Acceptance |
AddressBy HE Dr. Ljubomir Frchkoski,
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Prior to becoming a UN member state, the president of the
republic, on the basis of our parliaments decision, raised the
initiative for presence of a peacekeeping mission in the Republic
of Macedonia. This first preventive mission in the UN history,
known as UNDREDEP, since 1992, until today. In extraordinary good
cooperation with all the factors in my country, successfully
accomplishes its mandate and is evaluated by the international
community as a significant factor of stability in this region.
Committed to collective security and full membership in NATO, and as a sign of confidence in the role of NATO in the security structures in the Euro-Atlantic Area, in 1993 the Macedonian Parliament reached a decision that the Republic of Macedonia should join the Alliance for this decision. In the Republic of Macedonia there is a full political and wider social consensus of all social factors. Therefore, as soon it was objectively possible at the end of last year, the Republic of Macedonia joined the Partnership for Peace program and became a member of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe you share my pleasure with the dynamics of our involvement in the North Atlantic Cooperation Council and Partnership for Peace activities. We consider them a fundamental framework of the development of wide relations and cooperation with all partner countries. Today, with the approval of the Individual Partnership Program, we make another significant step towards more substantial cooperation, moving towards our final goal, a full membership of the Republic of Macedonia in the Alliance. Taking into consideration this permanent priority of our foreign policy, the Republic of Macedonia expressed its respect for all relevant NATO documents particularly those from 1994 and submitted all the appropriate documents as a proof of our commitment to sincere partnership and cooperation with the Alliance. We consider the 1996-98 individual program an important obligation, through practical cooperation to increase the capacities of the Republic of Macedonia for making a larger contribution to the promotion of conditions for maintenance of peace, democracy, human rights, democratic control of armed forces, peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, as well as the extremely important increase of the interoperability and standardization for joint activities in the security area. We are prepared to carry out all obligations and responsibilities and I am convinced that during the implementation and periodic reviewing, we will implement this program successfully. It is my pleasure to point out that during the last few days, two significant agreements, here in Brussels and in Skopje, were concluded regarding the status of the forces of NATO countries and the Republic of Macedonia, which are to participate in joint exercises and activities being a significant step towards promotion of the agreed bases for successful cooperation.
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