Press point

by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
and Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹

JAMES APPATHURAI (NATO Spokesman): ...since the Secretary General and the Prime Minister will each have brief opening statements.

JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER (Secretary General of NATO): Indeed. I apologize for the delay, from the delay you can see that it was a very interesting meeting and I think the Prime Minister was right to come. And we had a wide-ranging discussion in Council.

I said in my—and the Prime Minister and I had a bilateral meeting preceding the Council—I said in my introductory words to the Council that as time progresses the scrutiny from friends on the process of reform on the political dialogue, increases. And that is very logical, I think.

So if I summarize the meeting in the Council and our bilateral meeting, then I've heard lots of signs of encouragement to go on with the reform process. You have achieved a lot. There's still a lot to be done, as expected. There's still a lot to be done: encouragement and support; support for the participation in ISAF;  support for the important role played in support for KFOR in Kosovo; the voice of moderation which is heard in the region and from Skopje as far as the Kosovo process is concerned.

Very important things and very important elements and the Prime Minister knows, and you all know that NATO will give all the support it can to furthering and stimulating and encouraging the process.

It's clear that also some worries were voiced in the meeting. Worries by me, by the ambassadors on the need to strengthen the internal political dialogue between government and opposition, between parties. Let me start by saying that a boycott of Parliament is never the solution to anything, and I do know, having been a member of Parliament in my home country for 16 years, I do know something about the relationship between a government and opposition.

Nevertheless, the strong plea from the ambassadors, and that is clearly not only a plea in the direction of the Prime Minister, but also a plea in the direction of DUI, and it's leader Mr. Ahmeti, to see that there is a serious political dialogue. Because I say, as was said by European Commission Olli Rehn, let's not see that this lack of dialogue, that these problems are going to negatively influence the very important part, last part, of the long and winding road to Euro-Atlantic integration.

That, I think, is a very important point I should mention. So my key words are scrutiny and that's quite logic, encouragement and support for the reforms, go on with the reforms where it concerns the rule of law, the police, the battle against corruption, the element you've heard me mentioning. We have, after all, we appreciate a regular stream of visitors making the case, and that's all right. I was wondering in the beginning of the meeting that who is in charge in Skopje at the moment given the fact that the Prime Minister came with the Defence Minister, with the Foreign Minister, jokingly, of course.

There is full support by me and by the council for the reforms. It is a matter of intensifying the efforts. In that regard I think the visit of the Prime Minister was an extremely useful and timely one.

In the spring of 2008 there will be another NATO Summit, as you know. Tickets are not given, guarantees are not given. But it is also crystal clear that the allies want to stimulate and want to encourage the aspirant nations on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration.

That was the message, Prime Minister. You are warmly welcome here in Brussels today.

NIKOLA GRUEVSKI (Prime Minister, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹): Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary General. I would like to mention several things connected with this meeting.

It was good opportunity today to have a chance to meet, first of all, General Secretary of NATO, and after that, to have speech and after that questions and answers with all ambassadors of NATO in Brussels.

And to explain what the government of Republic of Macedonia¹ is doing at the moment, what our activities, reforms, connected with NATO and generally with improvement of the situation in the Republic of Macedonia¹, economically, politically and so on.

So I have a chance to talk about what we are doing in the economy, what  are our measures to atract the foreign investors in Macedonia¹, and to encourage the domestic investors to invest, to create new capacities, to employ the people which are not employed. We have  a chance to talk about the political situation in the country, the problems that we have. We have one opposition party which is boycotting the Parliament, and therefore what you are doing to improve the situation.

And also we discuss about the reforms, reforms in the defence system, reforms in the educational system, reforms in the general political life. And the situation that... how we are seeing the situation with Kosovo.

You know that Kosovo is in our neighbourhood and we are deeply following the situation and we are supporting the document that Mr. Ahtisaari recently distributed because of many reasons, but one of the reasons also is the solving of the issues of the border, demarcation of the border, which is very precisely explaining in the document and actually it is the beginning of the end of this issue, which I believe will be successfully implemented in the next one year and four months, maximum.

So I would like to stress that we are recognizing that this is a crucial year for Macedonia¹. This is maybe key year, crucial moment, this year, to speed up all the reforms and successfully to finalize 2007 and to give a chance to our friends from NATO to send to us invitation on the next summit.

I am fully aware it's up mostly from us, from our reforms. We are doing this, and we will continue to make the reforms with stronger force, energy and paying time to these matters.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I should say one thing. I forgot, of course, and I should do that... correct that omission immediately, that we are all looking very much forward to go to Ohrid at the end of June for the EAPC Security Forum. I think that will be a very, very important event indeed, and many ambassadors voiced their support and their intention to go there and to make this into a very successful event. I should have said that before, I correct my own mistake, Prime Minister.

APPATHURAI: Questions?

Q: I would like to both of you a question. Until now there has been differences of interpretation of the political dialogue in Macedonia¹, the European Union and NATO were asking for political dialogue and representatives in Macedonia¹ were saying that there is political dialogue. Did you find a common interpretation of this issue?

And to Secretary General, you said in Munich that you would like to see... you wish to see Serbia in 2009 a member of NATO. If Serbia fulfils all the conditions required is... can this wish come true?

GRUEVSKI: Okay, thank you for the first questions. So we discuss about the dialogue. I present our opinion that it's not just a matter of a dialogue, because there is a dialogue in Republic of Macedonia¹. I have personal meetings with Mr. Ahmeti several times. We have working groups which are working in the Parliament. We have more than 30 successful coordination in Macedonian Parliament between the parliamentarian groups for the government and for the majority and opposition.

