Press point

JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER(NATO Secretary General): Let me say that it gives me great pleasurefirst of all, to see and to meet my friend, now Prime Minister, theformer defence minister Buckovski here at NATO.

I methim the last time in Skopje in a different capacity so it was easy todiscuss defence reform of course but we discussed more than that. Andlet me once again also here congratulate the Prime Minister with hisnew energetic team.

What we of course did was we wentthrough the agenda we have in the framework of the map, the membershipaction plan process. I could tell the Prime Minister that the signalsand the signs are green as far as the progress that Macedonia ismeeting in the framework of the membership action plan.

We discussed the progress in defence reform. We discussed, and Iapplauded the Prime Minister, for the participation in NATO'speacekeeping operations.

We discussed, of course, thevery important elections which will be held soon as a, let's say, alitmus test and I'm sure they will be free and fair. They must be freeand fair to the situation where the country is now, a first round andpossibly a second round, after the difficult hurdles I think which hadto be crossed and which were crossed in the recent past. Theseelections I think will be landmark in the sense that they will show theprogress the country, Macedonia, has made on its way and that is ofcourse for the membership action program very much, very, veryimportant indeed.

So I can say in general, and not tobe too long, that I think the membership action plan is functioningvery well. I told the Prime Minister that the summit which NATO willhave next week--Tuesday--will not be a summit about enlargement. Itwill be a summit- this summit will be about other subjects. Soenlargement is not a buried subject in NATO of course because NATO hasan open door but it will not be discussed next week because othersubjects will be on the agenda.

Nevertheless thisPrime Minister and his government do not need any encouragement I thinkfrom a NATO Secretary General to go on the way which will lead to theonly recipe I see, as I've said many times before, for the region thatis Euro-Atlantic integration.

And I meet the PrimeMinister on what I consider a very important day because thisafternoon, as you know, there will be the questionnaire ceremony at theEuropean Union to show that also in this respect the Prime Minister,his team and his country are making the progress necessary forEuro-Atlantic integration.

So Prime Minister, once again, you're very welcome.

VLADO BUCKOVSKI (Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia): Thank you Secretary General.

(TRANSLATOR)

BUCKOVSKI (voice of translator): Allow me to thank for the hospitality of the Secretary General.

We have discussed the four topics that he has already mentioned and Iwould also like to add that we have assured the Secretary General ofthe constructive role of the Republic of Macedonia in the region; alsoin the defence reforms but also in the other areas of reforms and wewill prove that Macedonia will deserve its position.

We are continuing to function as a de factomember of NATO but we're expecting to be the new member of NATO at thenext summit of enlargement so that Macedonia could receive the statutesthat will confirm its European values.

Q.(ARD First German Television): Mr. Secretary General, there is a bigdiscussion about NATO since last weekend. What is your answer to theproposal and to the analysts of Gerhard Schroeder?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Welllet me- let me first of all say that I think the Chancellor echoed inhis speech an element which I consider of great importance which isstrengthening the political role of NATO. I've been making that pleafor the past year, since taking office, and I think any ideas theChancellor has or might have on strengthening this political role he'llfind me- he'll find me on his side because I think the modern threatsand challenges demand of NATO, and of the North Atlantic Council, thatit plays a stronger political role and I am very open to any suggestionthe Chancellor might have to strengthen this role.

Ithink it should be NATO's role which should be strengthened. I do notthink we do need any new structure in the transatlantic relationship.We have NATO which is doing well, is alive and kicking in itspartnerships, in its outreach to the Middle East, in its militarytransformation, in its political transformation.

SoNATO is doing well and I do not need any new structural recipes forNATO because NATO is fully in transformation and that's necessary.Transformation of NATO has been bigger over the past 3-4 years, withcredit to my predecessor Lord Robertson, than in the decades beforethat.

Where I make my point is that we do not need newstructures and I think, quite honestly, we do not need externaladvisors. We can take, let's say, the new challenges in the frameworkwe have, in the unique framework we have, which is the transatlanticalliance, which is NATO with 26 Allies including the United States ofAmerica around the table.

Q:Secretary General, if the Republic of Macedonia together with two othercountries that are in membership action plan continue to make progress,is it for you visible that next year, if there is going to be a summitthose countries will receive an invitation to join NATO? And if I mayone question, if you can comment the nationalistic behaviour of thePresident of Serbia during his visit in Kosovo which Kosovar Albaniansare calling a provocation?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER:On your last question, I'm not going to comment on what other leaderssay/where. I mean it's crystal clear, as far as Kosovo is concerned,that Kosovo enters a very crucial period because there will bestandard(?) evaluation rather soon. I think Soren Jessen-Petersen isdoing a very good job indeed and we should not be- and he should not beand I will not be distracted by comments made in the framework of thatprocess.

NATO has an important role through thepresence of KFOR in Kosovo and NATO will play its political part inthat process as well. Of course not to play the first violin but to beactive in the extended contact group because NATO is not merely a troopprovider, NATO wants to play this political role as well.

On the first part of your question, I'm not going to mention dates oryears but when I say that this summit- this coming summit of nextTuesday is a summit which will not have NATO enlargement on the agenda,or the position of the map countries, that does of course not excludeat all that next summits will.

I mean the issue ofenlargement is not buried. It is very much alive and that is thesituation. I do not know when there will be a next summit so it's verydifficult for me to comment on timeframes.

(TRANSLATOR)

Q: Mr. Scheffer, do you agree with our Prime Minister that we are going to get the invitation in 2006?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER:Well I think I just answered that question to be quite honest becauseyour colleague asked in fact the same question so if you read yournotes or his notes, you have the answer.

(TRANSLATOR)

Q. (voiceof translator): I would like to ask the General Secretary whether theyhave discussed with the Prime Minister on the equitable representationof the Albanians in the army in accordance with the action plan?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Yeswe did discuss this as we discussed let's say other important elementslike the fight against corruption, equal representation. More ingeneral, the reform of the judiciary, defence reform, and of course inthe framework of defence reform equal representation is a very, veryimportant subject indeed as I have discussed not for the first timewith the Prime Minister but we also discussed this with him in hisformer capacity, certainly.

(TRANSLATOR)

Q:Mr. Scheffer, short comment about your statement that this governmentand this Prime Minister don't need encouragement on the way to NATO.Why do you think this? Did they (inaudible) their job or what?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Ifyou think the Prime Minister needs encouragement I can encourage him bytapping him on the shoulder which I'll gladly do. I was saying that asI see let's say the government operate on the different subjects, whichare very important within the framework of the membership action plan,I see that they are making progress. I mean I wouldn't be honest if Iwould say the opposite here.

And I consider- and Irealize this is not always very easy, equal representation is not veryeasy but it should be done. Fighting corruption is not easy but itshould be done. Reforming the judiciary is not easy but it should bedone.

And I think this Prime Minister, and ForeignMinister Mitreva and others, realize very well how much importance NATOattaches to a positive outcome of these processes. These processes- isthe government already entirely at its destination? No it's not andthey will be the first to realize. But I mean, so if this sounds as anote of encouragement, please accept the note of encouragement but thisis the way I see it.

(ª) Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.