NATO chief urges Macedonia to solve name row with Greece

NATO Secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Friday urged Macedonia to solve its name row with Greece, saying it's the only obstacle on its way to NATO.

"Unfortunately NATO can't play any role in this matter. We wish to see it settled as soon as possible," de Hoop Scheffer, who is on a farewell visit to Macedonia, said after meeting with the country's leaders.

According to reports reaching here from Skopje, the NATO chief reaffirmed that NATO's door is always open to western Balkan countries, because the region's integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions is the only recipe for its lasting stability and security.

Macedonia's NATO bid was thwarted by Greece over the 19-year-long name dispute between the two neighbors at the alliance's summit in Bucharest last April.

Athens has contended that the former Yugoslav state's determination to call itself Macedonia has concealed territorial ambitions over its own northern province of the same name.

De Hoop Scheffer expressed satisfaction with the fact that nine new members joined NATO on his watch as Secretary-general, hoping for Macedonia to become the 10th.

His mandate as NATO chief will soon come to an end. He will be succeeded by former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is going to take office on Aug. 1.

Albanian diplomat arrested in Turkey on suspicion of drug trafficking

Turkish police had arrested Agim Haxhia, deputy secretary of the Albanian Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia, in western Turkey on May 2, AP quoted the Albanian Foreign Ministry statement as saying in a statement.

Haxhia, being held in a prison near Istanbul, has been stripped of his immunity and will face prosecution in Turkey, the agency added.

He was arrested after police found 65 kilograms of heroin in his car, which carried diplomatic plates, AFP reported, citing Albanian television station Top Channel.

Until three years ago, Haxhia had worked as a journalist, the station reported.

Haxhia entered Turkey via neighboring Macedonia and Bulgaria without being stopped by customs or police officials in either country, Albanian police sources told AFP.

Macedonia turns to universal health insurance

Thousands of Macedonian citizens, who previously had access only to emergency health care and certain hospital services, are now eligible to receive free primary care through the government. Coverage now extends to vulnerable segments of the population, such as the homeless, the elderly and the unemployed.

The change stems from an amendment to the Law on Public Health that went into effect last month. The new law targets these "marginalised groups", Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said.

Minister of Health Bujar Osmani affirmed that, with these reforms, the government for the first time has satisfied a main principle of the Macedonian Constitution: coverage and protection of the health of all citizens.

The government will underwrite the newly eligible patients' coverage, enabling them to receive health care services on the same footing as those who are employed and pay for health insurance.

Universal health insurance covers unlimited visits to a personal primary care physician, preventive care and examinations and treatment abroad. Patients with specific contagious diseases will also be able to receive treatment under the plan, unless they have other insurance. They still have to pay for any medications.

Deputy Health Minister Vladimir Popovski explained that the new law harmonises even the terminology with that of the EU member states. Macedonia's federal Department for Public Health will now be called the Institute for Public Health and its regional offices centres of public health.

According to initial financial projections, this new health care system will cost more than 5m euros to implement.

While society generally welcomed the expansion of medical care, some doctors criticised the impending burden on the federal budget. Funds, they say, should also go to many dilapidated hospitals that lack adequate medical supplies or equipment.

According to Dr Gjorge Jovanov, "With the funds that the government is now providing, many of the patients who were not able to receive health care will have coverage, which is a very good thing. On the other hand, part of this money can be used to improve conditions for patients who already have insurance."

Congressmen push US on Macedonia

Fifteen members of the US Congress have appealed to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to help break the deadlock in the dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the latter’s name so that the tiny Balkan state can join NATO, it was revealed yesterday.

In a joint letter the 15 senators, led by Democrat Bill Pascrell of New Jersey and Republican Mark Souder of Indiana, urged Clinton to recognize FYROM as “a staunch ally and trusted partner” and to review the state’s “contribution to stability in the southern Balkans and its contribution to America’s foreign policy objectives in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Middle East.”

The Congressmen also appear to press Clinton to take a stand on the name dispute. “We look forward to working with you... to reach a speedy and equitable resolution on issues such as the name dispute,” the letter said.

