The 18 February New York Times reports on Turgut Ozal's whirlwind tour that has already taken him to Bulgaria and Macedonia. On 18 February he goes on to Albania, and later to Croatia. The daily sees the initiative as part of a broader development in the Balkans aimed at preventing the spread of the Bosnian war across the rest of the peninsula.
Turkey is now Macedonia's most important trading partner.
In a statement issued on 17 February, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry welcomed direct US involvement in attempts to resolve conflicts in former Yugoslavia. The statement also expresses Bulgarian appreciation for the stationing of UN forces in Macedonia in order to prevent the conflict from spreading to the east and south. In talks with US Ambassador Hugh Kenneth Hill, Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev said he hopes the new US position will speed up the resolution of the crisis in former Yugoslavia. He also rejected a French arbitration offer. Gligorov is caught between vocal opponents of a naming compromise and its supporters.