Brussels, 05/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten and the EU High representative for CFSP, Javier Solana will be visiting Skopje on 6-7 September to give the EU's firm commitment to release substantial additional financial assistance in support of implementation of the Framework Agreement signed on 13 August between the Macedonians and Albanians. They will also remind the two sides that this aid is strictly tied to ratification of all the clauses of the agreement (see EUROPE 15 August page 1). This visit takes place just before the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs Informal Council Meeting at Genval which Mr Patten and Mr Solana will be both be attending.
Their visit should see meetings take place with FYROM President Boris Trajkovski, Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, Foreign Affairs Minister Ilinka Mitreva, as well as leaders from the DPA, SDSM and the PDP. During the visit meetings to co-ordinate EU assistance with the International Community (i.e. NATO, OSCE and UNHCR) will also be organised. As soon as the constitutional amendments envisaged in the Agreement have been adopted by the Assembly, the European Commission together with the World Bank, will convene a Donors' meeting for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This will be based on assessments of damage in the country and of the state of public finances, currently being undertaken. Arrangements for this conference are already well underway.
The European Union intends to provide additional financial assistance of Euro 30 million to support reconstruction, local infrastructure improvements and the confidence building measures envisaged in the Framework Agreement, as well as a disbursement of up to Euro 50 million once the agreement between the FYROM government and the IMF is back on track. During his visit, Commissioner Patten will sign with his local counterpart the Financing Agreement under the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Democratisation and Stabilisation in 2001 (CARDS), which will provide Euro 42.5 million to the country. The EU has already made available Euro 2.5 million under the Rapid Reaction Mechanism (see EUROPE 17 August page 2).