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================    Dnevni Vesti  18/11/92E =====================
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MILS - NEWS                             November 18, 1992

ALBANIAN PARTIES SUPPORT GREECE AGAINST MACEDONIA
Skopje. The leader of the ethnic Albanian party (NDP) in
Macedonia, Ilijaz Halimi, has sent a letter to Greek Prime
Minister, Constantine Mitsotakis, urging Athens not to recognise
Macedonia.
Halimi wrote: "the government of this former Yugoslav republic
(euphemism for Macedonia) has gone to a lot of trouble to get 
international recognition as a nation-state for only Macedonian-
Slavs (Greek euphemism for Macedonians). We totally support your
(Greece's) opposition to such a state getting recognition because
it could threaten the very existence of Greece and other Balkan
countries, and peace in the region."
Halimi's letter received widespread coverage in the Greek media,
as did a declaration from Nevzat Halili, leader of the other
ethnic Albanian party, PDP.
Halili told Greek television "that it's time the international
community understood the Albanian situation in Macedonia." He
claimed "we have always been massacred and mistreated like black
Africans."
However, Balkan historians have discounted Halili's claims by
pointing out that during World War II, Albanian nationalists,
known as the Balisti, collaborated with the Italians and Germans
and massacred thousands of Macedonian and Albanian Partizans and
civilians.
Ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, according to political
commentators, have had a better standard of living than their
compatriots in Kosovo and Albania. 

ALBANIANS TO DIVIDE MACEDONIA
Skopje. The Vice President of the ethnic Albanian party (PDP),
Sami Ibraimi, recently told English newspaper, The Guardian, that
the Albanian minority would divide up Macedonia, unless Albanians
were granted the same national rights as the Macedonians. He said
his people would urge European countries not to recognise
Macedonia until Albanians got what they wanted.
The Undersecretary of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, Risto
Nikovski, said the Albanian parties were using fear tactics to
squeeze out as many concessions as possible from Macedonia before
it received recognition.

US CONGRESSMEN URGE RECOGNITION FOR MACEDONIA
Skopje. Two American Congressmen, who were recently in Macedonia
as observers for the Conference on Security and Cooperation in
Europe (CSCE) organisation, yesterday in Zagreb urged the
international community give unconditional recognition to
Macedonia.
Senator Dennis DeConcini and Representative Frank McCloskey said
that the US should work for Macedonia's acceptance into the CSCE,
the UN and other international organisations. The two US
politicians will make an appeal to their country's State
Department, as soon as they return to Washington DC.

MACEDONIAN CONSTITUTION ONE YEAR OLD
Skopje. Last night, the Macedonian Parliament commemorated the
first anniversary of the introduction of the republic's
constitution and the setting up of a multi-party democratic
political system.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Stojan Andov, said "the
constitution had established the base for a democratic state." 

SECRET MEETING IN GENEVA
Skopje. The Greek ambassador to Serbo-Yugoslavia, Elefterios
Karayiannis, and United Nations peace negotiator for the former
Yugoslavia, Cyrus Vance, recently held a secret meeting in Geneva
to resolve the dispute over Macedonia's name, according to
reports in the Athenian newspaper, "Elefterotipia."

CSCE OBSERVER SAYS BULGARIAN BORDER IS SAFE
Skopje. The border between Macedonia and Bulgaria is secure,
according to a statement issued by a CSCE observer in the
republic.
The observer visited a number of places near the Macedonian-
Bulgarian border and said it was secure in contrast to
Macedonians border with Albania and Serbo-Yugoslavia.
Macedonia had quickly set up a road along the border-check point
at the town of Berovo, according to the observer, whilst Bulgaria
had taken its time in doing the same.

GREEK CLAIMS OF DRUG TRADE IN MACEDONIA: ABSURD
Skopje. The Macedonian Minister for Defence, Vlado Popovski, has
slammed Greece for making absurd allegations that his country was
involved in the drug trade with the Italian mafia.
The Greek media had recently launched a campaign against
Macedonia by claiming the republic had set up a factory in an
army barracks in Skopje for manufacturing heroin.
Popovski jokingly said: "we're in fact producing intercontinental
nuclear missiles which are aimed at Greece and the whole free
world!" He added, "even though I'm just joking, poking fun,
Greece will, no doubt, take this seriously."
Popovski said that such outrageous lies made by Greece could
affect the peace and stability in the Balkan region.

(end)