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PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSQ #0779/01 2291439
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
P 171439Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5050
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2045
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 4133
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 06 SKOPJE 000779 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
STATE PLS PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: YOUNG TECHNOCRATS DOMINATE NEW 
GOVERNMENT LINEUP 
 
REF: SKOPJE 735 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: P/E CHIEF SHUBLER, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶1. (SBU/NF) Prime Minister-designate Gruevski's proposed 
cabinet lineup, which the parliament is likely to approve 
on August 25, is comprised of mostly young technocrats 
without extensive bureaucratic experience.  That bodes well 
for a fresh start, with Gruevski likely to exercise greater 
control over the ministries than previously was the case 
with the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM)-led 
government.  It also suggests greater possibilities for 
enhanced inter-ministerial cooperation and coordination. 
If his relatively green ministers take too long before 
focusing on priorities or are unable quickly to win the 
confidence of their subordinates, however, that could delay 
the reform process and negatively impact Macedonia's 
Euro-Atlantic integration prospects.  End Summary. 
 
PM-DESIGNATE ANNOUNCES NEW CABINET LINEUP 
 
¶2. (U) Prime Minister-designate Gruevski announced on 
August 14 his proposed new government following te 
conclusion of weekend consultations with his coalition 
partners.  The cabinet lineup includes members of 
Gruevski's Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization 
-- Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity 
(VMRO-DPMNE) party as well as coalition members Democratic 
Party of Albanians (DPA -- ethnic Albanian partner), 
left-of-center New Social Democratic Party (NSDP), the 
Socialist Party, and the Liberal Party.  Some candidates 
are only loosely affiliated with VMRO-DPMNE.  On August 25 
the parliament will decide, by simple majority vote, 
whether to accept both the list and Gruevski's proposed 
governing program, which focuses on economic development 
and combating corruption and organized crime. 
 
PRIME MINISTER: NIKOLA GRUEVSKI (VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶3. (U) Gruevski was elected President of the center-right 
VMRO-DPMNE in 2003.  He began his professional life as a 
local bank manager in 1995.  When his party won the 1998 
parliamentary elections, Gruevski was appointed a minister 
without portfolio.  He served a brief stint as Trade 
Minister in 1999, then moved over the same year to head the 
Finance Ministry, where he served until 2002.  Born in 1970 
in Skopje, Gruevski speaks English well.  Recently 
divorced, he is a former boxer and avid basketball player. 
He was one of the first stockbrokers in Macedonia when the 
country's fledgling stock exchange opened in 1996. 
 
¶4. (SBU/NF) Gruevski's leadership style is highly 
centralized, and he often comes to meetings unaccompanied 
and never takes notes.  He relies on a handful of mostly 
younger technocrats and intellectuals for policy advice.  A 
tough external shell masks occasional bouts of insecurity 
and a fear of being upstaged by subordinates, according to 
some local analysts.  That may explain why he has chosen 
younger, trusted associates unlikely to challenge him 
openly to head most of the key cabinet positions. 
 
DEPUTY PM FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS: ZORAN STAVRESKI 
(VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶5. (U) Currently working as a senior economist at the World 
Bank in Washington, Stavreski began his professional life 
as a car dealer following his university graduation in 
¶1988.  He joined the National Bank of Macedonia in 1993, 
climbing the institutional ladder to become director of the 
bank's research department in 1997.  In 2000 he moved to 
the Ministry of Finance, where he served under Gruevski as 
an undersecretary until 2001. 
 
SKOPJE 00000779  002 OF 006 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) With an M.A. in monetary economics, Stavreski's 
expertise is in monetary policy and banking.  He 
participated in a UNDP-led project to develop a long-term 
economic development strategy for Macedonia, and has been 
involved in past government negotiations with the IMF and 
World Bank.  Born in 1964, Stavreski is married to a former 
high-ranking National Bank official.  He is fluent in 
English. 
 
DEPUTY PM FOR FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION (AND 
HEALTH MINISTER): IMER SELMANI (DPA) 
 
¶7. (SBU) Currently serving his second term as mayor of 
Saraj municipality, Selmani is a moderate and respected 
member of DPA.  He holds an undergraduate degree in 
medicine, but since 1992 has run a private company that 
deals in petroleum products.  Selmani is a popular mayor 
with excellent managerial skills, having implemented major 
infrastructure improvements in the municipality through 
public-private partnerships.  Born in 1968 in Skopje, 
Selmani is married.  He understands English, but speaks it 
with difficulty. 
 
