- Defense Minister Fatmir Besimi visited Thursday Pentagon where he met with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Joseph McMillan. Besimi also met with former US ambassador to Macedonia Philip Reeker and discussed the bilateral defense cooperation and strategic partnership between Macedonia and the United states.

Establishing two funds, agricultural and investment, of approximately 100 million euros are the initial results of the visit of the high-ranking business delegation from the United Kingdom led by Prince Michael of Kent, who believes that most attractive sectors to British investors are mining, tourism, hotels, financial services, infrastructure and water and waste management.

According to a representative of the British Business Group, which organized the visit of the Prince to Macedonia, the initial value of the agricultural fund would be 50 million euros to be used for investments in agriculture in Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. The appeal of agriculture to British investors rest in the fact that in the region prices of agricultural products are lower than the European Union, the products are of high quality, the legislation has been harmonized and the nearness of the market is also helpful.  They say there is also serious interest in making investments in the ski centers Mavrovo and Popova Sapka.

- At his meetings in Washington on Thursday and Friday, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki is going to send out a message that all arguments about blocking Macedonia’s progress toward NATO and the EU have been exhausted. At his meeting with US Deputy State Secretary William Burns, Popovski is going to stress that Macedonia and the USA have always had a constructive and open dialogue, as NATO will retain its credibility by letting Macedonia sit at the same table with all other member states.

Following the fire of two days ago at the church of St. Nikola in the village of Labunista which broke out in the wake of previous cases on desecration of churches and burning of the Macedonian flag, it was peaceful in Struga on Tuesday still with heavier police presence than usual. The Interior Ministry Office in Ohrid confirmed the fire-related incident without disclosing any information about the arsonists.

The fire was planted in the dining room of the church in Labunista, the largest village in the Muslim dominated municipality. The flames spread to certain other rooms too. However, downright destruction of the building housing old frescos and icons was fortunately stalled. In addition to professional fire fighting teams, locals participated in the quenching the fire too.

The Islamic Religious Community (IRC) appealed to Muslims in Macedonia not to fall for the influence of provocateurs who wish to harm Islam, peace and Macedonia’s European future.
The IRC insists that charges be pressed against all those who hurt the sentiments of the Muslims at the Vevcani carnival, at which, they say, the holy book of Quran was ridiculed.
“We are concerned that in recent days in Macedonia, the Islamophobia is frequently combined with government propaganda. Such is the case of this carnival to which the Government allocates 50,000 euros every year from the money of all people including Muslims,” the IRC stresses and reminds that the state leadership turned a deaf ear to the humiliation of Albanians and Turks by the handball fans and national team members.
In the village of Oktisi last night, little after 8 pm, the Church of St Nikola was desecrated. Graffiti with death threats against Orthodox believers were sprayed on the walls of the shrine. Police made an investigation on the spot and is working to clearing up a number of incidents that have been shaking Struga the past few days, following the protest of the Islamic Religious Community against the “insulting masks” of the Vevcani carnival. Heavier police presence can also be spotted in the city.

Political battles between political parties should not be fought by way of raising religious issues, which objectively can and should be conducted only at the level of a debate or dialogue, says Nova Makedonija. Religious diversities must not lead to political grouping. This is how religious analysts interpret the series of incidents on interethnic and religious grounds that have shook the region of Struga over the weekend. The last in the series of events was the damaging of the 4-meter cross in the yard of the church of Sveta Bogorodica in the village of Brodec.

The revolt of the local Muslims began last Friday when the Struga Mufti Community staged protests against the scenes and masks of the Vevcani carnival held on 14 January this year, which they find to be insulting and anti-Muslim. They feel offended and believe that the carnival ridiculed the holy book of Quran as well as the Islamic principles of life.

- President Gjorge Ivanov met Sunday with Prince Michael of Kent who arrived Saturday to Macedonia with a large business delegation. According to Ivanov, thanks to company Johnson Matthey, the United Kingdom is among Macedonia's top ten trading partners.

Experts are divided over whether, who and why anyone is to blame for the (un)intentional dragging on of the lustration process, following the decision of the Constitutional Court to temporarily discontinue the lustration concerning former functionaries, journalists, priests and lawyers. Experts have conflicting views also over whether the extant lustration law is functional or should undergo modifications for the third time, as announced by governing VMRO-DPMNE, Nova Makedonija reports. As some believe there is nothing contentious in the law and that the problem is political, others trust the law is mature for modifications.

University Professor Zvonimir Jankulovski explains that the Macedonian lustration law is excellent for being drafted following the recommendations of the Council of Europe and for having incorporated experiences of a few countries that have already wound up their process of cutting ties with the former regimes.

