MACEDONIA: FURTHER PROGRESS ON NATO MAP-RELATED

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000457

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: FURTHER PROGRESS ON NATO MAP-RELATED

REFORMS

REF: A. SKOPJE 251 AND PREVIOUS

B. SKOPJE 420


1. (U) The Macedonian Parliament recently adopted several
judicial and defense reforms that demonstrate further
progress in meeting Macedonia's NATO MAP requirements. On
May 5, the parliament amended the Law on Defense, formally
ending conscription. The amended law will make the Army of
the Republic of Macedonia a completely professional army as
of October 2006, one year ahead of schedule. It also allows
the government to deploy troops for NATO missions without
parliamentary approval, once Macedonia becomes a NATO member.
Parliamentary approval would still be required to deploy
troops for non-NATO missions abroad. (NOTE: A governing
coalition MP told Poloff last week that the parliament would
vote on May 22 to renew the mandate for Macedonian troop
deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and to approve a new
deployment of Macedonian peacekeepers to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
We expect the parliament will renew the Iraq and Afghanistan
deployments, and to approve the new deployment to BiH, with
little or no political opposition. END NOTE.)


2. (U) Several judicial reform laws adopted by parliament in
the first two weeks of May marked yet another important step
forward in Macedonia's progress toward meeting its NATO MAP
requirements, completing the bulk of the legislation
envisioned under Macedonia's National Strategy for Judicial
Reform. The Law on Courts, for example, establishes an
administrative court that will reduce the Supreme Court's
caseload by allowing the new court to hear cases against
state institutions. The law also established two new local
courts in Skopje, one to hear criminal cases and the other to
hear civil cases. The Law on the State Judicial Council
establishes an independent body to elect and dismiss judges.
Laws on administrative disputes, on mediation, and on private
lawyers will also, once implemented, contribute to
strengthening the independence and efficiency of the
judiciary.


3. (SBU) COMMENT: Adoption of these judicial and defense
reform laws demonstrates progress toward meeting Macedonia's
NATO MAP requirements. U.S. PermRep to NATO Victoria Nuland,
during her visit to Skopje in March (ref A),focused on the
need to pass the judicial reform laws by mid-2007 as one of
several necessary conditions for demonstrating Macedonia's
fitness for possible NATO membership by the 2008 summit.
Adoption of the reforms shows that the government is
committed to moving ahead with its MAP agenda, despite the
upcoming parliamentary elections on July 5 and the inevitable
distractions and political tensions that have accompanied the
campaign so far (ref B). Full implementation of the new laws
is the necessary next step.
WOHLERS