North Macedonia, 2000

At the outset, I would like to congratulate

Mr. Holkeri on his election as President of the General

Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. At the same time, I

would like to express our appreciation to the President

of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session,

Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, for the results achieved during

his presidency.

On this occasion, I would also like to express our

gratitude to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his

efficient and relevant leadership of the Organization.

The Republic of Macedonia will continue actively to

contribute to the realization of the goals of the United

Nations.

I also welcome the admission of Tuvalu to the

United Nations, wishing it success in its contribution to

United Nations activities and expressing our wish to

establish diplomatic relations. At the same time, the

Republic of Macedonia expresses its readiness and

calls for the acceleration of the process of establishing

diplomatic relations with all other States Members of

the United Nations with which we have not yet done

so.

In the region where the Republic of Macedonia is

located, the situation has to some extent improved after

the huge humanitarian crisis that took place in Kosovo.

The heavy consequences of the crisis, which posed a

serious threat to the stability and security of the

Balkans and more widely in Europe, have not been

fully overcome.

The Republic of Macedonia has and will have in

the future a vital role to play for peace and stability in

South-East Europe and beyond. The risks confronting

the Republic of Macedonia were enormous. The

Macedonian Government and our citizens have done

everything within their capacity to respond to the

problems. However, as was the case in the previous

crises that occurred in the Balkans and during the

Kosovo conflict last year as well, as one of the

countries that most directly felt and bore the brunt of

the damage, the Republic of Macedonia has shown and

confirmed its long-term commitment to acting as a

factor for peace and stability in the region. The

Government, even in such conditions, persisted in its

policy to preserve the stability of the Macedonian State

and at the same time to reaffirm its capability to

respond to all challenges and risks confronting it, in

particular in the economic and social fields.

One of the main priorities of the foreign policy of

the Republic of Macedonia is to further improve good-

neighbourly relations with all its neighbours. This

commitment has been confirmed through a number of

our initiatives, resulting in more advanced and

developed relations in bilateral cooperation and

intensified cooperation within the framework of a

number of regional initiatives. My country is aware

that stability and prosperity, in the medium and long

terms, can be ensured only if stability is spread

throughout South-East Europe, with intensive mutual

communications and good-neighbourly cooperation

among all States of the region.

My country has managed, with almost all its

neighbours — Greece, Albania and Bulgaria, but not

the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with which we

continue to negotiate the demarcation of our common

border — to have outstanding relations and to develop

cooperation in many areas of common interest. We

have significantly improved relations with our southern

neighbour, Greece. We continue to hold talks on our

differences over the name of my country, under the

auspices of the Secretary-General, expressing our will

and interest in resolving this issue as soon as possible,

taking into account the reality and dignity of the

country and all its citizens.

22

Despite the huge expectations and initial support,

the project that is most expected to contribute to the

lasting stabilization of the region — the Stability

Pact — has not managed to ensure the implementation

of a large number of ideas and plans that have been

submitted and accepted. The Pact, a significant

example of the joint engagement and functioning of a

large number of international organizations and States,

is intended to hasten the revitalization of the countries

of South-East Europe and their integration into

European structures. I appeal to all participants

engaged in this process, especially the donors and the

wider international community, to make the utmost

efforts to speed its urgent and timely implementation

through the accelerated and full realization of these

projects. This will provide for the economic prosperity

of the countries of South-East Europe and strengthen

democratic processes, respect for human rights and

stability in the region. The implementation of the Pact

constitutes a natural upgrading of our activities within

the context of regional initiatives to promote good-

neighbourly relations and the possibility of the

realization of the foreign policy priorities of my

country: its full integration into the European and

Euro-Atlantic structures.

In addition to its foreign policy activities, the

Government of the Republic of Macedonia is fully

committed to carrying out fundamental reforms based

on European standards — political, economic and

democratic — with maximum respect for human rights,

including minority rights. The Government of my

country is continuously working on the improvement

of inter-ethnic relations. A law on higher education

was recently adopted that paves the way for private

higher education in minority languages. Therefore, as a

result of our commitment, concrete steps and

achievements, by the end of this year my country will

be the first in the region to conclude the Stabilization

and Association Agreement with the European Union.

The efforts of the international community to

stabilize the region, to which the Republic of

Macedonia has contributed widely, are beginning to

show results. Despite the limitations, it should be taken

into consideration that the seriousness and complexity

of the situation in Kosovo, and in the Federal Republic

of Yugoslavia as a whole, mean that the consequences

of this situation cannot be alleviated with the speed

desired by all of us, especially by the countries of the

region.

