Good afternoon. Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Jordan “Orce” Kamcev under Executive Order 14033 for corrupt acts and criminal offenses. I hope recent actions from Washington have made it clear that the United States can and will continue to use any and all tools at its disposal to hold accountable those individuals and organizations …
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July 6, 2023 Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker, Ministers, fellow Ambassadors, friends: Good evening and thank you for joining me to commemorate the 247th anniversary of the independence of the United States. It is the honor of my lifetime to represent my country in yours – to serve as the American ambassador in …
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March 22, 2023 Alsat TV: Dear Ambassador, welcome in this interview tonight. Ambassador Aggeler: Hi, Fatlume. Thank you so much for having me here. I’m delighted to be here at Alsat and look forward to our conversation. Alsat TV: We will start from the latest events. A big step was taken this past weekend in …
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December 6, 2022 Sitel TV: Ambassador Aggeler, thank you very much for being with us this evening. Ambassador Aggeler: Thank you so much for having me here, Slavica, I’m really pleased to be here. Sitel TV: This is not the first time that you’re in Macedonia and at the United States Embassy. You were …
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November 15, 2022 Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, President Ivanovska, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers, Excellencies, friends, good evening, Добровечер, and congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. I’m glad to be here with you and glad to be back in North Macedonia, a place I know and love. …
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Remarks of Ambassador Aggeler at the Credentialing Ceremony November 8, 2022 President Pendarovski. Thank you for your warm welcome to Villa Vodno today. It is a great honor to offer to you my letter of credence from President Biden. I am proud to represent the President and the American people as Ambassador of the United …
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Institute for Human Rights September 28, 2022, Skopje Good morning and thank you to the Institute for Human Rights for inviting me to join you today. Deputy Prime Minister Grkovska, civil society colleagues, partners from the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption – it’s great to see you. Combating corruption is one of the …
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Regional Ambassadors Panel: “The U.S. Perspective for Southeast Europe’s Energy Role” (as prepared) September 9, 2022 Thessaloniki, Greece Thank you, I’m happy to be here today alongside my fellow ambassadors from across the region. This regional focus is entirely the point because, while energy is essential to national security, it is not an exclusive national …
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July 6, 2022 Thank you all for being here tonight to share in the celebration of the 246th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America. I speak for all my Embassy colleagues when I say that it feels good to be back in person and among friends. And before I get …
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June 17, 2022 “Western Balkans: Navigating in Turbulent Times” Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar Thank you very much. First of all I want to thank the organizers of the conference. I want to thank North Macedonia for this tremendous initiative to bring people together to discuss issues and to have a common framework going forward. The important …
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Statement of Assistant Secretary Karen Donfried at press availability with Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani April 28, 2022 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia Thank you so much and good morning to all of you. It has already been a full, productive day meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister Osmani to discuss issues of mutual interest …
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Ambassador Byrnes attended the “Trade Mission: Business Beyond Borders” event, organized by the American Chamber of North Macedonia and the Greek American Chamber of Commerce , which aims at supporting trade and businesses in North Macedonia and Greece, while strengthening bilateral relationship between the two countries. Read below Ambassador Byrnes’ remarks: ————————————————————————– Remarks of Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes “Trade Mission: …
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Remarks of Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes Holocaust Commemoration Event March 2022 Good evening. It is always a privilege, albeit a somber one, to commemorate the Holocaust of the Jews of the North Macedonia alongside the Jewish community and numerous other supportive embassies and institutions. Today, we stop to remember and honor the more than 7,000 …
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Russia-Ukraine Op-Ed – Western Balkans Our Strength is Our Unity: Putin Chose War. We Remain United with Ukraine. By Gabriel Escobar Deputy Assistant Secretary The world has changed because of Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the outpouring of support for Ukraine over the last few days has been remarkable. We join the international call …
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Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes sat down with 21 Television to discuss the recent developments in North Macedonia and the region, corruption, rule of law, the war in Ukraine and more. You can watch the interview here . —————- Interview of U.S. Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes with 21 Television March 1, 2022, Skopje Borjan Jovanovski: Ambassador Byrnes, …
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Diplomacy over War; Truth over Lies The world is watching Russia’s unprovoked aggression toward Ukraine. Russia’s actions are a threat not only to Ukraine, but to Europe and to the international rules-based order. Our aims are simple. We stand with our allies and partners to support European cohesion, strengthen our transatlantic relationship, and reinforce democratic …
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November 8, 2021 Ambassador Byrnes remarks for SFAB Opening Ceremony As prepared Minister Shekerinska, General Emini, Colonel Lafchiski, Colonel Born, I’m thrilled to be here to mark a significant milestone in the defense cooperation relationship between our two countries. For well over two decades, the United States has been committed to assisting North Macedonia modernize …
