
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KOHA DITORE, 26.09.2001.
NO MIDDLE ROAD FOR THE BALKANESE AND THE WESTERNERS
Last week that passed in expectation what would happen in international
politics in answer to the terrorist act in the USA, a few not exactly
insignificant decisions for Kosovo and its neighbourhood were made. The
first decision refers to the agreement of Macedonian parliament to fully
ratify the Ohrid agreement. The second refers to the agreement of the
Serbs to participate in the forthcoming elections of November 17 with a
single list of candidates. Should they be implemented both these
decisions will create an irreversible situation. In Macedonia the past
would be definitely abandoned in which outvoting as a fundamental
parliamentary procedure was predominant, a chance would be opened for
the implementation of direct democracy in decision making that enables
the achievement of the both the rights of communities and the rights of
individuals without threatening the state framework, the integrity and
territorial sovereignty of the country...
Unlike Macedonia where the reached agreement does not change the status
of the country but only its character (from a single-ethnic it turns it
into a state with civil-society preconditions), only after the
establishment of democratic institutions will Kosovo begin solving its
final status. This fact of postponed determination of the final status
has consequences for the whole region. In fact every hasty and imposed
solution of the final status of Kosovo brings consequences: positive and
negative. The return to political and institutional life which insists
on development of democracy for all the citizens is the way to avoid
negative consequences and prevent unpredictable and conflicting
situations. For that reason establishment of democratic institutions by
political means in this delicate phase is especially significant for
peace in the region. This cannot be done without some form of presence
and supervision of the international community - NATO and EU in the
first place, although it is very difficult to control this process.
Especially if this is a two-way process burdened by the shadow of war
against terrorism in Middle East with difficult and unpredictable
situations. It seems that there is no middle road, either for the
Balkanese or the Westerners. They will either accept to resolve disputes
by political means or end up in extreme situations with negative
consequences for all. The present moment suggests that the time of
resolving of armed conflicts by violent means in the Balkan has passed,
unless the intention is to cause a general catastrophe.
Ylber HYSA
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PRESS IN SARAJEVO
OSLOBODJENJE, Sep. 26, 2001
SIGNING OF TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN B&H AND SLOVENIA
As of Jan. 1 No Customs Duties for Goods from B&H
The agreement on free trade between B&H and Slovenia is expected to be
signed at this year’s ZEPS fair beginning on Oct. 2 in Zenica, it is
announced in Slovenian Embassy in Sarajevo. (.)
Charge d’affaires Vojko Kuzma and Counsellor Belec believe that the
agreement on free trade will significantly reduce the misbalance.
Last year the exchange of commodities between B&H and Slovenia amounted
to 1.1 million marks in both directions, and based on the results by the
end of June this year, it is expected that that it will reach the same
level by the end of the year. Last year the misbalance for Republic
Srpska was one to ten, and that of B&H Federation one to seven. This
year it is somewhat better – for B&H Federation it is one to five, and
for RS it is one to eight. In Slovenian Embassy a chance for B&H is seen
primarily in the field of agriculture the products of which are not
competitive in Slovenia because of customs duties. Slovenia is one of
the countries which invests the most into B&H. So far this amounts to
about 300 million marks which has opened about 2500 to 3000 jibs. Soon
an investment of another 100 million is expected that will open another
1000 jobs. What companies does this refer to?
Mercator is planning to start working in Tuzla, and in Sarajevo it is
significantly increasingly the sale of goods “Made in B&H”. In
Mercator’s business centre in the capital of B&H there used to be only
about 10 per cent of the goods from B&H, and nowadays this percentage
has gone up to 30.
There was a lot of talk about the announced opening of a carpet factory
at the border between entities near Sarajevo which the international
community is also interested in, because the factory would employ people
from both B&H Federation and RS. In the beginning it would employ 170
and then an additional 200 people. It is announced in Slovenian Embassy
that next year production of liver paste should begin in Sarajevo, for
which there is no raw materials in Ptuj so they are purchased in Italy.
(.)
