- The Hague International Court of Justice will postpone the verdict in the case between Macedonia and Greece and instead of the verdict being passed at the end of September, this will take place somewhere at the end of October. Diplomatic sources from the Hague say that the postponement is a result of internal reasons whereas experts say that the bureaucracy is the reason for postponing the verdicts.

 

Answer: I already mentioned the most important events but let me say again that in my opinion the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe was one of the most significant achievements in view of both the diplomatic activities and the representation of Macedonia before all other European countries; the positive reports from the European Commission in 2009 and 2010 for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our diplomatic network can rightfully claim part of the credit; as well as the visa liberalization which was evidence that the Republic of Macedonia has the capacity to perform tasks and meet criteria being part of the European standards and that when those achievements are not hindered by an EU member state it is obvious that our country and our institutions are fully capable of attaining the objectives and priorities of our foreign policy.

The questions about the country they were born in, the language, the origin and the religious affiliation are the four main elements that the Macedonians in Australia should have dedicated more attention to on the census forms. The Census in Australia officially ends Tuesday when the electronic filling of forms closes and when the printed forms are handed over.

The Australian-Macedonian Human Rights Committee identified the questions that are important to the Macedonian community and carried out a campaign on how these questions should be appropriately answered. The Committee advised Macedonian citizens to write Macedonia in the column as the answer to the question “What country were you born in?” The Committee advised those who were born in Aegean or Pirin Macedonia, not to write Pirin or Aegean Macedonia but Bulgaria or Greece. In this way, it would be emphasized that there are Macedonians outside the border of the Republic of Macedonia. Macedonians in Australia, are especially told that the answer “Greece”, for example, does not mean that they declare themselves to have Greek ethnic origin. The mutual descent in the census form has a special question which they could answer with “Macedonian ethnic origin”.

The Framework Agreement restored the peace in the country and greatly achieved the loyalty toward the institutions, emphasized Deputy Premier for Implementation of the Framework Agreement, Musa Xhaferi in an interview with Radio Free Europe. Xhaferi says that the adoption of the laws on use of the languages and flag, as well as the authentic interpretation of the Amnesty Law, do not mean expansion of the Framework Agreement.   

“We had two laws and one authentic interpretation of the Amnesty Law, adopted in 2002, which is not the same. The fact that some media or analysts want to analyze it as though the frame has been overstepped, I believe, is not the case. For instance, the Constitutional Court interpreted some articles from the Law on Use of Symbols of Ethnic Communities and showed need for its amendment in order for it to not remain a vacuum and I believe that everything is in juncture with the Ohrid Agreement and Constitution. In terms of the Law on Use of Languages, there is précising of certain issues in certain provisions and I truly do not know why there are such interpretations that something is outside the “frame” of the agreement,” Xhaferi says.

Two months before presenting the latest annual report of the European Commission on Macedonia’s progress, newly appointed Deputy Premier for European Affairs Teuta Arifi expects a correct, good and positive report on Macedonia. Even though the situation cannot be greatly changed during this period, Arifi considers that correction and positive wording will also be given by the European Union in this year’s report. In the interview with Dnevnik, Arifi adds that we do not need new qualifiers as we already have enough.

Q: What does a positive report imply, as it seems a bit debatable after everyone interpreted the last report differently?
A: In my view, a positive report is a report that will not contain many criticisms in regard to the recommendation and the internal, political and economic issues, but also in regard to the following of the directives. In regard to setting the date, we all know that this is connected to the name issue.

A threat to the peace and stability in Macedonia or a warning to the international community that the change of the borders in Kosovo would mean a serious regional problem… This is the manner in which the experts are interpreting the statement of BDI leader Ali Ahmeti given in an interview with Kosovo’s national television that the possible division of Kosovo will cause destabilization of Macedonia and he is unable to take over the responsibility to be “the guard of peace.” Macedonian political scientists see a threat to the country’s peace in Ahmeti’s statement, newspaper Dnevnik comments but also a confession that he still fosters the “umbilical cord” with Kosovo and the Albanian politicians interpret his statement as a message and warning to the international community not to think violate the principle of not changing the borders because in this case it could face the idea Great Albania.

The message that Ahmeti sent on the national holiday Ilinden caused great reactions in the Macedonian public. However, the government coalition was silent. VMRO-DPMNE did not comment Wednesday on Ahmeti’s statement and SDSM demanded of the government to publically present its standpoint regarding Ahmeti’s statement because he is the main partner of PM Nikola Gruevski’s government.

