It is relatively calm in Tetovo region Tuesday morning, MIA's correspondent reports.

 

Interior Department say volleys of fire and sporadic shootouts have been heard overnight from Tetovo Teke, Stipska street opposite to Interior Department building, "Goce Stojcevski" textile high school, "SS. Cyril and Methodius" elementary school, the reformatory, Gorna Carsija, Kupenik and Vonvardarska settlements, and Rasadiste locality near Tetovo - Popova Sapka road.

 

Frequent shootouts have been registered from the villages of Mala Recica, Odri, Neraste, Dobroste, Dolno Orasje, Tearce, Sipkovica and Ozormiste.

 

Signal flare followed by shootouts has been heard around 00:30 hours in the village of Odri.

 

Around 02:10 hours gunfire has been heard from "Berlin" café in the village of Prsovce, near Tetovo - Jazince road.

 

The multiethnic police patrol while performing its activities in Vaksince, Lojane, Slupcane and Orizare villages in Kumanovo area was attacked at 04:35 hours Monday.

 

Interior Ministry Spokesperson, Voislav Zafirovski, said the attack happened near Grob locality, in the area of Rudnicka Kolonija, between Vaksince and Lojane villages.

 

No casualties were reported, and after the attack the patrol was withdrawn in Kumanovo police station.

 

 

 

Popovski and Kyvrykoglu discussed the cooperation between Macedonia and Turkey and the security situation in the region.

 

The Macedonian part expressed its satisfaction from the continuos and wide cooperation in the field of defense and the other areas of common interest for the both states.

 

"We noted that Turkey has strategic position regarding the relations on the Balkans and after the independence of Macedonia Turkey become strategic partner of the country in its stabilization and prosperity," Popovski emphasized, adding that Turkey realizes that position with "principle and balanced politics in the region."

 

In the field of defense, Macedonia has the most fruitful cooperation with Turkey, and the Turkish assistance for equipping the Macedonian Army is brand new and according to NATO standards.

 

Popovski informed that the Macedonian part has proposed certain number of Macedonian officers to participate in the Turkish peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. It was also proposed a laboratory for Turkish language to be opened within the Defense Ministry.

 

Considering the interoperability of the two armies within the training and the peacekeeping missions fourteen Macedonian officers are enrolled in the high specialized schools in Turkey, Popovski informed.

 

General Kyvrykoglu expressed the assurance that this visit would contribute for enhancing the good cooperation between the two friendly countries, as well as the desire to expand the cooperation into other areas.

 

"This cooperation and assistance do not refer and is not directed against third parts, but is aimed for Macedonia to get on its feet," Kyvrykoglu said. In that respect, Popovski confirmed that this was well-intentioned cooperation "without any conditions from Turkey and without any protectionism."

 

"Turkey believes that Macedonia's significance was great for the Balkans and that stable and firm Macedonia will play great role on the Balkans," Kyvrykoglu said, reminding that Turkey assists the Macedonian Army since 1994 and will continue to assist it in future in order the Macedonian Army to meet NATO standards.

 

The Turkish donation was delivered Tuesday afternoon in the military barracks "Gjorce Petrov," which is comprised of five trucks, 27 systems for night surveillance, 190 radio stations and other communication devices and machines for processing materials. The donation amounts to $ 1,2 million.

 

Turkey has already donated assistance worth $ 5 million, and with the completion of the projects on mutual cooperation and assistance by 2003, the total assistance will reach $ 10 million.

 

The Turkish military delegation led by General Kyvrykoglu also attended the military drill of the special army units in the military barracks "Ilinden" in Skopje.

 

General Kyvrykoglu informed President Trajkovski on the military assistance of Turkey for the Macedonian Army and expressed support for the aspirations of Macedonia for NATO membership. Furthermore, he emphasised the important role of the country in preserving the stability and security of the region.

 

Underlining that the Republic of Macedonia respected the principles of stability, inviolability of borders, preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries, Kyvrykoglu pledged for expansion and enhancement of the cooperation between both countries.

 

Expressing his gratitude for the General's visit, President Trajkovski emphasised that the Macedonian Army saw the Turkish army as the model for reforms in the security and defense sector. Trajkovski expressed his wish for enhancement of the military cooperation between both countries in the area of the NATO and UN peacekeeping missions, as well as the area of military health, with an expectation that Turkey would support Macedonia's candidacy for NATO membership.

 

 

 

The Macedonian Government made a decision Tuesday to pay a compensation to the individual and state tobacco producers by July 15.

