Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-03-12-Speech-3-152"

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"en.20030312.4.3-152"2
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"Mr President, progress towards stability in Macedonia is a real example of how cooperation between NATO, the EU and the US can have very beneficial effects. Commissioner Patten is absolutely right to say that the European Union has got its act together to a considerable extent in the Balkans. I also congratulate the coalition government in place since last September. Let us hope that Macedonia has indeed turned a corner and that the Ohrid Agreement will be fully implemented. A military presence is still necessary to deliver a secure atmosphere and the EU mission can and should carry out tasks such as weapons collection and training. For the EU to undertake its first military operation is a truly significant and historic milestone. Mr Brok is quite right to insist that it should not happen without consultation with the European Parliament. The fact that the finalisation of the details has been held up by wrangling over intelligence sharing between NATO and the EU is said to be purely a technical issue. It is illustrative of the interdependence between the two and what we have at stake in making this agreement work. It is right for the EU to take over from NATO and a convincing demonstration that we are serious about playing a larger security role. The internal problems facing Macedonia are not limited to military security threats, there are many policing challenges and the cancer of corruption and criminality, often violent criminality, is undermining the state. There are murky links between organised criminals and political extremists and in a neighbouring country, as we have just heard, the murder of Prime Minister Djindjic may be evidence of those links. There can be no economic progress or investment while lawlessness is rife. The Prime Minister of Macedonia wondered who would invest, build and hire new people in a country with constant shootings, a country in one third of whose territory travel after dark is not recommended. He is absolutely right: there is a very close link between security and the growth of the economy. I would like to mention again the problem of the name. The President-in-Office and the Commissioner use the formulation of FYROM – the former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia. I refuse to do that. I wish these negotiations over the name could get somewhere – they seem to drag on. Finally, I would like to urge those Member States that have not yet ratified the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, to get on with it. This would send a very good signal to Macedonia."@en1
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