Enter content here Since yesterday Stefan Sofianski is a honorary citizen of Sofia. Thus the Sofia City Council expressed public recognition for the mayor of Sofia. On the photo: Chairman of the Council Antoan Nikolov handed the honorary medal to mayor Sofianski. Photo Nikolay Donchev (PY) Exhumation Will Take Place Anyway. RealityMacedonia 
Original document. Macedonian version. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Office of the Prosecutor
Our ref.: 5083/CDP/JJ/la
2 November 2001
Carla Del Ponte
Mr. President,
I thank you for your letter of the 25 October 2001, in which you refer to an anonymous letter sent to the Public Prosecutor of the Republic concerning the fate of twelve missing persons of Macedonian ethnic background, whose remains have allegedly been found in a mass-grave in the vicinity of Tetovo.
I respectfully invite your Government to submit all relevant and confirmed information in possession of Macedonian law enforcement agencies on that particular event. My Office shall dully assess the information it will receive and shall decide in due course, and on the basis of the merits of the elements presented, whether there is sufficient basis to proceed with the opening of a formal investigation.
I share your concern over possible violations of humanitarian law said to have occurred in Macedonia over the past months. As I have repeatedly indicated, my Office in accordance with its mandate is in the process of collecting and reviewing information, and will continue to do so, on events where crimes under jurisdiction of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia have allegedly been committed, either by ethnic Albanian armed groups, or by Macedonian security forces. In this respect, I take good note of the readiness of the Macedonian Government to cooperate fully with the Tribunal.
Accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Carla Del Ponte
Prosecutor [signed, stamped]
H.E. Mr. Boris Trajkovski
President of the Former Yugoslav Skopje Dnevnik: They Were Beating Me For Two Days, Without Even Giving Me Some Water. RealityMacedonia Armed Albanian bandits made these wounds on Cane Trpevskis back. The staff of the Medical Center in Tetovo, released on domestic care the kidnapping victim Cane Trpevski from Ratae, Tetovo region, yesterday. Two armed persons kidnapped Trpevski (32) on 3 November in the Przova Bavca settlement. The kidnappers took him, with the bag on his had, to unidentified object in Bogovinje region. Back with his family in his native Ratae, Cane explains that the kidnappers kept him with tied hands for two days continuously beating him with every object they could find.
Several persons kidnapped me, but I did not see their faces. They kept me tied from Saturday to Monday night. Through all that time, they did not give me food, nor water, although I asked for it says Trpevski, who has visible injuries all over his body.
Cane says he was beaten with hard objects, and he has knife wounds on his hands. Beside all the torture, the bandits didnt forget to take his 200 DM, the whole month payment that he received the same day. 'Standart' Presented a Yellow Cobble to Sofianski for His Birthday. Standartnews Editor-in-chief of the 'Standart News' daily Yullee Moskov presented yesterday Sofianski with a yellow cobble for his birthday. Photo: Nikolay Donchev The City Council made the mayor a honorary citizen of Sofia.
Editor-in-Chief of 'Standart' Yullee Moskov presented to Stefan Sofianski a yellow cobble on a pedestal, made by Vezhdi Rashidov. 'We, the people of Sofia, thank you! Yullee Moskov, 'Standart', is written on the one side and 'On occasion of the 50th anniversary', on the other. This present was chosen because there are yellow cobbles only in Sofia and because they are a peculiar symbol of the capital. 'Standart' presented the mayor with a bottle of 15-year-old Irish whiskey, special selection and a beautiful bunch of flowers, as well. The Sofia City Council made Stefan Sofianski a honorary citizen of the capital. Early in the morning the mayor was greeted for his birthday by president Peter Stoyanov and PM Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. There was no room for all the presents to the Sofia Mayor.
Silvia Nikolova
(PY) ANOTHER CONTINUATION OF 86th ASSEMBLY SESSION SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY. MIA Macedonian Assembly is expected to resume the 86th session Thursday to determine the draft amendments for constitutional changes.
As foreseen with the agenda of the session, the amendments of the Macedonian constitution are to be adopted, the draft-law on the Macedonian official emblem will be discussed and the case of Hisni Shakiri, who is to be revoked as parliamentarian due to his membership in the so-called NLA, is to be reviewed. MINISTER MITREVA IN STRASBOURG. MIA Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva Thursday pays a visit to Strasbourg where she is to attend the work of the 109th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
The main topic of the session is the combat against the terrorists whereat Minster Mitreva will deliver an address.