 

According to the governmental spokesman Gjorgji Trendafilov the compensation aims to rehabilitate the consequences that these producers have suffered from the drought and the military operations in 2001.

 

"The Government has provided Denar 173 million, and some amount has been already paid off and some is still being paid off to the individual tobacco producers from Strumica, Bitola, Prilep and Radovis region," he said.

 

It means that the compensation amounting to 15 denars per kilo tobacco would be paid by July 15.

 

The Government also decided to provide means for "Rudnici Sasa," an enterprise that is to be liquidated. "The money is intended for stimulating the work of the company and for buying raw materials," Trendafilov said.

 

According to him, if the Body for Structural Reforms confirms this decision, the Government will pay Denar 25 million to "Rudnici Sasa" as compensation and Denar 5 million for procurement of raw materials.

 

Trendafilov said that the Government did not discuss about the concession of Skopje and Ohrid airports, but the formal status of the Public Enterprise for providing airport services was determined, and it would be state owned in the future.

 

"This was done in order to continue the negotiations for granting concessions and because the status of the enterprise should be changed again in the future," Trendafilov said.

 

At Tuesday's session, presided by Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, the Macedonian Government reviewed and adopted the draft-law on payment turnover.

 

"This supplementation is necessary due to the situation in relation to the realisation and collecting of the fringe benefits in the first half of the year", reads the announcement.

 

Having in mind the fact that the funds in Macedonia need additional time for organisation and increase of the measures for control of the fringe benefits collection, and for the purpose of providing social security of the citizens, there is a need for the carriers of the payment turnover not to allow payment of salaries if taxes and fringe benefits are not paid before.

 

According to the free trade draft-agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Croatia, the Government passed a decision for determination of the conditions for export of agriculture-food products between both countries. It introduces greater liberalisation of the exchange of these products in the second half of 2002.

 

The Government also prolonged the decision for decrease of the price of social apartments up until December 31.

 

The Government passed two decisions, which transform the public enterprise for post traffic "Macedonian Posts" and the public enterprise for airport services "Macedonia" in state-owned shareholders' associations.

 

At Tuesday's session, the Government also passed a decision for emission of convertible certificates for regulation of the requirements of clients at savings banks "TAT"- Bitola, "Alfa S"- Skopje, and "Lavci"- Ohrid. The decision envisages an emission of convertible certificates for payment of the requirements of physical entities on the basis of savings deposits in the above mentioned savings banks. Payments will be performed to those entities that have a deposit over 1,000 Euro.

 

The Government also reviewed the information on the current situation in the area of crime acts against property, with a special emphasis on the property crimes with elements of violence.

 

Furthermore, the Government passed conclusions, which oblige the Ministry of Interior to follow the situation on a permanent basis, with an operative and physical following of points where such crimes are perpetrated, through enhancement of the patrolling teams.

 

In order to raise the security level of potential objects where crimes could be perpetrated, such as banks, savings banks, posts, gas stations and private enterprises, it is necessary to take over measures for their adequate equipping with technical material, alarms and security devices.

 

 

President Purvanov Hands General's Insignia to Six Senior Interior Ministry Officers.

 

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - President Georgi Purvanov Tuesday handed general's insignia to six senior officers of the Ministry of Interior. Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov attended the ceremony.

 

The rank of Major General was awarded to Colonel Zhivko Zhivkov, Director of the National Gendarmerie Service, Colonel Getso Getsov, Director of the Turgovishte Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs, Colonel Kalcho Taoushanov, Rector of the Interior Ministry Academy, Colonel Krassimir Petrov, Director of the Bourgas Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs, Colonel Dimiter Angelov, Director of the Yambol Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs, and Colonel Roumen Stoyanov, Director of the Sofia City Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs.

 

"The officers recommended for this promotion by the Ministry of Interior and by the Council of Ministers possess high professionalism, proven accomplishments, undeniable public prestige, and we must learn to respect the professionalism, courage and selflessness of the people in uniform," the President said in his speech.

 

He described the promotion ceremony as a "new and needed sign of the will and support of the state leadership and all institutions for the Interior Ministry and its leadership in the hard battle with crime."

 

"We still owe the Bulgarian people more efficient and more radical action in the war with the criminal world," Purvanov observed.

 

"Apart from the newly promoted generals, there are other who also deserve such a rank and they will definitely get it," the President said. "The hierarchy in the Interior Ministry system has yet to be streamlined and cleared, this is a long process of shaping an even more effective working leadership which is a necessary and mandatory condition for more efficient crime control," Purvanov added.

