MACEDONIA WAIVES NEW VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000092

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SMIG KCRM AL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA WAIVES NEW VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR
ALBANIANS

REF: A. SKOPJE 22


B. TIRANA 27

SUMMARY


1. (SBU) The Macedonian government has suspended
implementation of a new (and more cumbersome) visa issuance
procedure for Albanian citizens required by the Law on
Foreigners, which was passed in 2006 but only came into force
this year (ref A). In addition, Macedonian and Albanian
officials are working on an agreement that will waive
entirely visa requirements for citizens of the two countries.
Coming on the heels of nearly a month of negative publicity
and vocal opposition from Albanians and the eAlbanian
community in Macedonia, the GOM expects the visa waiver will
be formalized in an agreement to be signed by Prime Minister
Gruevski and Prime Minister Berisha during Gruevski's visit
to Tirana on February 18 or 19. The fact that Skopje and
Tirana have reached an accommodation on this sensitive matter
reflects the traditionally positive ties between the two
countries End summary.

NEW VISA REGIME PROMPTS PROTESTS
--------------


2. (SBU) As reported reftels, the entry into force of the Law
on Foreigners, passed in 2006, prompted loud protests from
ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, and public and private
opposition in Albania. Albanians objected to the law's
provisions ending the issuance of Macedonian visas at border
crossings between the two countries, instead requiring
Albanian travelers to obtain the visas at Macedonia's Embassy
in Tirana. EU contacts in Skopje informed us that the new
provisions were fully consistent with EU acquis requirements,
although the EU office in Tirana told Embassy Tirana that
there was no imperative to implement the requirements at this
time.

REACHING ACCOMMODATION
--------------


3. (SBU) On February 1, the leader of eAlbanian junior
governing coalition partner DPA, Menduh Thaci, reported to us
that -- following talks he had held with Albanian President
Topi in Tirana and PM Berisha (by phone) on January 31 -- the
two sides had agreed to "total visa liberalization" between
Macedonia and Albania. Thaci said the GOM had decided to
abolish visa requirements for Albanian citizens, and that the
details would be hammered out by expert working groups from
the foreign ministries of both sides on February 4 and 5 (ref
B). In the meantime, Macedonian Minister of Interior
Jankuloska issued an order to border police and customs units
to suspend application of the Law on Foreigners visa
requirements pending finalization of the new bilateral visa
agreement.


4. (SBU) A Macedonian government spokesman confirmed to us on
February 5 that the working groups were making progress
toward finalizing an agreement, which he expected PM Gruevski
to sign with his Albanian counterpart during the former's
visit to Tirana on February 18 or 19. The spokesman also
confirmed that the existing visa regime, regulated under a
1997 bilateral agreement, would remain in place until the new
agreement entered into force. He noted that the Macedonian
parliament likely would have to ratify the new bilateral visa
agreement. Local media reported on February 6 that the
Macedonian and Albanian working groups had produced an agreed
text liberalizing the visa regime between the two countries.

COMMENT
--------------


5. (SBU) It is clear that the Macedonian MFA missed an
opportunity for a proactive PR strategy that would have
explained the new visa requirements months in advance, and
also missed the chance perhaps to allow travelers to acquire
longer-validity, multiple-entry visas at the border in the
runup to implementation in 2008. The harsh public reaction
from Albanian nationals on both sides, however, gave DPA's
Thaci the chance to seize on the issue as a way to bolster
his sagging poll numbers and demonstrate his influence in PM
Gruevski's inter-ethnic governing coalition. It also gave
both Skopje and Tirana the opportunity to demonstrate

SKOPJE 00000092 002 OF 002


political maturity and their traditionally strong ties as
they reached an accommodation that will allow even freer
travel across their respective borders.


6. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassy Tirana.
MILOVANOVIC