E. KREHIC
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DNEVNI AVAZ, Sep. 27, 2001
HASAN JAKUPOVIC, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF BIH FEDERATION
It is necessary to register all B&H property with the Privatisation
Agency of FRY
Assistant President of the Federal Chamber of the Economy Hasan
Jakupovic assesses that activities carried out so far in order to enable
enterprises and companies to achieve their property rights in FRY are
insufficient, because there is no activity of state agencies in creation
of favourable legislature based on reciprocity.
“It is necessary that state authorities act in order to prevent
usurpation of the property of enterprises and companies from B&H in
Yugoslavia. It is evident that it can occur pursuant the legislature of
Serbia and FR Yugoslavia now in force, because they are mutually
uncoordinated, non-constitutional and opposite to the Agreement on
Succession of Former Yugoslavia. At the current situation of the
legislature in Yugoslavia, representatives of B&H companies have great
expenses in their efforts to restore their property, but have poor
chances to succeed. And state agencies are insufficiently involved in
the whole situation”, Jakupovic estimates.
Our interlocutor stresses that the Ministry of the Economy and
Privatisation of Serbia has already taken one enterprise off the list
for privatisation. This is “Duga” industry of dye and varnish from
Belgrade. In the explanation of the decision the Ministry states that it
is necessary “to look more closely into ownership and debtor-creditor’s
relations in connection with the structure of capital of this enterprise
which is the precondition for the beginning of privatisation of a part
of the remaining social capital”. This leads to the conclusion that all
the persons from B&H should claim their rights to specific pieces of
property with the Privatisation Agency of FRY in order to prevent their
privatisation. This is especially important for the companies that had
financial shares in enterprises on that territory.
M. SULJOVIC
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DNEVNI AVAZ, Sep. 27, 2001
EXCLUSIVE NEWS: SECRET OPERATION OF THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEASTERN
EUROPE
Mobsters linked to certain politicians in power
Everything is still kept a secret, but according to the information
Dnevni avaz has gained access to, a comprehensive campaign is taking
place in whole of Southeastern Europe. It is a struggle against the mob.
The target are smugglers of people, narcotics, arms and stolen cars.
Based on operation data, analysts of SECI (Southeastern Europe
cooperation Initiative) reached the conclusion that there is a close
connection of mob bosses in the Balkan and certain politicians in power.
In the campaign in which major activities will take place on the
territory of the Balkan countries, customs and police authorities of the
countries in the region will establish close cooperation. All the useful
information for the operation will be collected in a single centre most
probably in Bucarest. (.)
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PRESS IN BANJA LUKA
NEZAVISNE NOVINE, Sep. 24, 2001
EXPERTS GAMBLED AWAY ITS EXPERTISE
One of the main reasons for the interest of the public for executive
power is the question to what extent the government works in accordance
with the law and in the general interest of the society. The question
that is especially sensitive is the separation of private obligations
and official obligations, because in democratic states these two
spheres must be publicly and strictly separated. How serious the
government of RS is can be judged by the extent to which the private and
the official sphere are intermingled. In this sense certain ministries
cause founded suspicion.
When it approved additional cutting of forests Ivanic’s government toyed
with its carefully built image of an expert cabinet, and Prime Minister
himself reminded the public of one of his predecessors who unsparingly
squandered state wealth for the sake of his party’s and high interests.
Radomir Neskovic
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NEZAVISNE NOVINE, Sep. 25, 2001
WHO NEEDS SECRET INDICTMENTS
Introduction of secret indictments increased the possibilities of
political manipulations because many lawyers wonder according to what
criteria it is determined which indictments will be secret and which
public, because it may happen, as it already did, that criteria are not
of a legal but of a political nature.
Josip Blazevic
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NEZAVISNE NOVINE, Sep. 27, 2001
WHO PRODUCES SCANDALS
Ivanic’s allegation that media are the ones that produce scandals is
failure to accept the main principles of a democratic society. But it
were not media that permitted cutting of forests, but Ivanic. The fact
that there is only one opposition media which is ready to publish the
news about it speaks of the media scene of RS created by Ivanic’s
government.
