European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 04, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Macedonia continued from Page 17 the air to illustrate the nation s shaky Economy. War said a second Driver if first Slovenia and Croatia. Then Bosnia. Who knows what is next he said using his steering wheel As a Compass to explain the precarious position the land locked nation finds itself. Kosovo and Serbia he began slapping the top of the wheel to identify Macedonia s Northern neighbor. Albania on the West he continued Greece to the South and Bulgaria to the East. Macedonia is surrounded he concluded a blast sounding from the automobile s Horn As he pounded on the Center of the steering wheel for emphasis. For a More official View Todor Mal Zanski undersecretary of the Macedonia defense ministry downplays the possibility of conflict with Greece or Bulgaria and says Border disputes with Albania Are manageable. It s the potential of aggression by Serbia or serb violence against albanian muslims in Serbia s Kosovo province that worry him. At this Point there Are three dangers for Macedonia said Mal Zanski. First he said Macedonia s army left with Only Light infantry weapons after the yugoslavian National army pulled out last year could not repel an invasion from Serbia. Second any serbian action against ethnic albanians in Kosovo could provoke intervention from Albania whose troops would have to Cross Macedonia to enter Kosovo. And third fighting in Kosovo could Send As Many As 300,000 refugees streaming into Macedonia. All three factors prove aggression in Kosovo would involve Macedonia said Mal Zanski. Macedonia s concerns were sufficient for the United nations to deploy a battalion of 700 scandinavian peacekeepers into Skopje in february. The nordic in was reinforced last month by a company of american combat soldiers from the Berlin brigade. The peacekeepers s Mission is to observe and report activities along Macedonia s Border in Hopes of preventing a disaster like Bosnia happening in Macedonia. The deployment of the . Forces especially the americans troubles some macedonians who fear that it might be an unnecessary provocation of conservative elements in Serbia who would support bringing Macedonia Back into the yugoslav fold. People have a lot of misgivings said Alun Roberts director of the press and civil affairs Bureau for the United nations in Skopje. People Are not sure Why there is a need for More  others see things differently it s Good the americans Are Here. We like it very much said a Skopje businessman. It s More Security. We re a poor country and our army Only has Small  there s  there. One Skopje resident called miserable the arms the macedonian army was left with after the yugoslav soldiers picked the military Headquarters Bare before leaving last year. An embargo the United nations clamped on All the former yugoslav republics prevents Macedonia from rearming. Mal Zanski the defense official said his government this month will ask the . To lift the arms embargo. Until that happens the 12,000 members of the military will continue to operate an army and air Force with Little More than personal rifles. With no heavy Armor and air planes it s a make work army Here. Former Mic fighter pilots pass their time gardening aircraft mechanics clean Barracks and soldiers Patch up buildings torn apart in the yugoslav army s withdrawal. One Soldier Sasha Ivanovski paused while lugging a replacement window to a trashed building near Petrovec Airport. There Are Good arguments for and against the introduction of american ground forces to the peacekeeping Mission he said. But he grinned when a . Army truck under a new macedonian Soldier Sasha Ivanovski is envious of the americans firepower. Coat of United nations White paint drove by with a Load of hardware the macedonian military has t seen for a longtime. We can t help but see your weapons that we need but Don t have said Ivanovski. The show of firepower however has not stilled some local concerns that 1,000 peacekeepers Are not sufficient to prevent War from coming Here. Despite defense ministry assurances to the contrary popular opinion Here has 60,000 troops Nassed just North of Macedonia s Border. Others worry that if the shooting starts the americans will leave or continue to just observe. I Don t like it said Nino Mihalek a journalist for Slovenia defense Magazine. They Are Only lightly armed and they say Here if trouble starts they la pull out. Why did they come then. Rumours continue to circulate through Skopje that More americans Are coming perhaps As Many As 3,000. Mal Zanski said the United nations and the United states Macedonia area 9,928 so. Miles population 2 million declared Independence sept. 8,1991 religions macedonian orthodox and islam ethnic groups macedonian slavs ethnic albanians ethnic turks gypsies serbs source american academic encyclopedia 64.6 percent 21 percent 4.8 percent 2.7 percent 2.1 percent his a should expect a Call to escalate the numbers and change the Mission from peacekeeping to peacemaking should hostilities erupt. But solar no such Force increase has been announced and instead world attention is focused on the conflict in Bosnia where serb forces Are on notice they la face retaliation by nato aircraft if they continue to Shell . Forces there. Meanwhile macedonians wrestle with bread and butter problems As they close out their second year of Independence. There s no Money said Kim ova the Young Soldier whose military paycheck should be about $120 a month. We Haven t been paid since May. My Mother has t been paid in three months and before that Only received partial payment she said. Macedonia s primary Industry is agriculture and its Countryside is filled with crops. And Skopje on the surface looks prosperous. The City its modern Skyline reflective of the Complete reconstruction after a devastating earthquake in 1963, is Busy. Store windows Are filled with goods. Shoppers stack bulging bags under their chairs As they take Breaks at cafes and restaurants that Dot the downtown. But appearances Are deceiving. Shelves Are rarely More than one product deep. And Trade embargoes against Montenegro and Serbia the Only two republics left in Yugoslavia and traditional trading partners with Macedonia Are beginning to Hurt. It is beginning to have a serious effect said Roberts at the . Roberts said macedonian officials report Job layoffs in textiles shoes steel and tobacco industries. Some workers Are being sent Home on forced vacations without pay. So Uncertain is the economic future some workers continue to go to the Job even when they Are not paid. Kim ova s Mother works for a shoe factory that has work but no Cash. She  there 26 years and fears that if she quits Shell not find another Job Ever. She has no Choice but to keep working. The majority of people Are like that. They work but Don t get paid by ii Kimo Vasard. Roberts said Kim ova s Story is common. Kim ova said she and her parents squeak by on her father s Small pension vegetables they grow in a Small plot a few Kilometres away from the family Home and whatever Cash Kim ova can bring Home from a weekend Job she has at a pizzeria. Kim ova said the economic situation is depressing. Very few people have Good Money and can live Well. People Are fighting for their lives just to pay their Bills and a few pleasures. We Don t talk about any kind of luxury. There Are none she said. A 21-year-old american visiting relatives in Skopje said his cousins feel hopeless. He said an Uncle lives on $70 a month. Get an american to live on $70.1 think he d go berserk he said. My cousins want a life. A real life. They want to go  Middle class workers struggle As Well. Doran Petrovski and his son Goran 3, joined a Long line of motorists who rushed to fill up their Gas tanks when word got out about a shortage. I Don t know what the problem is said Petrovski an accountant for a company that Sells school supplies. Maybe the sanctions. Maybe a shortage. Maybe a problem with  Petrovski tries not to worry about possible War. If i listen to the news every Day my head will be crushed he said. But practical considerations must be made like will he say or leave if fighting should erupt. It is very difficult. It is an involved family problem he said. It will be a problem like Bosnia. Families with More Money will go far away. Families with no Money will stay. Me i m in the  18 the stars and stripes