Military

DATE=6/25/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT (CQ)

TITLE=BALKAN COOPERATION (L-O)

NUMBER=2-304721

BYLINE=BARRY WOOD

DATELINE=SKOPJE, MACEDONIA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

///EDITORS: Resending to correct name of Macedonia's defense minister in first kine of text from Ljubo Bockovski, to Vlado Buckovski. Barry Wood will revoice to make audio conform to text.///

INTRO: Representatives of Macedonia, Albania, and Croatia say they will accelerate their efforts to become members of NATO and the European Union. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports from Skopje.

TEXT: At a meeting in Skopje the three countries pledged to cooperate more closely in their efforts to join NATO and the European Union. The meeting was chaired by the Macedonia's defense minister, Vlado Buckovski.

Macedonia, Albania and Croatia have been strong supporters of the U-S military action in Iraq and have been seeking to strengthen their ties with the United States.

The three, along with the United States, last month (May 4) signed the U-S/Adriatic charter at a meeting of their foreign ministers in Albania.

Albania's ambassador to Macedonia, Vladimir Prela, said while the Adriatic charter is focused on NATO, Albania is equally determined to join the European Union.

/// PRELA ACT ///

We want to be part of this Euro-Atlantic reality. And this is for me the most important thing.

/// END ACT ///

Ambassador Prela played down the significance of differences over Iraq between the United States and some European countries. He also expressed hope that Serbia and Montenegro would not be left out of an expanding European Union and NATO.

Participants were generally encouraged by the outcome of the recent (June 21) E-U summit in Greece, at which the E-U leaders said that western Balkan countries would one day become members.

/// OPT /// But Croatian ambassador to Skopje, Aleksandar Milosevic, says he is disappointed with the amount of E-U development assistance being offered to the Balkans.

/// MILOSEVIC ACT ///

I am not very satisfied with the financial agenda, you know. Because this (geographic) area needs considerable (financial) support.

/// END ACT // END OPT ///

Macedonian foreign minister, Ilinka Mitreva, has also been critical of the European Union. Earlier this week, she expressed disappointment with the E-U summit. She said the countries of the western Balkans failed to obtain candidate status, failed to obtain a firm timetable for integration, and failed to win a promise of greatly increased development assistance. (SIGNED)

NEB/BDW/KL/RAE