Greek diplomats said yesterday that they believed the FYROM lobby in the US had prompted the initiative in a bid to revive interest in stalled talks on the name issue.

Switzerland will respect free visa regime for Macedonia

Switzerland will apply a possible decision of the European Commission (EC) on annulment of visa requirements for the citizens of Macedonia, as although non EU country it is a member of the Schengen visa system, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki said Monday after meeting his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey.

Milososki briefed his counterpart on Macedonia's progress in the visa liberalization process and the country's expectations for the desired result to soon enter into effect, local media reported from Bern.

- We have pointed out that Macedonia is a leader in the region in terms of meeting the visa liberalization criteria, which if approved by the EC and other European institutions, will be applied by Switzerland - very significant move for Macedonian citizens living there and for the communication of the peoples of both countries, Milososki said.

Milososki and Calmy-Rey expressed satisfaction with the solid political relations of the two countries and urged for boosting of the economic cooperation.

The Ministers also discussed on developments in the Balkan region, its European prospect, as well as forthcoming engagements of Switzerland and Macedonia as holders of the Council of Europe Presidency.

They shared opinions on possibilities for revising the 1996 bilateral agreement on air-traffic that would offer better services and prices.

Macedonian snipers third best in the world

1.Russia, 2. Ukraine, 3. Macedonia.

These are the top three countries at the latest Sniper World Cup for Police and Military held in Budapest, Hungary. Eagle eye, nerves of steel ... is something that best describes a snaperist. Mistakes aren't allowed, the tiniest of mistakes can be very costly.

Macedonian elite police and military sniper units have been competing at the Budapest sniper world cup since 2004. For six years in a row Macedonian elite unit "Tigers" have placed in the top 10 in the world.

In 2008, the Tigers placed third in the world, right behind the Russians and the Ukrainians (Berkuti). The Tigers are known as the toughest unit for urban fighting in Macedonia, though some may have arguments for the Wolves and the Red Scorpions. They are not the same. The Wolves and Red Scorpions belong to the Army, while the Tigers are a police commando unit.

Each day of a "Tiger" member is planned out from morning to evening. Every minute of the day, including meals, training and tasks are planned months ahead. Their primary duties are to cover VIP persons, free hostages, deal with criminals and terrorists on moments notice etc.

The Tiger's sniper unit is also known in being able to take out targets at 1,500 meters distance with 100% accuracy which makes them one of very few units in Europe and the only ones in the Balkans that can do that.

"Suitcase Trade" on Bulgarian border with FYROM increases

The cases of suitcase trade at the Gueshevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian border with FYRMacedonia, has increased, the chief of the customs at the checkpoint, Georgi Vladimirov, told Focus on Friday.

According to him it comes down to small traders who cross several times a day the limit for imported food. The reason is that prices of many goods in Macedonia are still lower.

‘The phenomenon cannot be stopped, as it exists everywhere. It is a time of crisis and everyone seeks a cheaper deal – Bulgarians shop in FYRMacedonia, Greeks shop in Bulgaria, Englishmen shop in France, Italians in Switzerland…’

As long as the imported goods are not in big quantities they cannot be handled by the customs officers. Even so, since the beginning of the year some 180 kilos of chicken legs have been confiscated.

Fines for companies without HACCP system as of May

No concrete data on the number of domestic companies that have implemented the HACCP food safety system, a legal obligation since January, are available yet. It is being considered so far that about three, five or ten percent of the total number of registered capacities have met the obligation, even though experts deem the figures are inaccurate.

Inspection teams in the first four months were mainly tolerable towards food operators, giving advices without fining them. Rigid control and fines amounting between Euro 500 and 5.000 and even closure of production plants or stores will be introduced as of May.

All large industrial capacities involved in food and beverages production that place their products abroad have already implemented the HACCP system. The sales benefit is obvious not only abroad but also at home because its has boosted their competitiveness, the Food Directorate says.