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Testimony by Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber Hearing on U.S. Engagement in the Balkans October 28, 2021 Chairman Keating, Ranking Member Fitzpatrick, distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to discuss U.S. engagement in the Western Balkans. For over three decades, …
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Ambassador Byrnes attended The Economist Western Balkans Summit 2021 for discussions on our common challenges and opportunities, to include the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the climate crisis, corruption, rule of law and U.S. engagement in North Macedonia, and throughout the Western Balkans. Read below Ambassador Byrnes’ remarks. —————- Western Balkans Summit 2021 South-East Europe: Enhancing Peace …
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On October 12, 2021, Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes delivered remarks at a virtual gathering of 30 graduate law students and academicians at the 2021 Ohrid School of Natural Law, titled “Fundamentals of the Legal Reform in the Republic of North Macedonia and Environmental Justice.” Read the remarks below to learn more. Ambassador Byrnes’ opening remarks …
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On September 30th, 2021, Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes attended the ceremony for promotion of the Master Conservation Plan for the archeological site Stobi, funded by the J.M. Kaplan Fund from the United States. The Master Conservation Plan for Stobi was created through a cooperation between National Institution (NI) Stobi and Balkan Heritage Foundation from Bulgaria, …
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For the 13th consecutive September, we partnered with the Red Cross of the City of Skopje and the Institute of Transfusion Medicine to collect blood and food supplies for those in need. Our Food and Blood Drive started in 2002 to honor the victims, survivors, and first responders of the September 11 attacks through community service. This year …
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For the second time, we held some of our Independence Day celebrations on-line due to the situation with COVID. On July 4th, we aired a premiere program on our Facebook profile and Kanal 5 TV, which enabled our audience to participate in our celebration. To watch this year’s July 4th video, click here .
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Ambassador Philip T. Reeker Remarks at High-Level Plenary Session “Resetting the EU-U.S. Synergy Towards the Western Balkans” Ohrid, North Macedonia July 2, 2021 Thank you, blagordoram and good morning. It’s a distinct honor for me to follow three distinguished presidents who I consider good friends, mentors, friends of the United States, as well as our …
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AMBASSADOR KATE BYRNES’ INDEPENDENCE DAY REMARKS Good evening, Добровечер, Mirëmbrëma, Thank you for joining us tonight for this virtual celebration of the 245th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America. For the second time we have decided to hold some of our celebrations on-line. While the situation with COVID is far better today than …
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Acting Assistant Secretary Reeker’s Participation in Prespa Forum for Dialogue Official Opening “Road to Prespa” Ohrid, North Macedonia Metropol Lake Resort Thursday, July 1, 2021 (as prepared) It’s such a pleasure to be here, back in beautiful Ohrid, and among a group of such distinction. What a setting, as this year we observe the 20th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, and recognize the Agreement …
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Remarks of U.S. Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes at the first Skopje Economic Forum (as prepared) June 23, 2021 – Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia Good morning – it is a pleasure to be here with you today. Before I make some brief remarks, I want to thank the organizers of today’s event, Delphi Economic Forum …
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May 18, 2021 “Regional Security School: External actors and their impact on the regional security and the integration process of the Western Balkans Region” Ambassador Byrnes: Thank you for the warm welcome. I want to thank the Konrad Adenaur Stiftung Foundation as well as the Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies for inviting me to …
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May 9, 2021 Thank you Prime Minister Zaev, for inviting me to participate together with you in this event today. I also want to recognize all of the veterans present, and of course the people of Vratnica. This site is a special one, a place where people from both of our countries can gather to celebrate courage and bravery in the face of danger and conflict. It was …
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April 21, 2011 Deputy Prime Minister Bytyqi, Minister Nuredini, Minister Bekteshi, Ambassador Galloway, and Ambassador Silvestri, we are at a critical juncture. In 2020, the earth’s surface temperature was one of the warmest on record, and in the last few years, global temperatures have been consistently among the hottest ever seen. This increase in …
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The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – the Human Rights Reports – cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The U.S. Department of State submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states …
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Secretary Blinken: America’s values are noble and powerful – and we will recommit to them. And America’s leadership is needed around the world, and we will provide it, because the world is far more likely to solve problems and meet challenges when the United States is there. Read and watch the Secretary’s full remarks here …
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Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, January 20. Minutes before, Kamala D. Harris took the oath of office to become the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected vice president. “We’ll be a strong and trusted …
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Ambassador Byrnes hosted President Stevo Pendarovski, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani to jointly watch the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States of America. The presidential inauguration is one of the most important American traditions, highlighting values of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. Below …
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During his visit to Skopje, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) at the U.S Department of State Francis R. Fannon had a press conference with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Here you can read Assistant Secretary’s remarks at the press availability.
