MACEDONIA: FM MILOSOSKI'S DECEMBER 12-13 VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000960 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR U/S BURNS FROM AMBASSADOR MILOVANOVIC E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO MK KV SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: FM MILOSOSKI'S DECEMBER 12-13 VISIT TO WASHINGTON Classified By: P/E CHIEF SHUBLER, REASONS 1.4(B) & (D). SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) FM Milososoki's visit is a timely opportunity to reinforce the need for continued progress on meeting NATO membership criteria, including government-opposition dialogue, combating corruption, and strengthening rule of law. It is also the right time to tell Milososki that Macedonia needs to take the Nimetz proposal on the name issue seriously and to develop an approach to get Skopje past Athens' veto threat, while underscoring our continued support for Macedonia's constitutional name. You should express USG appreciation for Macedonia's solid support on Kosovo, while underscoring that positive inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia will bolster regional stability, and reaffirm USG support for demarcation of the Kosovo-Macedonia border as outlined in the Ahtisaari Plan. Finally, Macedonia deserves kudos for its recent decision to double its forces serving in Iraq, and for its ongoing troop deployments in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Lebanon. End summary. NATO MEMBERSHIP: GAINING MOMENTUM ¶2. (C) After nearly a year of lackluster performance in meeting NATO membership objectives, the Macedonian government is finally acting on our message to accelerate needed reforms. The governing VMRO party has implemented much of the five-point "May 29 agreement" the US and the EU had brokered between governing VMRO and opposition DUI earlier this year. It has taken additional steps to meet other NATO benchmarks, including judicial and police reforms. Already performing strongly on defense reforms and economic criteria, the GOM's key challenge between now and early 2008 is to sustain the momentum and complete remaining NATO benchmarks, including full implementation of the May 29 agreement, combating corruption, and strengthening rule of law. You can usefully press Milososki to close all remaining issues before decisions on membership are made in January. FIRM ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL NAME ¶3. (C) Responding to Athens's threat to veto Macedonia's NATO membership if Skopje does not agree to a compromise on the name issue before the Bucharest Summit, PM Gruevski has publicly stated that he would rather forego NATO membership than agree to any change in the country's constitutional name. In this he has the support of his political adversary -- President Crvenkovski -- and the Macedonian public. We believe, however, that UN Special Envoy Nimetz's recent framework proposal offers the best chance for a resolution of the issue: a differentiated name for international usage, while the constitutional name remains intact. In our view, Macedonia will be most amenable to such an approach after receiving a NATO invitation, but for this strategy to succeed they must lay the groundwork with Greece beforehand. SUPPORTIVE ON KOSOVO ¶4. (C) Macedonia fully supports the U.S. stance on Kosovo and strongly backs the Ahtisaari Plan, especially the Contact Group's guiding principle of "no changes in borders." Macedonia will press for demarcation of its border with Kosovo based on the 2001 Belgrade-Skopje agreement, an internationally-accepted, UN-endorsed agreement which Pristina in the past has rejected. Milososki likely will seek a US reaffirmation of our support for demarcation on the basis of the 2001 agreement. ¶5. (C) Macedonia will follow the U.S. and EU lead on the timing of its decision to recognize an independent Kosovo, but will not be in the vanguard of countries recognizing. At the same time, Skopje acknowledges that in order to preserve its constructive ties with Pristina, it cannot be among the last to recognize. SOLID SECURITY EXPORTER ¶6. (C) Macedonia continues to be a solid security exporter, contributing troops to missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Lebanon. The parliament recently approved a government proposal to double, by an additional SKOPJE 00000960 002 OF 002 platoon, Macedonia's contributions in Iraq. The Macedonians also are providing at our request a donation of nearly four metric tons of ammunition for Georgian troops serving in Iraq. MILOVANOVIC