MIC - Macedonian Information Centre -

NEIGHBORS SHOULD BACK MOST MACEDONIA’S BID TO JOIN NATO

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:10:14 +0100

All NATO member states, including neighbors, should support Macedonia in being extended an invitation to join NATO. This is the message that Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki has been voicing at his meetings in Washington so that the issue of Macedonia’s membership of NATO is raised at the summit of the Alliance in Chicago, Dnevnik reports.

Minister Poposki, who attended Thursday the Prayer Breakfast hosted by US President Barack Obama, told Dnevnik that the US officials he met had no dilemma that Macedonia should be admitted to NATO as soon as possible.

“Macedonia has met all conditions to close this chapter and become a NATO member state. It would be logical for us to have the support of all member states, including our neighbors, considering that in the past enlargements of NATO the biggest support came from neighbors,” Poposki said.

Flash News

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:27:59 +0100

- Defense Minister Fatmir Besimi visited Thursday Pentagon where he met with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Joseph McMillan. Besimi also met with former US ambassador to Macedonia Philip Reeker and discussed the bilateral defense cooperation and strategic partnership between Macedonia and the United states.

PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT ANNOUNCES NEW BRITISH INVESTMENTS IN MACEDONIA

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:47:09 +0100

Establishing two funds, agricultural and investment, of approximately 100 million euros are the initial results of the visit of the high-ranking business delegation from the United Kingdom led by Prince Michael of Kent, who believes that most attractive sectors to British investors are mining, tourism, hotels, financial services, infrastructure and water and waste management.

According to a representative of the British Business Group, which organized the visit of the Prince to Macedonia, the initial value of the agricultural fund would be 50 million euros to be used for investments in agriculture in Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. The appeal of agriculture to British investors rest in the fact that in the region prices of agricultural products are lower than the European Union, the products are of high quality, the legislation has been harmonized and the nearness of the market is also helpful. They say there is also serious interest in making investments in the ski centers Mavrovo and Popova Sapka.

Flash News

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:23:43 +0100

- At his meetings in Washington on Thursday and Friday, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki is going to send out a message that all arguments about blocking Macedonia’s progress toward NATO and the EU have been exhausted. At his meeting with US Deputy State Secretary William Burns, Popovski is going to stress that Macedonia and the USA have always had a constructive and open dialogue, as NATO will retain its credibility by letting Macedonia sit at the same table with all other member states.

PEACEFUL IN STRUGA

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:24 +0100

Following the fire of two days ago at the church of St. Nikola in the village of Labunista which broke out in the wake of previous cases on desecration of churches and burning of the Macedonian flag, it was peaceful in Struga on Tuesday still with heavier police presence than usual. The Interior Ministry Office in Ohrid confirmed the fire-related incident without disclosing any information about the arsonists.

The fire was planted in the dining room of the church in Labunista, the largest village in the Muslim dominated municipality. The flames spread to certain other rooms too. However, downright destruction of the building housing old frescos and icons was fortunately stalled. In addition to professional fire fighting teams, locals participated in the quenching the fire too.

IRC APPEALS TO MUSLIMS TO REFRAIN FROM PROVOCATION

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:15:56 +0100

The Islamic Religious Community (IRC) appealed to Muslims in Macedonia not to fall for the influence of provocateurs who wish to harm Islam, peace and Macedonia’s European future.
The IRC insists that charges be pressed against all those who hurt the sentiments of the Muslims at the Vevcani carnival, at which, they say, the holy book of Quran was ridiculed.
“We are concerned that in recent days in Macedonia, the Islamophobia is frequently combined with government propaganda. Such is the case of this carnival to which the Government allocates 50,000 euros every year from the money of all people including Muslims,” the IRC stresses and reminds that the state leadership turned a deaf ear to the humiliation of Albanians and Turks by the handball fans and national team members.
In the village of Oktisi last night, little after 8 pm, the Church of St Nikola was desecrated. Graffiti with death threats against Orthodox believers were sprayed on the walls of the shrine. Police made an investigation on the spot and is working to clearing up a number of incidents that have been shaking Struga the past few days, following the protest of the Islamic Religious Community against the “insulting masks” of the Vevcani carnival. Heavier police presence can also be spotted in the city.

STRUGA: RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE FALLS BEFORE POLITICAL BATTLES

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:42:13 +0100

Political battles between political parties should not be fought by way of raising religious issues, which objectively can and should be conducted only at the level of a debate or dialogue, says Nova Makedonija. Religious diversities must not lead to political grouping. This is how religious analysts interpret the series of incidents on interethnic and religious grounds that have shook the region of Struga over the weekend. The last in the series of events was the damaging of the 4-meter cross in the yard of the church of Sveta Bogorodica in the village of Brodec.

The revolt of the local Muslims began last Friday when the Struga Mufti Community staged protests against the scenes and masks of the Vevcani carnival held on 14 January this year, which they find to be insulting and anti-Muslim. They feel offended and believe that the carnival ridiculed the holy book of Quran as well as the Islamic principles of life.

