NATO HQ

29 Jan. 2007

Press briefing

with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Branko Crvenkovski, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1

JAMES APPATHURAI (NATO Spokesman): Ladies and gentlemen, the Secretary General and the President will each make brief opening statements and we have time for some questions.

JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER (Secretary General, NATO): A great pleasure to have President Crvenkovski here at NATO in what is let's say a very regular contact now with the head of state, but with the Ministers as you know as well.

What did we discuss? First of all of course, the Membership Action Plan status. The fact that I think I can say reforms are on track; that there of course no guarantees if we look at a NATO summit in 2008 that countries will be invited, but that this cycle of the Membership Action Plan is a very important one because you never know, it might be the last one. As you know, Assistant Secretary General John Colston was in Skopje last week to evaluate the process. I'm still waiting for his full report, but I think in general one can say that the process in on track.

What the President and I also briefly discussed was the internal political situation. Let me say that I do hope, not bearing any direct responsibility, that I do hope that the communication channels between all political parties and between opposition and government will be cleared of any obstacles. I say again it's not up to a NATO Secretary General to comment on what are internal political affairs, but I think it is important to state here and I can say it. I've been in government; I've been in opposition; that government and opposition of course from time to time very much disagree on things, but I think it is important the communication channels are open.

I commended the President of the important participation in the different crisis response and peacekeeping operations, be it in Afghanistan, the very important support which is being given for KFOR in Kosovo, forces in Bosnia Herzegovina. In other words, I'm meeting  a President who is head of state of a nation which is an exporter of security, which I think in the NATO framework and in the framework of the Membership Action Plan, is an important element to not.

Finally, the voice of moderation we have always heard from Skopje where it concerns the solution for the status of Kosovo, I think is of great importance and I think President Crvenkovski has an excellent track record here and we discussed that briefly and I'm quite sure that this will be the position which will be taken. You know the NATO Allies support the proposals President Ahtisaari is going to present to parties on the second of February. We support his timelines and I think it is important that all nations and all countries in the region do the same thing. It is important that a solution for the status of the province will be found.

Finally, you know that KFOR is there strongly; KFOR is there to protect majority and minority alike; KFOR is prepared for all eventualities and let nobody in Kosovo have any illusion that they should test KFOR and I say again that goes for the majority and the minority. But in general support for President Ahtisaari, support for the process, support for the timelines.

So once again Mr. President, a warm welcome for you at NATO and I'm sure that this contact is one in the many we have had and the many we have had in the future.

Thank you so much.

BRANKO CRVENKOVSKI (President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1): (TRANSLATION)

Ladies and gentlemen at the meeting with the Secretary General Mr. Scheffer today we discussed and I emphasize our firm resolution that we employ all our institutions and all our political subjects to work together to our goal and that is to receive an invitation for membership in 2008. I know that we have very hard tasks in front of us, but I'm convinced in the institutional capacities and the political will in the Republic of Macedonia1 to deal with the challenge.

We discussed the course of the reforms in several sectors in the country. We confirmed that they are on the right track. We also discussed our support in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the support we give to KFOR, our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Special attention was paid to the process of defining the final stages of Kosovo. The Republic of Macedonia1 is an immediate neighbour to Kosovo and we are very much interested in finding a permanent solution that will guarantee stability. We support the efforts of the international community to find such as solution.

I informed the Secretary General that the position of the Republic of Macedonia1 will be to a large extent rated on the proposal… Mr. Ahtisaari's proposal on the position of the United Nations and the Security Council, as well as the EU and NATO. And I was very pleased to see that the further co-operation between Macedonia1 and the Alliance will continue to be fruitful and beneficial to both sides.  

Q: Ernest Bunguri for Albanian Satellite Television.

Mr. Scheffer, DUI, the main party in the opposition for the Albanians has decided to boycott the Parliament, the work of the Parliament, and they will decide today to retire or not from the local power institutions. In the discussions with the President, do you see… does NATO see a risk of instability or only a lack of dialogue in Macedonia1 and how can this harm the process of integration for Macedonia1?

And one question to President Crvenkovski.

What is the solution? What is the way out and what is the President doing to solve this question?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I can say briefly that it's not up to me to comment on what I consider the internal political situation. I think it is up to me to repeat what I said in my introductory words - that I think it is of the utmost importance because that also has to do with the image a country has. That government and opposition, not necessarily agreeing on everything, that's why you have a government and you have an opposition in a democracy, but that all communication channels should be open. That's all I can say as NATO Secretary General because I'm not of course crossing the line of interfering in what is a domestic political situation.

But again, it is important. Don't misunderstand my message on the other side that all channels are open and that all political parties, government and opposition alike, do realize how important this process of Euro-integration is as the President has reconfirmed. And for that process it is important that you see a nation, you see a country, where all political parties talk to each other and where Parliament functions with the participation of all political parties.

CRVENKOVSKI:(TRANSLATION)

I'm very sorry that we cannot note progress as regards this political problem, but I'm convinced that this political problem can be resolved with a little bit more political will and political responsibility from all political parties. The integration process to EU and NATO are the strategic goals of our country and according to all polls, the support of the people for these two goals are more than 80 percent. I would just like to say that neither the government, nor any political leader or political party, has such great support as these two goals. Because of this I'm very optimistic and I believe that this problem will be taken off the daily agenda very soon.

APPATHURAI: Last question.

Q: Mr. Secretary General if the President came to you for friendly advice as to what he can do in the political dialogue between the government and the opposition, what would be your friendly advice?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I'm not here to advise the President of a sovereign nation, but you've heard the President. He is the head of state and you've heard his call. That's his call. I mean… we have different responsibilities.

APPATHURAI: That's all we time for.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER:Thank you so much.

  1. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.