MACEDONIA: CRVENKOVSKI POSITIVE ON NAME NEGOTIATIONS, PLANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000538 SIPDIS BELGRADE PLEASE PASS PODGORICA STATE FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV MK GG RS SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: CRVENKOVSKI POSITIVE ON NAME NEGOTIATIONS, PLANS RETURN TO PARTY POLITICS Ref: Skopje 513 CLASSIFIED BY: Ambassador Milovanovic for reasons1.5 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) UN Name Negotiator Nimetz's latest proposals are workable but the clock is ticking, President Crvenkovski told the Ambassador August 22. Macedonia can compromise on the name and its scope of use, but not on the adjective ("Macedonian") to describe the country's language and people. However, the President worried that PM Gruevski is not ready to deal. Crvenkovski said he planned to return to his old party, SDSM, though he does not know in which capacity; he was critical of SDSM's current path. Ambassador pressed for a firmer Macedonian response to Russian aggression in Georgia. End summary. Nimetz Proposals Workable... -------------- ¶2. (C) In a warmly cordial August 22 farewell call with the Ambassador, President Crvenkovski characterized the latest proposals by UN Name Negotiator Nimetz as positive and "a good basis for moving forward." He reported that on August 21 Nimetz had presented both him and PM Gruevski a working draft and they had discussed some specific options for the name itself. Crvenkovski outlined three main elements to any solution: the name, its scope of use, and the adjective to be used in describing the country's language and people. For Macedonia, only the adjective is non-negotiable: the adjective must be "Macedonian." He suggested that Nimetz must ascertain from Greece on which of the other two elements (name and scope) it is the least flexible, then work toward compromise on the other. He added that the GoM does not insist that the adjective be part of the agreement itself; it could be part of the subsequent UNSCR or an addendum to it (NFI). Crvenkovski is hopeful that following his August 22 consultations in Greece, Nimetz will expeditiously provide a more concrete proposal. Given events in early 2009 -- a new U.S. administration, local elections in Macedonia, and possible elections in Greece -- now is the time to make a deal. ...But Does Gruevski Want a Deal? -------------- ¶3. (C) Crvenkovski was surprised that Gruevski's office told the press that Nimetz did not discuss specific names with the leadership here, adding that he found the PM's letter-writing campaigns on the Macedonian minority in Greece and the church issue to be counterproductive. Indeed, he said, "I think I am objective when I say that Gruevski doesn't want a compromise." Back to the Party -------------- ¶4. (C) Crvenkovski reiterated that he will not run for re-election in ¶2009. He has decided to return to the opposition party SDSM, though he is not sure in what capacity. (We have heard from other sources that SDSM will convene a party congress later in September and elect either a new leader with a full four-year mandate or a caretaker until Crvenkovski's presidential term ends next spring.) ¶5. (C) Crvenkovski expressed disappointment with his old party's recent actions. The parliamentary boycott was a major mistake, and even after he stepped in (by refusing to sign laws passed under urgent procedures and pardoning party vice-chair Zoran Zaev; see reftel) SDSM "remains on vacation." He was frustrated that the party leadership has not even held a press conference or issued a statement to address specific legislation it would like to see amended. Looking back at June parliamentary elections, Crvenkovski claimed that SDSM had lost its identity by seeking to appear even more nationalistic than Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE ("impossible") and by flip-flopping on key issues such as the name problem and support for the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Georgia -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Ambassador expressed disappointment with the Macedonian MFA's August 13 statement on Georgia, and pressed for the GoM to make a stronger comment which emphasizes Georgia's sovereignty and SKOPJE 00000538 002 OF 002 territorial integrity and calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. MILOVANOVIC