Strasbourg,07/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - As announced, the President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine has will shortly be visiting the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Ms Fontaine will be in Skopje on 12 - 13 September. On 13 September she will make a speech to the Macedonian Parliament. She will meet the President of the Parliament, Stojan Andov, the Presidents of the main political parties, the President of the Republic, Boris Trajkowski, and the Prime Minister, Ljubco Geogievski, as well as the EU's Representative to FYROM, François Leotard.
Ms Fontaine welcomed the first vote on Thursday, of the Macedonian Parliament, on constitutional reform. She recognised that the peace process was still fragile and that in order to diminish existing fears, the European Union and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia, through its Stability and Association Agreement, should aim, together with other international institutions to maintain a presence that would contribute to continuing the dialogue and building confidence.