MACEDONIA: EUR/SCE DIRECTOR HOH'S MEETINGS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SKOPJE 001017

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: EUR/SCE DIRECTOR HOH'S MEETINGS WITH
GOM OFFICIALS AND OPPOSITION

REF: SKOPJE 980

Classified By: P/E LATHAM, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Summary. In his October 17 meetings with GOM
officials and opposition party leaders, EUR/SCE Director
Chris Hoh noted the need for improved inter-ethnic dialogue
and continued implementation of the Ohrid Framework
Agreement, a vigorous and non-partisan fight against crime
and corruption, support for the Kosovo final status process,
and continued progress on NATO-related reforms. GOM
officials assured Hoh that they would continue to reach out
to the opposition parties, especially eAlbanian party DUI,
pursue corruption cases in a non-partisan manner, support
border demarcation with Kosovo as a technical issue, and
continue the defense and political reforms necessary for NATO
membership. DUI President Ali Ahmeti complained that the GOM
had not reciprocated DUI's attempts to reach compromise on
the current political impasse. End Summary.

Meetings
--------------

2. (U) EUR/SCE Director Hoh met separately with:
- NATO Coordinator and former Ambassador to the US Nikola
Dimitrov
- Minister of Finance and VMRO-DPMNE Vice President Trajko
Slaveski;
- Deputy Prime Minister for Euro Integration and Foreign Aid
Gabriela Konevska-Trajkovska;
- Deputy Prime Minister for Framework Agreement
Implementationm and Minister of Healthm Imer Selmani;
- Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov, National Coordinator for NATO
Membership;
- MFA State Secretary Igor Ilievski, MFA State Counselor
Milan Spirodonovski, and Head of Sector Pascal Stojceski;
- Presidential National Security Advisor Stevo Pendarovski;
- DUI President Ali Ahmeti, and DUI Vice President Musa
Xhaferi; and
- SDSM (eMacedonian opposition party) lame duck President
(reftel),and former PM Vlado Buckovski, and SDSM
MP and former FM Ilinka Mitreva

Inter-Ethnic Relations
--------------

3. (C) In his meetings with GOM officials, Hoh pointed out
that Macedonia was a regional success story of inter-ethnic
cooperation. The current government should work to build on
that success by creating open lines of communication with DUI
leaders, he said. In addition to being important for
Macedonia's future, maintaining a respectful and substantive
dialogue with DUI was smart politics; it would help with
successful implementation of key laws. All GOM interlocutors
agreed. They said they were willing to hold talks with DUI's
leaders, but pointed out that this was DUI's first time in
opposition and its leaders had not yet learned how to be a
constructive opposition party.


4. (C) Hoh told Deputy PM Selmani, a leader of the eAlbanian
coalition member DPA, that the burden was on the GOM to show
that it could manage its responsibilities in a professional
and responsible manner; combatting corruption should be
non-partisan. In addition, DPA needed to demonstrate that it
could represent the interests of all ethnic Albanians in
Macedonia and not engage in partisan attacks on DUI. Selmani
pledged that the GOM would focus on doing its job and not
engage in politically motivated actions against DUI. For
example, the GOM would continue to be careful in dealing
evenhandedly with DUI-affiliated government employees.
Selmani also said that, in his position as Deputy PM, he was
committed to the continued implementation of the Ohrid
Framework Agreement. This would include passage of the
remaining needed legislation, implementation of legislation
already passed, and ensuring successful implementation of
decentralization and equal representation.


5. (C) DUI President Ahmeti reiterated his view that, by not
bringing DUI into the government coalition, PM Gruevski had
shown disrespect for the eAlbanian population and
disenfranchised the majority of eAlbanian voters who had
supported DUI in the July parliamentary elections. He told
Hoh, however, that DUI had moderated its earlier opposition
to the government, having returned to work in the parliament
and having demonstrated willingness to open a dialogue with
the GOM. The GOM, however, had not reciprocated with genuine
efforts to reach compromises with DUI. Instead, the GOM, and
in particular DPA, had removed or demoted civil servants who
were affiliated with DUI, pursued changes to a draft police
law for DPA's own benefit, and manipulated parliamentary
procedures to block DUI's ability to weigh-in decisively on
legislation. Hoh urged Ahmeti to remain patient and to
continue pursuing DUI's interests through the democratic
process and to avoid violence. Hoh said this strategy, along
with DUI efforts to show the public its constructive
attitude, offered the best chance for productive dialogue
with the government. The USG would continue working on the
government to be more responsible as well.