Macedonia celebrated Tuesday the two Ilindens, founders of the Macedonian statehood. 108 years from the Krusevo Republic and the first Republic on the Balkans and 67 years from the first assembly of ASNOM and Macedonia as an equal, then-federal country within the frames of Yugoslavia, established 2 August as a double reason to celebrate the foundation of the Macedonian statehood. The date was on Tuesday marked with the central gathering at Meckin Kamen in Krusevo and in the ASNOM Memorial Center in Kumanovo’s village of Pelince. This year, a Macedonian delegation did not visit the authentic place of ASNOM – monastery St. Prhor Pcinski, which is under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov in Tuesday’s address before the monument of the first president of the ASNOM Presidium, Metodija Andonov-Cento at Skopje square, said that “we have managed to preserve the hard-fought freedom and we are moving forward in the struggle for the rights of all citizens, primarily for the right of our name, identity and dignified life in the Republic of Macedonia as part of united Europe”.

Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki gave late Thursday his gratitude for the support of the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia on the election of the new Government and announced his dedication to the work and the tasks which are strategic goals.

“In the upcoming period, we are to introduce new dynamics and, with strong energy, we are to approach the objectives that await us on the road to the European and Union,” said Poposki.

Answering the journalist question how he thinks the name issue with Greece will be settled, Minister Poposki stressed that with positive energy and full dedication toward this issue, which objectively hampers the progress to NATO and the EU, this issue will be successfully settled and the final goal will be achieved.  

“I believe that positive impulse is needed from both sides as well as constructiveness and respect of the European principles we all aspire to,” Poposki stated, adding that overcoming the stereotypical approaches, honest dedication and focus is needed.

With 70 votes ‘in favor’ and 47 ‘against’, the Parliament elected the new Government of the Republic of Macedonia. Six out of fifteen Ministries will be led by the same Ministers and except for the new names, a rotation of old ministers has been carried out.

The citizens’ support in three election cycles is a motive for us to make sure we continue implementing our planned projects. There are no tricks, regime and propaganda as our political rivals contend, forgetting they are thus humiliating the people. You either work or not, and you either build and create or not. Our achievements are already visible. We commenced projects that had not been seen before. With this message, PM Nikola Gruevski called on the MPs to back his third prime minister’s term of office at the parliamentary meeting Wednesday.

In the attendance of almost all MPs and representatives of the diplomatic corps yet in the absence of President Gjorge Ivanov, Gruevski presented the five priorities of his cabinet over the next four years. He stressed that the economic development, the integration into the EU and NATO, fighting crime and corruption, maintaining good interethnic relations and making investments in education are the principle mainstays on which the government program rests.

- Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanovski, together with the coordinators of the parliamentary groups, set Tuesday the agenda for the parliamentary session for election of the new government. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has fifteen minutes to present the new government’s platform and after his presentation, the parliamentarians are to debate. On Friday, deputy ministers are to be elected.

The closing of the Hague cases has caused in Macedonia a storm of reactions, especially from Macedonian defenders and relatives of the kidnapped Macedonians. Representatives of the Union of Defenders were visibly angered Wednesday by the agreement between VMRO-DPMNE and BDI over the Hague cases. Their representative Aco Stojanovski told reporters he no longer had patience. “Important to us now is that they pay us damages. Everything else no longer has any point.”

Retired Colonel Blagoja Markovski said Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia did not deal with the Hague cases as Macedonia has done.

“Their cases had a court resolution. We should have removed politics and proved responsibility for these crimes in court,” Markovski said.

Cautious statements without a timetable for resolving the name issue have been coming from the representatives of official Washington over the past few days. During the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Greece, as reported by the Macedonian Service of the Voice of America, the US government official said at a special briefing in Athens that the name issue was delicate to both countries, which was partly the reason why it had not yet been resolved.

“It is fair to say that they are close to a solution. However, in talks over delicate issues, close is not enough. They should run their last lap however long it is and finish the job,” Mrs. Clinton said in Athens.

In an interview with the Greek television Sky, she said there was a chance for resolving the name issue.

“We clearly stress that we support the talks between Skopje and Athens. We believe those talks offer an opportunity for resolving the issue,” Secretary Clinton said.

The law on use of flags which is part of the agreement between the leaders of the two coalition partners, VMRO-DPMNE and BDI, Nikola Gruevski and Ali Ahmeti, passed the Parliament Monday at short notice. Under this law, in municipalities in which more than 50 percent of the population are members of the minority ethnic group in Macedonia, the flag of the dominant ethnic group in that particular municipality will be posted next to the state flag at public buildings. The flag of the minority ethnic group however cannot be bigger than two-thirds of the state flag and will be posted during official visits of high-ranking representatives of the international community and when holding events of local and international character.

Will this law finally bring order to the chaos with the posting of flags, the Albanian flag to be more specific, which has been waved so far too only wherever those waving it felt like and often without the state flag? Experts say it is good to regulate with a law the use of flags but it is problematic that a flag of another country is waved in Macedonia.

