17/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - When visiting Skopje on Wednesday, the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana said that Europe was ready to take over from NATO in Macedonia, at the head of operation "Allied Harmony". According to him, this could occur "in the spring". The authorities in Skopje had a "very positive attitude", said Solana having met President Trajkovski and Prime Minister Crvenkoski. At NATO, sources stress that they would first have to finalise the "permanent arrangements" between the EU and the Atlantic Alliance on the Union using NATO assets for operations under ESDP. Alliance sources consider that these arrangements could be completed early-March. NATO said that it also agreed to transfer SFOR command to the European Union as soon as the latter had had this first experience of deployment in Macedonia.