NATO Secretary General Visits Skopje

NATO Secretary General George Robertson comes to Macedonia on Wednesday. He will hold negotiations with the country's leadership and leaders of Albanian and Macedonian political parties. This visit of NATO's Secretary General to Skopje is connected to difficulties with adopting amendments to the country's constitution that have emerged in the Macedonian parliament. The amendments are part of the peaceful agreement signed after armed conflicts this summer between the government forces and Albanian separatists. If adopted, the amendment will give more rights to ethnic Albanians. One of the two leading Albanian parties in Macedonia, the Party of Democratic Prosperity of Albanians, has refused to support the constitutional reform. The party believes that the new version of the Constitution favours the Macedonians. Differences remain on the issue of amnesty for members of the Albanian military organisation National Liberation Army. The Albanian leaders consider the announcement on amnesty by the president of the country, Boris Trajkovski, insufficient and insist that the parliament pass a special law on amnesty.