I S S U E SLOVENIAN EMBASSY 08 SKOPJE SEPTEMBER MONTHLY e-NEWSLETTER 2 0 1 1 In this issue 20 years of Independence of the Republic of Macedonia P.1 10th Anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement P.2 Meeting with the Minister of Defence P.3 Meeting with the Minister of Labor and Social Policy P.3 Meeting with the Minister of Environment and Physical planning P.3 Meeting with Major General Gorančo Koteski P.4 Official visit of Major General Alojz Steiner to Macedonia P.4 Exhibition “Identity of Slovenia – Designing for the state” P.5 Ninth Business Day of the Slovenian economy - Ohrid P.6 Presentation of Fructal Mak P.7 Rebranding of Vardar Insurance into Triglav Insurance P.8 Memorandum on Cooperation signed in Tetovo and Kumanovo P.9 Ambassador Bergant Panellist at the conference e-Democracy P.10 Macedonia Slovenian plays at the 36th International Theater Festival MOT P.11 Exhibition by the Slovenian artist Gabrijela Bauer Fužir P.11 Internal Affairs Ciciban – a performance by the Children’s theater Centre P.11 Macedonian Basketball Team in Lithuania on EuroBasket 2011 P.12 Destinations: Ljubljana P.13 20 years of Independence of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia, 08 September 2011 8. September 1991, was a grand day for Macedonian citizens. Over 95.5% of the 75.8% turnout voters on the Referendum voted for the Independence of the Republic Macedonia. After the first multiparty elections in Macedonia, the first Government of the Republic of Macedonia was established in Skopje, with Nikola Kljusev as the first President of the Government and Kiro Gligorov as the first President of the State. On 25 September 1991 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Macedonian Parliament. Further, the new Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia was adopted on 17 November, 1991. 8. September 2011, 20 years later, thousands of people are gathered in the center of Skopje to celebrate the 20th anniversary of independence. They have every reason to celebrate: Macedonia is independent. The path to the independence and through the process of transition was not easy for Macedonia, but the determination to become an independent state was the force that kept on pushing the Macedonian citizens towards their goal. The president of the first parliament Stojan Andov, said, “Our parliament's determination to avoid the trap - passing an act of independence - and the decision to transfer that task to the people to decide through a referendum was crucial for our destiny”. Macedonia is the only country from the former Yugoslavian countries that declared independence peacefully, without military intervention. One of the most important figures that played a tremendous role in the process of leading Macedonia towards independence was the first Macedonian president Kiro Gligorov. He served two terms and survived an assassination attempt in 1995; nevertheless he remained as a president of Macedonia till 1999. Through this journey of 20 years as an independent country, Macedonia has been through different political phases that mark her existence. Since 1993 the name dispute with Greece, in 1999 Macedonia fostered refugees from Kosovo, 2001 was the year of an armed conflict between the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (NLA) militant group and the security forces of the Republic of Macedonia. In 2005 Macedonia becomes a candidate for European Union (EU) accession. This year, Macedonia celebrated its 20th anniversary of independent statehood in grand style, with celebrations at the central square in Skopje attended by an estimated 150,000 people. Prime minister Nikola Gruevski gave his speech at the celebration, passing the message of better future and sooner solution to the name dispute, also pointing out the importance of the EU and NATO membership. P . 1 Macedonia Internal Affairs Conference marking 10 years of the Ohrid Agreement Skopje, 05 September 2011 Since the signing of Framework Agreement, namely 10 years after the 2001 conflict, Macedonia has become more stable, democratic country, gradually approaching the European Union and NATO, said the participants at the national conference "Decentralization and Multiculturalism in Macedonia", dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement (OFA). In order to prevent possible negative experiences, the global political thought has promoted multiculturalism, which vows for coexistence of various cultures and provides for free development of the creative potential, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said at the conference. "Today, when we are marking the 20th anniversary of (Macedonia's) independence and OFA's 10th anniversary, we should point out that the Republic of Macedonia has been accepting and developing the multicultural society, which strengthens our independence as a state. In terms of developing the multiculturalism, the country has been advancing faster than many other nations and that is our contribution to the global cultural and political treasury. OFA has been maintaining a balance between respecting the principles of equality, the citizen's central position and the promotion of cultural, political rights of the ethnic communities," Gruevski said. He considers that the armed conflict, human victims were not the right way for producing OFA, saying that there was no attempt for avoiding the country's destabilization. However, the OFA' implementation brings benefit, the PM said. The power decentralization process, deriving from OFA, is yet another solid platform for meeting the needs of citizens and to that effect the Government has been taking measures to increase the municipal competitiveness, he said. Gruevski also underlined the need for the internally displaced persons to return to their homes in line with OFA. Citizens of Macedonia share many values, which unite them on the road to prosperity, Gruevski said. Today's event demonstrates the wide respect of OFA and celebrates the peace and victory of tolerance over conflict, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said. "The history is abundant with examples of how national intolerance turns into war. By OFA your country avoided a civil war. By reaching a compromise, your leaders brought peace, enabling the country to develop and ultimately to become a candidate for the EU, NATO membership and I extend my congratulation on that," Fule said. During this process, Fule said, the European Commission has granted a support of EUR100 million for OFA projects. While signing the agreement, the Macedonian side was represented by the VMRO-DPMNE and the SDSM, while the Albanian side was represented by the DPA and the PDP. The most important role in the negotiating process had the former Macedonian president Mr. Boris Trajkovski. Negotiating the peace agreement was one of his highest achievements. The negotiations were organized by the senior representatives of the international community and European Union (EU) such as Javier Solana and George Robertson. Without them the signing of the agreement would nave been impossible. The Ohrid Peace Agreement put an end to the internal conflict in Republic of Macedonia in 2001, between the ethnic Albanian military group and the Macedonian national forces. ++ The OPA meant putting an end to a hostile situation, national crisis and regional instability. P . 2 Meetings Ambassador Bergant met with the Minister of Defence Fatmir Besimi Skopje, 19 September 2011 Minister of Defense Fatmir Besimi held a meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia Alain Brian Bergant at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Macedonia. During the meeting Minister Besimi expressed his extended gratitude for the immense support of Slovenia as well as his satisfaction with the excellent bilateral defense cooperation. In this context, Minister Besimi stressed out the need of further intensified cooperation and finding future projects of common interest especially in the field of education, training and exchange of views on innovations in the defense system. At the same time he expressed satisfaction with the forthcoming visit of the Chief of General Staff of the Slovenian Army and that this would be a good opportunity for creating additional moments for cooperation between the two ministries and armies. Minister Besimi said that the immense military cooperation will be confirmed by the bilateral military exercise on AP Krivolak - "Challenge 2011". Ambassador Bergant met with the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski Skopje, 22 September 2011 At the first meeting between Ambassador Brian Bergant and the new Minister of Labour and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski the wide and close cooperation between the Slovenian Embassy and the Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs with the Macedonian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy were discussed. Minister Ristovski briefed on the current and the new reforms, the introduction of new information system for social transfers and his positive expectations from the European Commission Progress Report 2011. Ambassador Bergant highlighted the deadlock that occurred in the process of implementation of the signed Agreement on Interstate Adoptions and presented the Slovenian amendments to the Agreement on Social Security. Macedonian experts were invited to negotiations to Ljubljana so the new agreement could be signed by the end of this year. Ambassador Bergant met with the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Abdilaqim Ademi Skopje, 19 September 2011 Traditional good cooperation between the Slovenian Ministry of Environment