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Sunday.

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Mask Carnival In Bulgaria. Bulgarian mask-dancers perform a traditional dance in Pernik, south of Sofia, during the 14th traditional mask carnival in Bulgaria, January 20. cEPA

Dimovska's Resignation Cancelled The Return In Kumanovo Region.

Reality Macedonia

Report by Irina Gelevska

Kumanovo - No entries of the police into villages were planned for the second phase of the General Plan. A week ago, it was announced that the returning of the ethnic mixed police patrols in few Kumanovo's villages will start in a few days.

The only problem was the dislocating of the fixed police check points in Kumanovo region. Last week after number of talks with OSCE, EU, NATO, Macedonian Police and Coordination Body for Managing Crises, the plan for returning to Kumanovo's villages: Matejche, Vaksince, Slupchane and Lipkovo, was almost finished. It was supposed to start after the removal of the police check point "Ropalski Mlin" near the village Ropaljce.

But the resignation of the Head of the Government Coordination Body for Managing Crisis, Dosta Dimovska, changed the plans and caused problems by worsening the safety conditions for the return of the police in Kumanovo region.

Tomorrow, the first mixed police patrols are supposed to enter in Matejche, for the first time since the conflict. This has been delayed till the end of the next week, at least, because all the involved parties will have to wait for a new head of CBMC.

Tomorrow, there will be a new meeting between OSCE, EU, NATO, Police and CBMC, where the plan for returning of the police will be discussed, but there may not be an agreement just yet.

Tetovo Police Check Points Directly Attacked.

Reality Macedonia

Report by Irina Gelevska

Tetovo-During the night two Police Check Points in Tetovo were attacked. The Police Check Point "Rampa" was attacked at about 22:00 last night by automatic weapons from the Tetovo's village Prshovce. The policemen returned fire.

At 04:00 the second Police Check Point "Zichara" was attacked from the Tetovo's village Gajre. Again the policemen returned fire because it was a direct attack. According to the Spokesman of the Government Coordination Body for Managing the Crisis (CBMC) Zoran Tanevski, the mixed police patrols have entered all 19 villages in Tetovo region as of this morning.

The police is patrolling in the Tetovo's Teke, where yesterday, the local ethnic Albanian population stopped the Police from patrolling. They demanded the release of the terrorist, Semi Hebibi after his extradition from Germany. Today during the attempt to enter the Teke settlement, they were stopped by two armed civilians of Albanian ethnicity, and advised not to proceed further.

According to CBMC, the Police still can not enter the Tetovo's village Chelopek. Police should have entered this village one week ago according to the second phase of the General Plan for Returning of the Police in the Crisis Regions.

In the meantime, there have been discussions for returning of the police in Kumanovo crisis region, but according to OSCE sources, it is still unknown whether the ethnically mixed police patrols are able to enter the villages Matejche, Lipkovo, Slupchane and others in this region. The next phase of the General Plan should be agreed among the Macedonian Police, OSCE, NATO and CBMC, at the beginning of the next week.

Shootout in Kosovo between UNMIK and KCP.

Reality Macedonia

Report by Irina Gelevska

Prizren-A night ago, a shootout occurred during a raid by KFOR and UNMIK Police at the seat of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) in Prizren. KFOR Spokesman in Prizren said that it happened when one member of KPC tried to take away the gun from one UNMIK policeman. One member of KPC was wounded, one arrested. The wounded was brought to the hospital in Prizren and was later released. The arrested person, Alush Shalawas was transported to the US base prison, Bondsteel in Kosovo.

During the raid, Selimi Krasniki, the Head of the KPC in Prizren, promised full cooperation with KFOR and UNMIK Police. Yet, some 100-150 persons demonstrated in front of the KPC seat so the UNMIK Police had to use rubber bullets to ease the tension.

The documents that were seized are now a subject of close investigation. KFOR for some time now have been planning to make some changes in the KPC.

VIOLATION OF PUBLIC ORDER AND PEACE REGISTERED IN THE CRISIS REGIONS.

MIA

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Centre for Media Activity informs 137 violations of public order and peace have been registered in Tetovo, Kumanovo and Skopje regions during Sunday night.

Bigger violations of cease-fire have been registered Sunday afternoon at 16:30 hours when unknown doer fired at Macedonian soldier near Dolno Blace and firing at the police checkpoint Saraj at 21:00. In both cases Macedonian security forces have not been endangered and they did not fire back.

Seventy-six shootings have been registered Sunday night in Tetovo crisis region that came from the areas of the centre of the town and from the villages of Poroj, Gajre and Drenovec.