 

 

 

Deputy PM Vassilev: Energy Chapter will be among Last to be Closed in EU Accession Talks.

 

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - Speaking to reporters on Tuesday Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nikolai Vassilev said that the Energy chapter in the EU accession talks is a complicated one and will be among the last to be closed by Bulgaria, as well as other applicants.

 

On Tuesday Vassilev conferred with Foreign Minister Solomon Passy about the interaction between the ministries of the economy and of foreign affairs.

 

The two assessed it as excellent.

 

Emerging from the meeting, Passy noted the coordinated joint "operations" in Russia and China where the two ministers paid successive official visits.

 

Vassilev described the visits as "indicative" and said the ones to the United States should be added to them. The Economy Minister said this trend will be maintained in the future for visits to other parts of the world.

 

The two also noted the boom in the number of holiday makers in Bulgaria in May, which, according to Passy, is attributable to the cabinet's joint effort.

 

Another topic of discussion were questions of issuing of visas to Bulgaria.

 

Pasy said a total of 1,200 Bulgarian visas are being issued in Moscow daily, which opens wide doors to the inflow of tourists in Bulgaria.

 

Passy and Vassilev also discussed measures to increase Bulgarian exports and paths to new markets.

 

 

 

President Meets Danish Ambassador.

 

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - President Georgi Purvanov received Tuesday Danish Ambassador Christian Faber-Rod in connection with the beginning of the Danish presidency of the EU, said the President's press secretariat. The country took over the EU's rotating six-month presidency on July 1.

 

Ambassador Faber-Rod acquainted the Bulgarian head of state with the highlights in Denmark's programme for the next six months, stressing that his country will have the historic chance to hold the EU presidency at the time when ten new members will join the Union.

 

The Danish Ambassador said this is the beginning of the process of building single Europe, adding that Bulgaria should not feel ignored or isolated. He confirmed that at the end of the Danish presidency Bulgaria will receive an updated 'road map', and specific financial and technical assistance in stepping up the accession process.

 

President Purvanov voiced hope that Denmark's plans will be accompanied by concrete steps. He reiterated Bulgaria's position on the time-frame of the accession talks and stressed the considerable public support for the country's European integration.

 

Purvanov said Bulgaria attached great importance to the results of the talks, especially on knotty chapters such as Agriculture and Energy. The president voiced hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency report on the safety of Kozlodoui N-plant's units 3 and 4 will be positive and that the EU will take into consideration the independent experts' conclusions.

 

 

 

Daimler-Chrysler Wishes to Participate in Upgrading Bulgarian Army Transport Vehicles.

 

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - The Daimler Chrysler concern is interested in investing and improving Bulgarian infrastructure and in the production of car parts if it receives the right to upgrade the transport vehicles of the Bulgarian army, said Dr Klaus Mangold, Member of the Board of Management of the concern, who is here as head of a delegation of representatives of major industrial companies.

 

The German delegation is visiting at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nikolay Vassilev to study investment opportunities.

 

Daimler Chrysler will take part in upgrading Bulgaria's MiG 29 aircraft as part of a joint venture with the Russian Maps company, Mangold told a news conference Tuesday.

 

Mangold pointed to Deutschebank's successful participation in Balkanpharma as one of its advantages in the privatization of Bulgartabac.

 

This year Bulgaria marked a 33 per cent growth as a tourist destination on the German market and is expected to be visited by 400,000 German tourists, Mangold said. He expressed his belief that contracts on Bulgaria's major infrastructure projects will be signed in the coming weeks. Germany is interested in upgrading the airports in the Black Sea cities of Varna and Bourgas and in Sofia, the road network and the bridges over the Danube.

 

Tuesday morning the German businessmen met Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and representatives of employers' organizations. Later in the day they are scheduled to be received by President Georgi Purvanov.

 

 

 

President Georgi Parvanov congratulated the head of state of Brazil - Fernando Henrique Cardoso, on the World Champion's title. The team of Brazil demonstrated the magic of the football play, exceptional sports skills and artistry, and together with its worthy adversary turned the sports competition into a sensational event for billions of fans worldwide, reads the greetings of Georgi Parvanov.

 

 

Pavlina Zhivkova
Nevena Mircheva

 

The missed benefits are worth $26 billion, or 3 times as much as the foreign debt.