- PM Nikola Gruevski on Wednesday in Brussels met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and ambassadors of the NATO member-countries and said that the NATO Summit in Chicago is a good opportunity to reexamine the conclusions from Bucharest especially now after the judgment of the International Court of Justice.  

- EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told  Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki and Deputy PM for EU Affairs Teuta Arifi that Skopje and Brussels will launch the high level accession dialogue this spring. This dialogue is considered to be a step forward in the Macedonian euro-integration.

Making the good neighborly relations a crucial element in the process of enlargement, and making changes to the resolution concerning the freedom of media, trade union freedoms and female equality are some of the amendments of the Members of the European Parliament to the draft resolution on Macedonia’s progress drafted by the rapporteur for Macedonia at the European Parliament, Richard Howitt.

Howitt’s colleagues filed a total of 164 amendments for almost every article of the draft resolution. The discussion about the amendments started Tuesday afternoon and according to the expectations in the European Parliament, the MEPs are once again going to appeal to the EU Council to commence negotiations and the pre-screening process of the harmonization of the Macedonian legislation with the EU laws, as well as to implement the second stage of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, for which there is wide consent and support. For example, British MEP Charles Tannock says in his amendment that the credibility of the process of enlargement of the EU will be compromised by the continuous postponement of the membership negotiations.” The Greek MEP Maria Eleni Koppa shares his view yet adds that at the same time a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue needs to be found.

Athens is only buying time, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski about the current Greek position and their unwillingness to welcome mediator Matthew Nimetz in the region – on 4 February in Athens and on 15 February in Skopje. Diplomatic sources also say that until the summit of NATO in Chicago set for end May, no changes in Greece’s stance can be expected. In their view, any livening up in the name issue talks is possible only afterward, Nova Makedonija reports.  

In the first half of this year, despite the clear situation in view of the judgment from the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a change in NATO’s position is hardly likely. The standing of the NATO officials that a solution to the name dispute should be found so Macedonia can join the Alliance is very clear. Greece, on the other hand, refuses to recognize the judgment and hence a change in the attitude toward Macedonia is unlikely,” diplomats say.

Macedonian Prime Minister Gruevski too said that the disposition for having Nimetz in the region was not very welcoming.

 

The judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which was in Macedonia’s favor, may only be a catalyst of the name issue talks, because the country has to resolve the name issue if it wishes to join NATO, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs told Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in Skopje Wednesday.

Aside from this message, which Reeker said was reiterated many times, he expressed commiseration for the passing of Macedonia’s first president Kiro Gligorov, whom he referred to as true statesman and called on the government to be courageous in taking tough decisions as Gligorov was.

“I hope the country’s leadership will demonstrate the same amount of courage as President Gligorov did in handling the numerous challenges of the country, which we face together in the region and the complex world we live in. More specifically we talked about the judgment of the International Court of Justice of last December, Macedonia’s progress in the Euro-Atlantic integration, the importance of the freedom of media and the independence of the judiciary,” Reeker said.

Greek negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis voiced at its meeting with mediator Nimetz in New York the remark of official Athens about the carnival in Vevcani, at which Greece was “buried,” Dnevnik has learned from diplomatic sources.

According to Nova Makedonija, Greece also announced freezing of the name issue talks, as well as walking out of the Interim Accord, whereby Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration would be indirectly blocked. It is also a reaction to the judgment of the International Court of Justice in Macedonia’s favor, which opened a door for Macedonia’s accession to NATO.

According to Dnevnik’s sources, the Greeks are expected to use similar excuses to substantiate their stances that Macedonia is not constructive in the negotiations and that is, in fact, a tactic to drag on the negotiations and avoid making any progress before the NATO summit in Chicago.

The USA has been continuously expressing support for Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, which has been supplemented with the strategic partnership. The Republic of Macedonia values that support in a variety of ways, one of them being our contribution to peacekeeping missions, said Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki.

“We have said many times that we remain on that course. However, the cooperation should also be viewed through our commitment to the shared democratic values and the new global challenges. When we talk about values, we certainly bear in mind the principled use of our constitutional name by the USA and the Republic of Macedonia appreciates that principled approach,” Minister Poposki emphasized.

Greece is disinterested in a meaningful dialogue with Macedonia, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said in an interview with MIA, commenting on the expectations from the meeting of mediator Matthew Nimetz with the negotiators in New York on 16-17 January, Nova Makedonija reports.

