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After several days of bickering between Government representatives and Crvenkovski's Presidential Cabinet, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski addresses Macedonian Media.
Dear media representatives,
Allow me at the beginning to extend my congratulations on the Holiday of Muslims in the Republic of Macedonia - Ramadan Bairam - and to wish good health, success to all Islamic believers, and call them along with all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, to build the country as prosperous, more successful, member of NATO and the European Union, economically stronger, a country that offers high living standards and whose people live in peace and harmony.
I am glad that for a second year in a row the Ramadan Bairam Holiday has been a non-working day not only for the Islamic believers, but, as a sign of respect to our Muslim compatriots, also for all other citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. Mutual respect and tolerance is the only way to realize our common goals and improve our lives beyond the borders of our state the Republic of Macedonia, living in peace and mutual respect. In this spirit, it has been my pleasure for the second year in a row on this significant day for the Islamic believers, to join them in one of the main mosques in the capital and pay respects to the values, which are distinctive for the unions we are aspiring to: NATO & EU.
Dear media representatives,
Unfortunately my second subject is a response to a bad example, contrary to the values we are aspiring to and talk about. I am talking about Mr. Branko Crvenkovski's sudden insults and slanders, presented late Monday only few hours after our meeting.
I will spare you from useless phrases and speeches, demagogy and sentences for the responsibility, courage, vision, seriousness etc., as those who often speak about them usually do not posses such characteristics.
I will not insult anybody, and as always, will speak the truth.
The leading idea that has brought me to politics is to change the image of a politician - the dark one of the transition period, responsible for the current situation of our country. I wish for the politician to be the one who tells the truth, creates no bad scenarios, never lies his people in favor of his political survival and mercilessly destroys the state's resources.
The politician must be honest and always tell the truth, work for own people and state.
Sometimes the politician will be blamed for irredentism, labelled as nationalist, accused of isolating his own country, insulted and referred to with disdain, called populist when tangible results are present, but he will always know what the truth is, believe in it, his own people and state.
This is the truth, you chose who deserve your trust.
Macedonia is in the final stage of this negotiating cycle, being held under the UN aegis, namely the mediation of Mr. Matthew Nimetz.
These are significant negotiations for our country, not something that should serve somebody to build own political carrier and promote for a future political leader.
These negotiations should neither serve for trading with the international community representatives, so that some make promises that the matter will be settled immediately when somebody takes the power.
These are negotiations that call for our unity, also with our allies, and without any reserves to find best possible solution for support of our state interests.
Mr. Crvenkovski upon his arrival from New York suddenly attacked me, stating insults and slanders. I am still analysing the reasons of this offence, which do not present a problem to me personally, but bring harm to the state, most probably to improve his personal rating before his formal return to SDSM leader's post.
For the last two years, I and my associates have been very active and done our best to resolve the dispute with Greece related to our name, but also preserve the fundamental values, and I would say the pillars of our state.
We have been doing our best, cooperating with Mr. Crvenkovski on this matter, regardless of the well-known fact how he has taken the office and what is the level of his legitimacy after the developments that marked his election in 2004.
The more active we were, the more insults we got from his part, which were often uncoordinated, such as the ones we heard yesterday - that there was a serious differences in our opinions, concepts, and in other part of his speech that we do not have an opinion. I fail to understand how is it possible for Mr. Crvenkovski at the same time to be unfamiliar with our opinion and claim that we have serious differences in the opinions and concepts.
We have been accused of being hard, without a concept and urged to be more diplomatic and open to compromises. With an exception to Bucharest Summit when Mr. Crvenkovski, once again contrary to his earlier claims, said that we together had done our best to obtain the invitation for NATO membership, in all other occasions for the entire period as more active we were, more false or malicious briefings we heard from his cabinet, for whose explanation we have wasted a lot of energy, instead of joining our efforts and focus them on finding a solution to the problem.
Honestly, sometimes listening to his accusations, I thought that we might have gone too far. And when the one-week UN Summit in New York came I said to my self that it could be an opportunity to check everything that had been said - that we are not able to negotiate, have no concept or being very tough, no ability to make compromises etc.