 

The returns from privatization amount to 1.7 billion only, shows the report of post-privatization control sub-committee with the parliamentary committee on economy. The state-owned property had been assessed at $26 billion, these are missed benefits for the state, the report reads further. Bulgaria could have paid off its foreign debt with this money, experts commented. The reports will be submitted for discussion to the economic committee on Wednesday. 4,789 deals were sealed within 9-year period since the privatization's start. Out of them 2,061 are for whole businesses and 2,188 - of detached parts. 52.64 percent of the general assets of the state-run ventures are denationalized. Within the period of 1993 - 2001 the deals signed with MEAs (Managers and Employees Associations) amount to 1,435, or almost one-third of all transactions. Their share in the total revenues from privatization is only 49 million levs, or 8.4 percent. Cancellation of privatization deals won't be effective, MP Dimitar Lambovski says. To him, the lawsuits will drag on for years, while the state will take shares from drained and ruined companies.

 

 

 

Siemens intend to transfer some of the production of cellular telephones into Bulgaria, it transpired yesterday after a meeting of German businessmen with Financial and Transport Ministers Velchev and Petrov. Today the German businessmen will have a working breakfast with the entrepreneurs from Vazrazhdane Club.

 

 

 

Foreign Minister Meets Meiji Dairies Corp. President.

 

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - Foreign Minister Solomon Passy met Tuesday with Hisashi Nakayama, President of Japan's Meiji Dairies Corporation, which has been trading in Bulgarian yogurt for 30 years.

 

"I am happy I can encourage Mr. Nakayama in his efforts and wish him success with other Bulgarian productions," said Passy. His company is one of Bulgaria's best image-makers in Japan and advertizes the country with one of its most popular products - the Bulgarian yogurt, said he.

 

Nakayama said his company achieved a huge business success thanks to Bulgaria and its yogurt, adding that today Meiji Dairies has no match on the Japanese market. He said that unsweetened yougurt was something new for the Japanese market.

 

Passy and Nakayama tasted sheep yogurt.

 

The visit by the Meiji Dairies' delegation is on the occasion of the 30 years of cooperation between the company and Bulgaria, and the signing of a technical and licensing agreement. Meiji Dairies is a member of the Japanese-Bulgarian Economic Committee, which will hold its 18th session in Sofia July 3.

 

In 2001 Nakayama was awarded the Madara Horseman order, first class, for his exceptional contribution to the development of bilateral trade and economic relations and cultural exchange.

 

Meeting later on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nikolai Vassilev and Nakayama talked about the opportunities for attracting Japanese investment.

 

The two discussed ways to bring Japanese organic foods producers to this country.

 

According to Economy Ministry data, two-way trade between Bulgaria and Japan stood at 89,425 million dollars in 2001, hitting five-year highs. Exports amounted to 12,857 million dollars, against 76,567 million dollars of imports.

 

In the period under review 1997 was the only year in which Bulgaria ran a foreign trade surplus, of 3.2 million dollars.

 

 

 

Contract Sofia EOOD Offers EUR 20.5 Mln for 80% of State Insurance Institute-DZI Plc.

 

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - Contract Sofia EOOD is offering to pay 20.5 millionn euros for an 80 per cent stake in State Insurance Institute-DZI Plc., the Privatisation Agency (PA) management said Tuesday.

 

The bid of the only potential buyer was opened publicly in the presence of journalists. PA Executive Director Apostol Apostolov expects the transaction to be finalized by the end of this month.

 

The potential buyer has been invited to coordinate the final wording of the privatization contract which then is to be presented to the PA Supervisory Board for approval.

 

Contract Sofia offers to invest 11 million leva in DZI over five years and to keep the insurer's staff size.

 

DZI's future restructuring and development will be managed by the pan-European Eureko Consortium through its subsidiary Interamerican.

 

The documents submitted to the PA say that Contract Sofia will transform itself from a single-member limited liability company into a limited liability company in which the current sole owner and Managing Director Emil Kyulev will hold 100 interests amounting to 5,000 leva, Rosexim will hold 59,900 interests worth 2.995 million leva, and the British-registered Denis Overseas Ltd. will own 540,000 interests valued at 27 million leva.

 

Later on, PA Executive Director Apostol Apostolov confirmed to journalists media reports that, apart from Contract Sofia, tentative (non-binding) bids for DZI have been entered by Germany's Allianz AG through its Bulgarian subsidiary Energy Insurance Joint-stock Company, and the Czech insurer Ceska Pojistovna.

 

Apostolov was surprised by the Allianz's withdrawal from the race. Allianz quoted a tentative price of 12 million euros, and Ceska Pojistovna 20 million euros. The Czech insurer did not take the deal seriously as it did not sent a team to perform due diligence.