DEPUTY PM FOR EURO-INTEGRATION: GABRIELA 
KONEVSKA-TRAJKOVSKA (VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶8. (U) A lawyer and legal expert on combatting organized 
crime, Konevska served from 2000-2002 as Director of the 
Regional Center for Fighting Organized Crime in Bucharest, 
a program sponsored by the SECI Initiative.  From 2003-2004 
she headed the international mission to the Stability 
Pact's Secretariat for the Fight Against Organized Crime in 
Bucharest.  She was appointed President of the NGO 
Transparency International-Macedonia in 2006, following a 
one-year stint on the faculty of the University of New York 
in Skopje (unrelated to NYU), where she lectured on EU 
law.  She also has served as the political adviser to 
Stability Pact Coordinator Erhard Busek. 
 
¶9. (U) Born in 1971, Konevska is married and has 
participated in extensive training in the U.S. and 
elsewhere, including U.S. Secret Service and FBI courses, 
EUROPOL training, and training at the ILEA Academy in 
Budapest.   Konevska speaks fluent English, and also speaks 
French and Romanian. 
 
DEPUTY PM FOR AGRICULTURE AND EDUCATION:  ZIVKO JANKULOVSKI 
(NSDP) 
 
¶10. (U) Currently an NSDP Vice President, Jankulovski's 
political career began with his election to the SDSM 
Presidency in Bitola in 1994.  He was also elected an MP in 
1994, and served as a member of the Committee on 
Agriculture.  He holds a PhD in agricultural studies and 
has worked as a university professor since 1991.  Born in 
1956 in Krusevo, Jankulovski speaks English and French. 
 
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: ANTONIO MILOSOSKI (VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶11. (U) Currently VMRO-DPMNE's chief spokesman and a key 
Gruevski adviser, Milososki was the VMRO-DPMNE-led 
government spokesman from May 2000 to September 2001, a 
period covering the country's internal armed conflict. 
Prior to that, he served in the government of Ljupco 
Georgievski.  After leaving government, Milososki went to 
Germany, where he earned an M.A. in European Integration 
studies.  He began work in 2002 on a PhD in political 
science (his dissertation topic is Macedonian-Greek 
relations) at the University of Duisburg in Germany. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Milososki was known during his earlier student 
days as a nationalist with hardline views against including 
Albanian-language instruction at the national university in 
 
SKOPJE 00000779  003 OF 006 
 
 
Skopje.  He has moderated those views since then, according 
to local observers.  Many remember him, however, as the 
harsh, ethnically divisive voice and face of the government 
in 2001.  His aggressive statements as DPMNE spokesman 
during the 2006 campaign did not suggest any mellowing, but 
rather a return to the past.  In addition to founding the 
"Youth Euro-Atlantic Forum," he has worked as a regular 
columnist for the local daily "Dnevnik," and participated 
in an international leadership and economic development 
seminar sponsored by Harvard University.  Born in Tetovo in 
1976, Milososki is married to an electrical engineer.  He 
speaks fluent English and German. 
 
MINISTER OF DEFENSE: LAZAR ELENOVSKI (NSDP) 
 
¶13. (U) Although he is an NSDP ministerial candidate, 
Elenovski was the founder in 1992 of a youth movement under 
the umbrella of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia 
(SDSM).  He also founded the local NGO "Young Europeans for 
Security" in 1995.  Elenovski worked from 2001 to 2005 as 
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Skopje's public transport 
enterprise, serving concurrently as Secretary General and 
then President of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia. 
He was a member of the SDSM-led government's working group 
on NATO membership in 2005. 
 
¶14. (U) Born in 1971 to an ethnic Albanian mother and 
ethnic Macedonian father, Elenovski speaks English well, 
and is fluent in Albanian and Serbian.  He served a 
12-month stint as a soldier assigned to an anti-aircraft 
battery in Croatia in 1990 as part of his military service 
obligation.  Elenovski holds an M.A. in economics. 
 
MINISTER OF INTERIOR: GORDANA JANKULOSKA (VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶15. (SBU) One of VMRO-DPMNE's brightest young political 
talents, Jankuloska served as legal adviser and chief of 
cabinet under Gruevski in the Finance Ministry from 
December 2000 to July 2002.  After the VMRO-DPMNE-led 
government was ousted in the 2002 elections, Gruevski 
tapped Jankuloska as his chief of cabinet in the VMRO-DPMNE 
president's office.  She then was appointed secretary 
general of the party in September 2004.  In local elections 
in 2005 she was elected a Skopje city councilor. 
 
