Macedonia and the European Union

[Risto the Great]

Are they mental?

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/7509/2/

Macedonia has kicked off the preparations for joining the European Union battle group in 2012, thus contributing to Europe's security and defence along with other countries under Germany's leadership, the Chief of Macedonian Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Miroslav Stojanovski, said Monday at a joint press conference in Skopje with the Bundeswehr Chief of Staff, General Wolfgang Schneiderhan.

- It is too early to say how the EU mission and its tasks will be defined, but it is certain that participants in battle groups must do their job in line with the set procedures and standards, Stojanovski said.

Stojanovski - Schneiderhan meeting addressed the priorities of the armed forces of both countries, participation in peace missions abroad and further development of bilateral relations.

- Macedonia, as a small country, has sent a lot of its soldiers in peace missions. About 220 troops are to join the Afghan mission, which is a substantial figure considering the number of the country's population. Germany has no requests for additional troops but if Macedonia wishes to do so we shall welcome the move, Schneiderhan told reporters.

Stojanovski extended gratitude for Germany's support of ARM, including the education and training of ARM staff in its prestigious military academies.

Today, General Schneiderhan also held talks with Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski.

Tomorrow, the Bundeswehr delegation will visit the Special Operations Regiment and the Military Police Battalion and watch a demonstration exercise of the two units.

We can't join the club but we can fight for them.
I am astounded!

[Soldier of Macedon]

Likewise. Clearly, others are pulling the strings here, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the Macedonian leadership has bent over backwards to please these racists in the EU.

[Pelister]

They are insane.

Our identity is up for grabs. The Macedonians were the only ones who could end up negating their own people, and I think the Greeks have almost pulled of the most magical and inventive trick ever.

There should be a book written about How to get the leaders of a Macedonia nation State, to reject their nationality !

Its outrageous. I am appalled and disgusted by it all.

[Daskalot]

Visa Liberalization: A Threat to Macedonia?

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/109961

Visa Liberalization: A Threat to Macedonia?

Sam Vaknin Ph.D.

July 13, 2009


An Executive Summary of a Research Report Dated 07/06/2009

The client authorized the publication of the Executive Summary only.

Macedonian citizens will enjoy visa-free travel to most destinations in Europe starting in early 2010. The liberalization of the visa regime is welcomed in the tiny, landlocked and claustrophobic country: it will provide its long-suffering denizens with access to higher education and jobs in a common market with 300 million people and a GDP to equal the United States.

But, the change in the visa regime also presents multiple threats to the fragile polity. To start with, it could encourage an exodus of ethnic Macedonians from the country and alter to their disfavor the demographic balance with their Albanian nemeses.

This is a realistic scenario: Macedonia's membership in NATO was vetoed by an irate Greece last year when the two parties failed to reach a compromise regarding the "name Issue" (Greece's insistence that Macedonia change its name). Similarly, Macedonia was not given a date to commence its accession talks with the European Union. Economic and Euro-Atlantic integration prospects look dim and youngsters are elders alike are frantically looking for a way out. Rumblings of a renewed ethnic conflict have recently escalated.

Based on experience from other countries in Central and Eastern Europe - such as Poland and Bulgaria - and on experience from other regions (for instance: Israel and Vietnam), we conclude:

Macedonia is likely to lose 3-5% of its population over the next 5 years (assuming that Europe undergoes a mild economic recovery starting in 2012). Most of these are expected to take advantage of the visa liberalization regime and leave Macedonia for good (emigrate). Another 3-5% are likely to try to find temporary jobs as Gastarbeiter. Consequently, Macedonia will plunge into negative population growth.

At least 40% of these emigrants are likely to be students, white-collar workers, academics, and skilled laborers. This massive brain drain will create labor shortages in crucial sectors (healthcare, education, academe, research and development, banking and finance, hi-tech industries and manufacturing). As Macedonia's economy recovers and improves, the brain drain will increase, not decrease!

Barry Chiswick and Timothy Hatton demonstrated ("International Migration and the Integration of Labour Markets", published by the NBER in its "Globalisation in Historical Perspective") that, as the economies of poor countries improve, emigration increases because people become sufficiently wealthy to finance the trip.

Remittances are likely to recover as emigrants and Gastarbeiter send money back home and, thus, replenish the country's foreign exchange reserves by an extra 200-300 million euros a year. By 2013, remittances will exceed the record level of 2007 and foster a new wave of consumption, construction, and GDP growth. Levels of unemployment inside Macedonia will drop and unemployment of the well-educated and skilled will be all but eliminated.

