Latest News & Developments

[Bill77]

US decorates 31 Macedonian soldiers

Skopje, December 14 (MIA) - The Unites States decorated Monday 31 members of the Macedonian Army - ARM's special operation regiment for their participation in "Iraqi Freedom" mission.

Four of the members of the 11th ARM rotation in Iraqi Freedom mission received a meritorious service medals and 27 commendation medals of the US Army.

A total of 493 members of the ARM special operations regiment and joint operations command have taken part between June 2003 and December 2009 in Iraqi Freedom mission in 11 rotations. 124 have been awarded with medals and decorations.

- By participating in the Iraqi Freedom mission, the Republic of Macedonia has demonstrated that it is ready to join the coalition in the fight against today's biggest evil - global terrorism, said Minister of Defense Zoran Konjanovski in a speech delivered at the ceremony.

In addition to Iraq, Macedonia takes part also in missions in Afghanistan. Lebanon, Bosnia & Herzegovina and provides logistic support to the KFOR mission in Kosovo.

Macedonia will demonstrate its commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration, he added, by sending addition troops in Afghanistan in early 2010.

- With our contribution, Macedonia already functions as a NATO member. So we ask to be accordingly valued, not to be awarded, said Konjanovski.

ARM Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Miroslav Stojanovski said in the past 18 years Macedonia had managed to establish a professional army that took part in NATO, EU, UN-led missions.

- The United States do not doubt that the Macedonian Army is strong, smart and ready for any mission. The country knows that the Republic of Macedonia is a close friend and an ally, said Thomas Navratil, US Deputy Ambassador.

Presenting the medals, Admiral William Brown said foreign operations had showed to the world the capacities, preparedness and determination of Macedonia for Euro-Atlantic integration.

- Macedonia is a key member in the Adriatic Group and it will play an important role in the enlargement process in the region. Macedonia continues to be a regional leader in promoting Balkan peace and stability, said Brown, adding that Macedonia and US fostered permanent partnership.


Bravo Makedoncina. You make us proud :rmacedonia

[Bill77]

In Greece without visas with biometric passports, piece of paper for stamp and 50 Euros per day of stay


Skopje, December 14 (MIA) - Macedonian Citizens as of Dec. 19 can travel to Greece without visas but only if they are holders of biometric passports. When citizens enter and leave Greece, the entry/exit stamp will not be put on their passport, but on a separate piece of paper, which will be available at the border or diplomatic - consular offices in Macedonia.

The Liaison Office of the Hellenic Republic in Skopje in today's announcement in which explains entry procedure to Greece after Dec. 18, welcomes the visa liberalisation for citizens of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," adding that this decision will reinforce the already close contacts between the citizens of the two countries.

This piece of paper will also be available as of December 16, 2009, at the Liaison Office of the Hellenic Republic in Skopje and at the Office of Consular, Economic and Commercial Affairs in Bitola (Monday to Friday,11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00). Travelers are encouraged to obtain it and fill it in advance, in order to save time at the border. The holders of the piece of paper have the obligation to retain it when traveling within the Schengen area (and not only to Greece) and to retain it for one year after its last use.

Apart form their passport and the separate piece of paper, citizens traveling to Greece might be asked to present at the border documents justifying the goal of their visit and the conditions of their stay in Greece. In particular, travelers should have with them health insurance and documents proving that they work, they are students or retired. Moreover, travellers should carry with them 50 Euros per day of their intended stay in Greece, the Liaison Office of the Hellenic Republic in Skopje informs.


http://www.idividi.com.mk/English/Ma...154/index.html

[Brygian Seed]

Democracy in action! Either way I'm sure there will be a good number of Macedonians celebrating New Years in Solun!

[Bill77]

Originally Posted by Brygian Seed

Democracy in action! Either way I'm sure there will be a good number of Macedonians celebrating New Years in Solun!

AHHHHHHH Home sweet Home

[Risto the Great]

Why do they need 50 Euros per day for their stay? Many will be seeing relatives in Greece who are looking after their very own ancestral land. The relatives in Greece will pay for everything because they know what they got for free.

[Bill77]

PM Gruevski meets Speaker of Australian House of Representatives


Skopje, December 14 (MIA) - Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the Speaker of Australian House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, expressed satisfaction Monday with the good relations between the two friendly countries, the government's information service said in a press release.

Australia is rather significant for Macedonia as many of its citizens live and work there, Gruevski said at the meeting.

