Macedonian foreign policy is founded on three major pillars -- European orientation, friendly ties with the United States of America and good neighborliness and cooperation with the four neighboring countries: Albania, Greece, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. The long term foreign policy objective of the Republic of Macedonia is full-fledged membership in the European Union.
A first step in that direction was made last June in Brussels with the
conclusion of a trade and cooperation agreement. Furthermore, the
Macedonian government is announcing that it will step up the activities
that will lead to associative membership status in the European Union.
Macedonia is a member of the Council of Europe, the OSCE; it is actively
taking part in the Partnership for Peace program, and it wishes to become a
full member of NATO, by which it will become fully integrated in the
western economic, political and security systems.
New diplomatic agreements
In the past five years, the world has begun to recognize Macedonia by the senseless Greek objections to the use of the name of our state and by the preventive mission of the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations, which includes about 550 American troops. Since it attained independence in 1991, Macedonia and the United States have developed diplomatic, economic and military relations.
This year, agreements have been concluded for the protection of overseas investment (OPTIC) and for avoiding double taxation. It has also been a year of intensive cooperation with the United States in the fight against terrorism. By signing the mini-SOFA agreement, the Macedonian and American governments have also strengthened military cooperation.
As a political concept, but also as a confirmed practice, the Government and the Head of State, president Kiro Gligorov, whose authority includes special powers in leading the country's foreign policy, have established and are following the so called "Macedonian model of peace and security on the Balkans".
This concept is the result of the circumstances which our country was confronted with following the newly attained independence, but moreover, it is the result of a fully conscious political decision.
In this context, we have to bear in mind the fact that Macedonia was the only one of the former republics of the Yugo-Federation to have attained independence in a peaceful and legitimate manner. Macedonia did not take part in the war in the regions of the former Yugoslavia and that it proclaimed its independence byway of a Referendum and it adopted a Constitution. Thus, it proved that on the perpetually tremor-prone Balkans, known as the "European powder keg", it is possible to achieve self-determination and statehood without bloodshed.
Balkan issues predominate
However, this is only one of the components that determines the principles of the Macedonian foreign policy. The most significant issues that preoccupy Macedonian diplomacy are still those of Balkan situations and relations. The basis of Macedonian Balkan policy is good neighborliness.
Its central position in the Balkans, and the unique condition of the negative experiences it has historically had with some of its neighbors, has taught Macedonia to stand at a distance from them all, because in the past, Macedonia was a cause for war and disputes among them.
Even today, although one can not say that Macedonia has any open issues or problems with any of its neighbors, she is compelled to be cautious of certain circumstances that absorb much of her diplomatic energy.
With Greece, this is due to the Greek Campaign against the name of our state and nation; with Albania there are occasional misunderstandings regarding the position and the rights of the Albanian minority (ethnic Albanians that live in the western part of Macedonia bordering Albania).
With the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, despite the five decades of living together in a common country, caution is necessary as a result of the unpredictability of events in the Yugoslav crises, the vicinity and the common border with Kosovo, but also because of the fact that not so long ago, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic of offered Constantine Mitsotakis, the former Prime Minister of Greece, to divide Macedonia, which would have enabled them to have a common border.
On the other hand, the eastern neighbor, Bulgaria, has paradoxically recognized the Macedonian state while not recognizing the Macedonian nation and language, which it considers "Bulgarian".
Under such circumstances, the only possible political option towards its neighbors is to build equally good relations with all of them and to maintain a careful balance to avoid getting too close, too far from any of them. In Macedonia, the defense doctrine is called "positive equi-distance', and both the population and the political circles have accepted this doctrine by a virtual consensus with minor exceptions that conspire closer links a cooperation with one of its neighbors.
But the overwhelming majority of Macedonia are convinced that this would
be deadly for the revival of Macedonia, and that it would certainly disrupt
the balance that is now being maintained in always turbulent Balkans.
Improved ties with Greece
The "positive equi-distance" doctrine has led in the last year to improving relations with Greece. The dispute imposed by Greece over the alleged Greek "historical right" to the name of this country preoccupied Macedonian foreign policy for the five years. But the relationship with Greece has been relaxed following the signing the Interim Accord between the two countries in New York last September - facilitated with the mediation efforts of Special UN Representative, Cyrus Vance, the effords of Matthew Neimetz, Special Envoy of the President of the United States, and the active role plays Richard Holbrooke.
Normal transportation, economic, and diplomatic communication have been established, there are possibilities for the ties between Macedonia and Greece to become more intensive, especially in the economic field.
On the post-Dayton Balkans, Macedonia sees itself as a promoter of harmonious relations wit neighbors and it aspires to grasp the possibility to distance itself, physically but also terminologially and psychologically from the Bosnian crises. Being aware of the fact that the world continues to identify the Balkans with Bosnia - with which Macedonia has no common border -- Macedonian diplomacy insists on the use of the term South Balkans as locating the Macedonian state in that region. The climate in the south of the Balkans is after all normal, and in its heart is Macedonia, a country that resembles yet is so much different from Balkan countries.
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