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Updated: 20-Sep-2001 Week of 17-23 September 2001

19 Sep 2001

Operation Essential Harvest and beyond

NATO received, on 19 September, an official request from President Trajkovski for a reduced NATO mission to remain in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1). This new mission would be a follow-up mission to Operation Essential Harvest which finishes on 26 September. Its aim would be to provide an additional level of safety to that provided by national authorities for monitors operating in the country. The monitors would be deployed to allow the implementation of the framework document agreed last month.

It is expected that President Trajkovski will address requests to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union Monitoring Mission to provide monitors. In the meantime, NATO is considering operational concepts and aims to present an operational plan for approval by the North Atlantic Council before NATO troops participating in the current Operation Essential Harvest start withdrawing from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) on 27 September.

Secretary General, Lord Robertson, is expected to visit Skopje the day before the end of Operation Essential Harvest, 25 September. During his previous visit on 14 September, he emphasised the urgency for the Parliament to ratify the framework document which introduces internal reform, adding during a press conference: "In this week of grim tragedy for the whole world, I believe that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) offers hope in how conflicts can be resolved without violence and through politics". The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of independence, on 8 September.

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

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