Quotes from the report:

"Macedonia invests an average of $50,000 of its painfully scarce resources in every university graduate, only to witness tens of thousands of them emigrate to richer places. Macedonia ends up subsidizing the rich countries by exporting to them its human capital, the prospective members of its dwindling elites, and the taxes they would have paid had they stayed put. The formation of its middle class is often irreversibly hindered by an all-pervasive brain drain. The kleptocracies that run Macedonia may actually welcome the brain drain as it also drains the country of potential political adversaries." (p. 6)

"Emigration also tends to decrease competitiveness. It increase salaries at home by reducing supply in the labour market (and reduces salaries at the receiving end, especially for unskilled workers) ... The countries of origin, whose intellectual elites are depleted by the brain drain, are often forced to resort to hiring (expensive) foreigners." (p. 18)



How can Macedonia take advantage of the communities of expats (expatriates) that are likely to form after the visa regime has been liberalized?

"Countries - from Mexico to Israel, and from China to Guatemala - are trying to tap into the considerable wealth of their diasporas by issuing remittance-bonds, by offering tax holidays, one-stop-shop facilities, business incubators, and direct access to decision makers - as well as matching investment funds.

Migrant associations are sprouting all over the Western world, often at the behest of municipal authorities back home. The UNDP, the International Organization of Migration (IOM), as well as many governments (e.g., Israel, China, Venezuela, Uruguay, Ethiopia), encourage expatriates to share their skills with their counterparts in their country of origin. The thriving hi-tech industries in Israel, India, Ireland, Taiwan, and South Korea were founded by returning migrants who brought with them not only capital to invest and contacts - but also entrepreneurial skills and cutting edge technologies.

Thailand established in 1997, within the National Science and Technology Development Agency, a 2.2 billion baht project called "Reverse the Brain Drain". Its aim is to 'use the 'brain' and 'connections' of Thai professionals living overseas to help in the Development of Thailand, particularly in science and technology.'

The OECD ("International Mobility of the Highly Skilled") believes that:

More and more highly skilled workers are moving abroad for jobs, encouraging innovation to circulate and helping to boost economic growth around the globe.'

But it admits that a "greater co-operation between sending and receiving countries is needed to ensure a fair distribution of benefits".

The OECD noted, in its "Annual Trends in International Migration, 2001" that (to quote its press release):

Migration involving qualified and highly qualified workers rose sharply between 1999 and 2000, helped by better employment prospects and the easing of entry conditions. Instead of granting initial temporary work permits only for one year, as in the past, some OECD countries, particularly in Europe, have been issuing them for up to five years and generally making them renewable. Countries such as Australia and Canada, where migration policies were mainly aimed at permanent settlers, are also now favoring temporary work permits valid for between three and six years ... In addition to a general increase in economic prosperity, one of the main factors behind the recent increase in worker migration has been the development of information technology, a sector where in 2000 there was a shortage of around 850,000 technicians in the US and nearly 2 million in Europe...'

But the OECD underplays the importance of brain drain:

Fears of a "brain drain" from developing to technologically advanced countries may be exaggerated, given that many professionals do eventually return to their country of origin. To avoid the loss of highly qualified workers, however, developing countries need to build their own innovation and research facilities ... China, for example, has recently launched a program aimed at developing 100 selected universities into world-class research centers. Another way to ensure return ... could be to encourage students to study abroad while making study grants conditional on the student's return home.' " (p.23-6)

Sam makes some very valid ponits in regards to the eventual depopulation of some areas in Macedonia.

[Risto the Great]

The benefits outweigh the costs in my opinion.

[Volk]

what about the benefits those people will bring back?

[Jankovska]

I think the guy is an idiot. Why does everyone think that Macedonians can't wait to escape their country and go work somewhere? It's a tourist visa liberation, which means you can visit up to three months with no right to work. Do you really think it's that easy to find rabota na crno? It's recession, people with the right to work don't have jobs. This is another of those watch out the Macedonians are coming.
This is a very good thing in many ways for Macedonia and the Macedonians. For one our people will holiday somewhere but Greece. Visa liberation means my family can come and visit me whenever the hell they want, means my brother can go to Spain on holiday and I can meet him there instead of go to Bulgaria for the same price.
Another good thing is that finally Macedonians from the Repbulic will be able to advertise themselves, not the Diaspora not some clips that cost a fortune.
Free world is better than locked up world and everyone who lives in the Diaspora but is against the visa liberation in my eyes is selfish.Macedonia deserves open borders

[Soldier of Macedon]

To start with, it could encourage an exodus of ethnic Macedonians from the country and alter to their disfavor the demographic balance with their Albanian nemeses.

Or it could have the same effect for the Albanians, where it would encourage their exodus, and possibly present itself as an opportunity for the Macedonian governement to block the re-entry of the illegal thousands of Albanians from Kosovo. The article bases itself on assumptions, which may or may not transpire.

Truth is, we shouldn't even be in this position and were it not for the Greeks we wouldn't be. While all of our neighbours are equally deserving of the 'wolf' appellation, on many a level, the Greeks are by far the worst. Macedonia exited from Yugoslavia peacefully, we complied with everything that was asked of us concerning our laws, minorities, etc, yet, as RtG stated, we are considered akin to Montenegro and Serbia in terms of development, while Greece's racism and human rights violations are ignored.