“Greece’s motivation and commitment are not encouraging. The initial messages from the current government in Athens reveal lack of interests in conducting a meaningful dialogue with Macedonia. More energy was spent on setting up barricades, obstructions and avoiding serous talks than on finding a solution,” Minister Poposki said.

Deputies from both the government and the opposition will be calling for meetings at the US Congress in order to lobby for putting Macedonia on the agenda at the NATO summit in Chicago, Dnevnik reports.

There is not much time left until the summit of the Alliance but Macedonia is not going to give up the fight for a favorable outcome. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said in his interview with Dnevnik Wednesday that he did not trust that in the period to come the agenda of the summit could change to include the issue of enlargement. Macedonia, according to Gruevski, may be put on the agenda provided that the great powers exert pressure.

“The draft agenda of the summit was adopted in December and it does not include the enlargement process. We are fighting in fact now to change the agenda. However, only the great powers can change it provided they make effort but there are no signals they would,” Gruevski says.

Diplomats believe that the battle for the agenda should be fought through lobbying in the USA.

Interview with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski with Dnevnik

One month of the passing of the judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague where Macedonia won the legal battle against Greece, after the New Year and Christmas break, the Government and the Macedonian diplomacy at the onset of 2012 are ahead of a serious challenge to promote truth and justice in the international community and to lobby for unblocking the Euro-Atlantic integration of the country before the summit of NATO in Chicago this spring. Prime Minister Gruevski says in his interview with Dnevnik that the great powers are totally disinterested in resolving the name issue and that he is not a pessimist but a realist when saying the chances are slim for Macedonia to join NATO at the summit in May.

- Are we going to be allowed to join NATO this year?
It would be just and deserved. I hope and wish that things do not turn out as in the old saying might makes right. Our job is to work with complete dedication.

- Sally McNamara, Senior Policy Analyst in European Affairs at The Heritage Foundation told TV Fox News that the US administration has a real opportunity to advance American leadership at the NATO summit in Chicago, ensuring that Macedonia joins NATO this year would be a sign that President Obama genuinely understands America’s primary role in creating and maintaining a democratic global order. McNamara said that last month, the International Court of Justice ruled that Greece vetoed Macedonia’s membership of the alliance in 2008. Worse, it has done so without a squeak of protest from the White House. 

The strategy about the course of the name issue talks with Greece was the main topic at the coordination meeting of the state leadership called by President Gjorgje Ivanov Sunday. The meeting, which took place in the run-up to the separate meetings of negotiators Zoran Jolevski and Adamantios Vassilakis with mediator Matthew Nimetz, was attended by Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Deputy Prime Minister Musa Xhaferi and Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki.
According to unconfirmed information, Macedonia is going to build its approach to the new round of talks based on the judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague and is going to try and benefit from it as much as possible, Dnevnik reports.
Professor Toni Deskovski, who contributed to the preparation of the application before the International Court of Justice, suggested a few days ago ways to benefit from the judgment. In his view, Macedonia should insist on a new written deal in front of Nimetz, in which it should be stated that the country has never broken the Interim Accord, has no territorial clams and does not insist on holding the exclusive right to the name, which should help bridge the differences between Macedonia and Greece.

Ten new promoters are to leave the country in search of foreign investors. Except for Italy, Macedonian promoters are to leave for Holland, Kosovo, Albania, and South Korea. These five promoters were chosen in the last contest and another five people that were chosen earlier are to leave for Canada, France, Great Britain, Turkey and Belgium. The Government only needs to appoint the promoters for Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. This shows that the Government has no intention to stop sending promoters abroad. Thus far, the promoters succeeded in bringing one-two foreign investments to the country. The Government also asked the ambassadors to look for foreign investors. The Agency for Foreign Investments is optimistic that despite the crisis, many companies will come to the country this year.

“In times of crisis, businessmen are looking for a way to make money and they seek cheaper places for production. The qualified labour force is one of the advantages for investing. In 2012, the investment will be the same as in 2011,” director of the Agency for Foreign Investments, Visar Fida, said recently. The Government increased the budget for the Agency for Foreign Investments and it will have 6.2 million euro at its disposal next year.

- UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has invited the representatives of both parties, Ambassadors Zoran Jolevski and Adamantios Vassilakis respectively, to meet with him in New York on January 16 and 17, and both sides have accepted the invitation.

In the next six months, the period of the presidency mandate over the EU, Denmark is to view the dossier of Macedonia. Denmark undertakes this obligation from the conclusions of the European Council held in Brussels on 9 December.

“The European Council reviewed the issue on the recommendation of the European Commission for start of the negotiations with FYROM. The Danish Presidency is prepared to act in accordance to these conclusions, representative of the Danish presidency told Fokus.

