Vlado
Buchkovski
Prime Minister of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
Speech made to the Assembly
Wednesday, 12 April 2006
Mr President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mr René van der Linden; Mr Secretary General, Terry Davis; distinguished members of the Parliamentary Assembly; ladies and gentlemen, first, allow me to thank you for the invitation to address the Council of Europe, which is the generator of European democracy. I must admit that it gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to express my opinion on European efforts and perspectives on the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the entire Balkan region.
Let me extend the gratitude of my government and the Macedonian people to all members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its President, Mr René van der Linden, as well as the Secretary General, Mr Terry Davis, for their continuing support.
Today, the Balkans is entering the stage of its redefinition mainly through the ongoing talks on the future status of Kosovo, the forthcoming referendum in Montenegro and the constitutional redefining of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In such circumstances, it is important to be reasonable and constructive. In that respect, my government has always been convinced of the fact that, regardless of future status, only full implementation of all standards in Kosovo regarding democracy, human rights and the rule of law will provide a solid base for political stabilisation and lasting peace in the whole region.
The Republic of Macedonia is helping the process in accordance with its capabilities. With its policy, Macedonia is an example for good neighbourly relations. Macedonia is a successful model of multi-ethnic and multicultural society. We believe that our model of the Ohrid Framework Agreement can be implemented in other countries in the region.
Within a relatively short period, the Republic of Macedonia has adopted all regulations deriving from the Ohrid Framework Agreement, including decentralisation, use of ethnic symbols, the opening of a new state university in Tetovo for the representatives of the Albanian ethnic community, equitable representation of the ethnic communities in state institutions, use of the languages of the minority ethnic communities and so on. Today, we have satisfying results in the sphere of decentralisation, which has been recognised by international institutions.
The Republic of Macedonia is at a very important stage of its development. Acquiring EU candidate country status represents a strong signal not just for the Republic of Macedonia but the entire Balkan region. Profound reforms in all spheres of the society – politics, judiciary, administration and business – are the major issues where we exercise even greater efficiency and dynamism. For this purpose, we have even amended the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.
All our efforts in the previous period were aimed at meeting the obligations that emerged from different stages of our integration in the European Union. We have adopted a lot of reform laws and fundamental alterations have been made for their effective implementation.
The Republic of Macedonia is facing another test. We are to conduct parliamentary elections that will, to a large extent, be decisive for our future. We have adopted the new Electoral Code in line with European recommendations and we hope that it will contribute a lot to fair and democratic elections. All the demands of the opposition are implemented in the Electoral Code. We have decided that the president of the Electoral Committee will be proposed by the opposition. That leaves no doubt about our desire for fair and democratic elections. But fair and democratic elections also mean accepting the results that emerge from the will of the citizens.
The Republic of Macedonia deserves to be considered as a leader in regional co-operation. We attach great importance to it and regard regional co-operation as an essential precondition for joint progress. We have recently joined the Central European Free Trade Agreement, and further liberalisation of trade in the region will follow the creation of a free trade zone, which will be a strong impulse for fast development. We strongly support this process and estimate that it will be a catalyst for development and Europeanisation.
In the economy, we have made successful reforms towards enhancing the business climate. The status of EU candidate country has started to produce results. The interest of foreign companies in investing in Macedonia is growing continuously. All this gives us the right to hope that this year will be the key year for improving the economy, for new employment and for a better standard of living.
I would like to mention just a few things that the Government of the Republic of Macedonia has done to make Macedonia an attractive business destination. We have adopted new legislation; we have implemented a one-stop-shop registration system; we have launched the reform of the real estate register; and we have amended many other laws. All these reforms will be very unpopular in the forthcoming elections, but they will be very important for future generations.
The Republic of Macedonia’s membership of the Council of Europe on 9 November 1995 was the first cornerstone of the realisation of the European aspirations of the Republic of Macedonia. When we became a member of the Council of Europe, we agreed to respect the basic principles of the Council of Europe: democracy, human rights and the rule of law as common values.
For a long period, the culture of co-operation, solidarity and reaching consensus on important political issues among the member countries of this Organisation have been critical driving forces for the development of Europe in political, economic and cultural terms.
