|
Voting
is
positive
message
to
EU,
Sheena
Thompson
says
Skopje,
March
31
(MIA)
-
"Now
the
election
campaign
has
started,
the
EUSR
encourages
full
participation
of
the
political
parties
and
the
citizens.
Politics
affects
everyone
and
we
encourage
everyone
to
engage
in
tolerant,
fair
and
constructive
debate
from
the
diversity
of
views
that
are
held
in
this
country.
This
will
enable
this
country
to
continue
moving
forward
and
to
help
build
a
better
future.
Your
right
to
vote
in
any
election
is
your
chance
to
have
your
say
and
is
a
vital
way
of
influencing
national
decisions
and
your
future.
Politics
is
everywhere
in
life
–
it
is
not
just
about
the
emerging
peace
and
stability
this
country
is
now
enjoying
through
your
governments’
efforts
in
the
Ohrid
Framework
Agreement
implementation,
and
the
extremely
important
reform
work
that
is
helping
bring
Macedonia
closer
to
Europe.
Politics
also
affects
most
everyday
things-the
food
you
consume,
the
air
you
breathe,
the
state
of
your
streets,
the
way
your
institutions
are
run
to
the
regeneration
of
the
economy.
We
encourage
everyone
to
vote
in
the
forthcoming
Presidential
elections
on
14th
April,
as
not
only
are
you
voting
for
a
politician
and
a
party,
but
you
are
also
sending
a
very
important
message
to
the
EU
on
where
your
future
aspirations
lie,"
EU
spokesperson
to
Macedonia
Sheena
Thompson
said
at
the
press
conference
on
Wednesday.
Thompson
informed
that
the
EUSR
Soren
Jesssen-Petersen
and
Proxima
Head
of
Mission
Bart
D’Hooge
returned
from
Brussels
after
briefing
the
EU
Political
and
Security
committee,
adding
that
it
was
the
first
briefing
to
be
given
to
committee
members
by
Mr
Jessen-Petersen
on
the
political
and
security
situation
in
Macedonia
and
the
events
since
he
took
up
his
appointment
here
in
Skopje
on
February
1,
2004.
"Petersen
gave
an
optimistic
and
upbeat
assessment,
impressing
on
the
political
maturity,
the
stability
of
the
country
as
having
a
positive
impact
on
the
country,
giving
Macedonia
reason
to
be
more
confident
in
playing
a
positive
role
in
the
region.
He
concluded
by
stating
that
the
challenges
now
facing
Macedonia
are
to
maintain
this
stable
and
mature
approach
towards
issues,
conduct
successful
elections
and
resumption
and
acceleration
of
the
Framework
Agreement
implementation,"
Thompson
said.
"Bart
D’Hooge
gave
his
assessment
of
the
first
three
months
of
the
EUPOL
Mission
Proxima,
outlining
that
a
combination
of
MOI
and
public
support
is
helping
effect
the
mission
goals.
It
has
also
helped
galvanize
the
'professional
partnership'
that
epitomizes
the
working
relationship
between
EU
police
officers
and
their
Macedonian
counterparts,
emphasizing
that
full
co-operation
promised
during
the
planning
phase
has
been
delivered
and
this
was
providing
the
Proxima
mission
with
good
foundation,"
Thomson
added.
Thomson
informed
that
after
the
Political
and
Security
Committee
meeting,
Mr.
Jessen-Petersen
met
with
EU
Special
representative
for
common
foreign
and
security
policy
Javier
Solana,
who
was
encouraged
and
pleased
to
hear
of
the
calm
and
mature
way
the
political
leadership
in
Macedonia
have
responded
to
recent
events
in
Kosovo.
NATO
representative
Den
Milicevic
condemned
criminal
events
in
Kosovo.
"Those
events
were
disgraceful
with
no
place
in
the
civilized
Europe,"
he
said.
"I
want
to
praise
Macedonian
Government
and
citizens
for
their
incredible
dignified
and
peaceful
dealing
with
the
events
in
Kosovo,
and
I
believe
it
proves
that
Macedonia's
urge
for
peace
and
stability
is
at
high
level,"
Milicevic
added.
ac/aa/14:22/mia/MTnet/
###
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2000
MIA
-
Macedonian
Information
Agency.
All
Rights
Reserved.
This
material
may
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