Macedonian leader’s plea at summit

Date: 22/03/01

Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski will make a personal plea to Europe's leaders at the Stockholm summit tomorrow (23 March) for support to bring peace back to his troubled country.

Union leaders are expected to urge him to negotiate with ethnic Albanian political parties which had distanced themselves from rebel forces who have been attacking the north-western city of Tetevo.

The guerillas last night (21 March) offered a ceasefire, just hours after the expiry of a government ultimatum to give up their positions.

Skopje's initial response was not conciliatory - Trajkovski said he wanted the rebels "eliminated". But Union leaders are expected to urge him to support dialogue in return for their help.

One suggestion is that he offers Albanian representatives a seat on the country's national security council

Earlier this week, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana won a breakthrough after persuading the country's two largest Albanian parties to condemn the violence.

A spokesman for the rebel National Liberation Army claimed their ceasefire offer was a genuine bid "to pave the way to a peaceful solution".

Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski will make a personal plea to Europe's leaders at the Stockholm summit on 23.3.01 for support to bring peace back to his troubled country.