Monday, 22 April 2013
FROM CONSUMER, MACEDONIA IS NOW EXPORTER OF STABILITY
Delegation of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, headed by the Chairman of the Committee Lord Jopling, and including the Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance Mr. Vitalino Canas and the Vice-Chairperson of the Sub-Committee Ms. Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam, is in a visit to the Republic of Macedonia.
The members of the Delegation first met with the Vice President of the Republic of Macedonia Ms. Svetlana Jakimovska, the Head of the Delegation of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ms. Ermira Mehmeti Devaja, and the member of the Delegation of the Assembly Mr. Pavle Trajanov. Ms. Jakimovska expressed appreciation for the NATO’s consistent support and readiness for cooperation with our country. She emphasized the strategic commitment of the Republic of Macedonia to the Euro-Atlantic integration processes, the work that the country has been doing, and the participation in the NATO missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The members of the NATO Delegation pointed out that they wish to see Macedonia as a member of NATO and the EU and expressed interest in the developments after the events in the Assembly on 24 December and the dispute over the name with Greece.
Vice President Jakimovska elaborated the situation in the Assembly prior to 24 December. Ms. Mehmeti Devaja said that the agreement reached on 1 March should put an end to the incident. She added that from consumer of stability, Macedonia is now exporter of stability and that the country has fulfilled the criteria for NATO membership and deserves to be part of the Alliance that is securing peace and stability in the world.
Regarding the name dispute, Ms. Jakimovska pointed out that the Republic of Macedonia continues to be committed to the negotiations for finding a mutually acceptable solution, which will have to be accepted by the citizens in a referendum.
Mr. Pavle Trajanov assessed the territorial claims that the Republic of Macedonia allegedly has towards Greece and Bulgaria as a big lie aimed at the international community, reminding the guests that Macedonia has expressed its readiness for signing an agreement on inviolability of the borders with the neighbours.
The members of the Delegation of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly also had a meeting with the members of the Delegation of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee on Defence and Security, and the Foreign Policy Committee. Welcoming the guests, the Head of the Delegation to the NATO PA Ms. Ermira Mehmeti Devaja expressed satisfaction from their desire to visit Macedonia. The Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee Mr. Antonijo Milošoski said that, as part of the NATO led operations, the Republic of Macedonia is giving its contribution to the global security and safety, emphasizing that Macedonia is ranked as the fourth largest contributor per capita to the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
On request of the NATO Delegation, the Macedonian parliamentarians discussed the events in the Assembly on 24 December and the establishing of the inquiry committee that should shed more light on the incident, the situation with the media and freedom of expression, the dispute over the constitutional name with Greece, the strategic commitment and the political and ethnic consensus regarding EU and NATO integration, as well as the possibilities for increasing the defence budget.
Expressing his satisfaction from the meeting, Lord Jopling assessed highly the contribution that the Republic of Macedonia is giving with the participation in the peace keeping missions, and expressed hope that very soon the country will join NATO and the EU.