MAK-NEWS 26/04/99 (MAKFAKS) - 2
Novinska Agencija - Skopje RM
tel. ++ (389 91) 11 01 25; fax 11 01 84; modem 11 00 81
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Skopje - St. "11 Oktomvri" 36/3 P.O. Box738
e-mail: mak...@makfax.itl.com.mk
DAIMS /diplomatic and international mission service/ 1
26.04.99. /end/
The solutions to the problems unfolding in south-
eastern Europe could be reached by means of integration
and not by isolation or by partial solutions to the
region, which could only set this region apart from its
natural place in Europe, Macedonian President Kiro
Gligorov said when addressing the Euro-Atlantic Partner
Council within the NATO summit in Washington on the
occasion of 50th anniversary of Alliance's formation.
The Head of Macedonian State, as "Makfax" reports,
had been holding talks with the NATO Secretary-General
Javier Solana and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Macedonian Defense and Foreign Ministers Nikola Kljusev
and Aleksandar Dimitrov also participated in the talks.
According to the announcement, President Gligorov
praised the Alliance's open doors-policy on admitting
new members, nevertheless, he also expressed Macedonia's
discontent on how Macedonia has been treated in the
NATO's closing communique. When speaking with the
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Gligorov
had interceded for setting up a financial ground and an
institutional framework of the idea on working out a
reconstruction plan for South-eastern Europe. According
to President Gligorov, such plan should anticipate a
full integration of the region countries with the
European Union and NATO as well, without a fear that the
misunderstanding might spill over. /End/ /end/
Demilitarisation of Kosovo, or withdrawal of both
Serb army and paramilitary structures as well as the
full KLA disarm and neutralisation is an indispensable
precondition and a guarantee for the international
military presence in Kosovo, Macedonian President Kiro
Gligorov said at NATO summit in Washington when
commenting the settlement of Kosovo crisis.
According to President Gligorov, both the
demilitarisation and the international presence in the
province will enable a safe return of all displaced
persons. President Gligorov presumes that all these
issues require a re-evaluation and an inventive reading
out of the Washington's agreement in respect of
expanding the guarantees on security, territorial
integrity and the sovereignty both by NATO and the
Partner Countries in situations when the Alliance
conducts operations not anticipated in the agreement.
The Head of Macedonian state outlined that Macedonia had
permitted deployment of NATO forces in its territory
under a future peace agreement implementation mandate.
President Gligorov had once again repeated that
Macedonia's territory is not available for military
actions against any neighbouring country. "We have
already reached a consensus by all political parties
regarding this issue", President Gligorov underscored.
/End/ /end/
The members of Omo Ilinden Organization have been
prevented by Bulgarian police to lay down flowers on the
grave of Jane Sandanski in Rozhen's monastery,. This
news war reported by the pro-government daily
"Demokracija", commenting that the representatives of
the "non-registered Omo-Ilinden" were prevented by the
police to come to the Jane Sandanski's grave because
"they did not have permission for holding panhandles".
As "Makfax' transmits, the pro-government
"Demokracija" reported that Macedonian Ambassador to
Bulgaria Nikola Todorcevski laid down flowers at the
grave of Jane Sandanski on the occasion of 84th
anniversary of his death. /End/ /end/
Heavy fighting erupted at Yugoslav-Albanian border
at "Kafa E Prusit" border crossing near Has late Sunday
between the Albanian and Yugoslav armies, "Makfax"
reports.
The Albanian state radio had reported that after
the fighting stopped another firing broke out as
Yugoslav forces started to launch grenades. The Albanian
army did not responded this time. Radio Tirana reported
that the village of Zogje was the shooting target, no
casualties had been reported. The OSCE representatives
did not release any information on the incident although
they did not deny the firing. /End/ /end/
Additional contingent of 1.800 British soldiers
within NATO forces will start arriving in Macedonia
within the next few days, after the Macedonian
government permitted their deployment in its country,
the Spokesman of NATO forces stationed in Macedonia -
Major Eric Mangnot said today at the press briefing in
Macedonian capital of Skopje. According to Major
Mangnot, the arrival of the British soldiers is a part
of the plan on additional deployment of international
forces to implement the eventual peace accord on Kosovo.
"These soldiers will bring 12 "Challenger" tanks
as well as 40 armoured vehicles", Major Mongnot said.
According to him, two convoys carrying equipment for the
German and Dutch soldiers, had already arrived in
Macedonia The last data on the exact number of NATO
soldiers stationed in Macedonia is 12.975, and this
number will be increased to 16.000 by the end of this
month. Major Mongnot stated for "Makfax' that additional
contingent of some 1.000 to 1.200 French soldiers are to
arrive in Macedonia as soon as the authorities take a
political decision regarding this issue. /End/ /end/
Sweden is running behind and accepts the Kosovo's
refugees from Macedonia behind schedule, after the
suggestion of the United nations - a Swedish government
representative said in a interview for the state
television on the occasion of the arrival of the first
group of 150 refugees. Pier Shorin said that Sweden had
not accepted the refugees so far after the U.N.
recommendation.
The Swedish authorities, as "Makfax" reports, had
previously announced that they are to accept 5.000
Kosovo's refugees. The transportation will be carried
out on once a week basis, after the U.N. suggestion,
Shorin said. He also said that Swedish is ready to carry
out the transportation on three-days a week basis,
adding that the United Nations should approve the
transportation rate. /end/ /end/
Official Sofia expects the North Atlantic Treaty
Alliance to submit a diplomatic note in which it will
precise which part of the Bulgarian air space is going
to be used during the "Allied Force" operation, the
Sofia's daily "24 Hours" reports today.