In Kumanovo - Lipkovo region forty-four shootings from the villages of Opae, Lopate, Ropaljce, Matejce have been registered and around 21:00 hours a detonation has been heard near the village of Ropaljce.

Border Incident In Goshince Area.

MIA

Skopje, January 20 (MIA) - Three-member terrorist group from Kosovo attempted to enter onto Macedonian territory near Goshince village, in Kumanovo area.

No casualties were reported in the lines of the Macedonian security forces, while one terrorist was injured during the shootout.

"After a longer period of time, around 11.20h in the area of Goshince, an armed, three-member terrorist group tried to enter onto our territory from Kosovo, Yugoslavia," spokesperson of the Macedonian Army Col. Blagoja Markovski told MIA.

After the terrorist group was noticed on Macedonian territory, the Army border patrol warned them to lay down the weapons. The terrorists opened fire, and the soldiers responded. According to Markovski one of the terrorists was injured.

After the shootout the terrorist group returned to Kosovo.

DIFFERENCES REGARDING THE LAW ON LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO BE SURPASSED.

MIA

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The differences regarding the issue of health within the frameworks of the draft law on Local Self-Government are expected to be surpassed Monday and the amendments of the text of the law to be on the agenda at Tuesday's governmental session. Minister of Local Self-Government Faik Arslani and sources in the cabinet of the President Boris Trajkovski confirmed such information.

During the meeting held at President Trajkovski's Cabinet, the Macedonian ministers and party leaders discussed some disputed issues, related to the draft-Law on local self-government. The different opinions about the health issue were not settled on Saturday.

As MIA finds out, Arben Xhaferi, DPA leader, asked for additional period of time for consultations with his party's experts, promising to submit his final stand regarding this issue to EU special envoy Alain Le Roy, at latest by Monday.

SDSM Secretary General Gjorgji Spasov, who participated in the talks on behalf of the leader, was reserved regarding the final solutions about the issues on education and joint administration.

About whether or not the SDSM party will suggest amendments to the Law on local self-government, Spasov said he could tell that by Monday as well.

"No specific solutions were offered about the health issue, but we reviewed a draft-text from the World Bank expert Bruno Gomez. We believe that it is a solid ground for realising the project about reforms in the health sector, which is also applied by the Macedonian Government at this moment," Spasov said.

According to Spasov the draft-text from Gomez has elements of what would happen after the adoption of the Law on local self-government.

"It refers to parts of the Law that should also be changed in order to make the Law on local self-government operational. On the other hand, it is necessary to co-ordinate the activities in order to realise the Law on Local Self-Government in the field of primary health care and providing the other elements of the health care to the Macedonian citizens," he said.

Macedonian Minister of local self-government Faik Arslani confirmed that they have discussed the draft text of Gomez about the reforms in the local self-government.

Regarding the financing, he said that it would be regulated with the Law on financing of the local self-government units, while the financing of the primary health care will be also regulated with other laws.

Arslani said after the meeting that he insisted on the parties' leaders to avoid suggesting amendments to this law, in order to have it passed as soon as possible.

Sources from President Trajkovski's Cabinet told MIA that this issue should be closed by Monday and the draft law of Local Self-Government should be finally included in the agenda of the Government's session on Tuesday.

The proposal on the reforms in the primary health care developed with the assistance of expert Bruno Gomez was reviewed during the meeting with President Trajkovski. According to the proposal, the representatives of the local self-government should be involved in the administration of the network of organisations from the public health sector and the primary health care through the managing bodies of the public health organisations.

Gomez pointed out at the meeting that this was the best concept for Macedonia, considering the size of the state, the economic potentials and the structure of the health system.

VMRO-DPMNE leader Ljubcho Georgievski, PDP leader Imer Imeri, DPA leader Arben Xhaferi, Minister of Local Self-Government Faik Arslani, of education and science Nenad Novkovski, of health Gjorgji Orovcanec and their experts participated at the meeting. SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski did not attend the meeting due to his official visit to China. Secretary General Gjorgji Spasov represented SDSM.

During the last meeting with President Trajkovski held on Thursday the greatest differences were noted in the issue of health i.e. the authorisations in the primary health care.

Minister Arslani told MIA on Saturday morning that a meeting was held between him and Health Minister Gjorgji Orovcanec in the presence of the experts from the ministries and Bruno Gomez, the expert from the World Bank. According to Arslani, the compromising solutions were reached during the last meeting with Trajkovski.