- PM Gruevski provided the composition of the new Government and the platform with stress on the economy to Parliament late Friday. Speaker Veljanoski has 15 days to schedule the meeting of Parliament for election of the new Government yet according to information that will happen this week.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has completed the team that he is going to run from Ilindenska Street bb over the next four years.

Current Education Minister Nikola Todorov is the new Minister of Health. He will be the first minister at the head of the health sector although not being a doctor by profession. Current Ambassador to the European Union Nikola Poposki will be the new Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mile Janakieski is going to remain Transport Minister, as Zoran Stavreski and Vladimir Pesevski are going to stay Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs respectively. Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska and Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska are also going to retain their positions.

It is uncertain whether Deputy Minister Spiro Ristovski will be promoted to Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. Ivo Ivanovski will remain Minister of Information Society and Administration and it is still unknown who is going to replace Todorov as Minister of Education. Ljupco Dimovski from the Socialist Party is going to remain Minister of Agriculture.

Allegations that the judiciary is being interfered with, that Parliament is being disrespected, that the Constitution is broken and that the Framework Agreement is being expanded were some of the reactions of the opposition and experts after the political agreement between the leaders of VMRO-DPMNE and BDI, Nikola Gruevski and Ali Ahmeti, had been revealed and an idea had been put forward that the agreement be translated into a law at short notice.

The laws on use of languages of ethnic groups, on use of flags of ethnic groups, on the Judicial Council and Council of Prosecutors, on broadcasting and the proposal for closing the Hague cases were all put to vote in Parliament Wednesday.

Although the opposition demanded of Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and the governing majority not to adopt these laws at short notice considering they pertain to a broad area of highly important issues and concern the identity of Albanians, VMRO-DPMNE and BDI rebuffed the arguments.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki is not going to be Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new Government to be composed by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski for, as he explained at the press conference in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday, personal and family reasons, MIA reports.

As Milososki stressed, his decision is not political, but rather human and parental.
“I have taken a personal and family decision to not be part of the future Government of the Republic of Macedonia. There was trust and the path to continuing together was open yet at times one should chose between attributing precedence to their family or career. I believe that at this moment I should give my family responsibilities a priority. I am young and I am sure there will be other political challenges ahead of me,” he said.

Milososki said he has thus far performed the office of foreign minister with enthusiasm, utter commitment and a feeling of immense honor being able to represent and argue for the national interests of the Republic of Macedonia. In his political career, he said, he was afforded the opportunity to cooperate with a number of Macedonian politicians but the cooperation has never been longer, better and with more profound mutual trust as his cooperation with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, which he is certain to continue.

- Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki stated that Macedonia wants to give its own contribution in the framework of the aid that the international community gives to Greece. Macedonia will once again offer Greece signing of an agreement on avoidance of double taxation between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece. Milososki reminded that a great number of Greek businessmen work in Macedonia who have real and concrete interest for concluding such an agreement.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov is going to give this week VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski the mandate to compose the new government after the new Parliament was constituted over the weekend and Trajko Veljanoski was reelected Parliament Speaker, Utrinski vesnik reports.

However, the very first day of work of the new MPs went in a rather unpleasant atmosphere. About a hundred young people “embraced” the Parliament building in protest against police brutality. Holding hands, the protestors waited for the MPs to arrive at all entrances and booed President Ivanov, and MPs Zoran Stavreski, Gordana Jankuloska and Antonio Milososki as they entered the building.

The mandates of all 123 MPs (three from the diaspora for the first time) were verified and this time round the constitutive meeting went without a boycott in the attendance of all MPs from the government and the opposition, which was not the case the previous time when Menduh Thaci’s party boycotted the session.

- Premier Nikola Gruevski and Greek counterpart George Papandreou at Thursday's meeting held at the sidelines of the European Council in Brussels voiced readiness to find a solution involving the name issue - a solution which would be reached through dialogue and a dynamic process under UN auspices. Both premiers at the meeting discussed issues of mutual interest, economic situations and challenges facing both Macedonia and Greece and the situation in the region.

The constitutive meeting of the new Parliament will be held on Saturday at noon and the composition of the new Government may be known as early as next week.

The negotiations between VMRO-DPMNE and BDI, the two parties that won the elections and are going to form the governing coalition, have entered their closing stage, which both parties confirmed Wednesday.

The negotiating teams of VMRO-DPMNE and BDI say that the new Parliament will most probably elect the new Parliament Speaker on Saturday as well. However, they refuse to reveal whether the second most important office in the country will be filled by a representative of VMRO-DPMNE or, for the first time since Macedonia’s independence, an official from Ali Ahmeti’s party.