In this respect, Gruevski mentioned the recent signing of a bilateral agreement on social insurance, under which people who spend part of their lives in Australia are entitled to pension in both countries. The document is a step forward to developing the relations between the two countries, Gruevski said.

There are also possibilities for boosting the economic cooperation, the PM said.

Gruevski briefed the high Australian guest on Macedonia's progress towards NATO, the EU membership, ongoing reforms, forthcoming introduction of free visa regime.

Australia wishes to see Macedonia as full-fledged EU, NATO member, Jenkins said, praising the participation of Macedonian soldiers in Afghan peace mission.

http://www.idividi.com.mk/English/Ma...381/index.html



so how about recognition of our constitutional name mr Jenkins.

[Bill77]

Originally Posted by Bill77

PM Gruevski meets Speaker of Australian House of Representatives


Skopje, December 14 (MIA) - Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the Speaker of Australian House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, expressed satisfaction Monday with the good relations between the two friendly countries, the government's information service said in a press release.

Australia is rather significant for Macedonia as many of its citizens live and work there, Gruevski said at the meeting.

In this respect, Gruevski mentioned the recent signing of a bilateral agreement on social insurance, under which people who spend part of their lives in Australia are entitled to pension in both countries. The document is a step forward to developing the relations between the two countries, Gruevski said.

There are also possibilities for boosting the economic cooperation, the PM said.

Gruevski briefed the high Australian guest on Macedonia's progress towards NATO, the EU membership, ongoing reforms, forthcoming introduction of free visa regime.

Australia wishes to see Macedonia as full-fledged EU, NATO member, Jenkins said, praising the participation of Macedonian soldiers in Afghan peace mission.

http://www.idividi.com.mk/English/Ma...381/index.html



so how about recognition of our constitutional name mr Jenkins.

Macedonian emigrants to Australia - bridge of cooperation between two countries


Skopje, December 14 (MIA) - Macedonia and Australia are friendly countries with strong ties as a result of the great number of Macedonian citizens that live and take part in building the Australian society, the Australian House of Representatives Speaker, Harry Jenkins, said Monday in his address before Macedonian MPs.

The last Australian census has shown that 84,000 people of Macedonian origin live in the country.

In addition to the loyalty to Australia, Australia's citizenship, they have strong feelings for their Macedonian roots, promoting their culture, tradition and celebrating the country's national holidays, such as Ilinden and Independence Day, Jenkins said.

Numerous events offer an opportunuty to Australians to become familiar with Macedonia's culture, bring closer the two communities, Jenkins said, pointing out that last month Melbourne was a host of the Macedonian Film Festival.

The Macedonians living in Australia have also contributed substantially to the country's economic development, he said.

The establishment of diplomatic ties in 1995, the appointment of Macedonia's Honorary Consul in 1998, the visit of former foreign minister Ilinka Mitreva and the recent one of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski gave momentum to the cooperation between the two countries, Jenkins said.

In this respect he mentioned that Gruevski's visit to Australia resulted in signing of bilateral agreement on social insurance, under which people who spent part of their lives in Australia are entitled to pension in both countries - a move that offers them freedom of movement and reflects the respect both societies have been attaching to the human relations.

Jenkins also referred to the economic cooperation, saying that Australian companies are willing to invest in Macedonia's insurance, tourism and IT.

Jenkins is paying an official visit to Macedonia on invitation of Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski. This is a first visit of Australian high official to Macedonia.

http://www.idividi.com.mk/English/Ma...350/index.html



Again where is the Recognition of our constitutional name Macedonia. I bet you used it during your visit to Macedonia. So why are you afraid of using it in Australia?

[The LION will ROAR]

Greece Perfectly captured by British Newspaper in 1993
http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/10964/46/
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Our recent article of funding (bribing) by the Greek Government has prompted some comments and emails who by all means should be forwarded to Athens based Eleftherotypia because it is the original source. The incredible and somewhat ingenious propaganda funded by the Greek Government has been acknowledged and verified by Greek Government entities, politicians and newspapers.

The kicker in all this is that this propaganda actually worked!?!

However, if one pauses just for a moment it becomes painfully obvious. The "Greek" Government managed to convince recently settled refugees from Asia Minor, Albanians, Aromanians - Vlachs, Pomaks that they were "Greeks". Why in the world it wouldn't succeed convincing them they were "Macedonians"? To my Greek friends out there, yes I have a few, you can call yourself "Greek Macedonian" after you move to Macedonia and obtain our citizenship.

I personally salute Greece for their Macedonianization and propose setting up Macedonian language schools all over Greece in order to complete this transitional period.

