Hillary Clinton's Remarks On NATO Open Door Policy

Thank you very much, Deputy Secretary General Vershbow, for chairing today’s meeting of the North Atlantic Council. I am delighted to be joined by my fellow foreign ministers from the NATO member-states and from the nations of Georgia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. And let me again welcome you to Chicago, which happens also to be my birthplace and one of America’s great cities.

We’re meeting today to reaffirm our commitment to NATO’s open door policy. The possibility of NATO membership has proven to be a powerful motivation for countries to implement difficult but necessary reforms, resolve internal differences as well as differences with their neighbors, and contribute to security operations that benefit themselves and all of us. Our open door policy has produced some of our most active and committed allies, and it has helped produce stability and cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. And more broadly as NATO has grown, Europe has become more secure and more prosperous.

So the United States remains deeply committed to the open door policy, and it is in that spirit that we welcome our aspirant nations here today. We support their aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration, and we will keep working with each of them, both bilaterally and through NATO, to help them implement finally the reforms needed to meet the standards for membership. As I said yesterday, I believe this summit should be the last summit that is not an enlargement summit.

To speak just briefly about each aspirant, Georgia will become the largest non-NATO contributor to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan this fall, and we are very grateful for its contributions. Georgia has made democratic reforms, and the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections are additional opportunities for Georgia to show the world that it is committed to NATO’s democratic values. We stand firm in our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome Georgia’s non-use of force pledge, and we call on Russia to reciprocate with its own pledge. We stand by the Bucharest decision and all subsequent decisions on Georgia.

Macedonia has also made contributions to regional and global security, including significant and longstanding contributions to ISAF, and it has fulfilled the key criteria for NATO membership. We strongly support a resolution of the ongoing name dispute and urge the parties to reach an agreement so Macedonia can join the alliance as soon as possible.

Montenegro, too, has made contributions to ISAF and reforms in its military and security services, which we applaud. The U.S. plans to send an advisor from the Department of Defense, and we welcome similar initiatives by other allies to support Montenegro’s efforts to implement the remaining reforms for NATO membership. Support for NATO membership is growing among the Montenegrin people, and we encourage efforts to continue increasing public awareness and understanding.

Finally, regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, we welcome the political agreement on defense properties and now we urge that it be implemented. And we encourage Bosnia, Macedonia, and Montenegro to continue pursuing regional initiatives like the Balkan Regional Approach to Air Defense, as well as natural disaster preparedness and the joint ISAF deployment by the Adriatic-5 Group.

Regarding all these countries, as with any country that wishes to join NATO, we look to them to demonstrate that they share our values and they are willing and able to meet the standards for membership. And we promise to help them as they do so because this is in our interest. We know it can be a lengthy and challenging process, but we need to stick with it and remember our ultimate goal: a stronger, more durable, more effective NATO.

In 1949, we were 12 nations; now we’re 28. The result is an alliance that has proven over and over it can meet the threats and overcome the challenges of our time. And here in Chicago, let us reaffirm our commitment to enlargement done right as a core element of our purpose and our community. Thank you very much.

No Admission to NATO For Macedonia During Chicago Summit

Macedonia will not get the go ahead for NATO admission during this year NATO Summit to be held in Chicago during May 20th and 21st.  NATO Secretary General Fogh Rasmussen said that the NATO position remains unchanged during an appearance on Radio Free Europe.

"The Alliance's position remains unchanged and is still based on the decision taken at the 2008 Bucharest summit, when NATO deemed Macedonia ready to join once it concludes the long-standing name dispute with Greece.  Unfortunately, there has not been progress in this direction. Nevertheless, the decision we took four years ago continues to apply."

The issue evolves around a name dispute between Greece and Macedonia.  Greece objects to the use of the name, citing territorial and historical concerns, as it applies to  its northern historical region and the ancient kingdom of Macedon which falls within Greek Macedonia. 

Greece further objects to the use of the term "Macedonian" for the neighboring country's largest ethnic group and its language. The Republic of Macedonia is accused of appropriating symbols and figures that are historically considered parts of Greece's culture (such as Vergina Sun and Alexander the Great), and of promoting the irredentist concept of a United Macedonia, which would include territories of Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, and Serbia.  Wikepedia

Just as the dispute affects Macedonia's admission to NATO, the United Nations ran into difficulties admitting the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name, namely with Greece providing the roadblock.   Finally a provisional name was adopted for the purposes of UN entry.  The UN Security Council endorsed the admission and recommended "that the State whose application is contained in document S/25147 be admitted to membership in the United Nations, this State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as 'the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' pending settlement of the difference that has arisen over the name of the State."