FYRMacedonia's legislative defines that producers, salesmen, restaurant owners, hotel-keepers and artisans, who are in any way involved in the production, transportation and commerce chain of food and beverages, are bounded to observe and apply provisions stemming from the rulebook on hygiene-sanitary conditions of food safety and the law on food safety, based on the HACCP system.

Macedonia's journalists to stage protests

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) will organize protest Monday in downtown Skopje on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, May 3.
The protest will begin at 11:30 hrs at the AJM's premises and later the journalists will march across the streets to the city's central square "Makedonija".
The aim of the protest is to raise the voice against the bad situation that Macedonian journalism is undergoing, convictions for journalists, pressures, political influence, journalists' salaries etc.
In the media freedom report by Freedom House, Macedonia was ranked 98th in the group of partly free countries in terms of freedom of the media.

Gruevski - Macedonia deserves Europe's solidarity

Macedonia demands the same rights as the countries that have been joining the European Union previously, prime minister Nikola Gruevski said today at the European People's Parties' Congress.

During his address at the second day of the Congress taking place in Warsaw, he asked for support of Macedonia's integration in EU, Alsat-M TV Station reported.

"The positive opinion and the wish of the Macedonian people for inclusion in EU are not sufficient. We have to show to our people that Europe is worthwhile for us to be a part of it," Gruevski said.

Macedonian prime minister said that denying Macedonia an invitation for membership in NATO, despite Alliance's commendations about the country's achievements, delivered a severe blow to the solidarity.

"We are still hoping we will become a member, because we believe in the principles of freedom. Our vision is mutual respect and inclusion of all citizens, communication among the European countries and regions, regardless of how different they are - Europe for all. We ask for no more, just solidarity," Gruevski said.

After the end of the Congress tonight, PM Gruevski is scheduled to meet with his Czech counterpart Jan Fischer in Prague.

Macedonia, CERN sign co-operation agreement

In what is regarded as a major victory for the Macedonian government, a delegation headed by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski signed a co-operation agreement with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on Monday (April 27th) in Geneva.

The pact "opens up opportunities for education and research as well as for the receipt of grants, equipment, transfer of knowledge and technology", explained Gruevski.

It provides a framework for Macedonia's long-term participation in experimental and theoretical physics, engineering, detection technology applications and computing.

Macedonian students and scientists will now be able to attend various CERN schools -- such as for accelerators and computing -- to study, train and conduct research. This summer, the first group of Macedonians will visit the prestigious research centre.

CERN Director-General Rolf-Dieter Heuer -- who signed the agreement with Gruevski -- hailed it as a great chance for Macedonian researchers to contribute to the development of their country and the world.

Macedonia has paid greater attention to science in recent years. It has doubled its spending on education, opened several new colleges and raised student enrollment quotas. The government even paid tuition at the Skopje-based Ss. Cyril and Methodius University physics department for scientists who can later perfect their knowledge at CERN.

However, Macedonian scientists believe the government can do more. Last year, it allotted about 2.5m euros for science and research, and the EU awarded the country 6m euros for that purpose.

Aspiring Macedonian researchers can vie for grants from two EU programmes: 1) FP7, the EU's 2007-2013 Framework Programme to encourage research and technical development, and 2) the Competitiveness & Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

Two scientists, Zlatko Dimcovski and Jovan Mitrevski, are rare Macedonians with long-term work experience at CERN. Dimcovski -- a CERN veteran of 42 years -- said it was a boon for Macedonia to gain all of CERN's privileges without having to contribute financially.

Established in 1954, CERN is the biggest and one of the most prestigious research centres in the world. It began its work as one of Europe's first joint ventures but today numbers 20 member states and collects 751m euros annually in membership fees.

Gruevski said he hopes Macedonia will upgrade its status in CERN after a certain period of time.

S&P Cuts Ratings On Macedonia On Worsening Liquidity

Standard & Poor's cut Macedonia's credit ratings on Thursday on concerns that deteriorating external liquidity may force the government to abandon its exchange rate peg to the euro, further hurting the economy.

Macedonia's "large current account deficits and reduced availability of external funding threaten to reduce levels of international reserve assets significantly," S&P's credit analyst Kai Stukenbrock said in a statement.