Goran Trajkovski, director of the Public Revenue Office, indirectly suggested Wednesday that the constitutional deadline for the formation of the new government, August 10, will not be waited for.

Asked whether he would be an MP or Interior Minister, as it is speculated in the political circles, he said, “let’s wait for two more days. I am not the one to say what the new government would look like.”

- Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is set to meet with Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule in Brussels on Thursday.PM Gruevski, accompanied by Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Cabinet Chief Martin Protogjer, will also attend the European People's Party Summit.

- President Gjorge Ivanov met Tuesday in Jerusalem with the Israeli President and host of the international conference "Facing Tomorrow", Shimon Peres. Both presidents voiced satisfaction with the relations and dialogue existing between Macedonia and Israel at every level.

Macedonia should begin the EU membership negotiations without the precondition of having the name issue resolved. The end of the negotiations for membership of the Union requires consent from all member states so that meanwhile the two countries may continue looking for a solution, Austrian President Heinz Fischer said to his Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov in Vienna on Monday.

“Greece says that the resolution of the name issue is a condition. However, we trust that in order to set a date for opening negotiations, we should not wait for that. The name issue should be resolved by the time the negotiations end. Those two processes should unfold in parallel and that would be an encouragement in finding a solution,” President Fischer said.

According to the Austrian President, the name issue is a difficult but not an insolvable problem. He also said he was told by President Ivanov some useful historical information about the name, Dnevnik reports.

- President Gjorge Ivanov organized a reception on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Ohrid Agreement. The reception was attended also by former Ambassador James Pardew, who signed the agreement on behalf of the USA. Ivanov stressed that the agreement was a successful model of a functional multiethnic democracy.

The central committee of SDSM decided at a meeting Thursday that the party should hold a congress on 3 July at which confidence will be voted in the party bodies, said Jani Makraduli, member of the opposition party’s central committee.

“The atmosphere at the meeting confirmed the conclusion that SDSM succeeded in winning support from 370,000 citizens, increasing its backing by some 150,000 votes, or 65 percent,” Makraduli said after the meeting.

In his view, there is a general belief that the chairman of SDSM, Branko Crvenkovski, not only in the party but also within the opposition front, should stay at the wheel of the struggle against the government. High-ranking party sources told A1 that Crvenkovski suggested that he should resign at the coordination meetings with the presidency and the executive committee but both party bodies unanimously rejected his resignation, explaining that the party needed him. Resigning would do a favor to VMRO-DPMNE, who saw in these elections that Crvenkovski is not an easy rival as they thought. His election to the chairman’s position, they further add, restored SDSM’s unity, which is a condition for a serious competition.

The progress of the Republic of Macedonia and the activities that the Government is taking in the run-up to the release of the annual report on the country’s progress were the talking point of the meeting between Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Vasko Naumovski and MEPs and high representatives of the European Commission in Brussels on Wednesday.

“The Government of the Republic of Macedonia has already sent its annual report on the contribution and activities that had been completed and on our plans to be realized by the time the report is released,” Naumovski told MIA adding he was pleased that those documents had been positively assessed by the European Commission.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Naumovski, the next steps that are a top government priority in the achievement of the European agenda in the coming period have left to be jointly defined.

He also informed that the stances were coordinated and that the first political dialogue on a high political level should be held immediately after the consolidation of the new government.

Will BDI leader Ali Ahmeti set deadlines for resolution of the name issue for rapid integration of the country into NATO and the EU and will he table demands that VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski will not be able to accept so that the two victorious parties can form a government?

These are the questions that the political parties and some media ask in the absence of any official information from VMRO-DPMNE and BDI over whether the negotiations about the new government have commenced and what the positions of Gruevski and Ahmeti will be, Dnevnik reports.

Based on the promises from the election campaign, one can conclude that BDI and their leader Ahmeti retained the position that their crucial priority is accelerating the process of European integration by way of a compromise solution to the name issue. However, BDI set no deadlines in this regard. On the contrary in his interview with Dnevnik, Ermira Mehmeti-Devaja from BDI, said that setting deadlines as certain parties do was typical pre-election rhetoric and demagogy.

On the occasion of the death of the highly esteemed former US Secretary of State, Lawrence S. Eagleburger, a proven friend of Macedonia, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki launched an initiative to the City of Skopje for naming a street in the capital after him.

Mr. Eagleburger was a prominent career diplomat who served as advisor to a number of US Presidents, from John F. Kennedy to George Bush, renowned for his courage, resolve and consistency. The loss of Eagleburger does not represent only a loss to the world political public and diplomacy but also for Macedonia bearing in mind the achievements he left behind. Secretary Eagleburger will stay remembered as a good connoisseur of our region, an exceptional person and one of Macedonia’s greatest friends who made a remarkable contribution to the high level of political, economic and cultural cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the USA.