The good people at Maknews found an article from 1993 from popular British paper "The Independent" titled "Nationalist Greece muzzles dissidents". It becomes clear why several fired Greek journalists (fired for showing sympathy towards Macedonia) ended up moving and working in Macedonia - they have the Freedom to Speak. //Valentina Trajkovska

=================================


GREECE is cracking down on citizens who publicly challenge the government's hard line on Macedonia and is pressing ahead with a series of extraordinary criminal prosecutions of dissenters.

Even criticising the long-dead Alexander the Great can get Greeks into trouble. A newspaper columnist, Michail Papadakis, who called Alexander a 'miserable slayer of people' has two legal cases pending against him. He has been called a 'national traitor' by the general secretary of the ruling New Democratic Party,

The severity of the government's crackdown against Greeks claiming Macedonian heritage and against the artists who have publicly supported them, is proving a deep embarrassment to the country's European Community partners. Athens has further annoyed the EC by tarnishing its reputation for tolerance of political dissent. The naming of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which borders Greece, could spell greater trouble. Athens remains unhappy about it because its northern province is also called Macedonia.

On arrival at Athens airport, the visitor is confronted by a series of posters proclaiming in English that 'Macedonia was, is, and will be Greek'. For Greeks who dare to offer a contrary view or suggest the country's Balkan neighbours are not necessarily its enemies, the result can be stiff fines and a lengthy jail sentence.

None of those prosecuted under Greece's draconian penal code has been charged with violent acts or other criminal behaviour, and the human rights group Helsinki Watch says the trials are violations of the basic right to freedom of expression, protected under international law.

In one case two Macedonian minority activists, Christos Sideropoulos and Tasos Boulis, were sentenced to five months in prison and a fine of 100,000 drachmas (390 pounds) for telling Ena magazine that they 'feel Macedonian'.

More damaging from the government's point of view was their claim that there are one million Macedonians in Greece. That would put them at about 10 per cent of the population, a clearly unacceptable situation given that Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis claimed recently that 'We are the only Balkan country not to have minorities. The small Muslim community in Thrace has full rights.'

In September, an Athens court will hear an appeal by four members of an anti-nationalist group, convicted and sentenced to 19 months in prison last year for distributing a leaflet entitled Our Neighbours are not our Enemies.

No to Nationalism and War.

Although the leaflet called for peace in the Balkans and criticised Greece's policies towards ethnic minorities, the four were charged with diseminating false information, attempting to incite acts of violence, and disturbing friendly relations with another country.

Not content with those convictions, the public prosecutor is said by Helsinki Watch to be preparing a case against the 169 artists and intellectuals who signed a petition on behalf of the four, who are out of jail on appeal.

CORRECTION

The political columnist in Greece being harassed by the government for insulting Alexander the Great is Takis Michas and not Michail Papadakis as was reported on 16 August.

Mr Papadakis, a student, has already been convicted and sentenced to one year in prison for distributing pamphlets calling Alexander a 'war criminal'. Mr Michas still has two legal cases pending against him

[The LION will ROAR]

Trailing FYROM in Internet use

The penetration of broadband Internet in Greece not only lags behind the European Union average but now also trails that of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
Greece has a penetration rate of just 33 percent against 34 percent in FYROM and 56 percent across the 27-member EU bloc, according to data in the ICT Usage Survey that is due to be released soon by European statistics agency Eurostat.

Greece comes 30th in Internet use among the 33 European countries surveyed, with 38 percent of Greek households having access to the World Wide Web, compared to 42 percent in FYROM and 65 percent as the EU average.

The same survey reportedly indicates that only 27 percent of people aged 16-64 years use the Internet on a daily basis in Greece, against 37 percent in FYROM.

Greece also trails some of its other northern neighbors, such as Bulgaria and Romania, to say nothing of the picture in Northern European countries.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w...12/2009_113139
__________________________________________________ ________
I guess the Greeks are afraid to learn the truth....

[The LION will ROAR]

86 percent of Macedonian companies use Internet PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Eighty six percent of companies from financial and non-financial sector with ten or more employees used Internet in 2009. As much as 55.9 percent of the companies had their own web site.

According to data from Macedonian Bureau of Statistics, 94.7 percent of companies in Macedonia had computers, 78.1 percent used LAN and 31.9 percent used wireless LAN.

According to the same source, 33.4 percent of companies in Macedonia used Intranet and 20.6 percent used Extranet. Most of the companies, 71.8 percent connects to Internet via DSL. The Internet was mostly used in banking and financial services.
http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/11349/1/