Tugging at Independence

Immediately after the session of the Macedonian Parliament of November 17, at which the new Macedonian Constitution was enacted, another closed session of Parliament was held, during which the President of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov addressed the MPs. Gligorov spoke of two issues: what is Macedonia to do in order to protect its economic and political sovereignty within Yugoslavia and, on the other hand, how far has the process for international recognition of the independent and sovereign state of Macedonia gone. Gligorov is said to have been very open in revealing the possible difficulties Macedonia is likely to face concerning its international recognition, but that its prime concern is to "convince the world that the existence of the independent state of Macedonia will cause no harm to either Yugoslavia or Europe". Gligorov later stated that "our utmost concern is to become a member of the European Community and the United Nations". He also added that "the European option should be predominant in all our programmes and plans, as well as the cooperation with all the Balkan states and our neighbours". Dr Denko Maleski, the Republic's foreign minister, is also engaged in the efforts concerning the international recognition of Macedonia. In his interview to VREME, Mr. Maleski claims that the recognition of independent Macedonia should have been achieved during the Hague conference: "This is written in the Hague document, which provide for the republics to go their own way with an obligation that they should be involved in the European processes of integration and should enter the various associations. This is our stand and we shall stand by it".

However, even dr Maleski admits that the Yugoslav problem concerns the fact that what today seems to be the possible degree of preserving the Yugoslav integration, as soon as tomorrow or next week can become practically impossible". "Thus we have started travelling from the modern federation to the confederation, through the association of sovereign states then to the loose association of sovereign states and it is now possible that we shall end this process in total disintegration. I even fear that the end result will be the group of mutually hostile states with their national armies, which will every now and again be attacking one another. This is why we have from the outset supported the so-called general settlement of the Yugoslav crisis, since it is in the interest of all the parties involved".

It is thought in Macedonia that relying on the Hague conference is not a sufficient guarantee for reaching the desired aims. "Macedonia should be determined in clearly letting everyone know that it has no intention of remaining indifferent in case it is not internationally recognized - bearing, of course, just like Slovenia did, the consequences of such a decision", says a distinguished Macedonian diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous.

Reacting to such statements, dr. Denko Maleski agreed that Macedonia should have its own international connections, since "it should not put its destiny in the hands of the Yugoslav politicians who, in order to fulfill their aims, lead their people into war. In European terms, such aims are fulfilled exclusively through agreements and negotiations". "Immediately after adopting the new constitution, we are planning to start other activities as well, and we shall try, in accordance with our desires and possibilities , to get the world acquainted with our situation and our ambition to exist as an independent state. However, the common reproach to our policy in Macedonia goes as follows : why should we insist on the general settlement, instead of, to put it that way, follow the egotistic interest of Macedonia? I am deeply convinced that the general settlement is in our interest, and that the national egotism, manifested either through secession or through unitarianism, has led us to the present misery", says Maleski.

The possibility that Macedonia is not internationally recognized, which may be considered as a European concession to the Serbian interests in Yugoslavia, Maleski comments diplomatically : "The attitude of the Macedonian Parliament is very clear: in the Hague we have been doggedly insisting on establishing the association of sovereign states, on somehow persuading Serbia to make a step forward and Slovenia to step backwards in that direction. Even if in exchange for the international recognition we accept the obligation to preserve the integrating processes in these regions".