INFO

            English

            Ìàêåäîíñêè

  INFO                                     
   
  GREEK MEDIA PROVOCATION

A recently the Greek daily news paper “To Vima” announced that the USA considers that the only way out of the deadlock in the negotiations between Macedonia and Greece is for the EU to use the reference former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and for the Nimitz’s mediation to continue.
“This way Athens will claim that by the threat of a veto has bullied its way to FYROM, and Skopje in the bilateral relations will use its constitutional name in the future”, “To Vima” writes, quoting American diplomats as sources. The newspaper adds that Washington is giving the prevention of interethnic clashes in Skopje a priority, as well as the strengthening the states in the region, in order for them not to turn in to a zone under the influence of organize crime. There is still no response by us on this latest provocation!		  
     
  BUCKOVSKI IN A VISIT TO THE USA

The president of the Government of Macedonia, Vlado Buckovski, stayed in a several-day official visit to the USA, during which he had a meeting with the American state leaders.
The focal point in the Prime Minister’s agenda was the meeting with the President of the United States, George Bush in the White House on 27th of October. Bush and Buckovski , according to sources, discussed about the bilateral cooperation, about Macedonia’s aspirations for membership in NATO and EU, about the situation in Kosovo and the Balkans, but also for other regional and international issues.
In the press release from the White House, in which the meeting was announced, is stated that the President of USA and the Prime Minister of Macedonia discussed on several issues including the joint efforts to promote freedom and democracy in SEE. According to the agenda, the Macedonian Prime Minister is supposed to meet with the Secretary of Sate Condolisa Rise, with the Secretary of Defense Donald Ramsfeld and other high representatives of the US administration. Besides the US capital, Buckovski visited New York and Detroit. In New York he participated in a business meeting of Macedonian and American businessmen and on the Donor Conference for Macedonia which is organized by UNDP. The Prime Minister rounded up his visit to the USA with a series of meetings with the representatives of several Macedonian emigrants’ organizations in Detroit.		  
     
  WITHOUT A STRATEGY FOR THE EMEGRATION

The country doesn’t have a strategy in relation to emigration nor, does it has a data base and precise information on how many emigrants are there in foreign countries.
This, among other, was stated on the international science meeting titled “Emigration in Europe”, which is organized by the Agency for emigration and was held in Struga.
“The authorities carry the emigrants as a burden on their conches”, is the opinion of Professor Tanas Vrazinovski. According to him, practically there is no communication between state and emigrants, and the only contact is made only trough occasional visits of state officials.
On the meeting, on which thirty scientist from the country and abroad participated, among others the conclusion was made that the country must create migration policies and to create the necessary conditions so that emigrants can invest in Macedonia, because the economy can no longer play on the card of patriotism.		  
     
  PRESSURE ON MOC?

The warnings from EU and the evaluations by the Helsinki Committee are part of the pressure on MOC. The Head of the MOC Mr. Mr. Stefan thinks that the demands from the EU for change in the Article in the criminal code, on which Vraniskovski received two and a half years prison sentence, are false.
According to him, somebody wants to impose on us that the EU is concerned for us.
“I don’t know what the EU is thinking about this problem, but I think that it doesn’t deal with this sort of issues”, Mr. Mr. Stefan stated.
In the last evaluation of the Helsinki Committee is stated that the leadership of the MOC and authorities are not sufficiently separated in this secular state.
Although the Council of MOC frequently demanded support from the Government and the President bout the Vraniskocski case, for the Head of MOC the evaluation of the Helsinki Committee is bias.
“As far as the Helsinki Committee is concerned, I would refer to the commentaries of 2001 and you will see why they are the way they are toady” Mr. Mr. Stefan said.
Reactions about the re-examinations of the Vraniskovski case came from Cosmic Patriarch Vartolmoej and from the Russian Head Alexei the Second.		  
     
 

CVETANOVSKI AGAIN ON THE HEAD OF SONK

Dojcin Cvetnovski is reelected for president of the Union of employees in education, science and culture (SONK) on the Congress of this Union, which is recently working outside of the Union’s federation of Macedonia.
On the 4th congress Cvetanovski got all the votes from 779 delegates that were present. For this office three other candidates were nominated by their union organizations.
On the start of the session of the congress in his address Cvetanovski stated that the leadership of this union is firmly set on, according to the economic opportunities of the country, returning the status of the employees in education, science and culture in the middle of the scale of society, as is it is in all civilized states in Europe and the world.
He pointed out that SONK wants to achieve that trough a constructive dialog with state officials, by the power of the arguments and with a maximal awareness for the economic capabilities of the country, but also for the equal disperse of budgetary funds.

  
     
  NBM CHANGED THE MODEL ON WHICH ITS SELLING STATE BOOKING

In an attempt to relax the interest rate policy the National Bank will limit and pressure the banks to decrease the amount of money that they are using for buying profitable treasure bookings, instead of crediting the economy.
NBM has changed the model on which it is selling its bookings - from now on banks will buy them on closed tenders, on a limited amount. The key change is in the interest rate. It’ll no longer be fixed at 10% , but will be formed by the banks themselves, trough closed offers in a competitive battle. The bank that offers the lowest rate will get the bookings from the NBM. In this way because of the drop in interests which will be paid to them by the NBM, the banks will be less motivated to invest in the safe treasury bookings that until now brought them big profit without risk.
This was exactly the reason why the bookings were bought in mass. According to banks’ officials, up on till now the treasury bookings used up 122 million euros - money that could have been used in the economy. These amounts, instead of financing business, lay deposited in the central bank. There is an interpretation that the decision on limiting the bookings isn’t accidental. NBM is following its agreements with the International monetary fund, that the treasury bookings should not use up more than 130 million euros - an amount which is almost achieved. According to banks’ officials the new model for selling the bookings isn’t in there best interest, but they acknowledged that they are expecting an increase in loans for the economy but with a lower interest rate.		  
     
