MACEDONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AND GREEK AMBASSADOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000056 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AND GREEK AMBASSADOR IN DIPLOMATIC, BUT POINTED EXCHANGE REF: SKOPJE SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) During a January 18 MFA briefing for NATO Ambassadors in Skopje, Greek Ambassador Papadopolou engaged FM Milososki in a diplomatic but pointed exchange on Macedonia's NATO candidacy. Omitting direct discussion of the "name issue," the Greek Ambassador instead focused on what she characterized as Macedonia's "political immaturity" and lack of "irreversible" reforms as hindrances to its NATO candidacy. For his part, FM Milososki commented on Macedonia's "vitality" in meeting challenges and its unity on foreign policy priorities. The Greek Ambassador's focus on Macedonia's performance shortcomings underscored her effort to persuade the other NATO Ambassadors that Macedonia is not ready to join NATO, rather than dwelling on the unresolved name dispute as the key obstacle to its accession. End summary. GREEK AMBASSADOR: WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS, BUT YOU ARE NOT READY FOR NATO -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a January 18 briefing for NATO Ambassadors in Skopje, Minister of Defense Elenovski and FM Milososki gave upbeat presentations on the country's progress toward NATO accession. Following the presentations, Greek Ambassador Papadopolou stirred up the otherwise uneventful Q&A session with a lengthy list of comments. The Greek diplomat scrupulously avoided any reference to the hated "FYROM" acronym or to any other reference to the host country that would have soured the meeting. Her comments, instead, focused entirely on what she described as Macedonia's lack of readiness for NATO membership. ¶3. (SBU) Assuring the Macedonians of her friendly intentions and expressing satisfaction with recent positive developments in the country's political atmosphere, Papadopolou said she was not persuaded that the positive steps were "irreversible." She added that the overall political climate was "unhealthy" and "immature." Papadopolou advised the GOM not to base its security planning solely on developments in Kosovo, and urged Milososki to instead acknowledge that the country also faces unspecified "serious internal security problems." She concluded that she could not concur with positive assessments of Macedonia's overall progress toward NATO membership. ¶4. (SBU) Almost as an afterthought, Papadopolou mentioned that good neighborly relations were still "a cornerstone for Greece." She extolled the high rates of Greek private investment in Macedonia as "the best example of confidence building measures," and said it was time for the two countries to move beyond the name issue to resolve it. FM MILOSOSKI: WE NEED FRIENDS LIKE YOU, AND WE ARE DETERMINED TO SUCCEED -------------- ¶5. (SBU) FM Milososki responded in a non-confrontational and positive manner, thanking Greece for its "support" and "friendship." He acknowledged the problems and challenges any fledgling democracy faces, but stressed his country's vitality in meeting such challenges. Milososki characterized government-opposition differences as part of any "normal democracy," but pointed to the selection of an opposition party president to chair the Parliamentary Euro-Integration Committee as proof of the government's commitment to consensus-seeking. Milososki also noted that, even though Macedonia's political parties disagreed on domestic issues, they are unified in their foreign policy goals, which Macedonia hoped "friends like Greece" could help them to accomplish. ¶6. (SBU) Responding to the Greek Ambassador's remarks on the name issue, Milososki reiterated that there are no SKOPJE 00000056 002 OF 002 Greece-Macedonia problems on the social or security level, and pledged to work toward a timely solution to the name dispute. He added, unfortunately, a barbed remark about Greece's earlier rejection of the 2005 Nimetz (UN negotiator) proposal on the name, which Macedonia at the time had accepted. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The January 18 exchange between Greek Ambassador Papadopolou and FM Milososki highlighted the Macedonian side's attempt to demonstrate its good neighborly relations with Greece and desire to work constructively with Athens to overcome the practical obstacles posed by the name dispute. The Greek Ambassador clearly was striving to underscore to the other NATO Ambassadors that Macedonia is not ready for NATO membership, rather than dwelling on the name issue as the central obstacle to the country's accession prospects. MILOVANOVIC