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RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 1978
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SKOPJE 001017 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: EUR/SCE DIRECTOR HOH'S MEETINGS WITH 
GOM OFFICIALS AND OPPOSITION 
 
REF: SKOPJE 980 
 
Classified By: P/E LATHAM, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
Summary 
--------- 
 
¶1. (C)  Summary.  In his October 17 meetings with GOM 
officials and opposition party leaders, EUR/SCE Director 
Chris Hoh noted the need for improved inter-ethnic dialogue 
and continued implementation of the Ohrid Framework 
Agreement, a vigorous and non-partisan fight against crime 
and corruption, support for the Kosovo final status process, 
and continued progress on NATO-related reforms.  GOM 
officials assured Hoh that they would continue to reach out 
to the opposition parties, especially eAlbanian party DUI, 
pursue corruption cases in a non-partisan manner, support 
border demarcation with Kosovo as a technical issue, and 
continue the defense and political reforms necessary for NATO 
membership.  DUI President Ali Ahmeti complained that the GOM 
had not reciprocated DUI's attempts to reach compromise on 
the current political impasse. End Summary. 
 
Meetings 
-------- 
¶2.  (U) EUR/SCE Director Hoh met separately with: 
- NATO Coordinator and former Ambassador to the US Nikola 
Dimitrov 
- Minister of Finance and VMRO-DPMNE Vice President Trajko 
Slaveski; 
- Deputy Prime Minister for Euro Integration and Foreign Aid 
Gabriela Konevska-Trajkovska; 
- Deputy Prime Minister for Framework Agreement 
Implementationm and Minister of Healthm Imer Selmani; 
- Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov, National Coordinator for NATO 
Membership; 
- MFA State Secretary Igor Ilievski, MFA State Counselor 
Milan Spirodonovski, and Head of Sector Pascal Stojceski; 
- Presidential National Security Advisor Stevo Pendarovski; 
- DUI President Ali Ahmeti, and DUI Vice President Musa 
Xhaferi; and 
- SDSM (eMacedonian opposition party) lame duck President 
(reftel), and former PM Vlado Buckovski, and SDSM 
MP and former FM Ilinka Mitreva 
 
Inter-Ethnic Relations 
---------------------- 
¶3.  (C) In his meetings with GOM officials, Hoh pointed out 
that Macedonia was a regional success story of inter-ethnic 
cooperation.  The current government should work to build on 
that success by creating open lines of communication with DUI 
leaders, he said.  In addition to being important for 
Macedonia's future, maintaining a respectful and substantive 
dialogue with DUI was smart politics; it would help with 
successful implementation of key laws.  All GOM interlocutors 
agreed.  They said they were willing to hold talks with DUI's 
leaders, but pointed out that this was DUI's first time in 
opposition and its leaders had not yet learned how to be a 
constructive opposition party. 
 
¶4. (C) Hoh told Deputy PM Selmani, a leader of the eAlbanian 
coalition member DPA, that the burden was on the GOM to show 
that it could manage its responsibilities in a professional 
and responsible manner; combatting corruption should be 
non-partisan. In addition, DPA needed to demonstrate that it 
could represent the interests of all ethnic Albanians in 
Macedonia and not engage in partisan attacks on DUI. Selmani 
pledged that the GOM would focus on doing its job and not 
engage in politically motivated actions against DUI.  For 
example, the GOM would continue to be careful in dealing 
evenhandedly with DUI-affiliated government employees. 
Selmani also said that, in his position as Deputy PM, he was 
committed to the continued implementation of the Ohrid 
Framework Agreement.  This would include passage of the 
remaining needed legislation, implementation of legislation 
already passed, and ensuring successful implementation of 
decentralization and equal representation. 
 
¶5. (C)  DUI President Ahmeti reiterated his view that, by not 
bringing DUI into the government coalition, PM Gruevski had 
shown disrespect for the eAlbanian population and 
disenfranchised the majority of eAlbanian voters who had 
supported DUI in the July parliamentary elections.  He told 
Hoh, however, that DUI had moderated its earlier opposition 
to the government, having returned to work in the parliament 
and having demonstrated willingness to open a dialogue with 
the GOM.  The GOM, however, had not reciprocated with genuine 
efforts to reach compromises with DUI.  Instead, the GOM, and 
in particular DPA, had removed or demoted civil servants who 
were affiliated with DUI, pursued changes to a draft police 
law for DPA's own benefit, and manipulated parliamentary 
procedures to block DUI's ability to weigh-in decisively on 
legislation.  Hoh urged Ahmeti to remain patient and to 
continue pursuing DUI's interests through the democratic 
process and to avoid violence.  Hoh said this strategy, along 
with DUI efforts to show the public its constructive 
attitude, offered the best chance for productive dialogue 
with the government.  The USG would continue working on the 
government to be more responsible as well. 
 
