Macedonia

Allow me first of all to congratulate Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Namibia, for having been elected President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. At the same time, I would like to express my appreciation of and respect for the President of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session, Mr. Didier Opertti, for the results achieved during his presidency. Let me also express my deep respect for Secretary- General Kofi Annan, for his excellent leadership of the Organization. I wish to assure him that the Republic of Macedonia is ready to continue to closely cooperate with him. The Republic of Macedonia welcomes the admission of the new Members — the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga — and wishes them success in their contribution to United Nations activities, and at the same time expresses its 41 readiness to establish diplomatic relations with them. Also, I hope that we shall continue the process of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Macedonia — of course, using the constitutional name — and Member States with which we have not yet done so. On this occasion, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people of Taiwan on the earthquake that hit the Republic of China on Taiwan, with which the Republic of Macedonia has recently established diplomatic relations. It is with regret that we have to note that one of the main characteristics of the past year was flagrant and highly risky disrespect for the fundamental values of democratic society. In addition to the major tragedies the world was faced with, we witnessed a growing trend of armed conflicts and internal and external tensions. Concerning the area surrounding the Republic of Macedonia, I would focus on the huge humanitarian crisis that took place in South- Eastern Europe and the heavy consequences which jeopardized the stability and security of the Balkans and beyond in Europe. The Kosovo crisis had particularly adverse effects on my country. We had to cope with an enormous influx of refugees, numbering more than 360,000, or 18 per cent of the total population. The Republic of Macedonia entered a rather difficult economic, social and political situation that tended to destabilize it, particularly against the background that the international community reacted with insufficient speed and agility. The damage which the Macedonian economy suffered is enormous, amounting to approximately $660 million. A large number of workers were dismissed as a result of lost markets and increased transportation costs. The unemployment rate reached 40 per cent. All of this has negatively affected the already poor economic and social situation. In these circumstances, the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia have demonstrated great humaneness towards the refugees, tolerance and solidarity, but also restraint in the conditions of enormous social, political and economic pressure they were exposed to and whose consequences could have been more dramatic. Finally, we should not forget that there are still 30,000 refugees in the Republic of Macedonia. I urge the Assembly to continue the joint efforts for their safe return to their homes. At the same time, the peace forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for Kosovo were deployed in the Republic of Macedonia in support of the international efforts for a political resolution of the crisis, as were a large number of international governmental and non-governmental organizations. Macedonia has managed to overcome these hardships, but the consequences are still being felt in the national economy. Financial assistance and support from the international community are indispensable for the recovery of the national economy. It is beyond doubt that compensation for the damage we suffered by making our national capacities available for the resolution of the Kosovo crisis should be an obligation of the international community. The Macedonian Government highly appreciates the assistance provided by the international community thus far through certain financial institutions or on a bilateral basis. The assistance should continue, which is to say, we expect States to fully carry out the commitments they have undertaken. This is the right moment to write off parts of our external debts as a recognition of the efforts we are making to overcome the crisis. Today, the only thing that the Republic of Macedonia requests is the fulfilment of the promises made by the international community during the crisis. Even prior to the outbreak of the crisis and the adoption of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), my country had consistently supported a peaceful and political solution to the Kosovo crisis that would include substantial autonomy within the framework of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; respect for the human rights of all living in Kosovo; respect for the inviolability of existing borders; the cessation of hostilities and of repression; the deployment of peace forces; the safe and free return of refugees; the demilitarization of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and other paramilitary forces; and the economic reconstruction of Kosovo and the region. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the efforts made fully to implement Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). The Republic of Macedonia, in this respect, will continue to support the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe and all other international governmental and non-governmental organizations. In this context, I would like to recall that on many occasions the Macedonian Government has demonstrated its readiness closely to cooperate with the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, with his Special 42 Representative, Mr. Kouchner, and with UNMIK, and that it has offered its good offices. The Republic of Macedonia strongly supports the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe as one of the most important adopted documents for the wider region and for Europe. Furthermore, it is prepared to take an active part in its implementation and to contribute to the reconstruction and