According to the previous agreement with NATO, as
"Makfax" reports, Sofia permitted the NATO planes to fly
in the zone parallel to the Bulgarian west border,
raging some 70 to 90 miles, excluding Sofia, Vraca,
Plovdiv and the nuclear power plant Kozloduj. /End/
/end/
Some 60 percent of Bulgarians support the NATO air
strikes against Yugoslavia and agree with Bulgaria's
decision to allow the Alliance to use Bulgarian air
space. As "Makfax" reports, these data had been reported
today by the pro-government daily "Demokracija",
referring to "NCIOM" agency reports.
Bulgarian Parliament is to dispute over allowing
the Bulgarian space to be used by NATO warplanes. If the
decision is positive, the opposition Bulgarian socialist
party (BSP) had threatened to leave the Parliament.
According to the opposition daily "Duma" the Bulgarian
Euroleftists are also against, commenting that such
decision on setting up the air corridor will push
Bulgaria into a war without any necessary guarantees o
its stability. /End/ /end/
The Macedonian Vice Premirer Dosta Dimovska is to
visit Bulgaria in order to discuss how Bulgaria will
continue its emergency refugee assistance to Macedonia,
Sofia's daily "24 Hours" reports today.
The same source, as "Makfax" reports, comments
that Dosta Dimovska will be holding talks with the
Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov on the
possibilities for surpassing the humanitarian
catastrophe caused by the mass refugee influx, and she
will also meet the Bulgarian Vice Premiers Veselin
Metodiev and Evgeny Bakardjiev. /end/ /end/
The attempt to block the oil derivatives supply to
FRY will push the world into a new stage of a cold war -
the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Igor Lebedev said
today.
In his statement for the Turkish private
television NTV, the Russian Ambassador, as "Makfax"
reports, did not precise how his country will react on
this attempt to block the Russian ships which supply
Yugoslavia with oil. /End/ /end/
The Head of the International Red Cross Cornelyo
Samaruga arrived in Belgrade late Sunday and had been
holding talks with the Head of Yugoslav Red Cross
Radovan Marjanovic over the humanitarian problems
unfolding in Yugoslavia. Samaruga underscored the
readiness of the International Committee in providing
assistance to all persons who are in urgent need of
humanitarian aid at the territory of Yugoslavia.
Samaruga, as "Makfax" reported, is also expected
to meet the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and
discuss over the situation in Kosovo. The discussion
theme will the consequences of NATO air campaign on the
civilians in Yugoslavia as well as the three U.S.
servicemen captured by Yugoslav army. Samaruga will also
visit the second Yugoslav largest city of Novi Sad.
/End/ /end/
The British newspapers reported that despite the
Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts, the NATO leaders
did not approve the ground invasion against Yugoslavia
fearing that unpleasant splitting of opinions could
overshadow the Alliance's 50th anniversary.
Estimating that NATO faces a discord and confusion
and certain commanders disagree with the way they had
been forced to lead the war, "Sunday Telegraph" reports
that the NATO's Supreme Commander, Europe -General
Wesley Clark, who interceded for deploying ground troops
in the very beginning of the war, is now loosing his
patience, trying to respect the politicians'
requirements. "Observer" reports that official London is
going to request the other NATO member-countries to
provide an economical assistance to the neighbouring
countries of Yugoslavia in order to obtain their consent
for ground invasion. The largest aid package in return
for ground invasion consent, including the invitation
for associative membership with E.U and NATO, according
to "Observer", will be offered to Macedonia. /End/ /end/
The illegal Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) had
offered to conduct the NATO ground invasion against the
Serb forces in Kosovo, outlining that the losses of the
North Atlantic Organization would be much reduced since
KLA is quite familiar with the terrain, the west
agencies reported.
According to these sources, as "Makfax' reports,
the KLA representatives held a press conference in
Albanian city of Kukes, demanding arms and equipment to
carry out the military actions. "We request NATO to
provide us with high technology arms", a KLA
representative said introducing himself as "Leopard-2".
/End/ /end/
During the NATO summit in Washington the different
opinions among the allies had surfaced in respect of the
plans on imposing oil delivery embargo on Yugoslavia.
Certain NATO members such as France and Italy, unlike
USA and Great Britain, fear that the oil delivery
blockade, without a U.N. resolution, could induce a new
confrontation with Russia which is the main oil supplier
to Yugoslavia, the west agencies reported.
The French Defense Minister Allen Richar, as
"Makfax' reports, estimated the reports on French
abstain as ungrounded, outlining that there are no
different opinions among NATO member-countries regarding
this issue. The French Defence Minister refused to refer
this policy as "embargo", he rather refer this policy as
"regime of controlling and searching" the cargo ships in
the Adriatic Sea. The French President Jacques Chirac,
on the other hand, had previously stated that Paris
abstains regarding this issue. The Italian Foreign
Minister Lamberto Dinny admitted that "certain
hesitations" prevail regarding the oil blockade, unlike
the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder. /End/ /end/
The Bulgarian Social-Democratic Party set up a
Headquarters in Blagoevgrad for providing assistance to
Macedonia, the Sofia's daily Demokracija" reports today.
"Demokracija", as "Makfax" reports, quotes the
statement released by Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan
Kostov, saying that "Half of the population in Macedonia
is unemployed due to the export break with FRY". Kostov
appealed for solidarity with Macedonia, outlining that
otherwise Bulgaria will make "a fratricidal sin". /END
ALL/