Radomir Neskovic
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PRESS IN SKOPJE
DNEVNIK, Sep 29, 2001
AFTER “ESSENTIAL HARVEST”, “ESSENTIAL RETURN” MUST FOLLOW
NATO’s “Essential Harvest” was a success. In it 3875 pieces of arms were
collected, which was a significant contribution to the reduction of the
number of incidents in the country. Besides, the successful mission of
disarmament was the immediate cause for disbanding the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA), and its head Ahmeti to declare publicly that it
did not exist any more. This is the thesis tirelessly repeated by
Robertson and Solana. However, the question which Euro-Atlantic
politicians do not give an answer to although everybody is asking it is:
if the objective of disarmament has been achieved and the disarmament
mission was successful, why have not refugees and regular Macedonian
police returned to the villages that were controlled by the former PLA?
In Brussels they say the following to this: “NATO has no part in it; it
is for Macedonian authorities to decide about it. NATO intends to offer
additional assistance for the protection of international observers.
That is what we were asked to do, and that is what we shall do”.
It is certainly an exaggeration to say and believe that NATO has no part
in it. It is a fact that the official OSCE and EU observers have the
mandate to monitor “implementation of the Framework Agreement”. This
among other means that they report on the return of Macedonian regular
police, it is specified in Brussels. After seven months of war, this
return will have to be gradual, well coordinated and planned with the
EU, OSCE and NATO, of course. NATO spokesman in Macedonia expressed hope
on Thursday that there would be no problems with the intention of the
government to return the police and refugees in the coming weeks.
One must have in mind that Macedonia, as a sovereign state has its,
perhaps the biggest, part of responsibility in the operation of “return
of territory” and that it must not wait for the world to do it. Without
finalising the political process in the country which is stuck in the
Assembly and without taking measures for the building of confidence, the
return will not go easily. The main confidence-building measure included
in President Trajkovski’s plan that no politician has the courage to
utter but will have to face is amnesty.
Svetlana JOVANOVSKA
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LOBI, Sep. 24, 2001
AFTER MACEDONIA
The reason of the clash in former Yugoslavia was not the ambition of a
single man or a few individuals, it is clearly seen, among other, in the
Albanian-Macedonian problem and its similarities with other open
problems in other cases. Unlike all the other previous conflicts
ideologists of which were intellectuals, politicians and Serb clergy
from Belgrade, this time it is clear that this is a clash between an
authoritarian and unitarist state of mind which considers the state as
ethnic property, and democratic values of a modern concept of relations
in a progressive society. In a strange way Macedonian high officials
have manifested the same methods of behavior as the Serb elite.
According to them, the state should remain the property of a single
ethnic group, in this case of ethnic Macedonians.
The greatest and the most obvious difference in relation to previous
cases is in the stand of international community.
This time, there is a very clear and generally speaking correct
understanding of the conflict and reasons that had brought about the
war. International community managed to act as it should have to stop
bloodshed.
The conflict in Macedonia is an interethnic clash controlled in a proper
way by international community. Wishing to establish a balance between
the desire of ethnic Macedonian majority to have its own state and the
need of the Albanians for equal rights, international community managed
to stir up the process of pacification without disregarding the
interests of the two ethnic groups which have nothing in common except
the fact that they are in a joint state. There is no doubt that this
achievement was possible thanks to the application of the modern system
of civil and democratic values that define a state as the state of all
its citizens.
The specific quality of Macedonian crisis, but also a highly indicative
element that shows where the roots of the crisis in former Yugoslavia
lie is the fact that unlike many previous conflicts in former Yugoslav
federation the problem in Macedonia has remained in Macedonia. Kosovo
and the Albanian state have shown once more that they are a factor of
stability in the region. Despite provocations the Albanians in Albanian
state and the ones in Kosovo have shown that they are politically mature
and that they understand preservation of regional stability that relies
on justice.
Relevant Albanian protagonists in Macedonia have managed to agree among
themselves to preserve Macedonia in order to make it a legal state where
Albanians and Macedonians have equal rights.
With regret I remember that lack of such an agreement has done us great
damage during the war in Kosovo. Lack of readiness of the leaders of
“legal representatives” to support the platform of the KLA (Kosovo
Liberation Army) inflicted irreparable damage to Kosovo and its people.
