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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0016/01 0101333
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101333Z JAN 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5575
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/WE - SASHA MEHRA AND GERDA LANE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PHUM PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: FIVE INFLUENTIAL WOMEN 
 
REF: 06 STATE 202341 
 
¶1. This is Embassy Skopje's response to reftel regarding the 
five most influential women in Macedonia. PolOff Mariana 
Neisuler is Post's officer responsible for tracking women's 
issues. 
 
Tel:  389 2 3116 180 ext. 2111 
Fax:  389 2 3133 601 
Mobile:  389 70 306 024 
Email: NeisulerML@state.gov 
 
 
¶2. Post has identified the following five Macedonian women of 
different ethnic backgrounds as the most influential in the 
country. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Gabriela Konevska Trajkovska (age 35) 
 
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
Contact Information: Macedonian Government, Ilinden bb, 1000 
Skopje, Tel:  389 2 3113 245 
 
As Deputy PM for European Integration, Konevska is 
responsible for coordinating the Macedonian government's 
efforts to join the EU.  She is also the government's primary 
foreign assistance coordinator.  A former journalist and 
lawyer, Konevska served from 2000-2004 as the director of the 
Regional Center for Fighting against Organized Crime, located 
in Bucharest, and as the chief of the international mission 
in Romania under the Southeast European Cooperative 
Initiative (SECI). She also served as the personal political 
advisor to the SECI coordinator, and as president of the NGO 
Transparency Macedonia.  She is fluent in English, French and 
Romanian, and has a basic knowledge of German and Greek. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
Radmila Sekerinska (age 34) 
 
President of Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
Contact Information: Bihacka 8, 1000 Skopje, Tel:  389 2 3293 
101 
 
An engineer by training, Sekerinska previously served as 
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and 
Coordination of Foreign Assistance in the SDSM-led government 
from 2002-2006.  She has been prominent in politics since 
1998, when she was elected an SDSM Member of Parliament and 
served as the SDSM Spokesperson.  Sekerinska was elected in 
November 2006 as the leader of SDSM, the largest ethnic 
Macedonian opposition party, and remains an MP.  She speaks 
fluent English and some French. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
Teuta Arifi (age 37) 
 
Vice President of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
Contact Information: DUI MPs, Macedonian National Assembly, 
11 Oktomvri bb, 1000 Skopje, Tel:   389 70 383 907 
 
As an MP and Vice President of the largest ethnic Albanian 
party in Macedonia, Arifi wields more political power than 
any other ethnic Albanian woman in the country.  An academic 
with a BA in Albanian Literature and a PhD in Philosophy, 
Arifi entered the political scene in 2001 as a member of 
DUI's "intellectuals wing." She is a prominent academic and 
currently serves as the Dean of the Pedagogical Faculty of 
the Southeast European University in Tetovo. Arifi is fluent 
in English and French. 
 
--------------------------- 
Olivera Trajkovska (age 39) 
 
Leading TV personality 
--------------------------- 
 
Contact Information: IDEA Plus Ashley & Holmes, III 
Makedonska Brigada bb, 1000 Skopje, Tel:   389 70 254 840 
 
A psychologist by training, this influential Macedonian 
female journalist has worked for various local TV stations 
for the last 17 years. Her "Svetla Tochka" (Bright Point) 
 
SKOPJE 00000016  002 OF 002 
 
 
program has unrivaled viewer ratings.  An appearance on her 
show is considered a "rite of passage" for those seeking 
social or political prominence in Macedonian society. 
Trajkovska is considered an insightful journalist, with a 
sharp and occasionally provocative interviewing style that 
keeps her program at the top of the popular TV ratings. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Esma Redzepova (age 63) 
 
Leading Roma Singer and Humanitarian 
------------------------------------ 
 
Contact Information: Samoilova bb, 1000 Skopje, Tel:  389 2 
3116 113 
 
The so-called "Queen of the Gypsies," Redzepova has performed 
since the age of 12 and has promoted Roma culture in 
Macedonia through hundreds of popular folk songs and six 
feature films.  Born to a Turkish Muslim mother and a Serb 
father from Albania, Redzepova was discovered by the famous 
Roma musician Stevo Teodosievski.  Together with 
Teodosievski, she has adopted 47 orphans and street children. 
She has performed in more than 8,000 concerts in 30 
countries, and twice has been nominated for the Nobel Peace 
Prize. 
MILOVANOVIC