Highlights of commentaries and columns in the press in the Republic of Macedonia.
OP - Opinion Piece is established as a regular daily service in 2005.
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With 62 votes in favor, one against and one abstention, the Parliament adopted the law on free access to public information.

Macedonian Foreign Minster Ilinka Mitreva took part today in the first working meeting of the Austrian Presidency with the ambassadors of the EU member states to Macedonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

The Government accepted the proposal for the adoption of a law for surveillance of the state border. With this law, Macedonia will build a system for surveillance of the state border, which will bring the country closer to the Schengen rule of law.

Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva held separate meetings today with Macedonian Honorary Consul to Hamburg, Germany, Hans-Jirgen Bos and Macedonian Honorary Consul to Izmir, Turkey, Ms. Gaje Akcen.

According to the report of the Heritage Foundation revealed on Wednesday, Macedonia improved its economic freedom degree. Since this world-famous foundation started measuring this index in Macedonia, it has been improving slightly every year. In 2002 it was 3.35, two years ago it was 3.09 and in 2006 it will be 2.80.

Interview with Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva for "Utrinski vesnik" about Macedonia's  candidate status and her expectations in 2006.

- You and your Government are to be credited for the great success of winning Macedonia's candidate status. The public agrees with that. Nevertheless this hasn't changed the general mood concerning SDSM, the rating of which lags behind that of VMRO-DPMNE. What is the reason for this, according to you?

- When you are committed to one issue on which the country's future depends, which concerns all the citizens as well as the coming generations, there is no room for party calculations. We accepted both the risk and the non-popularity of the reforms. The reforms are the indispensable investment in European Macedonia. The candidate status is a great success for both the Government and all the citizens. Of course it takes time to feel genuine results and benefits. Macedonia has installed itself in the European structures and that is a fact. It is high time we started looking, thinking, and what's most important acting further from the parameters set by one election cycle.

Seven foreign companies will  participate in race for acquisition of ESM (Electric Power Supply Company of Macedonia) - Distribution.

The United States welcomes the European Council's decision to grant Macedonia candidate-state status for the European Union.

“We congratulate the government and people of Macedonia for the tremendous progress the country has made in the last four years.

In accordance with the European Council's decision for granting the country the candidate-state status for EU membership, Macedonia took part in the EU Ambassadors' Meeting. The Republic of Macedonia was for the first time invited to attend this British-chaired meeting of candidate states alongside Turkey and Croatia, and was represented by Ambassador Sasko Stefkov.

European leaders granted Macedonia the EU candidate status in Brussels early on Saturday.

In the conclusions adopted at the end of the 2-day EU summit, the Union leaders saluted Macedonia's significant progress in fulfilling membership criteria. On the other hand, they stressed that a lot more needs to be done in the future to meet fully the EU standards.

The Government prepared the proposal for the adoption of a new election law. The proposal will soon enter an assembly procedure. The Government concluded at yesterday's session that the proposal was prepared based on the views and proposals presented at the debate, and that it was led by the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations given after the last presidential and local elections in the Republic of Macedonia.

Macedonia is expected to be granted the status of a candidate country for full-fledged membership at the 2-day EU summit starting today, foreign news agencies report.

 

Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski sent a letter to French President Jacques Chirac today, stating that the Republic of Macedonia expects to receive the status candidate for EU membership at the EU Summit in Brussels.

At Brussels's suggestion, we implemented unpopular reforms. Now it is the European Union's turn to fulfill its promises, Deputy Prime Minister Radmila Sekerinska said yesterday.

Macedonia was told throughout year 2005 that the status candidate for membership depends only on us.

Macedonia's candidate status for EU membership is uncertain as a result of France's opposition, the media report. Reuters reported that the French foreign minister confirmed this position at a press conference today, and he asked, "Should we start a new wave of expansion at a moment when the financial and constitutional frames for future functioning are not known".

I don't have millions of euros or secret accounts in any bank in Macedonia or abroad, said President Branko Crvenkovski in Skopje today.

The Defense Ministry assessed today that the State Auditor's report on this institution's work was misinterpreted in the public.

Secretary of State Nikola Petrovski explained today that the Auditor's report refers to the period 1992-2004, not just to year 2004 when current Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski was defense minister.

"A declaration for zero tolerance for corruption" will be signed in Skopje today at the initiative of the nongovernmental organization "Transparentnost Makedonija" (Transparency Macedonia).

Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski sent a letter to the prime ministers of all EU member countries, stressing that Macedonia deserves to become a candidate for membership and that the state is prepared to continue the historic march forward.

Fitch Ratings assigned ProCredit Bank Makedonija a long-term foreign currency credit rating of 'BB' and a long-term local currency credit rating of 'BB+'.

SDSM leader Vlado Buckovski and Georgios Papandreou, leader of Greek PASOK, agreed in Sofia yesterday to improve the cooperation between the two parties so that the relations between the two countries could intensify, as well. Buckovski and Papandreou met at the regional meeting of the leaders of the social democratic and socialist parties in the region, which was held in Sofia.

Macedonia's relations with the United States are top priority, said Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski at the meeting with the Deputy Assistant of the Secretary of State for Europe and Euro-Asia, Rosemary DiCarlo.

The Interior Ministry announced that it is continuing the operation against the organized channel of human trafficking from Albania via Macedonia.

 

The industrial production in October year 2005 is 9.2 percent higher than the average industrial production in year 2003, the Statistical Office reported.