The council made clear in its recommendation that:

The appellation "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" was purely a provisional term to be used only until the dispute was resolved.

The term was a reference, not a name; as a neutral party in the dispute, the United Nations had not sought to determine the name of the state.

More on the Background of the Name Dispute 

To date the name dispute has not been resolved and thus the rejection by NATO, which is also backed by the United States.

 “In view of Macedonia, the country has met the key membership criteria. The United States remains engaged and supports negotiations aimed at solving the name row."

One would think that NATO could use the same approach as the United Nations did in dealing with Macedonia.  After all Macedonia has been involved in several NATO peacekeeping missions, including the deployment of 244 soldiers in Afghanistan.

Greece of course is a member of NATO and the Eurozone and obviously yields some political influence in those organizations.

The International Court of Justice ruled that Greece had breached an interim deal, brokered by the UN in 1995 (provisional name of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), when it blocked Macedonia’s attempt to join NATO in 2008.  Under the terms of the UN deal, Greece was obliged not to prevent Macedonia from joining international organizations as long it used a provisional UN reference, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The Hague court broadly upheld Macedonia's case, but did not accept other demands, made by Macedonia, that Greece be ordered to stop blocking Macedonia from joining the EU and NATO.

Obviously the name is important to both countries and has caused ethnic strife in Macedonia, pitching one part of the population on another.  While it took a long time to get to this point, Macedonia also has a right to have its name issue resolved.   At the very least it should not be the stumbling block for it to join NATO.  After all the country is good enough to contribute to NATO missions.

Skopje, Macedonia has its Own Ground Zero Controversy

With ethnic tensions still high in Macedonia, the construction of a controversial church will start this month.  The government funded project is part of the Skopje 2014 Urban Renewal project.

Ethnic tensions erupted in Macedonia after the slaying of four men between 18 and 22 and a middle aged man that were fishing.  The police has arrested 20 individuals and charged three claiming that they have links with radical Islam.   The arrests have prompted protests over the weekend, where confrontation with police erupted in violence, with windows broken and rocks hurled at the police.  Ethnic Alabians claim that the men are being framed and demanded their release. 

To add a little fuel to the fire, the construction of the church, dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helena, which will be complemented by a 50 metre high bell tower, will start this  month.

The project, first announced in 2009, caused an ethnic uproar, especially by ethnic Albanians represented by the Islamic Religious Community, IVZ,  sought to build a mosque in the same square.  This caused friction between the Christian commununity, mainly Orthodox Macedonians.  Others objected to public funds being utilized, stating that it violated the separation between church and state guaranteed in the constitution.

Students objected to the construction of the church, since it was to be built in the  busiest pedestrian precinct in the city.  This eventually caused violence to erupt between students and religious militants. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sided with the militants, accusing students of having been prompted by the opposition to protest. The Prime Minister insisted that the church would be built no matter what.

Last year a compromise decision was reached and the church was moved several hundred metres from the main square.  The government is no longer officially funding the project, however, it has given substantial funds to the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC).

Nothing becomes easy in Macedonia, not unlike New York, houses of worship can become extremely controversial.  In this case, it was the location of a Christian church in a town square, where Ground Zero had more to do with the sacred ground of the 911 terrorist attacks.

Violent Protests in Skopje, Macedonia After Arrest of Muslim Suspects

In early April five Macedonians were massacred by summary execution of four Macedonians, aged 18-22 and one mid-aged Macedonian while they were fishing on Good Friday this year.   Macedonian police arrested 20 men on May 2nd, linking them to radical Muslim group. The arrests have prompted outrage by Muslims, who object to the term radical Muslim.


To make their point, there have been violent protests in Skopje, Tetovo, Kumanovo and Gostivar and other cities around Macedonia.  The suspects are all Muslims and the protesters are demanding a fair trial.   The background on Macedonia and the killing of the five men fishing can be found at Macedonia and Radical Islamism - Ethnic Thrive

During the protests, protesters shouted "Muslims are not terrorists!"  Several youths threw rocks and smashed windows in government offices and court buildings.  There were no reports of any arrests, although police reported that six policeman, one reporter and one cameraman was injured.  The extend of the injuries are not known.