EU envoy to Macedonia Alain Le Roy submitted the agreed compromising solutions and the draft text proposed by Gomez to SDSM according to the procedure.

Prior to the meeting with Trajkovski, PDP leader Imer Imeri said that they have received the draft text but they did not agree with some parts. Imeri announced his belief that the disputes would be overcome at the meeting.

The positions regarding the other dispute issues: the joint administration, the education and the dateline for implementation of the law are not so distant after the meeting on Thursday.

The finalisation of the talks would unblock the implementation of the Framework Agreement and the obligations arising from it could be fulfilled.

BULGARIA-PRESIDENT-TEAM.

BTA

President Purvanov Unveils His Team

Sofia, January 20 (BTA) - Fresh President Georgi Purvanov unveiled his team on Sunday.

Professor Geoffrey Sachs from the Harvard University will continue to advise the new head of state. 2001 Nobel Prize for Economics winner and former World Bank chief economist and former economic adviser to US president Bill Clinton Joseph E. Stiglitz, Bank Austria board of directors president Gerhard Randa and Credit Suisse First Boston managing director Nicholas G. Smith have confirmed their participation in Purvanov's team.

The lineup of advisers includes also Hans Dieter Harig, board of directors president of a German energy company, and Dietmar Stafelt, member of the Bundestag and spokesperson of the German Social Democratic Party, Purvanov said. Prince Kiril of Preslav, an adviser to former president Peter Stoyanov, could also stay on.

Experts of variegated political affiliations chosen on the strength of their professional accomplishments will be appointed presidential secretaries, Purvanov said. Their number as well as the budget of the presidential administration will remain unchanged. Those of the secretaries with teaching positions and scientific research projects will have to multitask.

Former parliamentary chief administrative secretary Krasimir Stoyanov is appointed presidential chief administrative secretary. Andrei Karaslavov is appointed Purvanov's chef de cabinet. Businessman and former brigade commander Trifon Trifonov is appointed chef de cabinet of Veep Angel Marin.

Businessman and former mayor of Sapareva Banya Ilcho Damyanov is appointed domestic policy secretary; Central Electoral Commission member Plamen Kirov, member of the bar association in Blagoevgrad Sabrie Sapundjieva and law professor Tsvetan Sivkov are appointed secretaries on legal matters.

Georgi Dimitrov, Zlatin Trupkov and former Stability Pact national coordinator Nikola Karadimov are appointed foreign policy secretaries. Purvanov said that a council on Euro-Atlantic integration is in the works.

Former Bulgarian representative to NATO HQ rear admiral Peter Stranchevski is appointed national defence secretary. Former chairman of the national security committee Nikolai Slatinski is appointed national security secretary. The defence secretary will be named in the next couple of days, Purvanov said.

Sociology professor Nikolai Genov is appointed secretary on social affairs. He will also coordinate the council on social policy with economic policy secretary Veselin Minchev from the Institute on Economics of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and economic policy secretary and industrial management expert Erdan Kara.

Professor Ibrahim Ahmedov from the Dobrudja Agricultural Institute is appointed farming policy secretary.

Boika Bashlieva is appointed PRO. There will be no special secretary in charge of Purvanov's speeches. A team of political analysts and sociologists headed by secretary Dobrin Kanev will come up with the analysis and forecasts for the head of state.

Former Foreign Ministry protocol chief Atanas Pavlov is appointed chief of the presidential protocol.

Purvanov has also formed a legal council headed by Evgeni Danchev. The functions of the council will be laid out in a special decree, Purvanov said. Boris Velchev, Lazar Gruev, Anita Asenova are among the council members. Councils on culture, national development, ethnic and religious matters, children, youth, sport and Internet will also be formed.

BULGARIA-RUSSIA-VISIT.

BTA

Economy Minister Vasilev Arrives in Moscow.

Sofia, January 20 (BTA) - Economy Minister Nikolai Vasilev arrived Sunday on a three-day visit to Russia.

His first meeting was with representatives of Bulgarian companies operating in Russia. The meeting took place at the Bulgarian Industrial Center. Vasilev answered questions put to him by the business people, BTA was told by BNT correspondent in Moscow Valeri Todorov.

The contacts with Russia are very important for Bulgaria's future and for its economic development, Vasilev told the Bulgarian business people.

The delegation is the biggest of its type to visit Russia in the last couple of years, Todorov said. It includes deputy economy ministers Lyubka Kachakova and Dimitur Hadjinikolov, deputy finance minister Krasimir Katev, deputy transport minister Nikolai Nikolov, experts from the energy ministry, the executive directors of the National Electric Company and Bulgargaz, executives form the Privatization Agency, the Foreign Investment Agency and the Trade Promotion Agency and business people.

