MIC - Macedonian Information Centre -

NO AGREEMENT FOR CHANGE OF THE CONSTITUTION

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:24:34 +0100

Leaders of the four relevant political parties of Macedonia met on Thursday but did not agree on constitutional changes. SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski requested of PM Gruevski to receive a written guarantee so that a consensus can be reached and further tensions to be avoided. PM Nikola Gruevski will provide a written explanation of the proposed constitutional changes related to the Judicial Council. The meeting ended without a precise agreement for a new leaders’ meeting at which the constitutional changes will be discussed.

MACEDONIA CONSIDERING FRIENDSHIP AGREEMENT WITH BULGARIA

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:11:00 +0100

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Wednesday that there was a working version of an agreement on good neighborly relations and friendship proposed by the Bulgarian government.

“In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs there is a draft for such an agreement provided by Bulgaria and it is under close consideration. When the internal analysis is over, we are going to inform the Bulgarian authorities on our stands,” Petar Culev, spokesman for the Ministry, said.

Leaders’ meeting on constitutional changes

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:02:59 +0100

At the leaders’ meeting Thursday, BDI leader Ali Ahmeti will most probably put forward other proposals besides the constitutional changes. Demokracia E Re wants extension of the agenda for debate, too. All leaders, except Menduh Thaci, are going to attend the meeting.

ASYLUM SEEKERS RETURNING HOME VOLUNTARILY

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:46:44 +0100

A bus with some fifty people from Macedonia is leaving from Brussels for Skopje Wednesday. The first Balkan asylum seekers to whom the Belgian authorities offered to take back home at Belgium’s expense were those that requested seats on the bus.

BILATERAL DISPUTES SHOULD NOT OBSTRUCT THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:41:20 +0100

Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki in Zagreb Tuesday met with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandrokovic. After the meeting, Milososki and Jandrokovic stressed that the bilateral disputes should not obstruct the European integration process and that they should be left outside of the EU membership talks.

MEETING: LETERME - GRUEVSKI

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:32:23 +0100

Late Monday Belgian PM Yves Leterme arrived in Skopje and met with Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski. After the meeting, Leterme stated that the wave of asylum seekers from Macedonia is just a small incident in the excellent bilateral relations which with joint effort will be surpassed in the following weeks. Leterme reiterated that there is no way of getting political asylum from economic reasons. Gruevski guaranteed that the Government will take on all measures necessary to prevent this problem. On Tuesday, Belgian representatives will visit the region of Lipkovo.

Flash News

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:14:36 +0100

- Macedonia is going to reduce its current account deficit to 7 percent of GDP in 2010, while the national economy is going to achieve a zero percent growth, says the US provider of credit information on businesses and corporations Dun & Bradstreet. Macedonia’s state rating will be BD4b, which means moderate risk. According to Dun & Bradstreet the soaring industrial production in the last few months of 2009 showed signs that the Macedonian economy was getting out of recession.

BELGIAN PM LETERME VISITS MACEDONIA

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:01:40 +0100

Belgian PM Yves Leterme pays Monday a one day-working visit to the Republic of Macedonia. Leterme will be accompanied by Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration Melchior Wathelet. Leterme will meet with Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski and they will discuss the recent wave Macedonian immigrants seeking asylum in Belgium.

THIS WEEK A LEADERS’ MEETING REGARDING THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:01:59 +0100

PM Nikola Gruevski stated Sunday that the idea for change of the Constitution is not an idea of the international community but part of VMRO-DPMNE’s program. PM Nikola Gruevski announced Friday that he will call on a leaders’ meeting this week regarding the changes to the Constitution and the reforms in the judiciary system. Former judge in the Court of Strasbourg Margarita Caca Nikolovska assessed that the changes of the Constitution in connection to the judiciary system are positive but warn that it is not a guarantee that the political pressure on judges will stop. SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski stated Saturday that the international community pressures to reform the judiciary system. SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski announced that if a leaders’ meeting is organized regarding the changes to the Constitution, he will definitely attend.

Flash News

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:07:58 +0100

- Chief of Macedonian diplomacy Antonio Milosski met Saturday with Hungarian counterpart Péter Balázs in Cordoba Spain. Milososki and Balázs focused on Macedonia's Euro-integration processes.

“MAKEDONSKI” – BEST OPTION FOR SOME, UNACCEPTABLE FOR OTHERS

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:09:51 +0100

- Macedonian linguists are divided as regards the proposal that the Macedonian language should be referred to as “Makedonski” in English translations. Some consider this the best option, as others regard it as unacceptable solution. Senior diplomatic sources from Macedonia say the Greek proposal is an old hypocrisy. According to President Gjorge Ivanov, Macedonia’s red line is the UN Resolutions.

CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES – REFORM OR DESTABILIZATION?

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:36:05 +0100

If the Constitution is changed to reform the State Judicial Council, it will entail a set of other demands from the political parties for additional changes to the Constitution that will be endless. In such a case, it is better to draft a completely new Constitution than re-tailor the old one, constitutional law professors comment after ruling VMRO-DPMNE announced launching of an initiative for changing the Constitution a few days ago.

Flash News

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:56:37 +0100

- Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and ELEM CEO Vlatko Cingovski put into use Wednesday the new dispatch center of 2.2 million euros that is going to follow weather changes and the level of the accumulations, and measure the demand in electricity. Based on this, plans will be developed for production of electricity.

Macedonian farmers officially able to use funds from the IPARD program

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:07:42 +0100

Macedonia will be given 31.5 million euros from the IPA component 5 of the IPARD funds intended for rural development. The deal for the funds was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vasko Naumovski and EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere Tuesday.

Flash News

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:23:00 +0100

The European Commission said Tuesday that the abuse of the lifting of the visa regime via the asylum applications should be stopped. Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro have been asked to inform their people more on the manipulation by travel agencies.

The Macedonian Government is going to form a committee to follow the seeking of asylum by Macedonian citizens in other countries.