- First president of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov passed away Sunday at the age of 94 years. The funeral of Macedonia's former president will take place on Tuesday in Skopje. It was his last wish the funeral to be attended by family members only. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia declared 3 January day of mourning. A commemorative session has been scheduled Tuesday at which President Gjorge Ivanov is to hold a speech.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, President Gjorge Ivanov and SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski regretfully received the news on the death of Kiro Gligorov and sent letter of condolences to his family. Telegrams of condolences to his family and the state leadership were sent from former and current Croatian presidents Stipe Mesic and Ivo Josipovic as well as Serbian President Boris Tadic.

- Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski congratulated the New Year to Macedonian citizens and promised that the Government will continue to more ambitiously realize the planned projects for the good of the people. He announced a new package of measures including a voucher of 5000 euro for persons who are interested in opening a new business, the price of the mandatory medical examination will be reduced from   1200 to 800 denars and the price for students who want to open a firm will also be reduced from 2400 to 1200 denars.

 

Unblocking the accession to NATO and being set a date for opening membership negotiations with the EU are the two main political tasks for 2012 that Macedonian Ambassadors were given by Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki at the meeting of the diplomatic council in Skopje.

Ambassadors must not neglect their economy-related responsibilities and Macedonia’s investment and tourism promotion either.

“Next year will be very busy as far as its diplomacy is concerned with numerous activities of the entire diplomatic network. Ambassadors have been set guidelines of political and economic action, with stress being laid on the activities for drawing foreign investments. An exceptional opportunity has been created with the reception of the third successive positive report from the European Commission on Macedonia’s progress and the judgment from the International Court of Justice in The Hague,” Minister Poposki said Wednesday.

A diplomatic and media battle has flared up in Canada over the past month after representatives of the United Macedonian Diaspora published an article in the influential National Post. Before the declaration of the judgment of the International Court of Justice, Meto Koloski and Mark Branov authored and published an article “Time to Let Macedonia Play with the Big Boy” arguing that Macedonia should join NATO. The article prompted a storm of reactions from the Greek diaspora in Canada, primarily Quebec, followed by a diplomatic war through letters by the consuls general of Macedonia and Greece.

The whole atmosphere resembles that in the USA of 7-8 years ago when the Greek disapora, whose main spearhead was the Pan-Hellenistic Movement, managed to persuade a few federal parliaments to adopt resolutions whose principle argument was that “Macedonians are Helens.” Such a declaration was passed also in Illinois, where President Barack Obama is from and where numerous Greeks live. Fortunately many Macedonians live there as well and so they responded with a counter-resolution and so the battle for historical facts made its way to the Congress. However, the Greeks succeeded only in having a resolution passed that is not binding and has no direct effect on the US foreign policy.

- PM Nikola Gruevski met Tuesday in the Government with Macedonian ambassadors abroad and discussed about the increase of activities of the Macedonian diplomacy in the sphere of economy. Gruevski stressed that next year the Government will remain focused on the EU recommendations.

The Islamic Religious Community (IRC) is finishing the process of reconciliation with the persons whom until recently it has claimed to be prime promoters of Islamic radicalism in Macedonia. Following the appeal of the president of IRC, Sulejman Rexhepi, for normalization of the relations, at the seat of this religious community, a meeting took place with Imam Bekir Halimi, who was said to be one of the leaders of wahhabism in Macedonia, Dnevnik reports.

The meeting is said to have gone in a friendly atmosphere and therefore no tension can be expected in the future over whose representatives are in control of mosques in Skopje. The problem with Halimi, as well as with Imam Ramadan Ramadani, occurred last year when the IRC accused them of usurping the Isa-beg mosque in the Skopje Old Bazaar and turning it into a hotbed of radical Islam.

Political experts believe that the recent letter of Fazli Veliu, president of the Association of Veterans of the NLA, sent to the state leadership with an ultimatum that the status of the former NLA members should be resolved by 17 January is in fact pressure from BDI chairman Ali Ahmeti on his coalition partner Nikola Gruevski, Dnevnik reports.

Veliu demands that the head of state, the prime minister and the parliament speaker should resolve the status of the disabled NLA fighters and the families of those who got killed or else face consequences.

“We demand of the authorities to resolve this issue fairly by 17 January 2012. We would be more peaceful if the solution was at the required level. If the issue is handled as before, we are going to decide together what to do. We don’t want the events that hurt so many families to be repeated,” Veliu threatened.

BDI refused to comment on Veliu’s ultimatum, explaining that he acted as chairman of the Association of NLA Veterans.