Read More» On August 31, Ambassador Kate Byrnes hosted a Virtual Consular Town Hall for American citizens living in North Macedonia. In her remarks, the Ambassador highlighted consular services during the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming U.S. elections. She encouraged U.S. citizens in North Macedonia to use absentee ballots to cast their votes in the November elections. …
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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF NORTH MACEDONIA FROM U.S. AMBASSADOR KATE MARIE BYRNES Here in Europe, in the United States and around the world we are all grappling with fundamental challenges to life as we have known it. The toll COVID-19 is taking, in terms of human lives and in our daily lives—school, work, …
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President Pendarovski, journalists, representatives of civil society and the media, distinguished guests and colleagues, thank you for inviting me to participate in the opening of this conference today. This event could not be more timely, given the nexus of events—North Macedonia’s imminent NATO membership, the upcoming elections, concerns about the coronavirus—which we know are all …
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Policy Forum on “Delivering on the Promise of EU Enlargement: 30 Years of Governance and Anticorruption Reforms in Central and Eastern Europe” December 13, 2019 President Pendarovski, members of the government and the judiciary, representatives of civil society and the media, distinguished guests and colleagues, Good morning and thank you so much for inviting me …
Read More» The United States has been a strong supporter of North Macedonia’s aspirations to be a prosperous, secure, and inclusive democracy, fully embedded in NATO, the EU, and other transatlantic institutions. A very important part of that is the strong security partnership our two nations enjoy. Just last week in London, we witnessed, for the very …
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Ambassador Byrnes’ Opening Remarks at Women in Industry Conference October 9, 2019 Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Professor Spasevska, Stefan, panelists, participants, media, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for inviting me to speak at this Women in Industry conference. Congratulations to EVN and the Engineering Institute of Macedonia for again organizing and expanding this event to …
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On October 1, 2019, U.S. Ambassador Kate M. Byrnes joined The Economist’s “Western Balkans Summit,” where she highlighted that the Secretary Pompeo’s visit to the region, and the recent appointment of Matthew Palmer as a special representative for the region signal that the United States remains keenly focused on the region, as a lynchpin of …
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President Pendarovski, Prime Minister Zaev, Honorable Ministers, Members of Parliament, members of the judiciary and political party leaders, Representatives of the media, Friends from the diplomatic corps, Esteemed colleagues, It is an honor and a pleasure to join you here tonight. Not often does such an auspicious group of people gather in one place, but …
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Remarks of Deputy Chief of Mission Jennifer R. Littlejohn At the closing of the Regional Case Organization and Presentation Training September 13, 2019 – Skopje, North Macedonia Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Director Tasevski, partners, colleagues, and investigators and prosecutors from throughout the region, it is truly a pleasure to …
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Remarks of U.S. Ambassador Kate Byrnes at the celebration of the 230th anniversary of the U.S. State Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia August 21, 2019 Esteemed colleagues and friends, So great to see you all here today. Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today to …
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July 12, 2019 President Pendarovski, it is a pleasure to meet you and to offer you my letter of credence. Thank you for hosting this ceremony. I am honored to represent President Trump and the American people as the United States’ Ambassador to the Republic of North Macedonia. I am especially pleased to start my …
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Remarks at the July 4 Celebration. July, 3 2019. Good evening. Добровечер. Mirëmbrëma. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, friends, colleagues. It is my great pleasure and honor to welcome you to our American Fair celebrating the 243rd anniversary of the Declaration of the Independence of the United States of America. In the United States, …
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Remarks at Opening of “Decisive Strike” Exercise at Krivolak June 5, 2019 Thank you Deputy Minister Maksuti, Major General Arsovski, Deputy Minister Umbrasas, Ambassadors, soldiers, it is a pleasure to be here to launch the Decisive Strike exercise! I want to thank and applaud North Macedonia and the Army of the Republic of North …
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Remarks by Chargé d ’Affaires Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm at the “Next Steps Towards NATO” Seminar in the Parliament May 29, 2019 Speaker Xhaferi, Ambassador Gerberich, Deputy Director Bareihs, Members of the Parliament, Marshall Center and NATO Professors, ladies and gentlemen: It really is my pleasure to be here today to launch this seminar and to kick-off the discussions …
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Chargé d ’affairs Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm spoke at the opening of the Macedonian Energy Forum 2019. Click here to read her remarks.
