[ALBSA-Info] US State Department Daily Briefing - 30.03.2001

[Agron Alibali]

Q: Can we get your comment on a map produced and
published today by The Washington Post against the
territorial integrity of western Greece in the name of
the Albanian nationalism? 

MR. BOUCHER: I don't really know what you're talking
about. 

Q: It's a full-page story, Mr. Boucher, and it is very
important, and I would like to hear your comment. 

MR. BOUCHER: Okay. I will be glad to look into it.
That might -- 

Q: So far you did not read the article, you didn't see
the map? 

MR. BOUCHER: That's my personal comment, that I did
not see it, and I will be glad to look into it and get
our experts to look at it. 

Q: But what is the US policy vis-à-vis then for
(inaudible) Albanians in (inaudible)? 

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not quite sure. We have said
consistently that we believe that the ethnic Albanian
community needs to be accommodated within the
Macedonian political process, that we see Macedonia as
an example of a successful multi-ethnic state, and we
have strongly encouraged the Macedonian Government to
take advantage of the situation these days in this
difficult situation that they face militarily, as they
deal with that, to also move forward on the issues of
respecting the ethnic community of Albanians that
lives in Macedonia and providing them with political
options, with political outlets. So we have supported
the ethnic Albanian communities within Macedonia in
terms of our aid programs and other things that help
them participate in Macedonian democratic life, and
that remains our -- 

Q: Could you please clarify about the autonomy? I'm
not talking about change in borders, cultural
activities, language school, et cetera. We are talking
about the autonomy. Do you support Albanian autonomy….


MR. BOUCHER: I'm sorry, I don't really know what
you're talking about then. I'm not going to start
specifying from Washington something we've -- what we
have stressed is that they work these things out
within the coalition, within the government, within
the democratic process. I'm not going to specify a
particular outcome from Washington that I don't even
know if it's under discussion out there. 

Could we -- I'm at the end of my brief on this one. 

Q: (Inaudible.) 

MR. BOUCHER: We have consistently encouraged
governments in the region to be democratic, to respect
minority rights, to provide opportunities for
minorities to participate in the political system.
That remains our view in this region as well as
elsewhere. 



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