North Macedonia, 1997

First of all, Sir, allow

me to congratulate you on your election as President of

the fifty-second session of the General Assembly of the

United Nations and to wish you success in the execution

of that responsible and lofty function. I am especially

pleased that the General Assembly has elected to this very

responsible function a very competent representative from

Ukraine, a friendly country with which the Republic of

Macedonia is developing successful cooperation.

The Republic of Macedonia attaches great

importance to the fifty-second session of the General

Assembly. On the threshold of the twenty-first century,

the interdependence of peace and global development is

a standard that must be respected. It is dangerous for

some to develop while others continuously regress. This

trend can only be a source of conflicts, of confrontation

of interests, even of wars. Consequently, there is no

alternative to the strengthening of peace through the

promotion of international cooperation, and our

Organization faces the serious responsibility of being even

more efficient and more focused on essential issues. This

is the direction that the Macedonian delegation will also

pursue.

I applaud the fact that the Organization is headed by

Mr. Kofi Annan, a very competent reformer who believes

in the irreplaceable role of the United Nations as a

guarantor of international peace and security. His

programme for United Nations reform, as contained in his

report of July of this year, is one of the most topical

issues before the Organization. We believe that the

essential changes that have been proposed take into

account the basic consideration that the United Nations

4

remain a democratic institution representing the interests of

all Members. We too, much like the Secretary-General,

wish the Organization to be a promoter of new changes, a

true centre where countries can harmonize their activities in

building a better world. Whether the United Nations will

truly become such an organization will depend on all of us,

and the Republic of Macedonia will continue to make its

contribution to that end. In that context, the emerging

priorities are as follows: a stronger General Assembly,

reform of United Nations organs, and above all of the

Security Council, a reduction in the number of ad hoc

bodies, greater transparency of operations, and maximum

control over the budget of the Organization, financial

spending and contributions.

Allow me to address some of the priority tasks that

the United Nations will have to face in the coming period,

tasks which should not be placed in the background because

of the reform of the United Nations. Indeed, that reform

must be in the service of a more efficient resolution of the

bitter issues that burden the international community. The

credibility of the United Nations will to a large measure

depend on this, for in the coming period much energy will

have to be devoted to ending existing crises and conflicts

and to preventing the eruption of new ones.

The United Nations has become renowned for its

successful peacekeeping operations. I should like to use this

opportunity to express my highest appraisal of the presence

of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force

(UNPREDEP) in the Republic of Macedonia, as well as my

appreciation to all the participants in that operation, which

has helped prevent a spillover of the conflict from some

parts of the former Yugoslavia to my country.

With regard to the crisis in Albania, my country has

constantly felt the need for the effective presence of the

United Nations peacekeeping forces. The cooperation

between the Macedonian Government and UNPREDEP, one

of the most successful preventive operations in the history

of the United Nations, is truly excellent. My pleasure is

increased by the reports of the Secretary-General that

contain the same assessments. The mission of UNPREDEP

is ongoing. We believe that it should continue, for the

presence of peacekeepers in the Republic of Macedonia

serves not only as a dam preventing the existing crisis

points in the Balkans from overflowing, but also as an actor

working for peace, security and stability in the country’s

southern regions.

In that context, the Republic of Macedonia has

welcomed and follows closely the implementation of the

Dayton Accord. It is a matter of principle that the

indicted war criminals be brought to justice. The

international community, epitomized in the United

Nations, must not allow the Dayton Accord to fail. Hence,

it is imperative to give impetus to further engagement by

the Organization, in coordination with the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union, in

sustaining the peace process. A particularly important part

of that effort, I would emphasize, is the normalization of

relations between the Balkan countries, on the basis of

good-neighbourliness and mutual respect. Within its

capacities, the Republic of Macedonia has made and will

continue to make the maximum contribution to that effect.

The agenda of this session of the Assembly also

includes the development of good-neighbourly relations

between Balkan countries, in accordance with resolution

50/80, adopted following our proposal at the fiftieth

session of the General Assembly, and the election of new

members of the Security Council for the term from 1998

to 1999. Allow me to address these issues briefly.

Throughout the twentieth century, the Balkans has

remained a concern for the international community due

to the many wars waged in this region. The Republic of

Macedonia has unequivocally opted for peace there. In

this context, we are engaged in an active policy of good-

neighbourliness and mutual cooperation with all Balkan

countries. This can also be seen through resolutions 48/84

and 50/80 B proposed by the Republic of Macedonia and

sponsored by many Balkan countries — but not just

Balkan countries — and adopted with the vast support

and consensus of the General Assembly. The Republic of

Macedonia is committed to respecting the territorial

integrity and sovereignty of the Balkan States and the

inviolability of international frontiers, and to advancing

mutual cooperation in all spheres. We are particularly

committed to the institutionalized and functional

integration of the Balkans in the European integration

processes. During this session, our delegation will submit

a draft resolution for the development of good-

neighbourly relations in the Balkans. I hope that the

General Assembly will adopt it by consensus.

As long ago as 1994, my country, the Republic of

Macedonia, submitted its candidacy as a non-permanent

member of the Security Council from the Eastern

European group of countries, for the term from 1998 to

1999. I also announced our candidacy during my address

to the Assembly last year. I am pleased that many United

Nations Members have expressed great understanding of

our motives and arguments, and have supported the need

5

for one Balkan country to be elected as a member of the

Security Council. We very much appreciate the support for

and confidence in our candidacy that we expect to receive

from the Assembly. We would like to make our own

contribution to the activities of the Security Council and the

United Nations as a whole by incorporating our own policy

of peace and democracy into those activities on the issues

which fall within those organs' areas of responsibility. I

would like to assure the Assembly that our delegation on

the Security Council will act in full accordance with the

Charter of the United Nations. In the period that lies ahead,

United Nations bodies will continue to deal with Balkan

problems and the general Balkan situation. This is reality.

For these reasons, it is quite logical that the Republic of

Macedonia, as a Balkan country, be elected to this function.

It will be a great honour for us to shoulder this

responsibility, and, at the same time, a great obligation for

which we have long been preparing.

The processes of democratic transformation in many

countries in the world will undoubtedly continue at the

same pace in the twenty-first century. This trend will

inevitably influence the character of overall and

comprehensive international relations in global proportions.

The United Nations and other organs within its system must

inevitably take part in these changes. Only if the rules of

international law are abided by and the real situation on the

ground is respected can a better and more humane world be

created and thus our trust in our Organization increased. I

am confident that the reforms that have been announced, or

rather their consistent implementation, will lead to an even

greater affirmation of the United Nations and its

commitment to combating policies of force and domination

and to supporting peace, cooperation and the balanced

development of all countries and peoples. In a word, we are

confident that in this way the United Nations will be even

more efficient in responding to the objectives and ideals of

the Charter of the United Nations.