[ALBSA-Info] U.S.-EU present framework for Macedonia talks

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

U.S.-EU present framework for Macedonia talks

By Paul Casciato

  
SKOPJE, July 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. special envoy to Macedonia and his 
European Union counterpart presented a negotiating framework to Macedonia's 
multi-ethnic parties on Saturday in a bid to re-start deadlocked political 
talks. 

The presentation came after a NATO-brokered ceasefire between government 
troops and armed ethnic Albanian rebels on Thursday cleared the way for 
political dialogue. 

"At this point we have a single document that all the parties have agreed to 
use as a negotiating instrument in reaching a political settlement," U.S. 
envoy James Pardew told Reuters after he and EU envoy Francois Leotard met 
the parties. 

Talks stalled about three weeks ago and a ragged 11-day truce in place then 
was torn to shreds by a government assault on the rebel-held village of 
Aracinovo near the capital Skopje. 

Pardew said the leaders of Macedonia's divided communities had the rest of 
the weekend to study the U.S.-EU document before intensive negotiations start 
on Monday morning. 

"We hope we can get (it) accomplished very quickly because the ceasefire is 
in effect and we don't want war to resume in Macedonia," he said in a brief 
interview. 

NATO and European Union envoys secured separate ceasefire agreements with 
government forces and ethnic Albanian guerrilla National Liberation Army 
(NLA), whose armed rebellion in the name of improved Albanian rights has 
brought the country to the brink of civil war in less than five months. 

DISCRIMINATION 

Macedonia's two main ethnic Albanian parties published demands on Saturday 
that were barely changed from those which have kept talks deadlocked for 
weeks. 

The Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) and the Party for Democratic 
Prosperity (PDP) published their demands in Koha Ditore newspaper. They were 
topped by the call for a quick agreement on political rights at U.S.-EU 
mediated talks to be held outside Macedonia. 

The foreign participation Albanians want, also a key rebel demand, is a 
non-starter for Macedonians. They fear a more formal Western role in the sha
pe of an international peace conference could promote a breakaway Albanian 
agenda. 

At stake is the official status of Albanians in Macedonia, who argue they are 
discriminated against and want to be defined as one of the tiny Balkan 
state's founding ethnic groups, which Macedonians worry could be used as a 
separatist springboard. 

Minority Albanians demand equality in job, education and cultural spheres but 
their formula -- radical constitutional change -- is rejected by the 
Macedonian-dominated government fearful it would dismember the Balkan state 
along ethnic lines. 

TENSIONS HIGH 

Tensions remain high and witnesses said they heard artillery fire near the 
village of Radusa Friday night. 

Macedonian army spokesman Blagoja Markovski told Reuters the ceasefire had 
been respected overnight aside from some minor episodes. 

"There were some individual incidents...but there was no organised military 
activity that broke the truce," he said. 

NATO and the European Union have welcomed signs the ceasefire was holding 
after a fierce battle for territory in Macedonia's northern hills ended on 
Thursday. 

However, diplomats cautioned the ceasefire was only the start of an intensive 
effort to revive talks. So far there are few bridges over an ethnic chasm 
that widens every day armed guerrillas remain at large. 

"Without a ceasefire there'd be no political dialogue and attentions have to 
focus on that fast," one Western envoy said. 

But diplomats, remain cautious after unidentified gunmen attacked a German 
NATO convoy, an angry crowd spat on the U.S. Ambassador's car and the 
appearance of inflammatory pamphlets from shadowy groups. 

NATO's peacekeeping force in neighbouring Kosovo has a logistical unit of 
about 3,000 troops based in Macedonia. 

Previous NATO involvement in the evacuation guerrillas from Aracinovo after 
government forces failed to dislodge them sparked rioting by Macedonians 
angry at the alliance's role. 

Diplomats said talk of a NATO arms-collecting mission within two weeks looked 
premature, despite an NLA statement promising to end its armed rebellion if 
reforms were agreed. 

"It will be some time before you see the NATO operation kick in," one Western 
envoy said. "They want to see something solid."