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Remarks at Closing of MJA Conference “Towards a European Judiciary: Preconditions and Challenges” March 29, 2019 Minister Deskoska, Judge Saiti, Ambassador Koja, Ambassador Plomp, distinguished judges and guests, thank you for inviting me to speak today. I am honored to celebrate Judiciary Day with all of you. In any democracy, the judiciary plays a vital …
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Ambassador Philip Reeker’s Keynote Remarks at the “Balkans 360: Economic Development and Regional Relations in Southeast Europe” Conference Skopje, North Macedonia March 4, 2019 Thank you all for inviting me here today. Thank you Deputy Prime Minister. It’s not only great to share – [inaudible] – with you, but also to hear your wise words, and I …
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Remarks John J. Sullivan Deputy Secretary of State Skopje, Macedonia December 18, 2018 DEPUTY SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Thank you, Dr. Jankulovski, for that kind introduction and I apologize for my premature entrance onto the stage. Good afternoon everyone. I am delighted to be here in Skopje today, and I am especially honored to be at the …
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Monday, December 10, 2018 Ambassador Jess L. Baily Madam Minister of Justice, Mr. President of the Macedonia Bar Association, distinguished judges, and members of the bar, thank you for inviting me to join you. Today we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted in response to the horrors perpetrated during …
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Ambassador Jess L. Baily July 3, 2018 Dobro vecer, mirembrema, good evening. Prime Minister Zaev, deputy prime ministers, ministers, members of parliament, mayors, colleagues in the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure and an honor for Capie and me to welcome all of to the Embassy tonight to celebrate Independence Day with …
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Building Blocks for Speech at the Macedonia Energy Forum 2018 Ambassador Jess L. Baily Thursday, June 7, 10:30 Thank you very much Mr. Deputy Prime Minister for those remarks. I’d like to thank our co-organizer of this event, General Manager of ELEM Mr. Minovski, all the people who put this together, all the panelists who …
Read More» Speech by Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, Deputy Chief of Mission Second International Conference Women In Energy 2018 Monday, June 4, 12:30 Minister Carovska, Minister Apostolska, Professor Spasevska, Stefan, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to speak at the opening of this Women in Energy conference. It is my sincere pleasure to be with you once …
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Thank you for inviting me to participate in this event today. One of my first events in Macedonia concerned the rule of law, and it has remained a focus of my time here. Few things are more important in Macedonia than supporting a more transparent, accountable system that respects the independence of the judiciary. This …
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(as prepared) Ambassador Jess L. Baily, (April 4, 2018): It is a pleasure to be here again to mark NATO Day with so many friends and colleagues. This is actually my fourth time on this panel. As I was thinking about this year’s event, what stands out is how different the discussion around NATO is …
Read More» Thank you very much for coming out today and for letting an old guy end this conference and share a few thoughts that I think fit in with the overall theme. As several of my colleagues have mentioned today, USAID is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Macedonia . Over the last several months on social media, you’ve been able to see information and …
Read More» Monday, February 26, 2018 at 12:00 (as delivered) Thank you very much Mr. President. It is a great pleasure to be here. Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of the European Parliament, fellow diplomats, ladies and gentlemen, members of the civil society and, of course, the media. I guess perhaps I am the only non-European today, …
Read More» Speech of Ambassador Jess Baily at Law Faculty, University of Cyril and Methodius Skopje, December 11, 2017 Prime Minister Zaev, Mr. Ahmeti, Dr. Taravari, Mr. Silegov, my colleague Louisa Vinton, Professor Kalajdziev, and all the members of the Helsinki Committee staff, thank you very much for organizing this event and being here today. It’s a great honor …
Read More» December 4, 2017 Mr. Dean, thank you so much for that welcome and thank you all for being here- faculty members and most of all students. I’d like to begin by congratulating this faculty for its 40th anniversary in preparing students and advancing knowledge about security issues, and helping develop the professional capabilities of the …
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Prime Minister Zaev, Ambassador Suomalainen, Coordinator Petrevski, distinguished guests, international experts, and participants – It’s an honor to speak with you today. I would like to start off by thanking all those who have worked so hard to make this great event possible: Richard Prosen from the Partnership for Peace Consortium and his colleagues; Borche …
