VZCZCXRO5754
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0231/01 0870639
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270639Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7211
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0263
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7212
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000231 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP OVIP KDEM PGOV PREL MK
SUBJECT: CODEL PRICE'S MACEDONIA MEETINGS 
 
 
Summary 
 ------- 
¶1. (SBU)  CODEL Price visited Macedonia March 15 to 18. 
CODEL members met with parliamentary leaders to advise on 
effective parliamentary procedures.  The CODEL also met with 
President Crvenkovski, Prime Minister Gruevski, Foreign 
Minister Milososki, and Defense Minister Elenovski to discuss 
Macedonia's NATO prospects, the status of the name 
negotiation with Greece, and Macedonia's intention to 
recognize Kosovo independence.  Crvenkovski and Gruevski both 
said that Macedonia had met NATO membership requirements and 
that the GOM remained willing to reach a compromise with 
Greece on the name. Crvenkovski said that Macedonia would 
follow NATO and the EU on Kosovo recognition, while Gruevski 
indicated that Kosovo recognition would come after the 
process of demarcating the border with Kosovo began. End 
summary. 
. 
CODEL Participants 
------------------ 
¶2. (U) Hon David Price, HDAC Chairman (D-NC) 
Hon David Dreier, Ranking Republican Member (R-CA) 
Hon. Lois Capps (D-CA) 
Hon. Judy Biggert (R-IL) 
Hon. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD 
Hon. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) 
Hon. Adam Schiff (D-CA) 
 
 
Supporting A More Effective Parliament 
-------------------------------------- 
¶3. (U) In their meetings with the Macedonian 
parliamentarians, the CODEL members provided advice on three 
main areas: constituent outreach and communication, 
parliamentary committee work and oversight, and women 
parliamentary leadership and the work of parliamentary 
caucuses.  The Members of Congress and the Congressional 
Staff shared their experience and practical ideas in each of 
these areas.  The participants also discussed how to 
implement a legislative strategy, including the drafting, 
lobbying and monitoring of legislation.  The discussions were 
well received by local MPs and their staffs. 
 
NATO Membership And The Name Negotiation 
---------------------------------------- 
¶4. (SBU)  The CODEL members met with President Crvenkovski 
and with Prime Minister Gruevski and Foreign Minister 
Milososki, and Defense Minister Elenovski on March 18.  All 
Macedonian interlocutors stressed the importance of NATO 
membership for Macedonia, and their desire to reach a 
solution with Greece on Macedonia's name before the upcoming 
NATO summit.  Crvenkovski said that the GOM remained willing 
to reach a compromise on a name for international use, but 
could not accept any proposal that would destabilize the 
country by undermining the national identity of its citizens. 
 Gruevski complained that Greece was "misusing" its NATO 
membership to "blackmail" Macedonia, while the other allies, 
except for the U.S., were tacitly accepting Greece's 
behavior. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Representative Dreier asked Gruevski what he 
expected would happen in Macedonia if the name issue 
prevented Macedonia from receiving a NATO invitation. 
Gruevski said that there would be great anger and frustration 
among Macedonians and that regional radical elements would be 
emboldened, but that Macedonia would still succeed in moving 
forward.  Milososki said that NATO membership for Croatia, 
Albania and Macedonia would support regional stability and 
added: "the more Balkan countries in NATO, the less NATO in 
the Balkans; the less NATO in the Balkans, the more NATO in 
Afghanistan." 
 
Kosovo Status - Recognition Timing 
---------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) On Kosovo status, Crvenkovski said that Macedonia 
would follow the common NATO and EU position on recognition, 
but noted that there was no common position so far.  Skopje, 
according to Crvenkovski, had to try to balance relations 
between Pristina and Belgrade, and would make decisions based 
on its interest in maintaining that balance. Crvenkovski also 
expressed concern about developments in northern Kosovo, 
which he said appeared to be amounting to de facto partition. 
 Gruevski expressed hope that Macedonia-Kosovo border 
 
SKOPJE 00000231  002 OF 002 
 
 
demarcation would start soon. He did not want "a technical 
issue to become a political one."  Once the demarcation 
process began, Gruevski said, Macedonia "could be more 
helpful on recognition of Kosovo." 
 
Relations With Russia 
--------------------- 
¶7. (SBU) Schiff asked Crvenkovski about Macedonia's relations 
with Russia.  Crvenkovski said Skopje did not feel pressure 
from Moscow.  Russia had economic interests in Macedonia and 
the region, but lacked political-military clout.  Crvenkovski 
added that Skopje did not fear an adverse reaction from 
Moscow if Macedonia received a NATO invitation at the 
Bucharest summit. 
 
Progress on Gender Balance in Politics 
-------------------------------------- 
¶8. (U)  Capps noted the progress Macedonia has made in 
increasing representation of women in parliament. Crvenkovski 
said that the GOM was proud of that progress, which was due 
in part to strong civil society involvement in gender issues. 
Gruevski noted that Macedonia has strong representation of 
women in the executive branch, with three important cabinet 
posts filled by women: the Minister of Interior, Minister of 
Economy, and Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration. 
 
¶9. (U) CODEL Price has cleared on this cable. 
MILOVANOVIC