Vasilev's itinerary features meetings with Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev, Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, Moscow mayor Yurii Luzhkov, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Evgenii Primakov, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the managements of LUKoil and Gazprom and meetings at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

Vasilev will make a presentation at a business forum organized by the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

During his visit, Vasilev is expected to outline the government's priorities in the promotion of foreign investment, improving the business climate in Bulgaria and generating economic growth.

The issued expected to be in the focus of discussion are the delivery of energy carriers, the Russian debt to Bulgaria, the structure and imbalance of bilateral trade.

The visit will prepare the 7th session of the Bulgarian-Russian commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation scheduled for February, Todorov said.

Bulgaria Tries to Sharpen Up Its Image.

Reuters

By Anatoly Verbin

SOFIA, Bulgaria (Reuters) - A plot to assassinate the pope; an ``emperor'' toeing the Kremlin's line for 35 years; a dissident murdered in a foreign capital with a poisoned umbrella -- for years such impressions were the world's image of Bulgaria. The image has changed. But after 12 years of shaky reforms marred by charges of corruption at the top, is Bulgaria's image good enough for a European Union and NATO hopeful?

The reinvention of the image began in 1989 with the downfall of Todor Zhivkov, the veteran post-war dictator described by former Soviet leader as ``the Chinese Emperor of the Balkans.'' But the most recent impressions have been left by a year of bizarre, though democratic, elections in 2001, which have done little to clarify the picture.

In June, a parliamentary poll made the country's former King Simeon II prime minister. Then a November presidential election brought a former communist to power, Socialist Party leader Georgi Parvanov. Despite limited presidential powers, many question how two men with such different backgrounds and political obligations could cohabit peacefully. ``Its main problem now is image,'' said a senior Western diplomat in Sofia. ``Ordinary people and investors alike answer 'no' when asked whether they want to come to Bulgaria.''

Bulgaria's new internationalism is a far cry from the intrigue of Zhivkov's regime, which was suspected of backing a 1981 attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II. Its appeals for foreign investment contrast sharply with the sinister events of 1978, when a communist agent used a poisoned umbrella to assassinate defector Georgi Markov on London's Waterloo Bridge. The country even managed to keep its distance from a decade of conflicts accompanying the collapse of Yugoslavia, but investors are still not rushing in.

Since 1992 it has managed to attract a meager four billion dollars in investment, one of the lowest levels in the region. ``It is absolutely not easy to make business in Bulgaria and the main reasons are the lack of transparency and lack of institutional structures,'' said Ken Lefkowitz, country director of Vienna-based investment bank EPIC, which has invested in the tobacco industry and cosmetics in Bulgaria. Lefkowitz, who married a Bulgarian last year, added: ``My wife is the best investment I have made in this country.''

HARRY POTTER NEEDED

Bulgaria surprised the EU last month by saying it planned to wrap up accession talks by 2003 and join the bloc in the first wave of enlargement, which Brussels plans for 2004. The Balkan state had earlier cited 2006 as its EU target entry date and some experts feel even that may be too ambitious, given Bulgaria's poverty. The sudden change of target date triggered a dismissive response from EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen.

``You would need magical powers for that. It is a Harry Potter approach,'' Verheugen said, referring to the character in the best-selling books of J.K. Rowling. ``My advice would be not to create expectations which are too high and cannot be met, because that could lead to disappointment,'' he added. Disappointment is much more than a possibility.

Popular anger over widespread poverty ensured victory for the ex-king's two-month-old movement in the June poll. By November, disappointment with the government brought defeat for President Petar Stoyanov, backed both by Simeon and the center-right UDF party. ``People have completely lost faith in words coming from politicians,'' said Neri Terzieva, a top Stoyanov aide. ``They do not trust anyone anymore.'' Not without reason.

Two of the most popular words among ordinary Bulgarians -- whose average monthly salary is slightly more than $100 -- is ''delavera,'' a Turkish word meaning fraud, and ``mente,'' which means counterfeit products. Delavera relates to shadowy businesses while mente is their frequent product. Still, there is no doubt that the nation of some eight million people is on the right -- but painful -- track.

Bulgaria's reform efforts have won strong backing from the West and an IMF mission praised the recent reform track by striking a funding deal with the government on December 13. A manager of a major international company, trading commodities in Bulgaria, summed it up in simple words: ``You have to be crazy to stay in a crazy country, but after all, the future belongs to central and eastern Europe.''

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