In regard to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,

our view is that its democratization is one of the key

factors for the comprehensive stabilization of the

situation in the region. Our joint efforts should be

directed at support for the democratic forces in that

country and at joint actions to start the democratic

process, followed by the provision of opportunities for

economic prosperity. It is important to reassess the

overall effects of the sanctions, which should not be

directed at the citizens. We hope that the upcoming

elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will be

fair and democratic, in accordance with European and

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

standards, and be a step towards that country's

democratization.

Regarding the situation in the Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia, I would like, in my capacity as Chairman

of the South-East European Cooperation Process, to

inform the Assembly about the joint declaration

recently adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the

participating States in New York. In the declaration we,

the Foreign Ministers, expressed our concern about the

latest developments in the situation in the Federal

Republic of Yugoslavia as regards the upcoming

presidential and parliamentary elections, and confirmed

our support for the democratic forces in that country

and for its efforts to start the democratic process.

All of this might contribute to the integration of

that country into the international community and to its

participation in the work of international organizations,

following the path that all the other successor States of

the former Yugoslavia have taken. Furthermore, the

resolution of the succession issue of the former

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the basis

of the equality of all successors — as acknowledged by

the decisions of the European Union/United Nations

International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia, as

well as by the relevant Security Council and General

Assembly resolutions — is a prerequisite for stability

and peace in the region.

Concerning the issue of succession, I would like

to point out that during the Millennium Summit and

Millennium Assembly, the four successor States have

once again reaffirmed their joint position and proposed

to work more intensively to settle this issue.

Furthermore, I would like to express our support

for the stability and the reform processes undertaken in

Montenegro and for the efforts of the democratically

23

elected Government there to continue pursuing

economic and democratic development. We also

support that Government's greater involvement in the

work of international bodies and organizations and in

other regional cooperation processes.

The consistent position of my country, which was

stated well before the outbreak of the Kosovo crisis

and adoption of the Security Council resolution 1244

(1999), was to support a peaceful and political solution

to the Kosovo crisis through substantial autonomy in

the framework of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,

respect for the human rights of all living in Kosovo,

respect for the inviolability of the existing borders and,

finally, the economic reconstruction and stabilization

of Kosovo and of the region.

We support the activities of the United Nations

Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and the

Kosovo Force (KFOR). We are convinced of the need

to build democratic institutions and a multi-ethnic

society in Kosovo, and to find a model of civil society

that does away with any propensity to create ethnically

cleansed territories. The local elections in Kosovo are

of paramount importance for its future.

The Republic of Macedonia is concerned about

the reported violence and the increased number of

inter-ethnic incidents and tensions in Kosovo. We

consider that KFOR should strengthen its border

control activities, with the aim of preventing violence

from spilling over into the neighbouring countries,

including my country. I am stressing this because there

have been several serious incidents at the border of the

Republic of Macedonia.

In the hope that the developments in Kosovo will

be the last serious challenge in the Balkans, we will

have to defend together more successfully democratic

principles and values and develop long-term preventive

strategies. Regional stability can be provided only by

economic prosperity, democracy and respect for human

rights and the rights of national minorities, as well as

through intensive regional and bilateral cooperation.

However, the most serious guarantee for the security of

the region and its transformation into an area of

democracy, development, stability and cooperation

remains the early integration and full-fledged

membership of the countries from the region in the

European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization (NATO).

This year's Millennium Assembly presents a

genuine opportunity to analyse the work of our

Organization and to evaluate its efficiency in resolving

issues of international interest. We all hope that the

directions for future development will also be

underscored, with the aim of further promoting the

achieved results and practices.

One of the main characteristics of the modern

world is that now more than ever there is a great deal

of interdependence. This represents a new challenge,

and at the same time is a new feature of international

relations. Moreover, when everybody is talking about

the enormous significance of the ever more important

multilateral character of the international scene and

about globalization, the question of the equal

participation of all the world's actors is being raised.

That is, at issue is the official representation of the

voices of all peoples. In this regard, I would like to

express our support for the efforts of the Republic of

China on Taiwan to become integrated into the

international community, taking into consideration the

interests of that country and also its significant

contribution to international cooperation and the

solidarity it has shown. It is in the interest of our

Organization that the 23 million people of the Republic

of China participate in its activities.

The negative effects of crises, threats to peace,

security and economic development, and the pollution

of the environment are felt globally. In accordance with

the new situation in international relations, needs and

visions, an obvious demand exists to strengthen the

role of the United Nations. Our Organization can

successfully carry out its activities only if the Member

States fully contribute to their realization.

