MACEDONIA: STAFFDEL KILLION'S MEETINGS WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000294 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE (PFEUFFER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MK PGOV PINR PREL SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: STAFFDEL KILLION'S MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) Staffdel Killion met with senior Macedonian government (GOM) officials and with representatives of the two major eAlbanian parties (opposition DUI and governing DPA) during a visit to Skopje April 4. Both government and opposition interlocutors expressed support for the Ahtisaari plan on Kosovo status as the best -- and only -- guarantee of peace and stability in the region. The DUI and DPA representatives presented the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement (FWA) as a good model for Kosovo, but disagreed on the extent to which it actually has been implemented in Macedonia. FM Milososki commented on Serbia's inclusion in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) initiative as a positive incentive for constructive behavior from Belgrade, and suggested the EU should look for ways to match that incentive in its relations with Serbia. Milososki cited as GOM NATO-related priorities the need to intensify efforts to combat trafficking-in-persons (TIP),and to overcome traditional religious groups' opposition to a more liberal religious law for Macedonia. Both eAlbanian parties agreed that continued political dialogue between the GOM and the opposition was important, and restated their parties' commitment to a unitary, multiethnic Macedonia integrated into NATO. End summary. STAFFDEL's Skopje Visit -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Staffdel Killion, comprised of David Killion, Senior Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HFAC); Douglas Anderson, Minority Professional Staff, HFAC; Jennifer Simon, Professional Staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Tomicah Tillemann, Professional Staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visited Skopje April 4 to meet with high-level government and opposition figures. The Ambassador attended the Staffdel's meeting with FM Milososki. During their meetings the Staffdel delivered the following points: -- the Ahtisaari plan provides the only path forward in terms of resolving Kosovo's future status; -- the USG supports Macedonia's NATO aspirations, appreciates its support for the Global War on Terror, and expects the country to meet NATO standards in order to qualify for a membership invitation at the next enlargement summit; -- it is essential for the government to sustain the ongoing political dialogue with the DUI party to demonstrate Macedonia's political maturity and readiness to join NATO; and -- the U.S. Congress sees as key NATO-related priorities the fight against TIP and corruption. Kosovo: GOM Support for Ahtisaari and a Stronger EU Role -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) FM Milososki re-affirmed his country's support for the Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo status and referred to Macedonia as a good example of multiethnic tolerance in the region. Proud of Macedonia's contributions to regional and global security, Milososki said his country's vitality is due to the fact that its leadership has a future-oriented vision that does not dwell on past injustices. Referring to the formerly contentious issue of border demarcation between Macedonia and Kosovo, Milososki said that resolution of the border issue could now serve as a test case for an independent Kosovo's respect for principles of international law. He assured the Staffdel that landowners on both sides of the border would not lose their property or access to it after the final border demarcation, which is expected to take place not more than a year after the Ahtisaari plan goes into effect. Asked about the most productive way to engage Serbia on the Kosovo issue, Milososki said that the PfP invitation to Serbia had been a positive step that provided an incentive for Belgrade's constructive behavior. It was time, he said, for the EU to take a similar, more constructive approach to engaging Belgrade. Milososki argued that Belgrade should be given a clear signal that "counting on a Plan B for Kosovo status would be disastrous for Serbia," especially if such a plan hinted at partition as an outcome. TIP and Religious Freedom: High Level GOM Engagement SKOPJE 00000294 002 OF 002 -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) FM Milososki said the government has made combating TIP a high-level political priority. National NATO Coordinator Ambassador Dimitrov elaborated further, describing in detail recent GOM initiatives on TIP. He highlighted the Ministry of Justice's work on legislative amendments that will criminalize all TIP-related acts involving minors, and outlined GOM efforts underway to devise a unified definition of a TIP victim. He acknowledged that, despite some progress, there were still judicial delays and inefficiencies that hampered progress in fighting TIP and vowed to continue work to reduce them. ¶5. (SBU) Milososki told the Staffdel that there currently are formidable obstacles to passing a new, more liberal Law on Religious Communities in Macedonia. He noted intense lobbying against the current draft law by the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) and the Islamic Community (IC),which he thought were trying to derail the process to prevent other religious groups from legally registering in Macedonia. He said that, despite some anticipated obstacles, the GOM would try to convince a majority of MPs to support a more liberal Law on Religion to fulfill NATO accession commitments. FWA: Good Model for Kosovo; Problematic Implementation at Home -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In separate meetings, ranking ethnic Albanian party officials Teuta Arifi of DUI (opposition) and Besim Dogani of DPA (governing coalition) agreed that the 2001 FWA was a positive example for Kosovo. Dogani said the FWA represented an effective compromise agreement between ethnic Macedonians and Albanians. In his view, however, the FWA had not been fully implemented during the tenure of the previous government, which had included DUI as a coalition partner, due to the incompetence of DUI officials. Highlighting the constructive partnership between DPA and the ruling eMacedonian VMRO-DPMNE, Dogani elaborated on initiatives the GOM has undertaken recently to promote FWA implementation. Political Dialogue: Unified Support, but Different Timeframes -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) On the issue of continued political dialogue, DPA's Dogani said that DUI should return to Parliament from its current boycott, and should use its time in opposition to build and strengthen its grassroots networks. DUI's Arifi said that DUI's actions, including the boycott it began in January 2007 to protest what it claimed were government attempts to stall FWA implementation, were a result of pressures from the party's base. Asked about the impact of DUI's boycott at such a critical juncture for the country, Arifi pledged DUI's responsible engagement and commitment to Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic future. She noted, however, that DUI believed it would be able to achieve the bulk of its demands by June, after which the situation would revert to normalcy. COMMENT ¶8. (SBU) The Staffdel's discussions with both high-level GOM officials and opposition leaders showed there is political and inter-ethnic consensus in Macedonia on supporting a Kosovo status process that leads to speedy independence in the interests of regional stability. Despite the rhetorical broadsides DPA and DUI lobbed at each other, it was clear that both eAlbanian parties see their future in a unitary, multi-ethnic Macedonia, with no room in the country or region for notions of a greater Albania. End comment. ¶9. This cable was cleared by Staffdel Killion. MILOVANOVIC