Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski stated today that what VMRO-DPMNE and BDI agreed upon were only issues relating to the list of laws to be adopted by the Badinter principle and the Committee on Interethnic Relations, and dismissed reports of agreement reached over matters relating to the status of the former NLA fighters, the use of the Albanian language and the election of the Government by the Badinter principle as sheer speculation. VMRO-DPMNE and PDSH are in talks over saving their governing coalition.

• PDSH officials decide to walk out of the governing coalition.

• BDI leader Ali Ahmeti announces BDI to return to Assembly.

• Macedonia to host next Summit of Central Europe Heads of State in 2008.

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Vasfi Doko, deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, Remzi Salihu, deputy director of the Security and Counter-Intelligence Office, and Nafi Doko, chief of the Department for Civilian Affairs at the Ministry of Interior (MOI), all of them from PDSH (Democratic Party of Albanians), governing VMRO-DPMNE’s coalition partner, resigned today in sign of support for Deputy Interior Minister Refet Elmazi, who tendered his resignation a day earlier.

By Michel Rocard - for CROSSROADS

Michel Rocard est un homme politique français Ancien ministre et Premier ministre. Depuis 1994, il est député au Parlement européen, membre du groupe parlementaire du Parti socialiste européen.

Michel Rocard is a French politician, member of the Socialist Party (PS). He served as Prime Minister from 1988 to 1991. He is currently a member of the European Parliament.

It is a source of pleasure to know that the Republic of Macedonia is a candidate for membership in the European Union and that its citizens are starting to show interest in this.

When in January this year our Romanian and Bulgarian Euro-MPs joined us at the formal session, I, an experienced politician, once a decisive and cold blooded Prime Minister, almost had tears in my eyes. So many wars are being wiped from our memory and their repetition is becoming impossible… Welcome Macedonia, the sooner the better. However, caution dear friends: it isn’t a question of speed, nor ease, nor fatalism. The union is not just an agreement, like others, it means to live with common values and forms of organization of society which deeply transform its own members. Be sure in yourselves.

Ljube Boskoski's defense attorneys presented evidence yesterday showing that protected witness M 088 joined the National Liberation Army (NLA) following the events in Ljuboten, "Dnevnik" reports.

BDI must return to the Parliament. This is the message that EU parliamentarian Doris Pack and EU Ambassador to Macedonia Erwan Fouere conveyed to BDI leader Ali Ahmeti.

Macedonia supports UN mediator Martti Ahtisaari's plan for the resolving of the status of Kosovo, "Dnevnik" reports. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski expressed hope that Ahtisaari's plan would be part of the international community's final decision.

Antonio Milososki, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Macedonian Diplomatic Bulletin

This year for the first time we set up the Day of the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 29 April. On this day in 1969, the Bureau for Foreign Relations, which can be considered a precursor of today’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, was established.

Europe expects BDI to return to the Assembly as soon as possible. The European Union feels that there is no need for now to respond positively to BDI's request that it serves as facilitator or arbitrator in the political dialogue between BDI and VMRO-DPMNE.

European Parliament member Jelko Kacin from Slovenia said that formation of a Government in accordance with the Badinter principal was not the intent of the Badinter Commission and no document of this commission contains such recommendation.

Macedonia received support for its constitutional name in Warsaw yesterday, a rare occurrence from an EU member country. Expressing support for Macedonia's constitutional name and criticizing Greece for imposing an artificial problem, Polish President Lech Kaczynski said after the meeting with Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski that Poland supports Macedonia in the name dispute with Greece.

The Struga Basic Court stated that the start of the legal proceedings against British citizen Nick Morley, suspected of jeopardizing road safety and failing to provide aid, is uncertain. The Court Council will also investigate the responsibility of investigating judge Zajedin Islami, who released Morley from detention. Vladimir and Margit Cepunjoski lost their lives in the car accident that occurred last week.