stabilization of the region and its speedy integration into European structures. The Stability Pact, through its three pillars, or “working tables”, and through the relevant international global and regional institutions, is expected to contribute to a lasting stabilization of the region and to its final integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. To this effect, I would like to call upon all of the parties to this extremely important document to mutually reinforce their activities and to enhance their coordination. I would here like to underscore the strong interest of the Republic of Macedonia in the prompt implementation of the second pillar for economic development and reconstruction. The most important issue linked with its unimpeded functioning and the realization of the desired results — greater inclusion of the Balkans in European economic, political and democratic trends — is the setting up of lasting mechanisms for the necessary fund-raising and the securing of funds to this end. Many United Nations programmes and activities could be used for this purpose. The Republic of Macedonia is interested in seeing the United Nations play a role in this sphere. The Republic of Macedonia will propose a pertinent draft resolution at this session of the General Assembly that stresses the importance of the prompt consolidation and development of South-Eastern Europe, the importance of the Stability Pact and the need for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). We are convinced that the draft will be supported by all States Members of the United Nations. Let us hope that this will be the last crisis in the Balkans or South-Eastern Europe. But to prevent any recurrence of this kind of situation, we will have to defend more successfully democratic principles and values and develop long-term preventive strategies. I am convinced that the beginning of the next millennium will mark a new era in the history of this area, which has been overburdened with conflicts and therefore needs to focus primarily on its own development and prosperity. In the long run, regional stability can be provided by economic development, democracy, respect of human rights and the rights of national minorities, and bilateral and regional cooperation. However, the best way to guarantee the security of the region and transform it into an area of democracy, development, stability and cooperation is for the countries of the region to join the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and become fully fledged members. The Republic of Macedonia is among the countries most affected by the crisis — economically, socially and politically. This has hampered our efforts to build a society that meets the expectations of our people. Despite the major challenges it has confronted in the past, my country has managed to implement and advance the strategic commitments set out in its foreign policy: integration in the European Union, inclusion in Euro-Atlantic security structures and development of good-neighbourliness. The success of that policy is reflected in the fact that the Republic of Macedonia was able to stay out of the four armed conflicts which have taken place in the last decade on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. For the first time in the history of the Republic of Macedonia as an independent country, we have been faced with a war on our borders. In such circumstances, the contribution of the peaceful and constructive Macedonian policy to conflict resolution is highly significant. The Republic of Macedonia is fully committed to carrying out the reforms that have been initiated, based on European standards, in the political, economic and democracy fields, with maximum respect for human rights, including minority rights. That commitment by the Macedonian Government and the results of the reforms have been commended by the international community. That is precisely why the European Union has decided that the Republic of Macedonia should be the first partner in the commencement of negotiations for the conclusion of the Stability and Association Agreement. The Republic of Macedonia has a long-term commitment to the continuing improvement of its relations with all of its neighbours. The advancement and development of these relations, as well as of bilateral cooperation with all of its neighbours, is evidenced by intensive cooperation in the framework of a number of regional initiatives. Two trilateral meetings have taken place among the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece, the aim of 43 which was to coordinate and promote activities aimed at a more successful implementation of the Stability Pact. I would like to emphasize that the policy of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, elected less than a year ago, is aimed in particular at improving, as soon as possible, the situation in the region. To this effect, many practical steps have been taken, which to our mutual satisfaction are yielding results. As we approach the new millennium, the last session of the General Assembly for this century is undoubtedly the forum best suited to evaluating what has been achieved in the area of the promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms. Over the last 50 years, impressive progress has been made in international humanitarian law. Today, we are proud to note that the United Nations, having adopted the fundamental Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has managed to affirm the international consensus on the basic postulates of human dignity and to promote them as a basic standard and objective to be attained by all individuals and nations. Of no less importance is the promotion and strengthening of all United Nations human rights bodies engaged in the protection and promotion of human rights, including minority rights. In this regard, the Republic of Macedonia supports the reform of the mechanisms and functioning of the United Nations bodies in this area. This year we mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Although this Convention has been ratified by almost all States, its genuine implementation is still a desired aim. A large number of children are still victims of disrespect for their fundamental rights. We therefore fully and firmly support the efforts made at this year's session of the Commission on Human Rights to undertake concrete measures for the protection of the rights of the child, the aim of which is to promote the next century as the century of the universal protection of the rights of the child. The role and efforts of the international community in the full implementation of currently accepted standards and principles are important, but the primary role and responsibility lies with the States themselves. As is evident from the democratic development of my country, the Republic of Macedonia completely associates itself with the endeavours of the international community for the observance and promotion of human rights. In the twenty-first century the maintenance of international peace and security all over the world should be the priority aim of our Organization. 