MACEDONIA SUCCESSFULLY HOSTS EAPC SECURITY FORUM

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000550 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE AND EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA SUCCESSFULLY HOSTS EAPC SECURITY FORUM REF: A. SKOPJE 539 ¶B. SKOPJE 465 ¶1. (U) The GOM hosted NATO's second Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Security Forum in Ohrid June 28-29. A total of 500 individual participants from 48 EAPC nations took part in the forum; 16 countries were represented at the ministerial level. USNATO Ambassador Nuland led the U.S. delegation, which included EUR DAS Matthew Bryza, Ambassador Milovanovic, and EUR/RPM and DOD representatives. ¶2. (U) The forum was the largest international conference ever held in Macedonia, with approximately 200 local and international journalists covering the event. Feedback from other delegations and NATO International Staff regarding organization of the forum was positive. GOM-managed logistics support was executed professionally, and security was tight and well-coordinated -- over 2,000 Ministry of Interior officers provided extensive security coverage for the forum and other related events. Macedonian government contacts told us they were able to host the event at less than half the cost of the first EAPC Security Forum, held in Sweden in 2005, which they said had cost approximately 8 million euros. ¶3. (U) Discussion panels during the forum focused on Kosovo status issues, the way forward in Afghanistan, and energy security. In addition to plenary discussions and thematic panels, the GOM used the occasion to host a meeting of the three Adriatic Charter countries with new PfP members Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia, the NATO Deputy SecGen Rizzo, and the U.S. delegation on progress by regional Partner nations toward NATO integration (ref A). ¶4. (U) Comment: The GOM clearly was aware of the importance of demonstrating that it could mobilize organizational capacity and logistics muscle to successfully host the Security Forum. Early on in the planning phase, the government formed an inter-agency task force, headed by a minister, which worked closely with representatives from NATO, the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, and the local NATO HQs to ensure tight coordination and thorough planning. The successful execution of the event showcased Macedonia's organizational capacity and, coupled with the GOM's recent assumption of responsibility for KFOR logistics at Camp Able Sentry in Skopje (ref B),reflected Macedonia's increased ability to work with and support NATO-related operations. MILOVANOVIC