Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Macedonian milk producers expects Swed milk to pay their money off until Monday

Macedonian milk producers do not know whether Swed Milk Company had started the procedure on paying off the money for the milk. Despite it was agreed on the last meeting with the governing team half of the money to be paid off until the end of the week, Macedonian A1 television informs. They said on Friday’s conference they even do not know who the new owner is.
A1 reminds Swed Milk Company owes more than EUR 3.5 million to about 3000 milk producers.
The other part of the money has to be paid off until the end of February.

Macedonian race for next president

A total of seven candidates, three of them ethnic Albanians, will run in the March 22 ballot, with the ruling VMRO-DPMNE represented by Djordje Ivanov.

The opposition candidate and, according to analysts , the election's front runner, is Ljubomir Frchkoski.

However, former Interior Minister Ljube Boshkoski is emerging as "the most interesting candidate", our reporter in Skopje says.

He spent four years detained at the Hague Tribunal, undergoing a trial there accused of 2001 murder of ethnic Albanians, but was acquitted of all charges last year.

Both Boshkoski and Frchkoski spoke for B92 on Saturday.

Boshkoski said he is not hiding his disappointment over the fact that VMRO-DPMNE, a party of which he is a member, did not choose him to run.

"I have four years of Hague solitude behind me. In a room sized 2.5 square meters I had time to think about Macedonia's future. Even during the first days after my departure I realized that the situation in Macedonia was alarming and that my country was extremely isolated. You know, although I returned from jail, I am in this way imprisoned again, and I cannot allow for that to happen."

"I disagree with some moves made by Premier [Nikola] Gruevski, but what worries me the most is his insistence on the Macedonians' ancient roots. This Aryan theory is something we don't need at all," Boshkovski said.

Frchkoski, on the other hand, sees it as his "personal challenge" to stand against "the authoritarian rule that has isolated Macedonia managing to push in into a Balkan corner".

"After twenty years of independence we are once again setting up the basic security issues, of whether or not Macedonia will face internal federalization and whether Albanians will separate in local municipalities."

"We cannot expect fair elections, the most we can expect is for them to be calm. Unfortunately these are the election criteria just like in Africa," said he.

Meanwhile, it is already clear that ethnic Albanian votes from the first round will go to the Macedonian bloc candidate that will be most accommodating to Albanian conditions and demands, our reporter says.

Kosovo PM on secret visit in Skopje

Kosovo Prime Minister /PM/ Hashim Taci was on a secret visit in Skopje, Macedonian A1 television informs.
“The aim of the visit and with whom he talked with remains a secret. TV’s team saw Taci in Skopje’s restaurant. He refused to say what the aim of his visit was. Taci’s cabinet press office in Pristina claimed he did not go anywhere.
There are cars with Albanian registration in front of the restaurant where he had lunch,”A1 informs.

Government makes kitsch patriotism: former PM

The patriotism, which is realized in Macedonia these days, is kitsch patriotism. The whole national policy reduces to a mass propaganda, which aim is to turn people into ancient Macedonians, former Macedonian Prime Minister Lubco Georgievski said, Macedonian Spic newspaper informs.
“This is a patriotism, which bases are very weak sections. We make extra problems with Greece,” Georgievski said.
In reference to his political ambitions Georgievski said that they are at the field of analysis and examination. In his words Macedonia has to be flexible in reference to name dispute.

Macedonia to receive EUR 3.5 million for education

Macedonia will receive EUR 3.5 million for education from the regional pre-accession funds for 2008 in the frames of Tempus program, which is focused on the development of education, FOCUS News Agency correspondent in Skopje informs.
“The Tempus program stimulates the mobility not only among students but also among lecturers. They have greately contributed to the development of the high education," Macedonian Minister of Education Pero Stojanovski told a press conference.
He added that representatives of the countries taht are now joining the program are visiting Macedonia to get acquanted with the program's functioning in the country.

Macedonia may heed Bakoyannis advice

Few days ago Greek FM Bakoyannis, in Belgrade as part of her OSCE journey, issued a statement that Macedonia should follow Greece's example.

At the time, it wasn't clear what precisely did the Greek FM had in mind.

This morning, it appears as there is a good chance the government in Skopje will follow Athens' advice. No, it has nothing to do with minorities or cooking financial books, something Athens is an expert in.

A French Army delegation has signed an agreement with Macedonia for training Macedonian helicopter pilots in France. Because of this, the possibility of Macedonia purchasing French helicopters has greatly increased.

The Macedonian pilots are already trained on Russian/Ukrainian/Israeli helicopters. The only reason they would train on french helicopters is, if they are buying some.

Skopje has already decided to send a military attache to France, to be a liaison between the two armies. Greece bought their political support from France earlier this year, by agreeing to purchase fighter planes worth few billion euros.

Macedonia may join the French friendship bridge, in "Greek" style.

EC Report on Macedonia due in November

From within the EC in Brussels they informed that the report on Macedonia will be announced in November. “The conditions for Macedonia obtaining date for start of negotiations remain the same – meeting of the political criteria and the benchmarks.

Olli Rehn encourages the country to focus on progress in these key areas,” stated EU Enlargement Commissioner Spokesperson Krisztina Nagy for Kanal5 TV.

From within CoE they said it was still early to tell whether date for start of the negotiations with the EU will be granted as the conduct of the elections remained to be seen.

Nevertheless, they reminded that the possible decision for start of accession negotiations should be made by the EU Ministerial Council via consensus. A solution to the name issue remains to be found, they said from within the CoE.

UMD Strongly Condemns Sofia Mayor Borisov´s Plans to "Buy" Macedonia

The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) categorically condemns Sofia mayor Boris Borisov´s recent statements in Chicago advocating an effective "buyout" of Macedonia by Bulgarians to ensure "friendly relations" between the two states. "Such a statement by a leading politician of an EU and NATO member is deeply troubling and reveals a fundamental ignorance of the principles on which both organizations were founded," stated UMD President, Metodija A. Koloski. Plans to effect a "buyout" of Macedonia by Bulgarians violate one of the EU´s most important principles, "promoting respect for the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders." They are tantamount to economic extortion, not unlike the 1995 embargo that Greece imposed on Macedonia to create a "friendly atmosphere" among Macedonians.

UMD regards Mr. Borisov´s reasoning that Bulgaria, through economic and political isolation, will foster "friendly relations" with Macedonians as laughable on its face, if not dangerously mischievous. Although the UMD deplores Mr. Borisov´s remarks, the United Macedonian Diaspora promotes and encourages friendly, positive and mutually productive relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia.

UMD believes that Mr. Borisov´s stated goal of friendly ties would best be achieved not through economic extortion and enforced "bulgarianization" of Macedonia´s economy, but rather through the prompt registration of OMO-Ilinden PIRIN (Political Party of the Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria) as a legitimate political party representing ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria. "Rather than resort to economic extortion, the Republic of Bulgaria would be well advised to recognize the sizable Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. And rather than ignore the very founding principles of NATO and the EU, the Republic of Bulgaria might even wish to issue a formal apology for the deportation of nearly 9,000 Macedonian Jews to Hitler´s death camps," added Koloski.