Flash News

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:41:20 +0100

- President Gjorge Ivanov met Sunday with Prince Michael of Kent who arrived Saturday to Macedonia with a large business delegation. According to Ivanov, thanks to company Johnson Matthey, the United Kingdom is among Macedonia's top ten trading partners.

CONFLICTING VIEWS OVER STOPPING LUSTRATION

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:04:23 +0100

Experts are divided over whether, who and why anyone is to blame for the (un)intentional dragging on of the lustration process, following the decision of the Constitutional Court to temporarily discontinue the lustration concerning former functionaries, journalists, priests and lawyers. Experts have conflicting views also over whether the extant lustration law is functional or should undergo modifications for the third time, as announced by governing VMRO-DPMNE, Nova Makedonija reports. As some believe there is nothing contentious in the law and that the problem is political, others trust the law is mature for modifications.

University Professor Zvonimir Jankulovski explains that the Macedonian lustration law is excellent for being drafted following the recommendations of the Council of Europe and for having incorporated experiences of a few countries that have already wound up their process of cutting ties with the former regimes.

Flash News

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:23:03 +0100

- PM Nikola Gruevski on Wednesday in Brussels met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and ambassadors of the NATO member-countries and said that the NATO Summit in Chicago is a good opportunity to reexamine the conclusions from Bucharest especially now after the judgment of the International Court of Justice.

Flash News

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:14:51 +0100

- EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki and Deputy PM for EU Affairs Teuta Arifi that Skopje and Brussels will launch the high level accession dialogue this spring. This dialogue is considered to be a step forward in the Macedonian euro-integration.

GREEK AND BULGARIAN MEPs INSIST THAT GOOD NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS BE CRUCIAL

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +0100

Making the good neighborly relations a crucial element in the process of enlargement, and making changes to the resolution concerning the freedom of media, trade union freedoms and female equality are some of the amendments of the Members of the European Parliament to the draft resolution on Macedonia’s progress drafted by the rapporteur for Macedonia at the European Parliament, Richard Howitt.

Howitt’s colleagues filed a total of 164 amendments for almost every article of the draft resolution. The discussion about the amendments started Tuesday afternoon and according to the expectations in the European Parliament, the MEPs are once again going to appeal to the EU Council to commence negotiations and the pre-screening process of the harmonization of the Macedonian legislation with the EU laws, as well as to implement the second stage of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, for which there is wide consent and support. For example, British MEP Charles Tannock says in his amendment that the credibility of the process of enlargement of the EU will be compromised by the continuous postponement of the membership negotiations.” The Greek MEP Maria Eleni Koppa shares his view yet adds that at the same time a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue needs to be found.

PEACEFUL UNTIL CHICAGO

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:04:47 +0100

Athens is only buying time, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski about the current Greek position and their unwillingness to welcome mediator Matthew Nimetz in the region – on 4 February in Athens and on 15 February in Skopje. Diplomatic sources also say that until the summit of NATO in Chicago set for end May, no changes in Greece’s stance can be expected. In their view, any livening up in the name issue talks is possible only afterward, Nova Makedonija reports.

In the first half of this year, despite the clear situation in view of the judgment from the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a change in NATO’s position is hardly likely. The standing of the NATO officials that a solution to the name dispute should be found so Macedonia can join the Alliance is very clear. Greece, on the other hand, refuses to recognize the judgment and hence a change in the attitude toward Macedonia is unlikely,” diplomats say.

Macedonian Prime Minister Gruevski too said that the disposition for having Nimetz in the region was not very welcoming.

REEKER CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO SHOW COURAGE AS GLIGOROV DID

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:22:52 +0100

The judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which was in Macedonia’s favor, may only be a catalyst of the name issue talks, because the country has to resolve the name issue if it wishes to join NATO, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs told Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in Skopje Wednesday.

Aside from this message, which Reeker said was reiterated many times, he expressed commiseration for the passing of Macedonia’s first president Kiro Gligorov, whom he referred to as true statesman and called on the government to be courageous in taking tough decisions as Gligorov was.

“I hope the country’s leadership will demonstrate the same amount of courage as President Gligorov did in handling the numerous challenges of the country, which we face together in the region and the complex world we live in. More specifically we talked about the judgment of the International Court of Justice of last December, Macedonia’s progress in the Euro-Atlantic integration, the importance of the freedom of media and the independence of the judiciary,” Reeker said.

VASSILAKIS REFUSES JOINT MEETING WITH NIMETZ AND JOLEVSKI

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:37:51 +0100

Greek negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis voiced at its meeting with mediator Nimetz in New York the remark of official Athens about the carnival in Vevcani, at which Greece was “buried,” Dnevnik has learned from diplomatic sources.

According to Nova Makedonija, Greece also announced freezing of the name issue talks, as well as walking out of the Interim Accord, whereby Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration would be indirectly blocked. It is also a reaction to the judgment of the International Court of Justice in Macedonia’s favor, which opened a door for Macedonia’s accession to NATO.

According to Dnevnik’s sources, the Greeks are expected to use similar excuses to substantiate their stances that Macedonia is not constructive in the negotiations and that is, in fact, a tactic to drag on the negotiations and avoid making any progress before the NATO summit in Chicago.