MACEDONIA: REQUEST FOR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000175 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE, L E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: REQUEST FOR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR AMCIT IN ICTY CASE ¶1. (U) See action request in para 5. ¶2. (U) Post received a diplomatic note from the Macedonian MFA on February 16 conveying a request from the defense attorney for former Macedonian Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski in his ICTY case in The Hague. She requests Embassy assistance in providing contact details for Ambassador James Pardew and any information the USG possesses in connection with the events that led to the filing of ICTY charges. The defense attorney referred to Pardew as a potential witness in the Boskovski case and indicated that she would like to interview him. She erroneously refers to Ambassador Pardew as a former Ambassador to Macedonia; in fact, he was the U.S. negotiator of the Framework Agreement in Macedonia (with the rank of Ambassador). Text of the MFA's diplomatic note and of the request from the Boskovski defense attorney follows: ¶3. (U) Begin verbatim text of dip note: The Republic of Macedonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs No. 75-1282/1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in Skopje and has the honor to forward to the Embassy the February 10, 2007, letter of Edina Rasidovic, the main attorney of the Macedonian citizen Ljube Boskovski, addressed to the American Embassy in Skopje, which is related to the trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, the Netherlands. Ministry of Foreign Affairs avails of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America in Skopje assurances of its highest consideration. Skopje, February 16, 2007 End text Dip Note ¶4. (U) Begin text of letter from Boskovski defense attorney: Embassy of United States of America Att: Her Excellency, Ambasador Gillian A. Milovanovic Bul. Ilinden bb 1000 Skopje, Macedonia Tel: 389 2 3116180 Fax: 389 2 3117103 10 February 2007 Your Excellency, The Defence of Mr. Ljube Boskoski takes the liberty to write to you in relation to the criminal proceedings (IT -04-82) against Mr. Boskoski before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia ("ICTY"). The Defence has received from the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICTY ("OTP") information pertaining to His Excellency, former Ambassador James Pardew. In August 2001, the time relevant to the charges against Mr. Boskoski, Ambassador Pardew was U.S. Ambassador in Macedonia. In this capacity, Mr. Pardew provided certain information to the OTP. This information - insofar as it has been disclosed to the Defence - is highly relevant to the Defence case. The Defence has asked the Prosecution to be provided with the rest of Mr. Pardew's OTP statement. The Defence would like to meet Ambassador Pardew with a view to interview him in relation to the matters which he has discussed in his statement. We would, therefore, be grateful to receive from you the contact details of Ambassador Pardew so that he may be contacted by us. The Defence also takes this opportunity to respectfully ask you to provide the Defence with any information pertaining to the incident of Ljuboten in August 2001, which might be in possession of your government (in particular, reports and information prepared or received by U. S. Government bodies in relation to that incident). Considering that the trial of Mr. Boskoski is scheduled to start on 16 April 2007, we would be grateful to receive a response from you as soon as practicable and, if possible, before 20 February 2007. Please feel free to contact me directly should you wish to do so: 387 33 202196 or 387 61 219828. The Defence is grateful for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely yours, Edina Residovic Counsel for Mr. Ljube Boskoski ¶5. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy requests Department guidance on the reply to be delivered to Boskovski's attorney, via the Macedonian MFA. WOHLERS