There is an opportunity now, when we wish but cannot participate, so Mr. Crvenkovski will deny all of us who make this process hard, and in favor of the country will work out a beneficial closure and upon his arrival home offer a solution. Therefore, we have decided at that period to abstain from presenting our opinions on the settlement, to help in that manner and to avoid being guilty again for the unsuccessful negotiations with prominent figures in New York. During that week, we only encouraged his mission.
I do understand that a person makes attempts to resolve the dispute and fails. However I cannot comprehend the insults and slanders sent to the PM's address after being unsuccessful. In addition to all insults about a lack of opinion etc, we have gotten new ones - we set him up, wishing for him to bear the responsibility we and I personally have been avoiding.
After his yesterday's statement on what he considered should tell us about his meeting with Nimetz, we have asked at least for one day to think about the next steps, also including some of his new proposals, namely for Dimitrov and Protoger upon his arrival from New York to urgently visit Nimetz, who informed us that after his encounters with Crvenkovski and Bakoyannis new ones would not help. However Nimetz does not exclude a possibility on our insistence to welcome our delegation, which this time at much lower level should convey our positions. And when asked for a day or two to think, probably out of fear that we may respond the very next day, Mr. Crvenkovski held a press conference at the very same evening at which Mr. Crvenkovski in the most inappropriate manner cast accusations and slanders.
I am asking him in public - What does he get from spreading negative energy and rousing passion in regard to this matter, and what the state gets?
I know that I have not been tailored in line with Crvenkovski's pattern, but it has happened, contrary to his will, for the people to support exactly such person for a Prime Minister - with all my ideas, programmes, projects, commitments and naturally realized promises.
And exactly the way I am, opposite to him and his way of thinking, I have proposed and promised that eventually the voice of people should be heard on this matter at a referendum.
This is contrary to the Crvenkovski's concept, who agreed the name FYR Macedonia. in 1993, which should have been an interim one and valid for two months only. It will soon mark its 15th anniversary, and today is still a subject that occupies us the most, being a reason for our blockade towards NATO, and for being ashamed at the same time.
I remember that in 1993 Crvenkovski brought his supporters across Macedonia with busses to glorify his name and Macedonia's admittance in UN under the name former yugoslav republic of Macedonia.
Some of them understood later what they had been celebrating. It was important to celebrate.
It is however insignificant that 15 years afterwards, when in one occasion I failed to notice that I hung my coat in New York on a plate that did not bear the name FYR Macedonia, I was fiercely attacked for allowing such error, mostly by those close to Crvenkovski, the same ones that applauded on Skopje square 15 years ago for the success of then PM Crvenkovski for the name FYR Macedonia.
Regardless of the fact that we have been excluded from his meetings with Nimetz so that he could have a tete-a-tete encounter, as he had done it recently to Milososki, and urge us urgently upon his arrival from New York to send the negotiators to Nimetz, I will say that we shall withstand these heinous blows, slanders and continue to work for the welfare of the state, to get out from this deadlock we have been brought in because the name problem and interim reference have not been created and left unresolved for 13 years by Nikola Gruevski, but by the man who calls for sharing the responsibility, the man who has been saying for 13 years that the double formula is our maximal and fair compromise, the one who actually has invented the so-called double formula and fought with it for 13 years.
He and all of those surrounding him have been reiterating in numerous occasions that the time has been working for us, that we have been on the right path. The very same man today calls the so-called double formula as a non-compromising position, which could lead the country to isolation. Shall we understand now that someone has been leading us to isolation for 13 years before giving up the double formula.
Finally I will say that whenever and wherever Mr. Crvenkovski wants, we shall send Dimitrov and Protoger. He may have as much public and secret meetings, make any agreements, keep insulting me in public, I accept everything - to share responsibility, to even release him from any responsibility. However, he should not forget that no matter what agreement is reached, or what his or my position is, which I would like to remind is published on page 146 of the VMRO-DPMNE Programme of the last elections, at the end, if there is a final solution to this matter, the citizens will make the decision.
No matter whether he likes it or not and regardless of his possible attacks that we have no courage.
There could be no greater courage and democracy but to ask the citizens to decide on such essential matter. If this is the serious difference between us I am proud of that.
This is the truth. It is your choice to decide who will you trust.
The Government of the Republic of Macedonia
Public Relations Sector
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