European Parliament resolution on FYROM - Law on higher education and universities
Date: 2000-10-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: North Macedonia, cooperation policy, democratisation, ethnic group, financial aid, higher education, university

22.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 178/287

3.

Condemns also the Taliban regime’s support of international terrorism;

Thursday 5 October 2000

4.
Calls on the Member States to bring their influence to bear on Afghanistan’s neighbours, and in
particular Pakistan, to stop all interference in Afghan affairs; reiterates its call to the other two countries
which have recognised the Taliban regime to stop providing it with any form of support and to isolate it
diplomatically;

5.

Calls on the Security Council to impose an embargo on arms exports to Afghanistan;

6.
Reiterates its commitment to the quest for a political solution to enable peace, stability and respect
for international law and human rights to be restored in Afghanistan; urges the Council to make a political
contribution to restoring peace to Afghanistan, inter alia by coordinating its initiatives with the neighbour-
ing countries, especially Russia and Iran;

7.
Calls on the Council to adopt a new common position which takes account of the developing situa-
tion and calls on the Council and Commission to report to the House on the EU’s position and actions
with regard to Afghanistan;

Calls on the Commission to take the emergency humanitarian measures required to ensure the sur-

8.
vival of the population, especially in the areas controlled by the Northern Alliance;

9.
Calls, in particular, for the direct implementation of the Treaty of Ottawa on the elimination of anti-
personnel landmines, the organisation of a campaign to inform the population of the risks involved, and
the provision of special EU aid to remove the anti-personnel mines laid in Afghanistan;

10.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN Secretary-
General, the Taliban authorities, the Northern Alliance and the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
the United Arab Emirates, India, China, Russia, Iran, Uzebekistan and Tajikistan.

12. Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

B5-0782, 0786 and 0788/2000

European Parliament resolution on FYROM & Law on higher education and universities

The European Parliament,

A. whereas FYROM has been able in recent years to prevent the outbreak of ethnic confrontations despite

the violent clashes taking place in bordering countries and its fragile ethnic composition,

B. welcoming the new law on higher education and universities, which was adopted by the Parliament of
FYROM on 25 July 2000 and allows for the possibility of private universities being founded in that
country,

C. welcoming the fact that, in this way, a problem which has been simmering for years in FYROM could

finally be solved, to the benefit of multiethnic cooperation,

D. noting that this law establishes, in particular, conditions and a legal framework whereby members of

FYROM’s Albanian-speaking community may have access to a proper university education,

C 178/288

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.6.2001

Thursday 5 October 2000

E.

noting that this law also creates conditions for the re-integration of about 7 000 Albanian-speaking
students into FYROM’s official education system,

F. welcoming the fact that some countries have already promised financial assistance for this project, and

calling on the other EU Member States to support this project as well,

G. welcoming the fact that FYROM has signed the Statute of the International Criminal Court, but regret-

ting that its Parliament has not yet ratified it,

1. Welcomes the adoption of a new law on higher education and universities by the Parliament of
FYROM, since it represents an important political condition for the positive development of multiethnic
cooperation in FYROM as well as for the democratisation and stabilisation of the entire region;

2. Welcomes the courage which the Government and the majority in FYROM’s Parliament have demon-
strated and pays tribute to the role which the OSCE’s High Representative for Minorities has played when
dealing with this question;

Calls on all political forces in FYROM to accept the agreed compromise, for the benefit of multi-

3.
ethnic cooperation in that country;

Calls on the Commission and Council to give top priority to the success of this project, within the

4.
framework of financial assistance to the Balkans;

Is of the opinion that successful multiethnic cooperation in FYROM may be used as a model in the
5.
region with a view to the promotion of the process of democratisation and stabilisation of all the countries
in south-east Europe;

Urges both FYROM and the Commission to do their utmost to ensure that the Association and

6.
Stabilisation Agreement is duly signed under the French Presidency before the end of the year;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Government

7.
and Parliament of FYROM and to the OSCE’s High Representative for Minorities.

13. Sinking of Greek ferry ‘Samina’

B5-0783, 0787 and 0791/2000

European Parliament resolution on the sinking of the Greek ferry ‘Samina’

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the sinking of the ‘Express Samina’, which occurred on the night of Tuesday, 26 Sep-
tember near the island of Paros in Greece and which has to date claimed 79 lives, in addition to a
number of missing persons,

B. having regard to the judicial inquiry into the causes of the tragedy which has already commenced,

C. having regard to the exemptions granted to Greece in the maritime sector,

Expresses its deepest sympathy to and solidarity with the families of the deceased and the survivors

1.
of the shipwreck and extends its gratitude to those involved in the rescue operation;