OSCE Chairman-in-Office visits Skopje

SKOPJE, 18 October 2001 (OSCE) - "The OSCE is here to assist the Macedonian Government in regaining control over its territory and, through this, to help the displaced population to return to their homes", concluded the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, after a one-day visit in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia together with NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, European Union High Representative Solana and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Ralston.

The visit began with a field trip to the northern town of Kumanovo and to villages in the municipality of Lipkovo, where the OSCE Chairman-in-Office met local authorities to inform himself about the situation on the ground and the difficulties of the local population of whatever ethnicity to cope with the situation after the end of the fighting. Mr. Geoana was confronted with problems related to reconstruction of damaged property but also with the difficulties in rebuilding trust. "I consider this visit as a signal of confidence", he stressed in this context.

The political talks in Skopje, in which he participated together with Lord Robertson and Mr. Solana, and accompanied by his Personal Envoy Max van der Stoel and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Craig Jenness, included meetings with President Trajkovski, the Speaker of Parliament Andov, the Prime Minister Georgievski, the Minister of Interior Boskovski, as well as with leaders of the main political parties.

"One of the scopes of the visit was to review the deployment of OSCE and EU monitors on the ground", stressed Geoana, adding that it was agreed that by next Monday the Macedonian security forces would start an orderly and progressive re-deployment into the first five villages, monitored by OSCE and EU.

Also discussed was the need for freedom of movement for the population, the Chairman-in-Office underlining "the need for police checkpoints to be more permissive and less abundant". He also underlined the readiness of the OSCE to start with the training of a multi-ethnic police force in January.

"The OSCE stays engaged and committed in its effort to help overcome the current crisis and the problems emerging from it", concluded Mr. Geoana before returning to Bucharest.