Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USNATO305
2007-05-15 06:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Mission USNATO
Cable title:  

ALLIES URGE MACEDONIA TO STEP UP PACE OF REFORMS

Tags:  PREL PGOV MOPS NATO MK 
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VZCZCXRO5165
PP RUEHSR
DE RUEHNO #0305/01 1350644
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 150644Z MAY 07
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0840
INFO RUCNIFO/IFOR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000305 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS NATO MK
SUBJECT: ALLIES URGE MACEDONIA TO STEP UP PACE OF REFORMS
IN RUN-UP TO NATO ENLARGEMENT DECISIONS


Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000305

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS NATO MK
SUBJECT: ALLIES URGE MACEDONIA TO STEP UP PACE OF REFORMS
IN RUN-UP TO NATO ENLARGEMENT DECISIONS


Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. In a May 9 meeting with the North Atlantic
Council, the Macedonian Foreign and Defense Ministers
expressed confidence that Macedonia would continue to make
progress on reforms and be ready to join NATO when the
Alliance makes decisions on enlargement at its 2008 Summit.
Perm Reps stressed there were no guarantees about the outcome
of NATO's enlargement decisions in 2008 and Macedonia should
continue to work to meet NATO's performance-based standards.
They urged Macedonia to focus especially on improving the
dialogue between the government and opposition, implementing
judicial reform, and fighting crime and corruption. In a
bilateral meeting that followed, Ambassador Nuland urged the
Macedonian government to conclude an agreement with the
opposition within the next ten days to end the boycott of
Parliament. She also urged Macedonia to not only refrain
from any further actions or remarks that might antagonize
Greece over the name issue, but also to launch a charm
offensive towards Athens. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) In a May 9 meeting with the North Atlantic Council
to review Macedonia's progress under NATO's Membership Action
Plan (MAP),Foreign Minister Milososki and Minister of
Defense Elenovski recounted Macedonia's reform achievements
over the last year. Milososki noted that eight annual cycles
in MAP had helped transform Macedonia from a security
consumer to a security provider. He said that close to 90
percent of the population support NATO membership and
commented that "people have waited too long." Macedonia's
membership in NATO would contribute to regional stability
since "more NATO members in the Balkans mean a more stable
Balkans."


3. (C) Milososki reported the government was in a
substantive dialogue with the opposition discussing terms to
end the Parliamentary boycott of the ethnic Albanian DUI
party. The dialogue was making progress and he expected

positive results soon. He expressed "undiminished
dedication" to implementing the Ohrid Framework Agreement and
said Macedonia had tripled its budget for hiring minority
civil servants and was opening new government positions for
minorities. Phase two of decentralization would start in
July, but because most municipalities did not meet the
qualifications to take on increased powers the government had
decided to be flexible on the criteria, especially for
municipalities led by opposition parties. He noted that
drafting of a religious freedom law, in coordination with the
Venice Commission and the OSCE, was in its final stages and
should soon move to Parliament.


4. (C) Milososki cited results in the fight against crime
and corruption, noting the police had successfully cut off
several trafficking routes and that several high profile
corruption cases had resulted in convictions. Macedonia was
contributing to regional stability by providing logistical
support to KFOR and playing a constructive role in Kosovo,
including by supporting the Ahtisaari proposal. He said
Macedonia did not prefer a continuation of the status quo in
Kosovo and believed Kosovo's final status should be decided
sooner rather than later.


5. (C) Defense Minister Elenovski reported that
transformation of the Macedonian armed forces had resulted in
a fully professional force with a completely transformed
command structure and greater expeditionary capabilities. He
noted that 24 percent of active military personnel were from
minority communities. Macedonia's contributions to
international operations had increased 100 percent over last
year and Macedonia was contributing forces to ISAF, Operation
Iraqi Freedom, and the EU Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He said Macedonia had decided to contribute to a UN
peacekeeping operation for the first time by contributing two
officers to UNIFIL. Reform priorities in the coming year
would include; introducing a modern personnel management
system, promoting education and training, improving medical
and logistics support, meeting NATO Partnership Goals, and
addressing air surveillance and air policing issues.

PERM REPS NOTE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT MACEDONIA NOT THERE YET


6. (C) In their comments, Perm Reps urged Macedonia to
continue to implement reforms in the run up to the 2008
Summit, especially in the areas of improving dialogue between
the government and opposition, implementing judicial reform,
and fighting crime and corruption. Most Perm Reps also
stressed that the Alliance had made no decisions yet on
membership invitations and there were no guarantees about the

USNATO 00000305 002 OF 003


outcome, which would depend on Macedonia's performance.