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 the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts and with the development of the affected States. The elimination of poverty and reducing the gap between the developed and developing countries should be our priorities, as my colleagues have already said. In the next century the Republic of Macedonia would like to see an improvement in economic development and international economic cooperation, as well as an enhancement of efforts being made within the disarmament process and greater support for them. We may note that the global community has achieved significant improvements with regard to living standards and the reduction of poverty. The global economy is showing modest but constant growth of 2 per cent annually, while the volume of trade is continuing to increase. However, it seems that, irrespective of the important accomplishments, the world community is confronted with a series of alarming problems that must be resolved. Increased world poverty and unemployment are key problems, which should be the main preoccupation of the international community, the aim being to eliminate them. Half the population of the world lives on less than $3 per capita per day, while the unemployment rate is increasing continuously; the international community has to face the challenge of overcoming that situation. Decisions of the international community regarding international economic policies are most frequently made in the United Nations framework. The Governments of the developed countries have a leading role to play and the primary responsibility in this domain. The indebtedness of the developing countries and countries in transition is mainly a result of inappropriate political circumstances, in the form of armed conflicts; different types of embargoes and factors make it impossible for them to market their goods; and natural disasters. Writing off the debts, or part of the debts, of the countries affected by objective external factors would have a very positive impact on diminishing global poverty and unemployment and on economic development. Only the economically developed and independent State can be truly politically independent and sovereign and have a role to play in the international community. 44 Globalization of the world economy and liberalization of world trade are necessary preconditions for the improvement of living standards and the reduction of existing differences in countries' development relative to global development. The role of the United Nations in this area is of great importance. The increased globalization and liberalization of the world economy should be accompanied by a lowering of existing barriers and by facilitating the free transfer of goods and services and of the work force. This would create a unified world economy in its true meaning. In the next century more attention will be placed on the observance of the United Nations Charter. In the interests of the maintenance of international peace and collective security, it is extremely important that Security Council decisions be made on behalf of all the Member States of our Organization, without its being possible for them to abuse the right of veto. The contribution of the Republic of Macedonia to the promotion of peace and security is well known, and this was confirmed by the deployment on its territory of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP), which was unfortunately terminated at the moment when the region may have been most in need of it. The importance of the leading role played by this single universal Organization is reflected in its skill in adapting to real situations and practical problems. I am deeply convinced that the new challenges are already reflected in the manner of operation of our Organization and in its structure. I would like to salute the firm determination to continue to implement United Nations reforms, which have already produced results, as stated in the Secretary-General's report. The Republic of Macedonia is of the opinion that the reform of the United Nations system will be successful only if reform of the Security Council is followed by reform of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. We expect the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly to successfully conclude preparations for the organization of the Millennium Assembly in the year 2000. In this context, we are anticipating with great interest the Secretary-General's report. At the same time, we join the appeal for all Member States to be represented by heads of State or Government at that event. United Nations Member States must constantly contribute to the strengthening of the basic democratic values of peace, security, stability, social and economic development, respect for international law and respect for human and minority rights. The United Nations is the true place for the improvement of these basic values. The resolution of each country to persist in that way is of crucial importance in determining whether we will jointly manage to fully implement these commitments and enjoy the fruits of development. I would like to assure the Assembly that the Republic of Macedonia has already embarked on that road and will continue to make its contribution to the full implementation of those values.