¶16. (SBU/NF) Born in Ohrid in 1975, Jankuloska has strong 
managerial and organizational skills.  She is a close 
Gruevski confidant, but is not considered to be a strong 
player on key policy decisions.  She has no police or law 
enforcement experience.  She speaks excellent English, 
having earned an advanced law degree at a British 
university, and also speaks some German. 
 
MINISTER OF FINANCE: TRAJKO SLAVESKI (VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶17. (U) A VMRO-DPMNE Vice President since 2004, Slaveski is 
one of Gruevski's closest advisers.  From 2000-2002, he 
served as a senior adviser to Gruevski in the Finance 
Ministry, and played the lead role in drafting the 
country's National Poverty Reduction Strategy.  He also 
served as Minister of Development in the VMRO-DPMNE-led 
government from 1999-2000. 
 
¶18. (U) Holding a PhD in economics, Slaveski was a 
Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University from 1989-1990 and 
works as a professor of economics at Cyril and Methodius 
University in Skopje.  He was a visiting professor at 
Arizona State University in 1997.  Slaveski is a prolific 
author and serves as president of the Executive Board of 
the local Association for Modern Economy.  Born in Ohrid in 
1960, he is married to a banker.  His daughter is a 
communications student in Tempe, Arizona.  He speaks fluent 
English. 
 
 
SKOPJE 00000779  004.2 OF 006 
 
 
MINISTER OF JUSTICE: MIHAJLO MANEVSKI (VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶19. (SBU) Currently the President of the Macedonian 
Anti-Corruption Commission and the most seasoned and senior 
of the candidates for ministerial posts, Manevski is a 
retired deputy chief public prosecutor.  As a USAID 
contractor, he helped establish the financial police in the 
Ministry of Finance.  He served as Minister of Justice for 
Macedonia in the former Yugoslavia.  Loosely affiliated 
with VMRO-DPMNE, he has accused the SDSM-appointed chief 
public prosecutor of failing to take action in several 
high-profile corruption cases.  Born in 1937, he is married 
to an appellate court judge, Manevski enjoys a positive 
reputation in the international community.  He does not 
speak English. 
 
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND WATER: ACE 
SPASENOVSKI (SOCIALIST PARTY) 
 
¶20. (U) A trained agronomist who currently heads the 
Swedish Guaranty Fund in Macedonia, Spasenovski enjoys a 
positive reputation among Ministry of Agriculture contacts 
as someone "who finally understands something about 
agriculture." From 1999-2002, Spasenovski was the owner of 
the "Agro Consulting" firm.  He worked for the World Bank 
from 1997-1999 as a field counselor in the Ministry of 
Agriculture, and also served as a consultant to a local 
agricultural pharmacy.  He owned a milk production 
operation in the early 1990s.  Born in 1969 in Kicevo, 
Spasenovski is married and is a qualified karate trainer. 
He speaks English and some Albanian. 
 
MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL POLICY: LJUPCO MESKOV (LIBERAL 
PARTY) 
 
¶21. (SBU/NF) A former Director of the Pension and 
Disability Insurance Fund (1998-2002), Meskov came under a 
cloud in 2003 when he was accused by the SDSM-led 
government of abuse of official position. Meskov was first 
elected an MP in 1994.  He was re-elected in 1998, 2002, 
and 2006.  He is a member of the Liberal Party's Executive 
Committee, and is a close associate of LP President Stojan 
Andov.  Born in 1948, he holds a law degree from Cyril and 
Methodius University in Skopje. 
 
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS: MILE JANAKIESKI 
(VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶22. (U) An economist currently heading the Skopje 
waterworks, Janakieski served under Gruevski in the 
Ministry of Finance from 1999-2004, eventually working in 
the Department for Macroeconomic Affairs from 2002-2004. 
Following his election to the Skopje City Council in 2005, 
he was appointed to head the public water supply utility. 
Janakievski is a graduate Cyril and Methodius University's 
Prilep branch, where he specialized in economics.  He 
speaks fluent English. 
 
MINISTER OF EDUCATION: SULEIMAN RUSHITI (DPA) 
 
¶23. (SBU) A theater director and actor by training, Rushiti 
has served as one of DPA's vice presidents since 2002. From 
2003 to 2005, he was DPA's spokesman.  A moderate and an 
intellectual, Rushiti once headed DPA's department for 
culture, youth, sports, and information.  He is likely to 
be a progressive, reformist minister.  Born in Gostivar in 
1972, Rushiti speaks English and German well, and also 
speaks some Italian. 
 