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Ambassador Remarks: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Marshall Center Conference “Republic of Macedonia Towards Fully-fledged NATO Membership” August 30, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., Ministry of Foreign Affairs As prepared Good morning, Ambassador Memedi, Minister Dimitrov, Ambassador Gerberich, and distinguished guests. It is a pleasure for me to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and …
Read More» Krivolak Training Area July 31, 2017 We’ve just been out here seeing our military partnership in action. We’ve seen American soldiers and Macedonian soldiers working together on two specific tasks for engineers. In any of our military operations, engineering is a critical component. This is proving that our soldiers together are up to the task. …
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Ambassador Remarks: Dragoon Guardian 17 Welcome Ceremony July 28, 2017 at 2:00 p.m., Kumanovo Thank you, Mayor Damjanovski It is great to be here today in Kumanovo with you, Minister of Defense Shekerinska, and General Mileski to welcome Lt. Colonel Himes and the Engineer Squadron from U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Calvary Regiment and launch the …
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Remarks by Ambassador Jess Baily July 6, 2017 Ilinden Barracks, Skopje Thank you, Minister Shekerinska, Deputy Chief of Defense Racaj. I am pleased to be here today to honor the long-term defense partnership between the United States and the Republic of Macedonia. Today we send off 54 soldiers from the Army of the Republic of …
Read More» Ambassador Jess L. Baily June 29, 2017 Dobro vecer, mirembrema, good evening. Prime Minister Zaev, Speaker Xhaferi, ministers, members of parliament, fellow members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen, It is a pleasure and an honor for me and Capie to welcome everyone to the U.S. Embassy tonight to celebrate the 241st anniversary of …
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Thank you, Boris. Esteemed guests. I am pleased to be here with you today to recognize World Refugee Day and to open the USAID-funded Migrant and Refugee Human Rights Protection Project’s Humanitarian Art Bazaar. I would like to thank the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association and Open Gate – La Strada for organizing this event. And …
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Press Statement Heather Nauert Department Spokesperson Washington, DC May 18, 2017 The United States welcomes the decision of Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov to give the mandate to form a government to Mr. Zoran Zaev. This decision represents an important step forward for Macedonian democracy and the people of Macedonia. We look forward to working with …
Read More» It is a great thing for Macedonia and the people of Macedonia that the government formation process is moving on to the next phase and that we are in sight of seeing a new government formed. It is also important to note that President Ivanov and the leaders of the majority coalition parties found a …
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May 1, 2017 Hello, so sorry to keep you waiting. I’ve had a full day of very constructive meetings. And it’s been about a year since I was here last. It’s always wonderful to be back in Macedonia. I’ve been visiting your beautiful country since March of 1997, and I’m very happy to say that …
Read More» We condemn the violence in Parliament in the strongest terms. It is not consistent with democracy and is not an acceptable way to resolve differences. It is critical all parties respect democratic processes and the law, and refrain from violent actions which exacerbate the situation. A majority of MPs elected Talaat Xhaferi as Speaker of …
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April 4, 2017, 10:30 a.m. Thank you very much for inviting me today! Minister Jolevski, Mr. Ramadani, Ambassador Barišic, Ambassador Carranza, Captain Bartol, members of the Euro-Atlantic Council, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be here again at the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia to celebrate NATO Day. This year’s event seems particularly timely. …
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This is a really fantastic event. I think anybody looking around this room and seeing all these students, teachers, parents, mayors would agree. I am grateful for the Minister to be here today; you can see what an important project this has been for Macedonia over the last five years; but also, it is a …
Read More» The United States was disappointed to learn yesterday that President Ivanov declined to offer to representatives having a clear Parliamentary majority the opportunity to form a new government. We believe that this was inconsistent with basic democratic principles and the rule of law, which are core values of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. As a …
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President Donald J. Trump delivered his first address to a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, February 28, 2017. … full text
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February 18, 2017 Sitel: Ambassador Baily, senior U.S. Officials, including the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense, are visiting Europe for the first time this week after the inauguration of the new U.S. administration to discuss with European leaders in Brussels and Munich about NATO, the European Union, the challenges …
