Saturday, February 16, 2008

Macedonia needs to be cautious over Kosovo issue: Macedonian opposition leader

Macedonia needs to be cautious and a little bit selfish over Kosovo issue, which is closely linked to regional stability, the opposition SDSM leader Radmila Sekerinska said, as quoted by the Macedonian Makfax.
The remarks by the leader of the country's largest opposition party were made at a panel discussion in Ohrid.
"We need to protect our interests, maintain the good neighborly relations and take care about the national interest. Macedonia must be safe and stable, and the country must have its borders that are confirmed by international agreements," Sekerinska said.
She blamed the government of playing childish games just six weeks before the most important event for Macedonia, the NATO invitation, as it is inadmissible to postpone meetings of political leaders.
Asked by a reporter whether Macedonia is under pressure to change its name, Sekerinska made clear that no choice could be made between NATO and the name.
"Macedonia has the necessary capacity to get an invitation to NATO membership and to preserve its constitutional name, but unfortunately, the government is wasting time on government allies rather than solving these problems, Sekerinska said.
The ongoing diplomatic drive should have happened much earlier, Sekerinska said, adding that the government overlooked the name dispute with Greece and made a number of moves that affected the country's international position.
Sekerinska, however, sounded optimistic as regards the NATO membership invitation during the Bucharest summit, as the international community cannot risk another crisis in the Balkan.

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