At the Warsaw Summit, the Council of Europe established several priorities. One of them has been co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union. One of the main topics in this session of the Parliamentary Assembly is relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union. In this regard, Mr Juncker, Mr Schüssel, Mr Popescu-Tariceanu and the President of the European Commission, Mr Barroso, addressed this distinguished forum.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union ought to be the platform for future co-operation between the two organisations and contribute to their partnership.
The Council of Europe, as a genuine pan-European organisation, creates the opportunity to enhance political dialogue between EU member countries and the countries that are preparing for membership, such as the Republic of Macedonia.
The Council of Europe, as the oldest intergovernmental organisation in Europe that promotes the principles of fundamental values, has a vital role in the challenges of the 21st century, such as terrorism, crime, corruption, trafficking in human beings, xenophobia and intolerance.
The European Court of Human Rights is a special feature of the Council of Europe. The right of individual application that enables any individual to lodge an appeal against any state for the violation of individual rights is an essential accomplishment of the Council of Europe. The Republic of Macedonia supports the ongoing reforms of the Court, and we are looking forward to the report of the Committee of Wise Persons on this issue. I would like to point out that the Republic of Macedonia was among the first countries to ratify Protocol No. 14.
I thank Romania for its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and for its contribution to the implementation of the Action Plan of the 2005 Warsaw Summit. We deeply appreciate all the activities undertaken in the field of the European Convention on Human Rights to improve its effectiveness, the protection of the rights of people belonging to national minorities and social cohesion and co-operation with European institutions and international organisations.
I also welcome the Russian Federation’s forthcoming chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. We believe that that will add value to the implementation of the main principles of the Council of Europe.
The European future of the citizens living in the geographical area of Europe is not just a natural right, but an imperative in modern relations. The European idea has caused a radical switch in the awareness of the Balkan people, who today prefer co-operation and the joining together of the countries in the region. Today, more than ever, the common people of the Balkans are interested in the perspective of economic development and global progress both of the region and of Europe in general. Today, the citizens are even more convinced that joint co-operation and integration are an incomparable advantage compared with the old political disputes and wars.
In the Balkans, European affiliation and integration are also remarkable stimuli not just to regional peace and security but to the general development of South-East Europe and Europe as a whole. It will be good to continue to move forward in that direction. It is very important that the politicians in the region who have a very sincere European orientation receive stronger support. Otherwise, the old-fashioned politicians who usually offer nothing useful and who manipulate ethnic issues in their countries will be favoured.
Our efforts towards making accession to the EU a priority are based on the logical conclusion that Europe belongs equally to all its citizens and nations. Each problem in every part of Europe is, at the same time, a problem for the EU. European estimates are that it is necessary for the Balkans to import stability in order to prevent the export of instability from the region. All analysis regards the security of the entire Balkans as crucial to the security and progress of Europe in general. Despite numerous problems, the Republic of Macedonia is moving towards the standards for becoming an EU member state. Today the Republic of Macedonia is a good example of stability and tolerance within the region. In terms of interethnic relations we have achieved great results in a very short time and have resolved problems very quickly.
In fewer than five years we have doubled the percentage of participation by other ethnic communities in public administration. In a few years, Macedonia has done what it took other countries decades to implement. Launching the talks on full EU membership will probably have an additional positive impact, not just for our country but for the region in general.
We have been working intensely on the approximation process of the domestic judiciary with that of Europe. We are making efforts to implement the obligation for compatibility of the new judiciary with the acquis. Yet we are taking into consideration the realities and resources as well as the guarantees for their realisation.
We are achieving satisfying results in accepting the values of the Council of Europe such as democracy, human rights, the rule of law and respecting and enhancing cultural values. We respect the highest standards in terms of protecting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities as well as decentralisation from Council of Europe conventions. As an illustration, Macedonia is the only country with a Roma municipality and with the Roma language as an official language.
It is clear that the republic of Macedonia is still searching for a more efficient dynamic in terms of faster economic growth, the more efficient functioning of state institutions and for a more efficient way of tackling organised crime and corruption. Nevertheless the EU also needs a more flexible approach to the countries that show commitment to the reforms. That should be done not just in the interests of those countries but in the interests of the EU. It is inevitable that we redirect the political energy of the Balkans more intensively towards greater support from EU member states and EU institutions in general. In addition there is a general political consensus in the country about strategic development issues.
It is logical that in this context the Republic of Macedonia is prepared for an even more dynamic plan from the European Union for finishing the process of reform.