Interviews 2008

Ambassador Philip T. Reeker interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)  

December 29, 2008

Ambassador Reeker talks to RFE reporter  (LP)

RFE:   Despite the US support, Macedonia did not become a member of NATO at the Summit in Bucharest.  Ambassador, what is your assessment, is destabilization of Macedonia possible?

Ambassador Reeker:  As I have said many times before, the United States and I personally believe the best possible future for Macedonia is in NATO and in the EU and I believe that the leadership and the people of Macedonia share that view.  I would rather not speculate about what could happen without NATO and EU membership.  I think it makes more sense to focus on resolving the differences and securing that membership.  I think it is very clear that the recent history of Europe shows that NATO membership provides security and prosperity for the new member states.  I have seen this personally in my experiences in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe and I believe there is no reason this would be any different for Macedonia. So, our hope is that this country, Macedonia, can move forward on the road to full Euro-Atlantic integration.

RFE:   The dispute with Greece cannot be solved quickly.  Secretary Rice has also said this.  Where is the problem – with the Macedonian or with the Greek Government?

Ambassador Reeker:  I think Secretary Rice was commenting on what is absolutely a fact, the problem has not been resolved quickly.  There was a great hope, including by our President, that this problem could be resolved quickly after the disappointment in Bucharest in April.  Unfortunately, that has not occurred, and I think, frankly, both sides in the dispute can do more.  This is something that must be resolved by Greece and Macedonia.  I have not seen a real negotiation at this point.  The Nimetz process and the UN have been in place for many years to help find a solution.  But, it is important to remember that Mr. Nimetz does not provide a solution.  He helps Greece and Macedonia find a mutually acceptable resolution, by being a mediator.  I think sometimes what I have heard here is more focused on Greece and what it wants rather than Macedonia and what this country should do to move forward.  I believe very strongly and I have said many times before that your history and identity deserve respect, but I think it is very clear, and examples abound in Europe, that the guarantors of history and identity in the 21^st century are integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

RFE:  After Barack Obama won the US elections, you said that the US policy towards Macedonia will not change.  What can we expect in this regard - more US involvement in the Balkans, or putting the region in the second plan?

Ambassador Reeker:  I think that President elect Obama has shown that with great authority comes great responsibility.  He is keenly aware of that and on January 20 he will become responsible for an enormous number of challenges that face the United States and our partners around the world.  I believe that the Balkans will continue to be an important part of our foreign policy because, as you know, for more than 60 years U.S. policy has been to see a Europe whole, free and at peace.  And that Europe definitely includes the Balkans and includes Macedonia.  We see that Senator Clinton has been nominated to be the next Secretary of State, and Senator Clinton knows this region well.  As you know she visited here as First Lady, she is familiar with the important issues that the countries in the region face.  Of course, at the same time, the new administration will be faced with many, many challenges.  They are already engaged working on a seamless transition with the Bush administration, so that we can deal with things like the Middle East, which again is in crisis in Gaza, the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, how to deal with Iran, North Korea.  These are all important issues, and as we have said many times, President Bush made Macedonia a priority, as did Secretary Rice.  She agreed to sign with your Foreign Minister the Declaration of Strategic Partnership between our two countries.  So, I think it is safe to say that the new administration will focus on this region, but will also have other challenges, that will turn their attention to other things and that is why we had hoped to see more progress on some of the challenges here during the remaining months of the Bush administration.

RFE:   Macedonia will hold elections in March.  We all know how the past election irregularities have reflected.  In your view, have things changed half a year later in Macedonia?

Ambassador Reeker:  As you know, I was not personally here for the June parliamentary elections, but as you also know, there were certainly some disappointments and irregularities documented in those elections.  The Government of Macedonia has been given a specific set of recommendations by the OSCE and the experts who were here for the elections and who looked at the whole process.  It is very important that the Government in this country implement those recommendations and ensure that the next set of elections in March meets the international standards so that every citizen of Macedonia feels secure in casting his or her own vote.  I think it is important to note as well that these elections in March will take place just a few days before the next NATO summit to be held in Strasbourg and Kiel – this is the 60^th anniversary summit of NATO and all NATO members will be watching very closely to see if Macedonia can overcome the difficulties experienced in the last elections in June.  So, we have to keep in mind that while NATO members agreed last April that Macedonia had met the criteria for membership, that they will again be looking closely at Macedonia, including the conduct of these elections.  My colleagues in the international community here in Skopje and I met together recently with PM Gruevski and relevant ministers to discuss the elections and we are meeting with political parties as well.   Our message is the same for all of them that we will do anything we can to help, to offer our assistance, advice, technical support, to make sure that these elections meet the international standards and the commitments that Macedonia has made.  The responsibility for that lies squarely with the state institutions. The Prime Minister pledged to us on behalf of his whole Government that this is a top priority for the Government and again, we in the international community stand ready to help and your leadership knows this.

RFE:  According to polls, ethnic Macedonians support preservation of the name, while ethnic Albanians are for quick admission in NATO.  Taking into consideration that there are different views on key issues, how would you assess the interethnic relations in Macedonia?

Ambassador Reeker:  According to the polls that I have seen, the vast majority of the citizens of Macedonia, citizens of all ethnicities, support NATO and EU membership for this country.  I think they all see that the best future for Macedonia, for themselves, for their children, for their grandchildren, regardless of their ethnicity lies with integration of Macedonia in Trans-Atlantic structures that guarantee security and prosperity, and in fact will defend and preserve the dignity and heritage of this country.  So, I think it is not something that different ethnicities disagree about.  Macedonia has had many successes in its seventeen year history and has overcome many big challenges. For me Macedonia continues to be a model of multi-ethnicity for the region.  Ever since I spent time here in the 1990s and got to know Macedonia and so many of its diverse citizens, I have talked about Macedonia as an answer to the question of how to deal with the challenges in the Balkans.  And, indeed, I believe that this country is the answer to the so-called Macedonian question.  You have great potential and it is just a matter of working together to build on your successes, find resolutions to your challenges that preserve your dignity as a nation, and the dignity of all of you as individuals, and allow the country as a whole to move forward for a brighter future.

RFE:  After the deployment of EULEX, concerns have grown about possible destabilization of the region in the context of Bosnia and Kosovo.  Is another destabilization of the region possible?

Ambassador Reeker:  Clearly, the work in the Balkans is not done.  As I said earlier our goal is to see the entire region integrated into free and secure Europe.  The deployment of EULEX has gone very smoothly and in fact is helping to strengthen Kosovo and Kosovo’s institutions so that that young and independent country functions better.  Strengthening the rule of law in the country will help to stabilize the situation, and that is what EULEX is there to do.   Somehow there is a perception that the EULEX deployment would lead to difficulties or partition .  There is no basis in that perception at all.  In fact, I think the deployment of EULEX has gone extremely smoothly, including deployment in northern Kosovo.  So that goes against some of these theories, some of these concerns.  We have to continue to work with Kosovo, and I think Macedonia again can be a good model for Kosovo and a good neighbor to Kosovo, just as Kosovo can be a good neighbor to Macedonia.  EULEX is deployed, this is part of an ongoing process, the United States remains engaged both with personnel in EULEX and through our diplomatic engagement to ensure that Kosovo moves forward in a positive fashion, just as we want to continue to be engaged with Macedonia through our assistance programs, through our diplomacy, to make sure that Macedonia moves forward in a positive fashion as well.

RFE: Thank you for the interview.

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