Need for intensified political dialogue in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

VIENNA, 30 March 2001 - In a special session Friday, the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) discussed the current situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and emphasized the need for an intensified political dialogue and the acceleration of a democratic reform process in the country.

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Max van der Stoel, addressed the special session.

Ambassador Robert Frowick, who has been appointed by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office as his Personal Representative for the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, was among those who addressed the meeting. At a press conference afterwards he said: "I have met with the political representatives in the country, and am encouraged by the signals that indicate the willingness to engage in a political dialogue to deal with the situation.

"I have been instructed by the Chairman-in-Office to develop a concept for coherent action of the OSCE. In this effort, I am working very closely together with the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Head of our Spillover Mission to Skopje, and the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office on relations between the OSCE and the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe", Ambassador Frowick said. "What we are trying to do now, together with the European Union, NATO, and other international organizations, is to stimulate a productive dialogue to address some long-term concerns in the country for more equality in society. The situation however is still very volatile, the passions are very high, and it is going to take some time to calm things down. Although there are differences in the approaches, the overall goals are remarkedly similar. That's why there is still hope."

Ambassador Liviu Bota, Chairman of the Permanent Council, told journalists, "the OSCE reacted promptly to the events in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Chairman-in-Office, who is closely following the events in the country, appointed Ambassador Frowick as his Personal Representative, and the Permanent Council adopted a decision to considerably strengthen the OSCE Spillover Mission to Skopje. We also hope that a Ministerial Troika meeting will take place as soon as possible to further discuss this question", he said.

Ambassador Carlo Ungaro, Head of the Spillover Mission, who also spoke at the Permanent Council, added: "All the institutions in the country are working. We are relying on these institutions in our work, and the Mission is undertaking the necessary political initiatives to maintain the dialogue that is essential to the solution of the problems".