VZCZCXRO1068
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0970/01 3471601
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131601Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6806
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0123
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000970 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KIRF MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: RELIGION LAW MEETS INTERNATIONAL 
STANDARDS 
 
REF: SKOPJE 290 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Macedonian parliament adopted a new Law on 
Religious Communities and Groups in September that 
significantly strengthens religious freedom provisions, 
generally meets OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission standards, 
and supports Macedonia's NATO membership bid.  Due to take 
effect in May 2008, the new law guarantees the right to 
freely practice one's religion and is arguably the most 
liberal in the region.  The new law still requires religious 
entities to officially register to attain legal status in 
Macedonia, but the registration language is in line with 
international standards.  We will carefully monitor 
implementation of the law to ensure it is evenly applied to 
all/all groups seeking to register and practice their 
religious beliefs here. End summary. 
 
NEW RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAW 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The Macedonian parliament passed the new Law on the 
Legal Status of Churches, Religious Communities and Religious 
Groups on September 5, after a two-year drafting process. 
Both Prime Minister Gruevski and Foreign Minister Milososki 
lobbied vigorously for the law, particularly with leaders of 
the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) and the Islamic 
Community of Macedonia (ICM).  Those efforts followed earlier 
approaches by the Ambassador and EmbOffs to GOM leaders 
underscoring the need to strengthen religious freedom in 
Macedonia as a key NATO membership criterion. 
 
¶3. (U) The new law on religion will go into effect on May 1, 
¶2008.  The Ministry of Justice is tasked with drafting 
guidelines for implementation, and with training judges to 
properly enforce the law.  Under the new law, the Skopje 
Basic Court will be responsible for registering religious 
groups; under existing legislation, the Minister of Interior 
has that responsibility.  Judges are scheduled to begin their 
training in January and February 2008. 
 
LIBERAL REGISTRATION PROVISIONS 
 
¶4. (SBU) The new law further elaborates on freedom of 
religion guarantees provided in the Macedonian Constitution. 
Unlike the existing legislation, the new law states that an 
individual has the right to practice his religion in public 
or private and does not have to be a member of a registered 
group in order to do so.  The law includes, however, a 
registration requirement for those religious entities wishing 
to obtain legal status in order to own property or open a 
bank account.  Registration is not/not required to form a 
religious group, or to perform religious ceremonies or rites, 
another positive departure from the previous law. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The registration requirement was of concern to 
domestic and international observers throughout the drafting 
process.  Original drafts of the law sought to limit 
registration to only one registered group per confession (a 
position favored by established religious groups such as the 
MOC and ICM) and to allow existing registered groups to veto 
the registration of a new group.  In its final form, however, 
the law on religion eliminated all controversial registration 
requirements, simply requiring each religious group to 
register under a name and official insignia differentiating 
it from other groups (similar to a trademark registration). 
The new law arguably is the most liberal in the region. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The new law contains a grandfather clause for all 
religious entities registered prior to 1998.  Any religious 
entities registered after 1998 will be required to adjust 
their registration status according to the new law, and will 
have 60 days to comply with that requirement. 
 
LIKELY TEST CASES FOR THE NEW LAW 
 
¶7. (SBU) The registration of two often controversial 
religious groups in Macedonia likely will be the first test 
cases of the manner in which the GOM will implement the new 
law.  The "Ohrid Orthodox Archbishopric" led by Jovan 
Vraniskovski, a defrocked Macedonian Orthodox Church Bishop 
 
SKOPJE 00000970  002 OF 002 
 
 
now aligned with the Serbian Orthodox Church, attempted to 
register in 2004 and was refused under provisions of existing 
legislation (reftel).  Vraniskovski is likely to re-submit a 
registration application when the new law takes effect next 
May. 
 
¶8. (SBU) In a December 3 meeting with Poloff, the Minister of 
Justice's Chief of Staff, Nikolco Lazarov, said 
Vraniskovski's group would be able to register as long as his 
group does not use the name "Macedonian Orthodox Church" or 
"Ohrid Archbishopric," both of which already have been 
registered under the auspices of the MOC.  The other 
potentially controversial registration involves the Bektashi, 
a Sufi Islamic sect, that is involved in an ongoing property 
dispute with the larger ICM, which does not recognize the 
Bektashi as an independent religious group.  The Bektashi 
registered in 2000, but will be subject to re-registration 
under the new law's grandfather clause. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Lazarov said that the new law on religion shows the 
GOM's support for a fair registration process for all 
religious groups, since the authority to approve registration 
requests has been vested in the courts, and groups can appeal 
a decision against registration.  The new law also addresses 
OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations that it 
stipulate that all religious entities are "equal before the 
law," and that there is no numerical threshold for 
registration of a religious group. 
 
THE RIGHT TO PERFORM RELIGIOUS RITES 
 
¶10. (SBU) OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission made suggested 
changes to the draft law in the section addressing the 
performance of religious rites and ceremonies.  Nearly all 
the suggested changes were accepted, and the law now clearly 
states that individuals or groups can freely perform 
religious rites in public or private.  The one remaining 
controversial clause addresses the "false representation of a 
religious servant" (e.g., a priest illegally claiming to 
represent a church in which he has not been ordained, or from 
which he has been expelled).  Both OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice 
Commission suggested clarifying language in order to ensure 
this clause would not be misused, but that suggestion was not 
incorporated into the law. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶11. (SBU) According to OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission 
assessments, the new law generally meets international 
standards and represents a significant improvement over 
previous versions.  The GOM, working with the religious 
groups in Macedonia and in coordination with OSCE/ODIHR and 
the Venice Commission, took an important step forward in 
creating a legal framework for protecting freedom of 
religion, which some international observers have suggested 
could be a model for the region.  We will monitor 
implementation carefully to ensure that the registration 
provisions are evenly applied to all/all groups seeking to 
register and practice in Macedonia, provided they meet the 
relevant criteria. 
MILOVANOVIC