Newsgroups: bit.listserv.hellas
Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 1992 13:43:29 EDT
Reply-To:     "(Efstratios N. Kontogiannis)" <enkontog@MAILBOX.SYR.EDU>
From:         "(Efstratios N. Kontogiannis)" <enkontog@MAILBOX.SYR.EDU>
Subject:      MACEDONIA

Washington, Oct. 2- Macedonia, the odd republic out in the Yugoslav conflict,
is groaning under the weight of trade embargoes imposed by Greece in the south
and Serbia in the north, officials here and in the Macedonian capital say.

The embargoes have blocked critically needed imports, especially of oil,
two Macedonian officials told members of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee late last month.

Michalis Papaconstantinou, the Greek Foregn Minister, acknowledged this week
that Greece had cut off oil supplies to Macedonia. But he said at a news
conference here on Tuesday that his country had prepared to renew the
shipments under a European Community arrangement. "We don't want to do
any harm to them," he said.

Three former republics of the old Yugoslav federation-Slovenia,Croatia and
Bosnia and Herzegovina- now enjoy international recognition as sovereign
states. And the repunblics of Serbia and Montenegro, reconstituted as a
trunctuated Yugoslavia, retain widespread diplomatic ties despite the
expulsion of Yugoslavia fron the United Nations General Assembly and the
imposition of heavy sanctions on it.

But MAcedonia is recognized by only a handful of countries. The rest are
holding off because of oblections by Greece. For nearly 12 months, the
Athens Government has demanded that Macedonia change its name, asserting
that the use of the term "Macedonia." The MAcedonian nation has so far
refused.

The Republic Of Macedonia is a multi-ethnic country whose majority is Slavic, as
 its official language.

Robert Frowick, a retired American posted to the MAcedonian capital of Skopje on
 an international peace mission, said by telephone that he had noticed a
deterioration of the economy in just two weeks.

"Its is worse now," he said. "They are in an energy crisis. Precious few
 tranctions are pulling wagons filled with people because there is no fuel for
 buses."

Mr. Frowick is leading a special mission created by the 51-member conference
on Security and Cooperation in Europe to attempt to prevent the Balkan war
frpm spilling over into MAcedonia.

A senior State Department official said Mr. Frowick's mission was "designed
to express support for the Macedonian Government," even though most
European countries witheld recognition in deference to Greece.

The visiting Macedonian officials, Jane Miljovski, the Minister of
Privatization, and Ljube Trepski, the Minister for Economic Relations,
said Greece added to the problems of MAcedonia by imposing a total embargo
on trade across their border.

The two officials said that ambulances in their republic lacked fuel to
carry sick people and babies, and that there was not enough diesel oil
for tractors to haul and harvest.

Serbia, which opposes MAcedonia's declaration for independence, has barred
shipments of vitally needed food to the republic, the officials said.
" We are expecting a very hungry winter," Mr. Miljovski said.

He and Mr. Trepski attended the annual international Monetary Fund meeting
here last month in an effort to get some financial relief for their
country, but to no avail.

" We need the I.M.F. endorsement to help attract business to Macedonia,"
Mr. Miljovski said. "The Greek blockade, especially is killing us."

The two MAcedonians called on Senator Clairborne Pell, the chairman of the
Commitee on FOreign Relations, but they were  immediately confronted with
what they viewed as impossible demand. "Just drop the name MAcedonia"
and everything will be all right," the Rhode Island Democrat said by way
of greeting.

JOURNALIST: DAVID BINDER
TITLE: MACEDONIA, IN FIGHT OVER A NAME, IS REELING FROM TRADE EMBARGOES
DATE: SUNDAY OCTOBER 4, 1992
SOURCE: NEW YORL
SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES



STRATOS KONTOGIANNHS
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, MAXWELL SCHOOL
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU