Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SKOPJE887
2006-09-20 01:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Skopje
Cable title:
MACEDONIA NOMINATES FORMER FM SRDJAN KERIM FOR
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHSQ #0887 2630137 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 200137Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5176 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2061 RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
UNCLAS SKOPJE 000887
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR UNGA MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA NOMINATES FORMER FM SRDJAN KERIM FOR
2007 UNGA PRESIDENCY
UNCLAS SKOPJE 000887
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR UNGA MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA NOMINATES FORMER FM SRDJAN KERIM FOR
2007 UNGA PRESIDENCY
1. (U) MFA State Counselor for Multilateral Affairs Svetlana
Geleva confirmed on September 16 press reports that the GOM
has nominated former Foreign Minister and former Macedonian
PermRep to the UN Srdjan Kerim for the 2007 UNGA Presidency.
Kerim currently is the general director of the local media
consortium "Media Print Macedonia," a member of the German
WAZ media group. He also serves as WAZ's general director
for Southeast Europe. He is affiliated with the Liberal
Party, a junior ruling coalition member, but has never been
an active member of the party.
2. (U) Kerim was born in Skopje in December 1948. He
received a PhD in economics in Belgrade in 1982, where he was
an active member of the Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia. Kerim
worked as a professor of economics in Belgrade, Hamburg, and
in New York from 1972-1991, teaching international economic
relations. From 1986-1989, he was Minister of Foreign
Economic Relations in the government of the Republic of
Macedonia, then still a part of Yugoslavia. In 1989 he
became Vice Minister and Spokesman at the Yugoslav Federal
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. (U) From 1992-1994 Kerim worked for a private company in
France. He resumed his diplomatic career in 1994, when he
was appointed as the newly-independent Republic of
Macedonia's Ambassador to Germany, representing his country
in Switzerland and Liechtenstein concurrently. Kerim served
in Berlin until 2000, and also served from 1999-2000 as the
Special Envoy for the Stability Pact Coordinator for
Southeastern Europe. Returning to Macedonia in 2000, he was
appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held
until 2001, when he moved to New York as Macedonia's UN
PermRep. Upon his return from New York in 2003, he began
working at "Media Print Macedonia."
4. (SBU) Urbane and sophisticated, the polyglot Kerim speaks
English, German, French, Russian, Italian, Spanish,
Bulgarian, and Serbo-Croatian (but not, surprisingly,
Turkish, despite his Turkish family origins). A pro-Western,
pro-U.S., active reformist since his youth in Yugoslavia,
Kerim is viewed as hard-working, confident, and talented.
Local Macedonian contacts consider him the best foreign
minister Macedonia has had in its 15-year history. Kerim is
married and has three sons. His father, Asan Kerim, was a
successful businessman and politician in Yugoslavia, and was
close to former Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov. Kerim
plays tennis and enjoys fine whiskey.
MILOVANOVIC
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR UNGA MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA NOMINATES FORMER FM SRDJAN KERIM FOR
2007 UNGA PRESIDENCY
1. (U) MFA State Counselor for Multilateral Affairs Svetlana
Geleva confirmed on September 16 press reports that the GOM
has nominated former Foreign Minister and former Macedonian
PermRep to the UN Srdjan Kerim for the 2007 UNGA Presidency.
Kerim currently is the general director of the local media
consortium "Media Print Macedonia," a member of the German
WAZ media group. He also serves as WAZ's general director
for Southeast Europe. He is affiliated with the Liberal
Party, a junior ruling coalition member, but has never been
an active member of the party.
2. (U) Kerim was born in Skopje in December 1948. He
received a PhD in economics in Belgrade in 1982, where he was
an active member of the Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia. Kerim
worked as a professor of economics in Belgrade, Hamburg, and
in New York from 1972-1991, teaching international economic
relations. From 1986-1989, he was Minister of Foreign
Economic Relations in the government of the Republic of
Macedonia, then still a part of Yugoslavia. In 1989 he
became Vice Minister and Spokesman at the Yugoslav Federal
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. (U) From 1992-1994 Kerim worked for a private company in
France. He resumed his diplomatic career in 1994, when he
was appointed as the newly-independent Republic of
Macedonia's Ambassador to Germany, representing his country
in Switzerland and Liechtenstein concurrently. Kerim served
in Berlin until 2000, and also served from 1999-2000 as the
Special Envoy for the Stability Pact Coordinator for
Southeastern Europe. Returning to Macedonia in 2000, he was
appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held
until 2001, when he moved to New York as Macedonia's UN
PermRep. Upon his return from New York in 2003, he began
working at "Media Print Macedonia."
4. (SBU) Urbane and sophisticated, the polyglot Kerim speaks
English, German, French, Russian, Italian, Spanish,
Bulgarian, and Serbo-Croatian (but not, surprisingly,
Turkish, despite his Turkish family origins). A pro-Western,
pro-U.S., active reformist since his youth in Yugoslavia,
Kerim is viewed as hard-working, confident, and talented.
Local Macedonian contacts consider him the best foreign
minister Macedonia has had in its 15-year history. Kerim is
married and has three sons. His father, Asan Kerim, was a
successful businessman and politician in Yugoslavia, and was
close to former Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov. Kerim
plays tennis and enjoys fine whiskey.
MILOVANOVIC