In case of Macedonia, the Albanians and their leaders have manifested
culture and high responsibility to the citizens. They very quickly
reached the agreement on how to present the Platform of the Albanians
for the talks with Macedonian political representatives. This made
international mediation easier as well as the intervention that came
later on with the arrival of NATO troops.
In Macedonia changes are introduced not only in order to improve the
social position of discriminated and segregated Albanians, but also in
order to improve the status of the minorities that live in Macedonia.
After this agreement and after its implementation, of course, minorities
such as the Turks, the Roma, Egyptians and others who feel left out or
believe that their fundamental human, ethnic and democratic rights are
violated, will feel the benefit they expect.
Hashim THACI
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UTRINSKI VESNIK, Sep 29, 2001
MORE THAN 1000 MACEDONIANS APPLIED FOR BULGARIAN PASSPORTS
Bulgaria is lately becoming increasingly attractive for many
Macedonians, and it has widely opened its border seeking ways to make
access easier. The first to “discover” this possibility were the young
who wished to improve their knowledge. After dissolution of former
Yugoslavia and after they had lost access to the universities in
Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana, those who could not enroll in Skopje,
Bitolj or Stip, decided to go to the nearest destinations – universities
in Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Trnovo, Blagojevgrad... Nobody has ever
officially stated their exact number, but it is assumed that it must
exceed three thousand.
All those who applied for continuation of education in Bulgaria were
enrolled without exception, but not under equal conditions. Most of them
are treated as foreign students but of Bulgarian origin. “Because of
their origin” Sofia enabled them to pay just one third of the tuition
fee for foreign students. In fact they are treated exactly as domestic
students enrolled over the state determined quota. In the past few
months our eastern neighbour has become attractive because of the lifted
obligation of its citizens to have Schengen visas. Some Macedonians
grasped the opportunity to get Bulgarian passports because it opens all
European borders for them and ends the long toilsome queuing in front of
embassies of European countries. And Sofia does not wish to miss the
opportunity that opened for them and very readily issues passports to
Macedonian citizens. All this fits into its strategy of bringing the
Macedonians back to their Bulgarian “roots”, regardless of the fact that
most of the Macedonians apply for Bulgarian passports for other, not
ethnic reasons, as our neighbours wish to present it.
Rumour spread lately that more than 47 thousand Macedonian citizens
applied for Bulgarian citizenship which is certainly far from the truth
and which was intended to create the impression that the Macedonians had
in great number recognised their roots. However, Bulgarian official
sources inform that in a little over six months this year, 580
Macedonians have applied for Bulgarian citizenship and it is believed
that if this trend continues by the end of the year there will be about
one thousand of them. And in the course of 2000 precisely 679 people
applied for Bulgarian passport.
Sega daily from Sofia which explained extensively this topic citing some
anonymous persons from Macedonia, writes that it was easiest to get a
Bulgarian passport through lawyers for the amount of 1000 to 2000 German
marks. And those who had no money could buy a forged passport for just
200 to 300 marks. However, this daily advises that instead to give
money there are a few other ways to get hold of Bulgarian passport. The
quickest is to prove Bulgarian origin. However, Macedonians had great
difficulties to confirm this because they had no birth certificates
which would say that they are Bulgarians, nor any paper that would
certify Bulgarian origin of their parents. “You know that during 50
years Bulgarian name was banned and people were forced to destroy all
such evidence that they were Bulgarians, because it meant to risk having
problems with the authorities”, declared for SEGA Stanislav Radoslavov
from the Agency for Bulgarians abroad.
Viktor CVETANOSKI
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PRESS IN SOFIA
STANDART, Sep. 22, 2001
DECLARATION INCLUDED MACEDONIA
In the first draft declaration of the parliament in connection with the
assassinations in the USA, Macedonia was mentioned. The document drafted
by Stanimir Ilcev from the Simeon the Second National Movement (NDSV)
and Junal Ljutvi from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS)
appealed for more efficient international action for ending the
conflicts in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia. According to
Ilcev, this would make it clear that every country was fighting against
terrorism in specific situations depending on the region where it is.