Support for Kosovo Final Status Process 
--------------------------------------- 
¶6. (C)  Hoh told his interlocutors that the USG appreciated 
Macedonia's support for the international effort to resolve 
Kosovo's final status.  He said that Macedonia could continue 
to provide support to Kosovo through its example as a 
successful inter-ethnic state, and he hoped Macedonia would 
support Kosovo after final status was determined.  He also 
said that resolution of the border demarcation between 
Macedonia and Kosovo would be part of the final status 
agreement, and should be treated by both sides as a 
technical, rather than political, issue.  His interlocutors 
agreed that was the correct approach. 
 
¶7. (C)  MFA State Secretary Ilievski said that MFA officials 
were working on proposed language on border demarcation to be 
included in a Kosovo final status settlement.  The draft 
language would specify in greater detail how the border 
demarcation issue should be resolved.  FM Milososki likely 
would run that language by DAS DiCarlo during her October 
22-25 visit, Ilievski said.  Hoh later asked National 
Security Advisor Pendarovski if he thought Macedonia would 
recognize an independent Kosovo if the Ahtissaari package was 
not agreed to by the Serbian government.  Pendarovski said 
that, if that scenario occurred, the GOM would likely 
recognize Kosovo only after the EU, or a significant number 
of EU members, recognized its independence. 
 
NATO Reforms and Fighting Corruption 
------------------------------------ 
¶8. (C)  Hoh told GOM officials the USG would continue to 
support Macedonia's efforts to implement the reforms 
necessary for NATO membership.  Finance Minister Slaveski 
promised that the GOM would continue to allocate sufficient 
money to the MOD for NATO-related reforms.  Hoh said that, in 
addition to the defense reforms, NATO also would be reviewing 
Macedonia's progress on key political and judicial reform 
matters.  One critical issue would be progress on the GOM's 
efforts to fight organized crime and corruption.  He said the 
GOM should, in addition to passing and implementing 
anti-corruption legislation, prosecute high-profile 
corruption cases that would demonstrate its commitment to 
pursuing corruption at the highest levels.  Hoh noted, 
however, that such cases needed to be pursued in a 
non-partisan manner.  Targeting only members of the political 
opposition would undermine the credibility of the GOM's 
efforts.  In addition, Hoh noted, the GOM should resist the 
temptation to engage in the wholesale firing of government 
personnel affiliated with the former government. 
 
¶9.  (C)  GOM interlocutors agreed.  They underscored that 
fighting corruption was, along with economic growth, one of 
the two main pillars of the government's agenda.  Slaveski 
agreed that the fight against corruption had to be 
non-partisan, but warned that the GOM likely would uncover 
cases of corruption by DUI members of the former government, 
 
and that such cases could not be ignored.  Deputy PM 
Konevska-Trajkovska said that progress in fighting corruption 
was also part of the criteria for the EU's evaluation of 
Macedonia.  The GOM was in the process of developing a 
government anti-corruption action plan, she noted.  Selmani 
said the GOM would implement improved management and 
administrative procedures to reduce corruption, and would 
expand the use of information technology within the 
government to enhance administrative oversight and public 
transparency of government operations.  Selmani also said 
that only GOM employees on temporary contracts had been let 
go. 
 
¶10. (C) Amb. Dimitrov said there was some concern in GOM 
circles that the Greek parliament might, as the government in 
Athens had warned, refuse to ratify Macedonia's eventual 
membership in NATO and the EU unless the name issue was 
resolved.  Dimitrov pointed out that the 1995 Interim 
Agreement prevented the Greek government from vetoing 
Macedonia's membership in either organization, provided the 
country entered under the "reference" (former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia).  If it did veto on those grounds, 
however, Macedonia then would have the right to cease further 
negotiations on the name, Dimitrov said. 
 
¶11. (U)  EUR/SCE Director Hoh cleared this cable. 
MILOVANOVIC