Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SKOPJE287
2008-04-24 13:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Skopje
Cable title:  

MACEDONIA: ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADER AHMETI ON

Tags:  PREL PGOV MK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7032
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RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0287 1151359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241359Z APR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7287
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0285
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
UNCLAS SKOPJE 000287 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADER AHMETI ON
SERBIAN ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000287

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADER AHMETI ON
SERBIAN ELECTIONS


1. (SBU) During an April 23 meeting with eAlbanian DUI
President Ali Ahmeti to discuss upcoming parliamentary
elections in Macedonia (septel),the Ambassador reiterated
earlier Embassy appeals to DUI to encourage Albanian party
leaders in the Presevo Valley to take part in Serbia's May 11
elections. Ahmeti said that he had reached out to the
leaders of all the ethnic Albanian political parties in
southern Serbia, including in Preshevo and Bujanovac, and had
urged them to take part in the May 11 polls. His message to
those leaders, he said, had been that engaging positively in
the electoral process and getting their members to vote for
the progressive forces in Serbia, especially
"Europe-oriented" candidates, would provide a positive
example for the region. According to Ahmeti, all but one (he
did not specify which) of the leaders of all of the ethnic
Albanian parties in southern Serbia agreed with his position.
(Note: At Embassy Belgrade's request, we had earlier urged
DUI leaders to send the positive message to eAlbanian
political leaders in southern Serbia regarding their
participation in the May 11 voting. End note.)


2. (SBU) Ahmeti said it would be important to see how the
outcome of Serbia's upcoming parliamentary elections would be
reflected in political developments in Macedonia and Kosovo.
Ahmeti described what he saw as a developing split in
Macedonia between self-described "patriotic" political
parties that wrapped themselves in the flag (comment: and,
though he did not say so, the ethnic Macedonian identity),
and "pro-Europe" parties focused on EU membership, a split he
described as "similar to the existing split between the
Serbian political parties." (Note: The Macedonian media
already is buzzing about whether Prime Minister Nikola
Gruevski's ruling VMRO-DPMNE party is running on a
nationalistic "patriot" platform, while Gruevski himself has
maneuvered to paint himself as "both a patriot and a
supporter of Macedonia's integration into Europe." End note.)
MILOVANOVIC