For centuries on end, Western Europe has proved itself incompetent of leading the continent. Their plastic 'sympathy', shady 'diplomacy' and veiled racism will come to end.

[makedonin]

It is more likely that this 3-5% this glupak talks about would be Albanians. They all have someone in EU, and are connected to drugs and shverc, thus don't need working permit to pay their expense out side of Macedonia.

And as for the Students. They still need to apply for Student Visa which require them to have money or scholarship to get it. Onwards they can work only for 90 day's in year, which is not much for EU standards. Anyone who was able to do that, has already done it, thus no major flow out there.

[Risto the Great]

Indeed, the Kosovo Albanian exodus would be significant.
The acknowledgement of the Macedonian people throughout Europe would be beneficial.
There would no longer be a need for Macedonians to make career decisions that are life-long. Seriously, this will not be bad at all for Macedonia and Macedonians.

[Risto the Great]

EU gives Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia visa-free travel from January 2010

http://www.sofiaecho.com/2009/07/15/755688_eu-gives-serbia-montenegro-and-macedonia-visa-free-travel-from-january-2010

The European Commission approved on July 15 2009 a decision to allow citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia entry to Schengen countries visa-free from January 1 2010.

Citizens of the three countries who have biometric passports will be able to use the new system.

The European Commission's proposal needs to be approved by the European Council, the body of heads of state and government of EU states, after having consulted the European Parliament.

The Commission said in a statement that it "remains committed" to visa liberalisation for the citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina too.

"However these countries have not yet fulfilled the conditions to be included in today's proposal," the European Commission said.

"If the pace of reforms is maintained and if all the conditions are fulfilled, the Commission could envisage making a new proposal including these countries by mid-2010."

Presenting the Commission's proposal, Vice President of the Commission in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security Jacques Barrot said: "Our proposal brings truly good news to the people of the Western Balkans, in particular to the citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of Montenegro and Serbia.

"I know how much visa free travel means to them. Today's proposal is the result of intensive and hard work for the authorities and the people of these countries in meeting the conditions. I congratulate them for this achievement," Barrot said.

European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said: "It is our goal, and our firm conviction, that Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina will follow suit soon.

"The roadmap is still valid, and it is still perfectly doable if the authorities of the countries put their full will into delivering now. If this progress continues apace, I believe both countries will soon catch up with their neighbours. If all the conditions are fulfilled, the Commission could envisage making a new proposal, which would include them, by mid-2010," Rehn said.

Granting visa free travel is a cornerstone of the EU's integration policy for the Western Balkans, the European Commission said.

"Facilitating people to people contacts enhances business opportunities and gives the possibility for the people of the region to get to know the EU better.

"However, visa free travel is only possible if the necessary security requirements are met," the Commission said.

It said that this was why the Commission had launched a dialogue on visa liberalisation with the Western Balkans countries.

"On the basis of roadmaps presented by the Commission, the countries have made important progress in improving passport security, in strengthening border controls, in reinforcing the institutional framework to fight organised crime and corruption, as well as in external relations and fundamental rights."

The Commission said that it had been thoroughly monitoring their preparations.

"The conditions are the same for every country," it said.

Macedonia had met the necessary conditions.

For Serbia and Montenegro, the entry into force of the visa waiver would depend on fulfilment of all remaining open benchmarks of their respective roadmaps by the date of adoption of this proposal by the Council.

Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina still need to continue their efforts to get a positive recommendation from the Commission.

"In Albania and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, shortcomings still exist in the institutional framework to fight against organised crime and corruption, in addressing weaknesses in the procedure for delivering passports, and in the areas of border and migration management."

Residents of Kosovo will not yet benefit from visa liberalisation either.

"The technical requirements for visa liberalisation have not yet been met on the territory of Kosovo. The Commission in this regard will continue to work closely with both the Serbian and Kosovo authorities and explore options for addressing the visa issue in the future," the European Commission said.

Radio Srbija said that Schengen visa exemption would mean that citizens of the three countries being admitted to the "white list" in 2010 would be able to travel visa-free to the countries of the Schengen area, which excludes the United Kingdom and Ireland, and would also be able to travel visa-free to non-EU member states Switzerland, Iceland and Norway, as well as EU states that are not members of the Schengen area: Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus.

Macedonia needs nothing more.
Excellent news.

[Risto the Great]

A list of Schengen countries.



But Greece, how will you stop Macedonians from visiting their relatives?

[Risto the Great]

Note how ZERO name change was enforced as a requirement.
This is how it will ALWAYS be because the EU knows what it is doing is illegal.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Note how ZERO name change was enforced as a requirement.
This is how it will ALWAYS be because the EU knows what it is doing is illegal.

I agree.

Realistically, there is only one country that has an issue, the world is gradually (but not fast enough) realising this.

[Bratot]

It's only a recommendation.

They have 6 months to impose another blackmailing in order to get this visa liberalisation.