Macedonia: Pendarovski, President's advisor: Amnesty to be implemented by weekend

SKOPJE (November 19)(19/11/2001) - "The issue on amnesty is closed, and its implementation will be completed by the end of the week," Stevo Pendarovski, the advisor of national security of President Boris Trajkovski stated Monday within the conference, reported MIA. According to Pendarovski, "if the provocations and the attacks on the Macedonian security forces continue after the amnesty then the authorized institutions in the country will respond without pardon." In his address Pendarovski stressed that the so-called NLA was operating and was still present on our territory, and this is proved by the constant provocations and attacks on the Macedonian security forces, but also through their web site with regular announcements. He informed that the general plan for return of the security forces in the regions of crisis was in final phase, and its full realization, according to the current estimations, was expected in month and a half, and would be fully supported by the international community. The Macedonian experts that participate in the Conference say that Republic of Macedonia is flooded with illegal weapons from outside as a result of the breakup of former Yugoslavia and the collapse of the system on Kosovo in 1996 and 1997. The project for eliminating the weapons trafficking that has been promoted by the international community through the Stability Pact, according to the Macedonian experts has been delayed act for Macedonia, but must be accepted as it is one of the ways to "eliminate" this problem. NATO's civil officer for communications to Macedonia Maria Tissen spoke of the "Essential Harvest" operation, as well as the collection of 3,300 pieces of weapons "from the voluntarily disarmed terrorists." She stressed that there were more weapons in the region and reminded that the amnesty was necessary as a precondition for peace in the region.

//Shqiptarja.com