MINISTER OF ECONOMY: VERA RAFAJLOVSKA (NSDP) 
 
¶24. (U) Director of her own consulting and auditing agency, 
and chief editor of a local magazine, Rafajlovska is an 
expert on accounting and tax issues.  She has extensive 
 
SKOPJE 00000779  005 OF 006 
 
 
experience in the education and training of local 
accounting and finance staff in Macedonian companies, and 
has written or co-authored textbooks and manuals on 
accounting and taxes.  She currently serves as Deputy 
President of the Association of Certified Auditors of 
Macedonia.  Born in 1947 in Bitola, Rafajlovska holds an 
undergraduate degree in economics from Cyril and Methodius 
University in Skopje. 
 
MINISTER OF CULTURE: ILIRJAN BEKIRI (DPA) 
 
¶25. (U) Born in 1968 in Tetovo, Bekiri holds an advanced 
degree in fine arts from Pristina University.  Since 1998, 
he has worked as a professor of fine arts at Tetovo 
University.  Although he is a DPA member, he has never held 
a leadership position in the party. 
 
MINISTER OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT: ZORAN KONJANOVSKI 
(VMRO-DPMNE) 
 
¶26. (SBU/NF) Konjanovski currently serves as President of 
the Bitola City Council.  A relative unknown, he is likely 
to be a placeholder, and is expected to give up his 
ministry if Gruevski succeeds in persuading the ethnic 
Albanian opposition Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP) 
to join his coalition.  A trained mechanical engineer, 
Konjanovski has worked since 1999 for a public enterprise 
in Bitola. Konjanovski was elected to the Bitola city 
council in 2005 and is a long-time member of VMRO-DPMNE. 
His lack of longer-term engagement in local government 
affairs could be a handicap in this sensitive and important 
post. 
 
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT: IMER ALIU 
 
¶27. (SBU) Born in 1977 in Tetovo, Aliu is DPA's chief 
spokesperson and is close to DPA Vice President Menduh 
Thaci.  He holds a B.A. in law and currently is enrolled in 
the public administration M.A. program at the Southeast 
European University in Tetovo.  Aliu lacks bureaucratic 
management experience and has no background in 
environmental affairs.  He speaks some English. 
 
MINISTERS WITHOUT PORTFOLIO 
 
¶28. (SBU) Gruevski also plans to nominate as ministers 
without portfolio responsible for attracting foreign 
investments two Macedonian-Americans currently living and 
working in the United States -- Gligor Taskovic, an 
executive with the U.S.-based AMBO (trans-Balkan pipeline) 
Corporation, and Vele Samak, an executive with Microsoft in 
Seattle.  Samak is the son of Blagoja Samakovski, owner of 
the Macedonian firm MIKROSAM which has been implicated in 
illegal proliferation-related transactions.  In addition, 
Gruevski has offered a minister without portfolio position 
to Adnan Qahil, President of the Party of Turks in 
Macedonia, who held a similar position in a previous 
VMRO-DPMNE government.  Finally, Gruevski plans to create a 
Minister for Information Society position and to offer it 
to Ivo Ivanovski, a Macedonian-American currently working 
on IT issues for the US firm Plaskolite Inc., in Columbus, 
Ohio. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶29. (SBU/NF) By proposing a cabinet of mostly young, 
enthusiastic and well-educated "thirty-something" 
technocrats, some of them without any substantial 
bureaucratic experience, Gruevski appears to be trying to 
ensure that he will be able to exert greater control over 
his ministries than his predecessor -- PM Buckovski -- was 
able to do.  By surrounding himself with close party 
associates in key ministries (Foreign Affairs, Interior, 
Finance, Economic Affairs) he probably hopes to ensure a 
 
SKOPJE 00000779  006 OF 006 
 
 
loyal team that can focus on his program priorities of 
economic development and fighting corruption and organized 
crime.  Inter-ministerial cooperation and coordination 
should be easier in that environment, and 
politically-motivated turf battles less likely. 
 
¶30. (SBU/NF) At the same time, the relatively junior status 
of many of Gruevski's ministers could make it difficult for 
them, initially at least, to earn the trust of their 
subordinates and to inspire confidence in their leadership 
qualifications.  That could mean a slow start in getting 
the reform process underway, and could require frequent 
intervention by Gruevski to keep his program on track in 
order to avoid damaging Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic 
integration prospects. 
 
MILOVANOVIC