MILS NEWS

Skopje, 7th July 2000

MACEDONIA WILL OPEN CONSULATE IN PODGORICA, FRY IN BITOLA

The Macedonian Embassy in Belgrade announced that the Yugoslav Government approved Macedonia to open a General Consulate in Podgorica, and it also decided FR Yugoslavia to open a General Consulate in Bitola.

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 10th July 2000

RICHARD HOLBROOKE - MACEDONIA OVERCAME GREAT CRISIS THAT COULD HAVE DESTROYED HER

“Macedonia has overcome the biggest crises that could happen to one country”, USA Ambassador in UN Richard Holbrooke announced in his interview for Macedonian TV. As MIA reports, Holbrooke pointed out that for a while everyone feared that Macedonia may fall apart, and the former US Ambassador in Macedonia Christopher Hill was preoccupied with this worry. However, according to Holbrooke, the Macedonian Government succeeded in overcoming the crises and told the world as well as to itself hat it is a national state.

Holbrooke also estimated that USA and EU are making efforts to help Macedonia, but they do not help enough and as much as Macedonia deserves. Richard Holbrooke pointed out that he consistently requests US Congress to give more assets to the Balkan countries, and he will continue doing that.

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 11th July 2000

ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE SERVICES WILL HELP MACEDONIA, AND MOC WILL BUILD A TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM

Last week a Macedonian delegation of around 100 people, led by PM Georgievski and the Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church the Archbishop Stephen, visited Israel. The visit of this delegation, which consisted of several Ministers, high church officials, VMRO-DPMNE party officials and businessmen, was characterized as a tourist visit i.e. from a private character. However, according to “Vecher”, it is a matter of other objectives that are “packed” as “high state interest” from unknown reasons. As the paper informs, PM Georgievski discussed with his Israeli colleague Barak about important aspects from the sphere of the safety of Macedonia and Israeli expert assistance was requested for Macedonian Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs, mostly for the technology in intelligence services. According to “Vecher”, this issue was especially stressed because of the fact that the Israeli intelligence service is one of the most powerful in the world and because Israel is one of the countries with very rich military arsenal.

Both Prime Ministers as well as Macedonian and Israeli businessmen discussed about strengthening economic cooperation. Israeli side showed special interest for investing in hospitals i.e. in the medical sector and pharmacology in Macedonia. At the meeting with Georgievski, Israeli PM promised that he would stimulate cooperation between both countries, which should later on concretize at

Embassy level.

Macedonian church delegation returned also pleased from the visit of Israel. Namely, MOC delegation met with the Head of Jerusalem Patriarchate Sir Didor, who expressed hope that MOC will soon join the community of Orthodox churches.

What is especially important for MOC was that the mayor of Jerusalem allowed a Macedonian temple to be built in the Holy City. According to “Vecher” sources, this temple should be built at the coast of the Sea of Galilee and the Macedonian church could also use one of the houses along the road where Jesus Christ walked before he was crucified.

“Vecher” sources can not explain why the aims and the results from the visit to Israel are kept so secret. Meanwhile, there are many speculations in public about who paid for the visit, even though according to PM Georgievski, the passengers paid for the trip themselves ($700 per person). According to the speculations, most of the assets were obtained by “Blagovestie” foundation (whose president is the wife of the PM, Snezana Georgievska), i.e. this humanitarian organization paid the tickets of its sponsors. Another interesting part of the visit for the public is the christening of VMRO-DPMNE MP Gjulistana Markovska.

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 13th July 2000

MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TRAJKOVSKI DECORATED BY THE BRITISH QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Yesterday Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski was received in Buckingham Palace in London by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II with full honors from the Queen's guard and with playing of the Macedonian anthem, the report from the Cabinet of President Trajkovski stated. At the reception with the Queen, President Trajkovski was decorated with Knight's big cross order.

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 17th July 2000

OHRID - COUNTRIES FROM SOUTHEAST EUROPE DISAPPOINTED FROM THE REALIZATION OF THE STABILITY PACT

At the meeting in Ohrid, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of 6 countries from Southeast Europe concluded that there is disappointment from the implementation of the Stability Pact projects, Macedonian Radio reported. The Ministers of Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Romania estimated that it is high time the Stability Pact to be truly realized. They requested special support for the so called projects with fast start and expressed hope that it will not have to be waited for another 12 months for the realization of the projects as it was waited for their approval.

Stability Pact Coordinator Bodo Hombach, who was present at the meeting, announced that this year foreign investments for the region will be doubled, and will amount to $3.5 billion.

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 20th July 2000

PARLIAMENT ADOPTED LAWS FOR REFORM IN STATE ADMINISTRATION Yesterday Macedonian Government adopted the package of laws for reforms in state administration. 88 MPs gave a positive vote for the package of laws. Opposition PDP also voted for this legal project after their submitted amendments were adopted.

The opposition mostly insisted the number of Ministries in government's cabinet to be reduced even more (instead of 14, SDSM suggested 12 Ministries). SDSM suggestion was not adopted. The opposition also did not agree with the proposal several abolished Ministries to become agencies (according to the Government, there should be 4 agencies).

According to the opposition, these changes will not make rationalization in state administration, but only rearrangement of authority. One of the principal amendments of PDP was the Ministry of Education and Culture to contain an office for protection of the rights of minorities.