MACEDONIA: SWEDISH DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLITICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000269

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM MK GR KV SR SW
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: SWEDISH DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLITICAL
AFFAIRS VISITS SKOPJE IN PREPERATION FOR EU PRESIDENCY

Classified By: CDA THOMAS NAVRATIL FOR REASONS 1.5 (b) and (d).

1.(C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Bjorn Lavall, Director General of
Political Affairs for the Swedish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, met with Ambassador Reeker during a visit to Skopje
in preparation for Sweden,s upcoming EU Council Presidency.
During the May 28 meeting they discussed the GOM,s often
unhelpful approach to the issues Macedonia is confronting,
including the &name dispute8 with Greece, interethnic
challenges, diplomatic relations with Kosovo, and the impact
of the world economic crisis. Ambassador Lavall expects a
positive assessment of Macedonia in the next EU Commission
progress report and EU visa liberalization to come for
Macedonia early next year. He also indicated that Sweden
would continue to advocate for Macedonia,s Euro-Atlantic
integration during its presidency. Swedish Ambassador to
Macedonia Lars Freden, Swedish Counselor Anna Craenen and
Swedish MFA Desk Officer Kerstin von Hedenberg also attended
the meeting. (End Summary)

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GOM STALLING AND INACTION
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2.(C) Ambassador Lavall asked if Prime Minister Gruevski was
truly interested in EU integration. Ambassador Reeker noted
that PM Gurevski often seems more focused on internal
politics than external affairs. He noted the PM,s tendency
to continue making excuses for not addressing many of the
larger issues Macedonia faces, most notably the name dispute
with Greece, but also including: economic stability,
interethnic relations, relations with Kosovo, and meeting EU
benchmarks. The PM has used Macedonia,s recent elections,
the inauguration of President Ivanov and Greece,s European
parliamentary elections as excuses to continuously avoid
addressing these issues. Gruevski may find another excuse
after European elections, but that will be the best time to
assess Gruevski,s true intentions. Ambassador Reeker said
that setting specific objectives and benchmarks for Gruevski
had been effective in getting Macedonia to make progress in
the past and suggested a similar strategy might be effective
in pushing them to resolve current issues.

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NAME ISSUE
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3.(C) Ambassador Lavall was curious as to whether or not the
United States had devised a &plan B8 for resolving the name
issue and getting Macedonia into NATO. Ambassador Reeker
cited Deputy Secretary Steinberg,s recent visit, noting the
U.S. would make additional efforts with both sides to come to
an equitable resolution through the UN brokered process, but
the U.S. did not intend to dictate a solution to the dispute.
Ambassador Lavall indicated that they considered it an issue
related to regional security and intended to encourage both
sides to come to a resolution. He noted however that the EU
had very little sway over Greece in the issue.

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POSITIVE ASSESSMENT
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4.(C) Ambassador Lavall expects this year,s progress report
on Macedonia from the EU Commission to be positive and said
they would use the report to try and press Macedonia,s
Euro-Atlantic aspirations forward. He also noted
Macedonia,s positive visa liberalization assessment and
indicated that Macedonia could receive visa liberalization as
soon as January 1, 2010. Ambassador Lavall noted that visa
liberalization could become complicated however if Serbia did
not receive liberalization. Border control issues between
Serbia and Macedonia would then become a factor that could
adversely affect liberalization for Macedonia. On a separate
note, he positively pointed out that Greece had so far given
no indication that it would attempt to hinder Macedonia,s
visa liberalization aspirations in any way. Ambassador
Reeker emphasized the importance of visa liberalization for
improving Macedonia,s overall confidence and broadening its
international awareness in general. He noted that U.S.
Embassy Skopje had been trying to increase programs to send
Macedonians abroad in an effort to expand Macedonia,s world
view and ultimately increase desire for international
cooperation and inclusion.

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INTERETHNIC ISSUES
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5.(C) Ambassador Lavall wanted to know whether
ethnic-Albanian dissatisfaction presented any sort of threat
to Macedonia,s progress. Ambassador Reeker explained that
the ethnic-Albanian community was currently very fractured
and felt excluded from the Government. He noted the GOM,s
lack of interest in effectively implementing the Ohrid
Framework Agreement, recent concerns voiced by the
ethnic-Albanian parties over the GOM,s intention to equip
the Ministry of Interior with military helicopters and
weapons, the GOM,s recent diplomatic snubs of Kosovo
President Sediju, and rumors that DUI would be leaving the
government coalition very soon. Ambassador Reeker said he
did not believe rumors about DUI leaving the coalition in the
immediate future or have concerns that Macedonia was on the
verge of imminent interethnic conflict, but noted that the
situation could deteriorate very quickly. Ambassador Reeker
pointed out that DUI had recently implied that the government
had a five month deadline for the resolution of the name
issue before DUI sought other options. Ambassador Reeker
also noted the possibility that the PM might use DUI leaving
the coalition as an excuse for another round of parliamentary
elections.
NAVRATIL