The country's exchange rate peg to the euro could be undermined as a result, unless the government reduces external imbalances and secures financing to close the external funding gap, he added.

A forced devaluation of the currency would disrupt the economy, the analyst warned. He added that S&P could lower Macedonia's ratings again if external liquidity indicators and foreign reserves deteriorate further.

S&P downgraded Macedonia's long-term, foreign-currency sovereign rating to BB from BB-plus. The country's long-term local-currency rating was cut to BB-plus from BBB-minus. The outlook on the ratings is negative.

The agency also revised the recovery rating on Macedonia's foreign-currency debt to 3 from 2, which resulted in a downgrade of the country's outstanding 150 million euro bonds maturing in 2015 by two notches, to BB from BBB-minus.

‘Suitcase Trade’ on Bulgarian Border with Macedonia Increases

The cases of suitcase trade at the Gueshevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian border with Macedonia, has increased, the chief of the customs at the checkpoint, Georgi Vladimirov, told Focus on Friday.

According to him it comes down to small traders who cross several times a day the limit for imported food. The reason is that prices of many goods in Macedonia are still lower.

‘The phenomenon cannot be stopped, as it exists everywhere. It is a time of crisis and everyone seeks a cheaper deal – Bulgarians shop in Macedonia, Greeks shop in Bulgaria, Englishmen shop in France, Italians in Switzerland…’

As long as the imported goods are not in big quantities they cannot be handled by the customs officers. Even so, since the beginning of the year some 180 kilos of chicken legs have been confiscated.

Macedonian border remains one of the most risky for smuggling cigarettes

Macedonian border remains one of the most risky borders for smuggling of cigarettes, chief of the customs border control at Gueshevo border checkpoint Georgi Vladimirov said in interview with FOCUS News Agency.
Our border with Macedonia remains risky for smuggling of cigarettes, because it is close to countries such as Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro, which are the hatchery of the Balkan smuggling, he explained.
"It is normal some numbers of cigarettes to enter Macedonia and from there to Bulgaria. We have seized many shipments last year. We are trying to assume the 99 percent control of the trucks. However, that hinders us Macedonians too much, because the trucks are starting to run without seals and this makes us to believe that each driver may go on the market in Skopje to buy one or two boxes or to hide in the cabin or in the truck”. Georgi” Vladimirov added.

Macedonian Journalists' Association calls members to attend protest

The Macedonian Journalists' Association (MJA) will organize an action dubbed "Five Minutes of Loud Silence" and a massive protest on the occasion of 3rd May - Freed of the Press Day.
This year's edition of the action "Five Minutes of Loud Silence" will be held Sunday under the slogan "For journalists' dignity, for dignified profession." It will be comprised of five-minute recess of the news programs aired by electronic media across the country.
MJA called the journalist and employed in the media to take part in a massive protest, scheduled for the next day - 4 May at the Skopje's main square "Macedonia".
"We except from you to take part in the parade, so we can raise our voice against the bad situation in the Macedonian journalism, including the court verdicts, pressures, political influences, salaries..." says the statement released by MJA.

Macedonia has to wait until end of year: Olli Rehn

Macedonia has to wait until end of year so to get recommendation for starting negotiation on accession in EU. This is what European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said in Prague on Friday, A1 informs.
Rehn pointed free elections, reform in state administration, resolute fight against corruption and organized crime are needed for positive recommendation.
“Results must be reached in all these sectors. We have to wait until the end of the year so to announce the recommendation," Rehn said.

No swine flu case detected in Macedonia

Macedonian health authorities dispersed fears for presence of the new - swine flu - in the country, after the results of the tests carried out on a patient that was preventively held in a hospital, turned negative Makfax informs.
Daniela Aleksoska, a spokesperson of the Health Ministry, told Makfax that the patient was released for a home treatment after he was tested negative on the A type influenza.
Previously, the Macedonian health authorities said that an individual who arrived in Macedonia from Italy via Bulgaria, was preventively held at the Skopje Infective Clinic, after showing flu symptoms.