Support for Kosovo Final Status Process
--------------

6. (C) Hoh told his interlocutors that the USG appreciated
Macedonia's support for the international effort to resolve
Kosovo's final status. He said that Macedonia could continue
to provide support to Kosovo through its example as a
successful inter-ethnic state, and he hoped Macedonia would
support Kosovo after final status was determined. He also
said that resolution of the border demarcation between
Macedonia and Kosovo would be part of the final status
agreement, and should be treated by both sides as a
technical, rather than political, issue. His interlocutors
agreed that was the correct approach.


7. (C) MFA State Secretary Ilievski said that MFA officials
were working on proposed language on border demarcation to be
included in a Kosovo final status settlement. The draft
language would specify in greater detail how the border
demarcation issue should be resolved. FM Milososki likely
would run that language by DAS DiCarlo during her October
22-25 visit, Ilievski said. Hoh later asked National
Security Advisor Pendarovski if he thought Macedonia would
recognize an independent Kosovo if the Ahtissaari package was
not agreed to by the Serbian government. Pendarovski said
that, if that scenario occurred, the GOM would likely
recognize Kosovo only after the EU, or a significant number
of EU members, recognized its independence.

NATO Reforms and Fighting Corruption
--------------

8. (C) Hoh told GOM officials the USG would continue to
support Macedonia's efforts to implement the reforms
necessary for NATO membership. Finance Minister Slaveski
promised that the GOM would continue to allocate sufficient
money to the MOD for NATO-related reforms. Hoh said that, in
addition to the defense reforms, NATO also would be reviewing
Macedonia's progress on key political and judicial reform
matters. One critical issue would be progress on the GOM's
efforts to fight organized crime and corruption. He said the
GOM should, in addition to passing and implementing
anti-corruption legislation, prosecute high-profile
corruption cases that would demonstrate its commitment to
pursuing corruption at the highest levels. Hoh noted,
however, that such cases needed to be pursued in a
non-partisan manner. Targeting only members of the political
opposition would undermine the credibility of the GOM's
efforts. In addition, Hoh noted, the GOM should resist the
temptation to engage in the wholesale firing of government
personnel affiliated with the former government.


9. (C) GOM interlocutors agreed. They underscored that
fighting corruption was, along with economic growth, one of
the two main pillars of the government's agenda. Slaveski
agreed that the fight against corruption had to be
non-partisan, but warned that the GOM likely would uncover
cases of corruption by DUI members of the former government,

and that such cases could not be ignored. Deputy PM
Konevska-Trajkovska said that progress in fighting corruption
was also part of the criteria for the EU's evaluation of
Macedonia. The GOM was in the process of developing a
government anti-corruption action plan, she noted. Selmani
said the GOM would implement improved management and
administrative procedures to reduce corruption, and would
expand the use of information technology within the
government to enhance administrative oversight and public
transparency of government operations. Selmani also said
that only GOM employees on temporary contracts had been let
go.


10. (C) Amb. Dimitrov said there was some concern in GOM
circles that the Greek parliament might, as the government in
Athens had warned, refuse to ratify Macedonia's eventual
membership in NATO and the EU unless the name issue was
resolved. Dimitrov pointed out that the 1995 Interim
Agreement prevented the Greek government from vetoing
Macedonia's membership in either organization, provided the
country entered under the "reference" (former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia). If it did veto on those grounds,
however, Macedonia then would have the right to cease further
negotiations on the name, Dimitrov said.


11. (U) EUR/SCE Director Hoh cleared this cable.
MILOVANOVIC