Ethnic Albanians make up about one quarter of the population in Macedonia, while  Orthodox Christians are the dominant majority.  Ethnic groups  composition as of 2002: Macedonian 64.18%, Albanian 25.17%, Turkish 3.85%, Roma 2.66%, Serb 1.78%. 

Macedonia is a Parliamentary Democracy, which gets its authority from the 1991 constitution, which was amended in November 2001 by a series of constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights, in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary, in 2009 related to the census for the election of president, and in 2010 with amendments allowing extradition of Macedonian citizens to third countries.  The Prime Minister is the head of gouvernment. The legal system is based on civil law; judicial review of legislative acts.  Macedonia became independent from the Former Yugoslavia in 1991.  

Live Blog of the Protest from Balkan Insight


More on Macedonia Wikileaks

Timeline Former Yugoslavia 1918 - 2006

White Book PDF - Background on Macedonia  

Macedonia and Radical Islamism - Ethnic Thrive

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, not unlike other nations of the former Yugoslavia, has had its share of ethnic difficulties.   Years of occupation by the Ottoman Turks and the Austrian Hungarian Empire have left many of the countries that comprised Yugoslavia deeply divided.  Yugoslavia was held together in a fragile federation by the dictator Marshal Tito.  After his death all bets were off and the country was quickly divided.

Bosnia Herzegovina is now in a loose confederation, consisting of ethnic Croats and Bosniac (Muslims) on one side with a clear demarcation of the Republic Srpska (ethnic Serbs).   NATO and the UN had hoped to create a country, where ethnic groups lived side by side, but it did not consider the history of the Balkans.

In early April five Macedonians were massacred by summary execution of four Macedonians, aged 18-22 and one mid-aged Macedonian while they were fishing on Good Friday this year. 

A CNN blog and a report in Canada's National Post  says that 20 men were arrested on May 2nd that are linked to a radical Muslim group, according to Macedonian police.


“The ministry of the interior found the perpetrators of the horrific killings at Smilkovsko lake”

The ministry says that some of the perpetrators had  been “fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan against NATO soldiers”. The Interior Minister, Gordana Jankulovska, said that along with the arrests, police recovered weapons and radical Islamist literature.  The 20 men will be charged with terrorist charges, since the aim of the killings was to incite "fear and insecurity." 

There are now similar concerns in Macedonia.  ethnic tensions between the  Macedonians and the ethnic Albanians because that box has been wide open since before the brief civil war in 2001.

The killings raised fears that the fragile relations between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians could flare up again.  Approximately 25% of the population in the Former  Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are ethnic Albanians, which predominantly live in North Eastern Macedonia.  Macedonia shares borders with Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece.

  Many will recall the NATO interference in Kosovo, where Bill Clinton became the national hero after brokering, what can best be described, as a volatile deal, after a bombing spree on Serbia.   Border clashes have been common between Serbia and Kosovo.   Many of the Serbs are living a miserable life as the ethnic minority in Kosovo.

There are now similar concerns in Macedonia.  Ethnic tensions between the Macedonians and the ethnic Albanians have been fragile since the brief civil war in 2001.  The West intervened and made it clear that there was no room for a rebellion after the intervention by NATO in Kosovo after the NATO war with Serbia in 1999. 

There are no easy solutions to solve the problems in Macedonia or even Kosovo and Bosnia.  Otto von Bismarck once said that not one ounce of a German troopers blood should be spilled for the Balkans.  Kaiser Wilhelm II dismissed the Chancellor, supported Austria-Hungary, which led to the assassination of Prince Ferdinand in Sarajevo and the start of the "Great War."

It would appear that radical Islam has spilled into the Macedonian conflict, which seems to be a phenomena around the world.  The situation is worsening in Macedonia and in the past the West has taken sides in a civil war, Bosnia, Kosovo an now Macedonia.

The region is critical because of its location. Unrest and an outright civil war could create havoc in the whole region.  Macedonia's destabilization could be the "best" way to trigger an international war which would suck in Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Turkey very quickly.

While the incidents of terror by radical Islam have been largely ignored by the Western media, which, at least in the U.S., are preoccupied with the U.S. election, Iran, Israel and the Middle East in general, it is time to once again focus on a solution in that region.

What recent events, with elections and France and Greece have shown us, is that much of Europe is volatile and it wouldn't take much to ignite a ticking time bomb.  


More on Macedonia Wikileaks

Timeline Former Yugoslavia 1918 - 2006

White Book PDF - Background on Macedonia