Later it was said that “the text should not be burdened with geographic
terms”. The well informed said that the paragraph on Macedonia and
Kosovo was included in the declaration because of the visit of Ljupco
Georgijevski to Bulgaria. Macedonia’s Prime Minister holds the stand
that his country is the victim of terrorism.
Elena Staridolska
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DNEVNIK, Sep. 25, 2001
PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION SEEKING INFORMATION ON BULGARIAN PROPERTY IN
MACEDONIA
Parliamentary delegation headed by Stanimir Ilcev, president of the
foreign policy committee went to Macedonia yesterday. Among other the
question of restoration of property of Bulgarian citizens will be raised
during the visit. According to a law passed in 1998 only Macedonian
citizens can reclaim their nationalised real estate, which is to the
detriment of Bulgarian citizens of Macedonian origin, declared deputy of
DPS Kemal Ejup. It is expected that it will be specified how interested
Bulgaria is for this problem. The procedure should be accelerated
because the Law on Denationalisation in Macedonia will remain in force
only until the end of the year.
Ana Milanova
Ljuba Batembergska
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SEGA, Sep. 26, 2001
SOME WESTERN COUNTRIES HAVE A SECRET AGENDA FOR THE BALKAN
Interview of Hanes Svoboda, officer in charge of Macedonia in European
Parliament
“The West is in a very difficult situation. We cannot be the
administrators of Kosovo for ever. The idea to establish certain
institutions that would regulate life of Kosovo Albanians is correct.
But an effort has not been made to convince these institutions to accept
the Serbs and other groups as equal citizens. The idea that every act of
ethnic violence, every form of ethnic terrorism is unacceptable has not
been sufficiently clearly expressed, so people started looking at the
West as an ally of the Albanians. In fact, we are not siding with the
Albanians, nor are we siding with the Yugoslavs, we are siding with the
oppressed, the victims of terrorism and not the terrorists. This,
however, is not always clear to the people in the region. We wish an
efficient, prompt, adequately directed assistance of the EU and at the
same time we are opposed to changing borders by force. The absolute
condition is cooperation, negotiations, and this refers to Kosovo as
well. I don’t know what the future of Kosovo will be like, but it is a
question not only for Kosovo Albanians, but also Yugoslav federation and
its neighbours. The regional approach adopted by the EU should include a
regional solution, regional consensus on the future of the whole region
and not a one-sided decision”.
Georgi Gotev
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DNEVNIK, Sep. 27, 2001
"BALKANFARMA" INVESTING $25 MILLION INTO ITS FACTORY IN MACEDONIA
“Balkanfarma Holding” will build its pharmaceutical enterprise in
Macedonia, executive director of the company Georgi Cvetanski declared.
The owner of the factory in former Yugoslav republic is Balkanfarma
Makedonija, branch company with 100 per cent participation of Bulgarian
company. Macedonian enterprise will produce active components for
veterinary drugs. According to the executive director, the construction
of the factory has already begun and 2.5 million dollars will be
invested into it.
Kamen Kirilov
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TRUD, Sep. 27, 2001
MACEDONIANS ARE MAKING ENQUIRIES ABOUT APARTMENTS IN PIRIN REGION
Macedonians are touring real-estate agencies in Blagojevgrad, Petric and
Sandanski searching for apartments in Bulgaria, real-estate agents
declare. Intensified demand is observed for two weeks already. The
neighbours are not buying yet, but studying the prices primarily of
apartments made of pre-fabricated elements, as well as the prices of
rented apartments. Majority of potential buyers of apartments in Pirin
come from the regions of Strumica and Kocani and not from the parts of
Macedonia where the conflicts are. Since a few days ago groups of
Macedonians are arriving in Blagojevgrad searching for apartments for
their families in case the situation in Macedonia deteriorates. Because
of increased interest real-estate agents stated that in the past three
months for the first time a serious resurgence in the market occurred
and they forecast that the prices will go up. At the moment a square
meter in Pirin region costs between 100 and 650 marks.
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