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Macedonia:
economic
growth
necessary
for
NATO
membership
Reality
Macedonia
(Sep
27,
2004) (RM)
By
Irina
Gelevska
- "Defense
reforms
are
not
the
only
criteria
for
getting
invitation
for
NATO
Membership,"
said
the
General
Secretary
of
the
Parliamentary
Assembly
of
NATO
Simon
Lunn
at
the
57-th
Ross
Roth
Seminar
in
Ohrid.
"Whether
you
will
get
an
invitation
in
2006
depends
on
the
reforms
in
the
justice
department,
visible
fight
against
organized
crime
and
corruption,
the
rights
of
the
ethnic
minorities,
and
most
of
all
the
state
of
the
economy
in
the
country
must
improve.
You
have
to
have
some
economic
growth
and
you
have
to
reduce
the
high
rate
of
unemployment,"
said
Mr.
Lunn.
The
Minister
of
Defense
Vlado
Buchkovski
claims
that
the
NATO
remarks
for
the
6th
Membership
Action
Plan
(MAP)
for
2005
will
be
about
the
political
problems
such
as
the
laws
for
decentralization
and
the
slow
and
corrupted
courts.
The
laws
for
decentralization
are
the
last
package
for
the
Framework
Agreement.
Over
180,000
Macedonian
citizens
oppose
the
new
Government
territorial
organization
[part
of
this
law
package]
and
have
asked
for
referendum
on
November
7,
2004.
The
Minister
of
Justice
Ixhet
Memeti
has
a
plan
for
starting
reforms
in
the
judiciary
sector,
but
his
colleague
the
Minister
of
Finance
Nikola
Popovski
refuses
to
give
him
money
for
the
reforms.
All
in
all,
Macedonia
will
present
its
6th
MAP
in
Brussels
with
bigger
military
budget
of
104,2
Million
Euros
for
the
next
year,
50%
for
the
salaries
of
the
soldiers,
30
%
for
the
peacekeeping
missions,
and
20%
for
new
equipment
and
supplies.
Also,
since
last
year,
over
800
soldiers
have
become
border
policemen
on
the
borders
towards
Greece
and
Bulgaria.
In
2005
over
600
soldiers
will
be
transferred
to
the
Border
Police.
According
to
the
plan
the
Border
Police
should
take
over
the
border
towards
Kosovo
and
Serbia
in
May
2005,
and
the
border
towards
Albania
in
November
the
same
year.
The
problem
with
the
Kosovo
Government
for
the
border
line
seems
overcame.
Kosovo
Prime
Minister
Bajram
Rexhepi
and
the
Chief
of
UNMIK
Soren
Jesen
Petersen
have
promised
to
the
Macedonian
Authorities
that
there
are
no
border
disputes
and
the
only
problem
with
private
property
at
Debalde-Tanushevci
will
be
resolved
according
to
the
international
rules.
"Now
the
only
problem
is
to
find
a
partner
for
demarcation
of
the
border.
I
think
that
the
best
partner
is
UNMIK
not
KFOR,"
said
the
Minister
of
Defense
Vlado
Buchkovski
after
his
meeting
with
the
KFOR
Commander
Lieutenant
General
Yves
de
Kermabon
in
Ohrid.
"Since
beginning
of
July,
there
were
only
two
border
incidents.
One
in
July
when
two
persons
tried
to
cross
the
border
illegally
and
one
in
September
when
smugglers
tried
to
bring
in
Kosovo
wood
for
the
winter
that
was
illegally
cut
in
Macedonia.
This
do
not
worry
me
and
I
think
the
situation
on
the
border
between
Kosovo
and
Macedonia
is
good,"
said
the
KFOR
Commander
Yves
de
Kermabon.
On
Monday,
the
Macedonian
Government
adopted
the
text
of
the
Membership
Action
Plan
for
2005
which
will
be
presented
in
Brussels
on
28-th
of
October,
two
weeks
before
the
deadline.
The
NATO
Senior
Representative
and
the
Commander
of
NATO
HQ
Skopje
Brigadier
General
Dennis
Blease
said
on
the
meeting
of
the
Working
Committee
on
September
16,
that
this
MAP
is
far
more
realistic
than
the
previous
ones
and
it
has
a
time
schedule
for
every
activity
in
2005.
©
2000
RM
-
Reality
Macedonia.
All
Rights
Reserved.
This
material
may
not
be
published,
broadcast,
rewritten
or
redistributed
in
any
form
except
with
the
prior
express
permission
of
Macedonian
Information
Agency.
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