Continue with the political dialogue, the reforms, and the current positive atmosphere, because this way you will ensure that year 2008 is a year of success, Slovenian Ambassador Alain Brian Bergant, French Ambassador Bernard Valero, and EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere advised at their meeting with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski yesterday.

Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, who is on a three-day official visit to Qatar, met with Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani yesterday. The economic relations between the two countries were the chief issues discussed at the talks between President Crvenkovski and Emir al-Thani. Crvenkovski presented Macedonia’s capacities, as well as the Macedonian Government’s measures for drawing foreign direct investments. He also presented the country’s tax policy, assessing it as most favorable in the region.

The Hague Tribunal cases are among the priorities for year 2008, Deputy Justice Minister Saso Vasilevski said in the interview for Dnevnik.

The European Commission gave consent to the Macedonian Government's key amendments to the Energy Law in Brussels yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Stavreski said that they reached a good agreement, that they resolved all disputable issues, and that the Macedonian Government received permission to present these statutory amendments to the Assembly next week.

Slovenian EU parliamentarian Jelko Kacin said in the European Parliament yesterday that it is important that Macedonia receives a date for start of the negotiations for membership in the EU as soon as possible. "I hope that the Macedonian language will become an official language in the European Union soon, but precisely under this name and not under any other name that some neighboring countries would like to impose," Kacin stressed.

Academician Nikola Kjlusev (1927-2008), the first prime minister of independent Macedonia, died in his home in Skopje on Wednesday. The Government he was at the head of in 1991 and 1992 established all state institutions of the Republic of Macedonia, introduced the Macedonian national currency and formed the Macedonian Army.

I am concentrating on implementing the government program and fulfilling Macedonia's chief objectives: receiving an invitation for full membership in NATO and starting negotiations for membership in EU. I am not planning any early elections, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said yesterday, the media report.

Macedonia yesterday bid farewell to the 11 Macedonian Army members who were killed in the helicopter crash near the village of Blace, Katlanovo region, on Saturday as they were returning from the "Althea" peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Just before being due to land, the Macedonian Army helicopter received orders to wait and give right of way to a passenger plane arriving from Zurich, Dnevnik has learned. The initial reports about the accident show that the pilot of the "Mi-17" army helicopter did not report any defect in the aircraft to the Flight Control at the Skopje airport.

•Commemoration for 11 Macedonian troops killed in helicopter crash will be held today.

All 11 members of the Macedonian Army (ARM), who were being transported in Mi-17 helicopter that crashed in the vicinity of Blace (Katlanovo region), died in the accident.

The transport helicopter "Mi-17" was coming back from the ALTHEA mission in Bosnia & Herzegovina. So far, there are no reports on what had caused the accident.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer distanced himself from the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece yesterday. Asked by Utrinski Vesnik how NATO intends to resolve the problem concerning Greece's threats of vetoing Macedonia's accession, Scheffer responded that he, as secretary general, plays no role in this dispute.

Macedonia most probably will be able to start the negotiations for membership in the EU at the end of year 2008, when France will have presidency of the European Union, French Ambassador to Macedonia Bernard Valero said for Dnevnik. Valero stressed that if Macedonia works in accordance with the set agenda, the good news will come.

President Branko Crvenkovski and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski met today, but no official details were released from this meeting.

Macedonia does not have an energy database that would be a starting point in developing business plans, implementing projects and using investment funds. The Agency for Energy says that the potentials of the energy sectors are unknown and such information is indispensable for efficient implementation of the strategy for energy efficiency and utilization of renewable resources. Therefore this institution launched the first drive for collecting data about energy producers and consumers.

On 1 January 2008 the profit tax and the personal income tax further declined to 10%. Last year in January the Government introduced the flat tax rate, cutting the personal income tax from 24%, 18% and 15% and the profit tax from 15% to 12%.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said in his New Year message to the citizens of Macedonia that the country faced many difficulties and challenges in year 2007, noting that year 2008 would be more successful. He stressed that Macedonia received high commendation for its economic growth and the fight against corruption and crime, which, as he said, is a huge step forward with regards to the fulfilling of the obligations for membership in NATO and the EU.

If we are forced to choose between NATO and the constitutional name, we will stand in defense of the name, President Branko Crvenkovski said in the interview for Alsat-M TV.

He said that if Greece vetoes Macedonia's accession to NATO, this would be crude violation of the Interim Accord from year 1995 and the Republic of Macedonia would no longer observe this document either.

The Assembly elected SDSM leader Radmila Sekerinska chairperson of the National Council for EU Integration, which is supposed to help Macedonia integrate into the European Union quicker, the media report.

The leaders of the four biggest political parties in Macedonia coordinated the remaining EU and NATO-related laws at their meeting yesterday. Nikola Gruevski, prime minister and leader of VMRO-DPMNE, and SDSM Chairwoman Radmila Sekerinska confirmed following the meeting that they reached an agreement on 18 laws, which will be presented to the Parliament on 3 and 4 January next year.

The Republic of Macedonia should be included in U.S.’s program for canceling of visas. This is the request of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). This committee decided some time ago to include Macedonia among the 12 countries for which they believe visas should be cancelled.

The planned strategic objectives related to Macedonia's Euro Atlantic integration have not been achieved; the political parties from both the Government and opposition did not rise to the occasion; and the social picture worsened. Thus, we can say that this year was unsuccessful, Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski assessed yesterday in his traditional annual address to the nation before the parliamentarians in the Assembly.

 

This is an article, published December 10, 2007 in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette written by Argie N. Bellio, member of the United Macedonian Diaspora, and Metodija A. Koloski, United Macedonian Diaspora President, entitled "Name dispute covers up real Macedonian problem".

The security situation in the region is stable and no major incidents are expected in the future. This is the joint assessment of Macedonian Defense Minister Lazar Elenovski and KFOR Commander General Xavier Bout de Marnhac, following their meeting in Skopje yesterday.