In order to allow the Organization to be able to

play a successful role in the twenty-first century, it is

necessary to adequately reform it. We welcome the

efforts made by the Secretary-General thus far to this

effect, and at the same time we would like to urge him

and the Member States to continue. Furthermore, I

would like to underline that the reform of the United

Nations will be successful only if strengthening the

role of the General Assembly follows the reform of the

Security Council. In our view, it is necessary to

increase the number of permanent and non-permanent

members of the Security Council on the basis of the

new reality in international relations. These new

members should come from both the developing and

developed countries.

24

What needs to be done so that the United Nations

can adequately respond to the challenges of this

century? The Millennium Summit offered part of the

answer. The adopted Millennium Summit Declaration

creates obligations for all Member States in their future

endeavours. We share the opinion that, although the

Declaration is a political document, it is first of all an

action plan of our Organization for the period to come.

Stressing the importance of the adopted document, I

would like to urge the General Assembly to begin

implementing it. In these efforts, the Republic of

Macedonia will actively contribute.

The Republic of Macedonia will also continue to

contribute to the strengthening of international peace

and security. I emphasize that part of our contribution

to the realization of the issues will be elaborated under

the three agenda items as a follow-up to the resolutions

submitted by the Republic of Macedonia.

The maintenance of international peace and

security worldwide will continue to be the priority of

our Organization in the twenty-first century. As the

Secretary-General stated in his report, the world, and

our Organization in particular, will be faced with the

need to be fully involved in conflict prevention,

conflict resolution and the development of the affected

States. Therefore, prevention should become one of the

primary instruments of our Organization. In regard to

our contribution to prevention activities and policy, I

would like to inform the Assembly that in the Republic

of Macedonia an international centre for conflict

prevention and resolution is being established.

Of great importance to stability and security, in

our view, is the control of small arms and light

weapons, which pose a large threat to peace in many

regions of the world. In that connection, the United

Nations, in cooperation with other regional

organizations, such as the Organization for Security

and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), can have a

serious impact on preventing the proliferation of small

arms and light weapons.

We urge the international community to take

strong measures in its efforts to stop arms trafficking,

especially of small arms and light weapons. In that

respect, we hope that that the international conference

on this issue, which will take place next year, will

contribute to more efficient actions.

Among the reasons for the eruption of a large

number of local conflicts worldwide are economic and

social factors. Globalization, apart from its positive

effects, has a number of negative implications for the

small and least developed economies. Financial

resources for development are necessary; realistically,

the United Nations is not able to provide them. We

support the appeal for the necessary voluntary

contributions from Member States, but also the idea of

involving other participants, such as international

financial institutions, the private sector and other

bodies. In this respect, we welcome next year's

international Conference on Financing for

Development. I underline that writing off the debts, or

part of them, of countries affected by objective external

influences would have a very positive impact. It would

also help to diminish global poverty and

unemployment and aid the overall economic

development of the indebted countries.

The General Assembly is the proper place for

evaluating achievements in the promotion and

protection of human rights and freedoms. There has

been an impressive development of international

human rights law in the last 50 years. Today we can

proudly state that the United Nations, with the adoption

of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and

other instruments, succeeded in affirming the

international consensus — that human dignity is to be

the basic standard and the main goal for all people and

nations.

Last year we marked the tenth anniversary of the

adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

and next year there will be a world summit on this

issue. I take this opportunity to announce the intention

of the Republic of Macedonia to sign in the very near

future the two Optional Protocols to the Convention,

the first on the involvement of children in armed

conflict and the second on the sale of children, child

prostitution and child pornography.

Before I conclude, I would like to single out a

few issues to which my Government attaches crucial

importance: first the situation in Africa, both political

and economic; secondly, the Middle East peace

process; thirdly, the financial situation of our

Organization — all Member States should fulfil their

obligations; and, finally peacekeeping operations,

which contribute to the affirmation of our Organization

on a global scale. This is the right moment for their

25

restructuring and strengthening on the basis of the

report (A/55/305) prepared by the Brahimi Panel.

Many challenges await us in the twenty-first

century. Our obligation is to make the world a better

and happier place to live in. In the realization of that

aim, the United Nations has a significant place and

role. The significance and existence of our universal

Organization lies in its skilfulness in adapting to real

situations and future challenges.

We expect this year's Millennium Assembly to

contribute to the realization of this aim. I assure the

Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia's contribution

to its successful fulfilment.