VMRO-DPMNE is willing to resolve the two contentious issues from the political dialogue with BDI - the law on use of the languages and resolving of the status of the individuals who participated in the conflict in year 2001 - but only if the resolution does not digress from the Constitution and the Framework Agreement. VMRO-DPMNE sources said that Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski would not sign a document that would obligate BDI leader Ali Ahmeti and him to resolve the open questions within certain deadlines.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski rejected Sunday BDI leader Ali Ahmeti's ultimatum of a day earlier that the party would return to Parliament provided that a law on NLA fighters anddisabled members was passed.

MIC INTERVIEW WITH BLAGICA NOVKOVSKA, DIRECTOR OF THE STATE STATISTICAL OFFICE

As an experienced statistician and director of the State Statistical Office, I believe that the statistics we produce reflect Macedonia’s economic and social situation. However, the extent to which a statistical data is true greatly depends on the source from which the statistical information is garnered. Building "statistical literacy" is a long-term process in which population of diverse ages should be included. This means that the Statistical Office in the future will try to improve the situation by way of taking a number of activities. I believe that with the Euro-integration processes and the full realization of the coordination role of the State Statistical Office in the statistical system of the country, we will succeed in creating conditions for full application of the European standards in the Macedonian statistical system.

Interview with Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP and former Secretary General of NATO with CROSSROADS.

1. Your Excellency, the release of the second edition of “Crossroads” will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. Right now, the EU is transcending the axis of “soft power” versus “hard power”, trying to combine these concepts into some European version of a new concept of “smart power”. In this context, please tell us what do you think about the past records and future challenges ahead of European Security and Defense Policy and can you give us some hints about the future institutional development of the EU capacities for foreign and security policies, especially your visions on the nascent European diplomatic, military and intelligence capacities?

The record is extremely positive. Last year, the European Union conducted 10 operations with around 10 000 men and women serving in them. Their impact is significant. The EU is providing the “key enablers” for peace and stability. The global reach and the scope of these different operations is striking. Across three continents, they cover the spectrum from ‘pure’ military operations - through security sector reform and institution-building - to police and rule-of- law missions.

The Macedonian Stock Exchange turnover totaled 34 million euros in the last week of April, which is almost twice the turnover of the previous week. Half of the turnover was realized on the officials market, where in a total of 5,170 transactions, 1,399,244 shares were traded for 996.64 million denars. On the regular market, the turnover totaled 437.836 million denars.

The rate of long-term unemployment in Macedonia is still extremely high, the mobile workforce is scarce and the labor market is not flexible. This is pointed out in the employment policy report developed by the International Labor Organization and the Council of Europe, which was presented at the Economic Chamber in Skopje on Thursday before employers and representatives of the Government, the Unions and the international community.

The next two months will be key for Macedonia and Albania's accession to NATO, as a result of which these two countries will further strengthen their cooperation in the process for integration into the alliance, Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Albanian Foreign Minister Besnik Mustafaj stressed at their informal meeting in Ohrid yesterday.

The United States called on the government and opposition in Macedonia to work together on the NATO membership reforms, emphasizing that the time for being granted an invitation is short and there are a lot of remaining responsibilities on the way. U.S. Deputy State Secretary Rosemary DiCarlo, who met with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and President Branko Crvenkovski in Skopje on Monday, said she was content with the progress the country had made.

Gjorgji Trendafilov was elected leader of VMRO-People's Party (VMRO-NP) at the party congress on Sunday. Trendafilov was elected in the second round of the elections. A total of 164 of the 317 delegates who voted gave their support to Trendafilov, while his opponent Vesna Janevska won the support of 152 delegates.

•Summit of presidents of SEE countries on "Long-term energy stability - precondition for economic growth" to be held in Ohrid.

The U.S. Administration's support for the statutory act on enlargement of NATO "does not represent support for the temporary reference used for Macedonia in the United Nations", U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stressed in her letter to Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki.

BDI will not demand that the Albanian language be used in international communication. BDI's Musa Xhaferi said that they are withdrawing this demand because, according to the Constitution, all international communication has to be led in Macedonian.