 

In the previous privatization procedure for DZI, abandoned in November 2001, the only bid was submitted on February 5, 2001 by a consortium between TBI Holding N.V. of Netherlands (a joint venture between Kardan Investments and Taladium Group of Israel and Deutsche Bankers Trust of Germany) and the management-employee buyout company DZI 2000. The consortium then offered to pay 20.5 million US dollars for a 67 per cent interest in the insurance company.

 

 

 

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ITT Industries has been awarded two separate contracts to supply GCA-2000 transportable ground control radars to Bulgaria. The first contract, signed with Intelcan Technosystems of Canada, is a Direct Sale to Bulgaria. The second contract was issued by the United States Air Force Electronics Systems Center as a Foreign Military Sales contract for an additional GCA-2000 radar. The delivery of the GCA-2000 radars will enable the Bulgarian Air Force to expand their air force capabilities for daily requirements and also anticipated NATO operations. The work will be performed by the Gilfillan Radar Group of ITT Industries, Systems Division.

 

The GCA-2000 is a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar. It combines a surveillance radar for controlling arriving and departing aircraft in the immediate area around the airport with a precision approach radar for guided landings in all weather conditions. The GCA-2000 is able to change runways in less than a minute to support variations in landing conditions.

 

The GCA-2000 family of radars is available in fixed, transportable, and mobile versions for both civil and military applications worldwide. It was first introduced in 1996 and is now the number one choice for precision approach radar and landing services in the world. Besides Bulgaria, the GCA-2000 in various configurations is operational in six countries including: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Turkey and Romania.

 

Gilfillan, a unit of ITT Industries, provides state-of-the-art air defense, surveillance, multifunction and air traffic control radar systems for US and international land and maritime applications. Gilfillan (http://www.ittgil.com) is also a leader in the development of miniaturized active array antenna modules and subsystems for sensor and communications applications.

 

ITT Industries, Inc. (http://www.itt.com) is a global, multi-industry company with leading positions in the markets it serves. ITT Industries supplies advanced technology products and services in key markets including defense products and services; electronic interconnects and switches; information technology and services; fluid and water management and other specialty products. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, the company generated $4.7 Billion in 2001 sales. In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, ITT Industries stock is traded on the Midwest, Pacific, London, Paris and Frankfurt exchanges.

 

 

Reuters
By Fredrik Dahl

 

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (Reuters) - Kosovo's prime minister said Tuesday he hoped the majority Albanian province would become independent by the time his term of office ends in around three years.
 
Bajram Rexhepi, a field doctor for the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1998-99 conflict with Serbian security forces, said staying within Serb-dominated Yugoslavia was not an option.
 
"It is impossible," he told Reuters in an interview. Asked when he thought Kosovo would become independent, he replied: "I would like it during this mandate."
 
The West has urged Kosovo Albanians to focus on building up institutions and a modern economy, leaving the province's status to be determined at an unspecified future date. But Rexhepi said the decision could not be put off for too long.
 
The premier took office in March after last year's landmark election establishing a 120-seat Kosovo legislature.
 
He said Kosovo independence would prevent any new conflict erupting and also help boost economic development as it would give the impoverished territory access to crucial credits from Western lending institutions such as the World Bank.
 
"We will try to be part of the European Union in the future," the 47-year-old surgeon said.
 
But he also suggested the government must show the world that Kosovo was ready for independence by making progress in key areas, including the sensitive issue of creating conditions for Serb refugees to go back to their homes.
 
"They have the right to be back in their own property,"  Rexhepi said.     
 
KOSOVO STATUS UNCERTAIN
 
The landlocked province was placed under U.N.-led administration at the end of NATO's 1999 bombing campaign to halt Serbian repression of its ethnic Albanians during Serb strongman Slobodan Milosevic's reign as Yugoslav president.
 
According to the U.N. refugee agency, about 180,000 Serbs fled Kosovo in fear of Albanian revenge attacks after the war.
 
Last November's election was designed to hand over self- governing powers to a new Kosovo assembly and government in mainly domestic affairs ranging from health issues to the economy, with the U.N. remaining in overall charge.
 
Kosovo's beleaguered Serbs, backed by Belgrade, oppose independence for the province of roughly 2 million.
 
Rexhepi said Serbia and an independent Kosovo could live side by side, with freedom of movement across the border.
 
But he said the NATO-led peacekeeping force, which currently has 36,000 troops in the province, and the United Nations would need to remain in Kosovo even if it did become independent in a few years' time.
 
"Probably not in this big number but they have to stay longer. It is very important for stability in Kosovo," he said.