7. (C) Ambassador Nuland said the U.S. hoped Macedonia
would be able to meet NATO's performance-based membership
criteria and join the Alliance. Macedonian success in
joining NATO would set an important example for the region as
a functioning multi-ethnic society in the Balkans. While
Macedonia had made progress it still had "much more work to
do." Allies would be looking to see whether Macedonia's
democracy was mature and stable enough so that progress was
not just sustainable, but irreversible. Progress in the
dialogue with the opposition was encouraging, but needed to
be brought to closure so that work in the Parliament could
resume. Priority reforms included ensuring equitable
minority representation, implementing phase two of
decentralization, adopting a religious freedom law,
implementing the Law on Police and the National Strategy for
Judicial Reforms, and prosecuting high-level crime and
corruption cases.


8. (C) Spanish Perm Rep Benavides noted the political
atmosphere in Macedonia had improved and while the
government's dialogue with the opposition had produced
results it needed to continue. UK Perm Rep Eldon said he
understood the government was currently not the party holding
back progress in the dialogue with the opposition, but the
democratic process must be made to work and "no one was off
the hook." Eldon expressed concern about several demotions
in the MFA's directorate of European affairs and stressed the
need for a review of legislation on employment and work
practices, an apolitical and professional civil service, and
a merit-based process for military appointments. Italian Perm
Rep Stefanini urged Macedonia to focus on the full
implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, treatment of
minorities, and the fight against organized crime and
corruption.


9. (C) Several Perm Reps expressed strong support for
Macedonia's NATO candidacy, with Slovenian Perm Rep Cerar
expressing full confidence Macedonia would meet NATO's
standards, and Estonian Perm Rep Tiido and Latvian Perm Rep
Eichmanis hoping to see Macedonia as a member soon.


10. (C) Greek Perm Rep Zepos said progress in Macedonia
"obviously causes a sense of satisfaction" and that Greece
had "spared no effort" in supporting Macedonia's
Euro-Atlantic integration, as long as performance criteria
were met. He said Macedonia must realize the importance of
full compliance with membership criteria and resolution of
the dispute over Macedonia's name would greatly contribute to
regional stability and to the Alliance's enlargement
principle of good neighborly relations, which for Greece "was
a must." He added that it was also necessary to avoid
politically provocative actions or deviations from the 1995
Interim Agreement.


11. (C) In his response to Perm Reps' comments, Milososki
thanked Greece for its support of Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic
aspirations "despite our small disagreements." He said he
had been pleased to recently open a Greek language lab in a
Macedonian Army barracks, which proved Macedonia wanted more
cooperation with Greece. Macedonia was committed to
resolving the name issue through the UN process. Relations
with Greece "are not just good, they are great" and he was
confident that sooner or later the two countries would come
to a solution to their bilateral issues.

NULAND: END BOYCOTT NOW, REACH OUT TO GREECE


12. (C) In a meeting with Milososki and Elenovski following
the NAC, Ambassador Nuland praised the Macedonian government
for rolling up its sleeves and making some progress in the
stalemate between the government and the opposition, while
reminding them they needed to conclude an agreement with the
opposition this month. She told Milososki that by the time
of the President's visit to the region and the EAPC Security
Forum in Ohrid, both in June, the boycott of Parliament
needed to be resolved so Macedonia could move on to other key
reforms. Milososki said he thought Macedonia would have good
news to pass along soon regarding a deal with the opposition.
He mentioned he was looking for a date for a bilateral visit
(for himself) to come to Washington and noted that following
that, he may push the Prime Minister to make a trip as well.


13. (C) On the name issue, Ambassador Nuland said Macedonia
needed not only to refrain from any more antagonizing actions
or remarks, but also needed to launch a charm offensive
towards Athens. She reminded the ministers that they need

USNATO 00000305 003 OF 003


Greece (and Bulgaria) to get into NATO. She suggested
Milososki invite Greek FM Backoyannis for a meeting in a
third country to discuss ways to improve the bilateral
relationship and to begin developing a personal relationship.
Moving away from the name issue, Amb Nuland suggested Skopje
work harder on making Macedonia's case to Allies if they
wanted to start bringing them around to support Macedonia's
NATO membership. Nuland closed by noting the government had
a lot of hard work to do in the coming weeks and, indeed, in
the whole period up to the 2008 NATO Summit.
NULAND