  TRPCEVSKI SHINED IN NEW YORK

The renowned Macedonian pianist Simon Trpcevski in the Lincoln Centre had his first performance in front of the New York audience, accompanied by the New York Symphony with Janandrea Nosera as a conductor.
The music critic of the distinguished “New York Times”, Jeremy Ajsler, writing about the début, points out that Trpcevski in the performance of this “punishingly” difficult work showed a rich technique, but not sensitivity in the same measure.
“His sound was rich and full of ease, which astounded most of the audience”, Ajsler says and adds that more variations and feelings are needed in order to capture the grandness this musical masterpiece, for which Rahmaninov says that it’s also important as the notes.
The cooperation with the conductor Nosera was in the most part online, said the critic , and especially point out the touch of the Russian soul in the performance of the New York Symphony. On the program of the concert on which Trpcevski preformed was in the second part works by Bartok and Britn.		  
     
  WHITE NIGHT IN SKOPJE

The city of Skopje organized the event “White Night”, with which the 60th anniversary of the forming of the UN was marked, but also the takeover of eight cultural institutions by decentralization. Those are: the Museum of Skopje, the Cultural Information Centre, the Youth Cultural Centre, the Home of Culture “Koco Racin”, the Children’s Cultural Centre “Karpos”, the library “Braka Miladinovci”, the Universal Hall and the ZOO.
The city’s authorities plan this event to grow in to a traditional one. On the event there were awards given for journalism and photography on the topic of “Poverty” by UN.		  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 

 

  

 NEWS

  BUCKOVSKI: MACEDONIA ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR US INVESTORS

The good political relations between Macedonia and the US should be also followed by a good economic cooperation. Macedonia has economic potential which could offer to the US businessmen and investors, Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski said at the business meeting held Thursday in New York in organization of Macedonian Economic Chamber.
As MIA's correspondent reports from New York, the possibilities for investing in Macedonia in energy sector, ecology, telecommunications and infrastructure were presented at the meeting attended by 60 American and Macedonian businessmen.
"The commercial exchange and especially the direct US investments in Macedonia are at unsatisfactory level which is not in accordance with the extraordinary good political relations," Buckovski said, adding that there is a need of intensifying of economic cooperation, especially the direct investments.
He informed the American businessmen on Government's reform process which aim is attracting foreign investments, pointing out the new Labor Relation Law, labor market, judiciary and public administration reforms.
"The famous world's brands Siemens, ING and others, have shown interest for Macedonia. I hope that the US companies will also follow their example because Macedonia is an attractive destination for their capital," PM Buckovski said.
The President of Economic Chamber Branko Azeski said that the aim of the business forum is to present potential projects for investing in Macedonia. "If we succeed to send the message that Macedonia is an open country, that its economy is liberal, that the geographic position is a comparative advantage and it's determined towards international integration processes, then we have achieved the common goal," Azeski said.
The UNDP administrator and former Vice-President of the World Bank Kemal Dervis said that Macedonia had a big economic potential.
According to Economy Minister Fatmir Besimi that investing in Macedonian means investing on market with 500 million consumers, available through free trade agreements with many countries.
The Executive Vice President of AMBO oil pipeline Gligor Taskovic presented the project for construction of AMBO (Albania-Macedonia-Bulgaria Oil) pipeline project.
Another Macedonian-American business meeting was held in New York, organized by Macedonian Association of Chambers of Commerce.

INTERVIEW OF MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER LJUPCO JORDANOVSKI

Macedonian Parliament Speaker Ljupco Jordanovski in Thursday's interview with the Macedonian Information Agency - MIA regarding the question whether Macedonia could be found under such pressure for its constitutional name to be discussed at the parliament said that it will not happen and there is no reason for such thing.
"The name of our country is not an exclusive ownership of the current generation since ideas of the past generations are included in it and we are obliged to carry out those ideals to future generations. On the other side, the parliament by passing the constitution in 1991 and by several declarations, on behalf of the citizens clearly declared that our constitutional name is the Republic of Macedonia," Jordanovski said.
He considered that the in latest proposal of the UN mediator Matthew Nimetz in regard to the name dispute with Greece, which is known to the public as well, our right as right to every nation is fully respected to decide for its name and that's why the name the Republic of Macedonia is found as the only proposal aside from reference Skopje with which Greece could address us.
Macedonian Parliament Speaker Ljupco Jordanovski considered that the recently passed Law on Members of the Parliament was necessary and he felt no need to explain the reasons for its passing.
"I do not intend to explain why such law is needed even with the article which gives right to the MPs to retire earlier which as far as I know will rarely be used by any of the members of the parliament, if one feels capable to work by age of 64 i.e. 62," Jordanovski said Thursday in the interview with MIA.
In regard to the "rules" for early retirement, he added that he did not hear even any valid argument aside from the ethical one. "But such moralising in the past 15 years when new social system was created lead us to where we are today. To tell the truth I should mention the constitutionality of the law as a counter argument. Still, I will leave to the Constitutional Court to give the assessment since it is the only one competent for this," Jordanovski said.
In regard to the fact that part of the opposition did not support the law, Jordanovski considered that it was their political assessment and how it will be useful for the next election. "Still one should not forget that they, in the past mandate, submitted and twice passed the same law with much more 'privileges.' In what I am convinced is that when the time will come everyone will use the rights foreseen in the law," Jordanovski said.