But the problems are coming even from the time of creating a government when DUI wanted exclusivity to become member of the government. After they didn't get such exclusivity they are... after they began to create some kind of problems. But still, never mind what is the root of the problem. We are going to strengthen our efforts for having more effective(?) contacts and trying to solve some issues which are important for the future of Macedonia¹.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER:My answer would be that of course as NATO Secretary General I'll not enter in what is an internal political dialogue. My call is simply to government and opposition alike. Do avoid the perception, and you might say, the perception is wrong, but the perception is there, be it with Olli Rehn or with me, that it would be much better, if the results of the dialogue would be better, if you see what I mean.

And I say once again, that is a plea to all. Not only a plea exclusively to the government and the Prime Minister, but this is as much a plea to Mr. Ali Ahmeti and the DUI. And I think that is important. And I say again, I think a boycott of Parliament, that is not... certainly not the solution.

On the first part of your question, if you'll read my speech in Munich carefully on the website I did not say that... because I never mention years and dates, I did not say about Serbia 2009 becoming a member of NATO. I made a speech which was centred around the hope I have that in 2009 Serbia would have made further steps on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration, which is, as you will appreciate, not the same. So let me correct that statement of yours, if you'll allow me.

What I keep saying is that for lasting security and stability in the Western Balkans there's only one recipe and that recipe is called Euro-Atlantic integration and that recipe is that at the end of the day all those nations will be members of NATO and members of the European Union.

When that will happen? I do not know. But what I know is that given the very recent history, it is of great importance, and I speak for NATO, that in NATO we work, and in this case, together with Prime Minister Gruevski, we work for that goal. That's the objective. That's the objective. And that, I think, is a very important political notion, which I have said in public, many, many times, and I see this visit by Prime Minister Gruevski as another step on that road. And as a signal that we are friends, that friends scrutinize each other, that we are not only nice and polite to each other, but that we also say this is not right yet, you should do this or that, if you want to join, and you want to join this club which is called NATO, this unique alliance of democratic nations. And in this regard we always welcome our visitors.

But again, do not forget what the ultimate objective is, and that is the Euro-Atlantic integration for the region. And by the way, let me say again, that as far as Kosovo is concerned, the voice of moderation is highly appreciated.

Q: Secretary General, Saturday's events in Pristina were the proof of what you personally have been saying in the last couple of months, that further delay will only raise more tensions concerning the status. Do you have now reassurance that there will be no more delay on the status issue of Kosovo?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: The process is not in our hands, and not in my hands, and it should not be in our or my hands. The process is in the hands of Martti Ahtisaari and the parties. That's my first remark.

My second remark is that I condemn any form of violence, any form of violent demonstrations which is harmful to what is already a complicated process.

So I do not agree with those who went on the streets last Saturday. They can voice their opinion, of course they can. Everybody has a right to voice their opinion. But violence is not the answer. Not from any party, be it majority or minority. That should be a central principle.

I will go to Kosovo tomorrow myself. I'll spend there all day. I'll spend there all day. And I'll speak to all the relevant parties, and I'll show again that KFOR is there to protect minority and majority alike. I'll go to many places, I'll speak to all the relevant interlocutors. Not because NATO is part of the political process, but because NATO KFOR now plays a very important role, and as you know, NATO's military presence will play an important role after, hopefully, a solution for the status will have been found.

And I call on all the parties. Yesterday morning, as you saw in the press, I had a long... Monday morning, I had along telephone conversation with President Tadic in Belgrade. I'll go to Belgrade very soon, the week after next, in fact, to be in touch with all the parties concerned.

But let's nobody, nobody, be it on the streets in Pristina, be it in Belgrade, be under any illusion that violence will help this process. And it's in all our interests, it's in the interests of the majority in Kosovo and the minority that we take the process and we take the Ahtisaari proposals very serious indeed. And that's what NATO does.

APPATHURAI: I'm afraid... okay, a last quick one.

Q: The question for Prime Minister Gruevski, if you can explain, you just said that you support Ahtisaari's plan for Kosovo, but Serbian state and government leaders in Parliament see in the elements of the plan the violation of international law and relation of sovereignty of Serbia.

If I may remember that in 2001 when there was armed rebellion in Macedonia¹, Serbia supported Macedonia¹ sovereignty (inaudible)... Can you explain?

GRUEVSKI: Thank you for the question. So, Republic of Macedonia¹ is aware that as soon as possible solving the final issue of Kosovo is the interest not just of Serbia and Kosovo, even to Macedonia¹, and we are... appreciate the efforts of the international community and especially of NATO and European Union to solve this problem as soon as possible. Which is not easy. It's really not easy to solve such a problem. And we are supporting the efforts of European Union and NATO. And also we are working for our national interests too. The solving of the border issue, and generally solving of the issue in the region will be very positive signal for the investors, for example, to come in the region. And the citizens in the region mainly have a problem from the weak economy, very low living standard and so on. So as soon as possible solving of this issue will be very good contribution for the quality of the life of the citizens in the region.

And we believe that this document is a good base for new discussions in the next weeks, which I believe will come... we'll finish successfully.

Macedonia¹ is a part of international community. Macedonia¹ is, of course, partner to NATO. We hope we'll become member of NATO. Next year Macedonia¹ is country candidate of European Union. We are working to receive a date and we are part of this community and supporting the efforts that all these countries from NATO and the EU are doing and efforts that they are doing to improve the situation in the region.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Thank you very much.