ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, who died in a plane crash in Bosnia on Thursday, was at the helm of Macedonia during a turbulent period of a rebellion of ethnic Albanians in 2001 and later all the way to
the country's candidacy for membership of the European Union, which Macedonian PM Branko Crvenkovski should have submitted in Dublin today.
ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, who died
in a plane crash in Bosnia on Thursday, was at the helm of Macedonia
during a turbulent period of a rebellion of ethnic Albanians in 2001
and later all the way to the country's candidacy for membership of the
European Union, which Macedonian PM Branko Crvenkovski should have
submitted in Dublin today.#L#
At the 1999 election, Trajkovski succeeded charismatic President Kiro
Gligorov. Shortly after stepping into office, Trajkovski had to deal
with tensions between the majority Macedonian people and Albanians who
are a minority in the country. Albanians demanded more rights. The
tensions have been brought to a head after Albanians rose in armed
rebellion in northern and southern Macedonia. Trajkovski signed an
agreement with the leaders of the Albanian minority in August 2001,
thus solving the crisis situation.
After that, Macedonia reached stability and entered the process of
drawing closer to the European Union and NATO.
The aircraft carrying the Macedonian president crashed on Thursday,
the day when Macedonian PM Crvenkovski should have submitted the
country's candidacy for EU membership to Irish PM Bertie Ahern in
Dublin. The submission of Macedonia's application has been postponed
and Crvenkovski said he would return to Macedonia.
Trajkovski was born in Strumica in 1956. He graduated from the St.
Chyrril and Method Law School in Skopje. The West considered him to be
a modern and young statesman who managed to establish good relations
with foreign leaders and diplomats.
Macedonia has been a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace Programme
since 1995. It is taking part in the Stabilisation and Association
Process with the EU.
On April 9, 2001 the country signed a Stabilisation and Association
Agreement with the EU. The submission of Macedonia's application for
EU membership should have been the crown of the country's long-lasting
efforts invested in drawing closer to Euro-Atlantic assocations.
The fate of Macedonia's application for NATO membership should be
known at a NATO summit in Istanbul in June.
(Hina) it sb