VZCZCXRO5570
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0473/01 2061522
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241522Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7546
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0371
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2309
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000473 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: FM MILOSOSKI ASSURES AMBASSADOR THAT 
MACEDONIA REMAINS "NATO-READY," ASKS FOR HELP ON GREECE, IS 
POSITIVE ON KOSOVO 
 
REF: SKOPJE 464 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Macedonia remains "NATO-ready" despite apparent 
recent steps away from democratization and a supplemental 
budget re-balance that directed funds away from the Ministry 
of Defense, according to Foreign Minister Milososki in his 
July 22 meeting with the Ambassador.  He sought to deflect 
our concerns about what Greece perceives as provocative 
rhetoric on the name dispute, but agreed on a 
"back-to-basics" approach.  Milososki reported progress on 
Kosovo border demarcation and agreed to revisit practical 
mechanisms to address the "human dimension" of the final 
border.  End Summary. 
 
NATO-READINESS: PERCEPTIONS MATTER 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The Ambassador, in her July 22 meeting with FM 
Milososki, expressed concern that Macedonia is not doing all 
it could do to be, and to be perceived as, "NATO-ready" 
following the Bucharest summit.  She called upon Macedonia to 
focus attention on issues of democratic dialogue, rule of 
law, and defense readiness -- areas in which some 
post-Bucharest developments in Macedonia have drawn 
criticism. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Specifically, the Ambassador pointed out that 
Macedonia's recent supplemental budget re-balance, which 
shifted considerable funding from the Ministry of Defense to 
the Ministry of the Interior, raises questions about 
Macedonia's ability to continue with needed military reforms 
and training, as well as Macedonia's support of NATO 
missions.  Without offering budget details, Minister 
Milososki assured the Ambassador that the budget re-balance 
"will not affect Macedonia's ability or willingness related 
to military reforms, equipment and training."  He further 
offered that the Government would intervene to address 
budgetary issues should the re-balance have any negative 
impact on Macedonia's military readiness or commitments. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  In areas of rule of law and democratic dialogue, 
the Ambassador raised concerns about the MoI's role in 
prompting a media circus surrounding the arrest of an 
opposition party vice president (reftel), and the 
Parliament's passage of a controversial procedural rulebook 
in the absence of the opposition.  Both raise concerns about 
Macedonia's commitment to mature political dialogue.  FM 
Milososki shared the Ambassador's concerns about the impact 
of the passage of the rulebook, saying "I personally was not 
happy that the rulebook was passed in the absence of the 
opposition."  He assured the Ambassador, however, that the 
content of the new rulebook is democratic and 
well-structured. 
 
TURNING DOWN THE TEMPERATURE AND MAKING PROGRESS ON THE NAME 
DISPUTE 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  FM Milososki thanked the USG for continued 
engagement on the name dispute, including Secretary Rice's 
firm assurance of continued U.S. recognition of Macedonia 
under its constitutional name.  He asked the Ambassador to 
relay to Washington his Government's request that the U.S. 
consider adding a footnote to NATO documents, as Turkey does, 
citing recognition of Macedonia's constitutional name.  He 
suggested that such a footnote could be important both 
symbolically and a means of motivating Greece to focus on 
resolving the name dispute. The Ambassador agreed to do so, 
but added that the GoM should have no/no expectation of the 
U.S. footnoting. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador replied that Macedonia must expend 
every effort to make progress on the name dispute between now 
and the next NATO Ministerial meeting in December. She 
suggested that Macedonia should offer concrete proposals to 
UN Negotiator Nimetz and avoid provocations with Greece, 
either real or perceived.  She called into question the 
recent public release of PM Gruevski's letter to Greek PM 
 
SKOPJE 00000473  002 OF 002 
 
 
Karamanlis on the issue of the Macedonian minority in Greece, 
saying that it unnecessarily raised tensions between the two 
countries.  She also urged that Macedonia not play up events 
such as the meeting of the "Aegean Refugee Children," instead 
aiming to de-escalate tensions. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The Ambassador told the FM that the U.S. supports 
the parties "getting back to basics" in name negotiations -- 
focusing only the name and scope of use, rather than 
peripheral issues outside the immediate scope of UN 
Negotiator Nimetz -- and noted that the USG will share that 
view with Nimetz.  FM Milososki fully concurred with the need 
to re-focus the scope of the name negotiations, adding "the 
interim agreement should be replaced with a final agreement 
that does not exceed a single page."  The FM suggested, 
however, that Gruevski's recent letter to Karamanlis had the 
desired effect of deterring the Greek side from pressing on 
other peripheral issues.  He asserted that the Greek Deputy 
FM, following the recent exchange of letters between 
Macedonia and Greece on the issue, also expressed a desire to 
get back to the basic issues of the name and scope of use. 
 
THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF KOSOVO BORDER DEMARCATION 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶8. (SBU)  More upbeat than in previous conversations, the FM 
indicated that Macedonia is pleased with recent progress on 
the demarcation of the Kosovo border, noting that the Joint 
Technical Committee's (JTC's) work is progressing well and 
that they expect to have key border stones in place for all 
but two areas of the border (including the strategic 
highpoint of Kodra Fura) by the end of August or middle of 
September.  He was disappointingly vague, however, in calling 
the progress "an additional impetus for us on an issue we 
will approach this year"-- Macedonia's recognition of Kosovo. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Ambassador suggested that Macedonia also focus 
on the human dimension of demarcating the border, recalling 
previous discussions of plans for practical solutions for the 
areas of the border where villagers are concerned about being 
able to continue to use land for sheep grazing and other 
agricultural pursuits.  She suggested that defusing practical 
concerns and showing that villagers will not lose their land 
or need compensation, but be able to access it, could be a 
valuable contribution to the demarcation process.  FM 
Milososki replied that he had discussed the possibility of 
special ID cards for these persons with Minister of Interior 
Jankulovska who had been positively inclined.  He agreed to 
raise the issue directly with the Macedonian JTC when he met 
with them later that same day, indicating a direct MoI-MoI 
agreement may be the appropriate mechanism. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Comment:  FM Milososki listened to the Ambassador's 
concerns about the MoD budget, the passage of the 
Parliamentary rulebook in the absence of the opposition, and 
the MoI's questionable interactions with the media related to 
opposition VP Zaev's arrest, but made no concession that 
these present real concerns about Macedonia's NATO readiness. 
 He made clear the GoM's desire to limit the scope of the 
name negotiations, leaving peripheral issues out of any 
potential agreement, but did not inspire confidence that 
Macedonia will intensify efforts to resolve the issue in the 
near term.  The most positive outcome was his agreement to 
look more closely at practical mechanisms to ensure a 
successful border demarcation with Kosovo. End comment. 
Milovanovic