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Voice of America, 01-07-26Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>SLUG: 2-278692 Macedonia-Solana (L-only) DATE: NOTE NUMBER:CONTENTS
[01] Macedonia-Solana (L-only) BY Jeff Bieley (Skopje)DATE=07-26-01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278692 CONTENT= INTRO: NATO and European Union top officials say Macedonia has successfully moved away from war Thursday. Jeff Bieley reports from Skopje, an urgently negotiated withdrawal of ethnic Albanian rebel forces has calmed tensions and allowed some refugees to return to their homes. TEXT: European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana gave an upbeat
assessment on the situation in Macedonia, after a day of discussions
with political leaders here.
He said, "The political process is back on track and
the ceasefire is back on track."
Mr. Solana's assessment was backed by NATO Secretary General George
Robertson, who joined the peace talks with Mr. Solana. Mr. Robertson
said a peace agreement could be quickly reached in talks expected to
resume Friday.
He said of all the issues between ethnic Albanian and
Macedonian political leaders, "95 percent" had already
been settled. "The remaining 5 percent," he said,
"should be resolved during further meetings in
Tetovo."
Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski said the city of
Tetovo, 35 kilometers west of the capital, was chosen
as the site of the talks because,in his words, "We want to express our
support for peace there."
He said the town, which has an 80 percent ethnic
Albanian majority "was and will remain the symbol of
coexistence between Macedonians and Albanians."
A NATO-brokered deal Wednesday was focused on removing
the rebels from Tetovo and nearby villages. While the
rebels were reported to have complied with the
agreement, one ethnic Albanian was shot and killed in
Tetovo by police.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski announced
he has collected evidence to charge eleven leaders of
the guerrillas - known as the National Liberation Army (NLA)
with war crimes.
The list includes NLA political chief Ali Ahmeti, who
met with NATO special envoy Pieter Feith Wednesday to
conclude the guerrilla withdrawal deal.
It was not the first time Mr. Feith has acted as a
go-between for President Trajkovski with Mr. Ahmeti. (Signed)
[02] NATO / MACEDONIA (L ONLY) BY ROGER WILKISON (BRUSSELS)DATE=7/26/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278672 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Two western envoys are in Macedonia on yet another mission to stave off civil war in the Balkan country. But as V-O-A's Roger Wilkison reports, it is still not clear if the two -- NATO Secretary-General George Robertson and European Union (E-U) foreign policy chief Javier Solana -- can help avert a conflict. TEXT: Mr. Robertson said on his arrival Thursday in Skopje, the Macedonian capital, that if collapsed peace talks between majority Slav and minority ethnic Albanian political parties can be revived, Macedonia could be saved from the killing and carnage that have characterized other Balkan civil wars. Mr. Robertson and Mr. Solana decided on Wednesday to make another trip to Macedonia, despite anti-western riots in Skopje Tuesday night during which ethnic Macedonians accused NATO and western mediators of supporting the ethnic Albanian insurgents who say they are fighting for more rights for their community. /// OPT ////// OPT ////// TAYLOR ACTUALITY 1 ////// END ACTUALITY ////// TAYLOR ACTUALITY 2 ////// END ACTUALITY ///NEB/RW/GE/JWH Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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