Two arrested in ProCredit bank robbery

Macedonian police have arrested two persons in connection to the robbery of ProCredit Bank-Skopje, which took place on 10 April.

The police believe that one of the detained bought the two vehicles used in the robbery, while the "biological traces" of other one, a man with double citizenship - Kosovo and Croatia's - matched those found on the vehicle. In addition, an operation for tracking down of the third person believed to have been involved, is underway.

The arrested B.T. (29) from Skopje bought the vehicles Golf 3 and Alpha Romeo 155 used in the robbery, from the used car lot "Guri" in the beginning of 2009.

In his testimony before the police, he said that his cousin A.T. (31) from Skopje, who is still on the run, ordered him to buy the vehicles. B.T. also said that his cousin kept constant contact with a man from Kosovo.

The armed group managed to steal 50,000 euros from the bank located in downtown Skopje in a daring operation. In the shootout with the police, two officers and a bypasser were wounded.

Alexander The Great Bisexual

Macedonia’s bisexuals are delighted that their hero, Alexander the Great, will soon break the macho monotony of their country’s capital.

A prank press release in support of the Macedonian government initiative to erect a giant statue of Alexander the Great, “the greatest bi-sexual in the history of the world”, as stated, appeared recently on Facebook.

This joke aimed to rile the patriotic feelings of Macedonia’s hard-line nationalists who see this ancient warrior king as the symbol of their national pride, and was signed by a fictional citizens’ association, named “Alexander Bi-Macedonian”.

“We, the bisexuals have always been rejected by society in all possible ways, including symbolically.
Skopje and Macedonia are full of macho heroes. Even women are excluded from the Macedonian symbolic universe,” the association states.

The conservative VMRO DPMNE-led government’s bid to plant a statue of Alexander in Skopje’s main square is a “significant step towards emancipation, offering us a person that will unify us on much higher level”, the release continues.

“We have always seen Alexander as an iconic figure for our bisexual lifestyle. We look on him as a man who beside conquering and unifying the world unified people of different sexual orientations as well,” the release further writes.

Beside affirming sexual diversity, the monument will make the country a top tourist destination as “every bisexual from Europe will be delighted to take his picture in front of the statue”, it continues.

I still remember how scandalized people were in both Macedonia and Greece after watching the Oliver Stone blockbuster “Alexander”, which portrayed the young hero as in love with his mate Hephaestion.

Partly out of curiosity and partly out of some hidden suicidal drive I deliberately started conversations on this issue with people from both countries who I thought were notably patriotic. I somehow survived to tell the tale!

First they would start blushing, while trying to stay calm and explain to me that I had been surely misled.
They would nervously clasp their hands together in a prayer-like position.

But soon they snapped, losing their tempers and attacking the “commies, masons and who knows who else” for plotting a conspiracy against their national hero.

The reactions were identical. The only thing these people could not agree upon was who was stealing whose history – Macedonians or Greeks?

Ok, heroes are heroes and their rightful place is on city squares, to remind the people of their glorious achievement or ideas.

I can even to some extent understand why people tend to worship stereotyped “horse-mounted” egoists and slaughterers like Alexander or Napoleon – more than some really deserving scholars, for example.

But that is not the point here.

As far as I know, there is no hard proof that Alexander was truly a bisexual although various circumstantial evidence does point to that theory.

But that is also not the point.

The point is that, unfortunately, the fight against numbing stupidity in the Balkans is still waged only through the irony and wit of a few.

And they have to remain anonymous, of course, just in case them find themselves in the way of some “patriot”.

National Bank of Macedonia prepares new measures to protect denar

National Bank of Macedonia has announced possible new tightening of monetary policy, Macedonian A1 television channel informs.
Everything depends on the foreign currency reserves, whose balance runs to EUR 1,2 billion now.
If planned measures prove to be insufficient, the bank will take additional ones, said bank governor Petar Gosev.
In the last four months National Bank of Macedonia has spent some EUR 300 million of the foreign currency reserves to secure the protection of the exchange rate of denar, the channel says.