As a contribution to the global fight against the terrorism, the committee is expected to adopt a declaration on the long-term effectiveness of the European Court of Human Rights.
Minister Mitreva will meet with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer. She will sign the European Convention for Prevention of the terrorism, the European convention for transfer of data related to crime activities, and the second Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. Boyko Rashkov Produced New Discrediting Material against Bonev. Standartnews Former chief of the National Investigation Service Boyko Rashkov joined in the smear campaign against nominee for the president Bogomil Bonev.
'In his testimony in the police office, a shot man from Plovdiv mentioned the name of Bogomil Bonev as the contractor of the attempt on his life', Rashkov said at a press-conference of the BSP MPs in Plovdiv. Rashkov, who is now an MP of the BSP, didn't name the shot man. 'Standart' learnt, that the name of the man from Plovdiv is lawyer Hristo Kisov. On January 26 he was wounded with two bullets in front of his garage. Yesterday evening the lawyer laconically and plainly described Rashkov's claims as 'jabber'. I don't intend to comment the absurdities of Rashkov. I don't think that this will win more votes for the BSP nominee', Bogomil Bonev said before 'Standart'.
Venelina Yanakieva
(PY) Mayor Sofianski Made 4 Statements at His Jubilee. Standartnews Mayor Sofianski made four statements on his birthday yesterday. The first one he made on the BNR "Horizont" program.
He said that:
* He was to set up a new party.
* He did not ask President Petar Stoyanov and Premier Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to back up the new formation.
* Its first task is to win the local elections for mayors of Rouse, Blagoevgrad and Sliven.
Before the beginning of the Sofia Municipal Council's sitting he said:
- On Sunday I will cast my ballot in the capacity of a UDF member, from Monday on I'll be an independent democrat and will give back my membership card to the local party organization.
At 12.30 p.m. he said to the journalists:
* The program and the statutes of the new party are already being drafted, a management program is to be worked out as well.
* Why he was quitting the UDF and that it was possible some members of UCDC (United Christian Democratic Centre) to join him.
He also explained
* Why he cannot be in the same opposition together with the UDF and BSP.
After the press conference he said before the journalists in the lobby that
* After setting up the new party he would meet the IMRO, "Gergyovden", CITUB and "Podkrepa" trade unions, as well as the UDF if they are willing to.
* The party will work towards joining the EU and NATO structures.
Silvia Nikolova
(ML) Billionaire to Invest in Plovdiv. Standartnews Israeli billionaire Naim Sasson is to ask for a meeting with PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha next week to discuss his intentions to make solid investments in Plovdiv, said Plovdiv's Mayor Dr Ivan Tchomakov yesterday. On Friday the two of them have to discuss the project of upgrading the airport and the construction of a cargo terminal. The envisaged investments amount to 2 billion levs. A modern business area, situated between Plovdiv and Assenovgrad, is going to be built up as well.
Elena Yaneva
(ML) Foreigners to Take Bulgaria's Airports. Standartnews Bulgaria plans to offer its airports infrastructure for concession to potential investors by the middle of next year, Deputy Transport Minister Zdravko Velichkov said on Wednesday. "Foreign companies have shown interest in upgrading airports' infrastructure and we will launch tenders by the middle of next year," Velichkov said. The reconstruction works may start in April next year, Transport Minister Plamen Petrov elaborated for "Standart". Tenders for a 210 million euro renovation of Sofia's run-down airport are planned to be called next month. Twelve firms and groups had been shortlisted for the construction of a new runway system and related infrastructure at the Sofia international airport. Another 15 firms and joint ventures would bid for the construction of a new passenger terminal and related facilities. Velichkov said a consortium of international companies were prepared to invest from 120 million euro up to 160 million euro in upgrading the infrastructure of Varna international airport, near the Black Sea port of Varna. The consortium includes Credit Swisse First Boston, Montgomery Asset International, Copenhagen Airports, Arup Engineering Group, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Andrews&Boyd. An Israeli firm has shown interest in the Plovdiv airport. "Yesterday contacts have been established with representatives of Rotterdam, Singapore and Hamburg ports, who are potential investors in the Bulgarian ports," Deputy Minister Krassimira Martinova said.
Victoria Seraphimova |
