Vol. 542 No. 2
188 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he and his EU colleagues continue to monitor the situation in Macedonia; if he has satisfied himself with developments to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24335/01]
The situation in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – FYROM – is a matter of concern to me and to my colleagues in the European Union and was discussed at the most recent meeting of the General Affairs Council on 8 October.
The signature of the Ohrid Framework Agreement on 13 August was a significant step towards restoring peace and stability to that country. It established a parallel process whereby the armed Albanian extremist groups handed over their arms to the NATO "Essential Harvest" task force while the FYROM parliament voted on a set of changes to the constitution guaranteeing minority rights and multi-ethnic representation in the state institutions. The arms hand-over was completed on 26 September and the extremist Albanian armed groups announced their disbandment the next day. However, hardline opposition to the constitutional changes required by the framework agreement has resulted in a delay in the parliamentary process.
At its meeting on 8 October the Council expressed its concern about the delay on the part of the FYROM Government in implementing the 13 August framework agreement. The Council stressed that the full and faithful implementation of all the constitutional and legislative provisions of the agreement by all the parties remains the only guarantee of a return to peace and stability in the country and made clear its expectation that all democratic forces in the country engage fully and constructively in the parliamentary process. The Council also called on the FYROM Government to take the necessary measures swiftly to find an effective solution to the problem of an amnesty for the former rebels.
The EU will continue to monitor developments in FYROM in close co-ordination with the US, OSCE and NATO so as to ensure that the peace process can be maintained and the basis laid for long-term stability, reconciliation and development.