Read More» It is a great honor for me to be here and to witness this demonstration of the capabilities of both the Ministry of Interior’s RDU unit and the Army of the Republic of Macedonia’s Special Forces. Today, you are seeing the culmination of a three week training conducted by our Special Operation Forces from the …
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January 26, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Minister Poposki, Mrs. Romano-Nikolik, Ambassador Multanowski, Ambassador Oryan (TBC), Mrs. Gutman, Mr. Dzingo, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to be with all of you this morning. Thank you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for organizing this ceremony, and to Mrs. Gutman for traveling from Israel to be …
Read More» We note with concern on-going inaccurate reporting that claims the U.S. Ambassador is interfering in the work of the State Electoral Commission. This is not a time for fake news or conspiracies. Let us correct the record to clearly state the U.S. Ambassador has not met with, visited, or intervened with anyone at the SEC. …
Read More» Ambassador Jess Baily Press Availability: December 12, 2016 The U.S. Embassy commends the citizens of Macedonia who exercised their right to vote in the December 11 parliamentary elections. We welcome OSCE/ODIHR’s preliminary conclusions that the elections were competitive and that fundamental freedoms were generally respected. The turnout was high, and the elections proceeded in a …
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On the morning of November 9, the U.S. Embassy in Skopje hosted an Election Breakfast at Aleksandar Palace Hotel on the occasion of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Over 300 guests joined Ambassador Baily and U.S. Embassy staff to watch as the results came in throughout the morning. Ambassador Baily spoke about this year’s election, …
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October 1, 2016 – Skopje General Hodges: Sir, thank you very much for the opportunity to be here. I also want to say welcome to the members of the media. Professional journalists, the role that you play in a democratic society is essential, it is an important part of the fabric of who we are, …
Read More» Deputy Assistant Secretary Alexander Arvizu Skopje, Macedonia September 29, 2016 Thank you for the opportunity to represent my colleagues from the United States Government this morning, including the United States Agency for International Development which has been instrumental in organizing this conference. While the United States Ambassador to Macedonia, Jess Baily, is unable to join …
Read More» (July 14, 2016) Statement by Kate Byrnes, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Mission to OSCE …”The United States welcomes Ambassador Suomalainen back to the Permanent Council. Thank you, Ambassador, for your excellent report on the activities of the OSCE Mission in Skopje.” more »
Read More» A/S Nuland: Good afternoon everybody! Sorry to keep you waiting, at least it is a beautiful day here in Skopje. I am back for the third time at least in this job obviously. I have been here more than a dozen times over my career. We had a very productive day of meetings today at …
Read More» The United States Embassy commends the Ministry of Interior on the recent operation against suspected terrorists and terrorist facilitators. We understand this operation was the result of long and careful investigative work by the police, intelligence services, and the Prosecutor’s Office under Macedonia’s anti-terrorism laws. We support the Government’s use of criminal justice processes to …
Read More» Ambassador Jess L. Baily Good evening, dobro vecer, mirëmbrëma. Capie and I, along with the entire Embassy staff, warmly welcome you to the U.S. Embassy, and thank you for joining us here tonight to celebrate America’s Independence Day. President Ivanov, Speaker Veljanovski, Prime Minister Dimitriev, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Distinguished Judges, fellow Ambassadors, ladies and …
Read More» REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR BAILY June 16, 2016 | Ministry of Interior Minister Chavkov, MOI representatives, and members of the media, I am pleased to be here today to once again demonstrate the United States’ strong commitment to improving law enforcement in Macedonia. From my perspective, public servants in any democracy need the trust of citizens …
Read More» (April 14, 2016), As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Permanent Council, Vienna The United States is deeply concerned by Macedonian President Ivanov’s announced decision to pardon those subject to investigation in connection with the wiretapping scandal. Such a decision, if implemented, would further undermine the rule of law in Macedonia, the integrity …
Read More» Late Friday night, we met with Prime Minister Gruevski and expressed our disappointment at the failure to meet the October 20 deadline agreed to in the July 15 Przino Agreement for the exchange of ministers. We urge VMRO-DPMNE to demonstrate the required commitment and to implement the agreement in a constructive and urgent manner and with good faith. …
Read More» Aired on August 20, 2015, at 19:30 MRT: Ambassador, first of all, thank you for this interview for the national television station. Ambassador Baily: My pleasure. MRT: The working groups held their first joint meeting in late July and raised the issue of election legislation. Now, in mid-August, meetings for the implementation of the agreement …
Read More» Ambassador Jess Baily July 15, 2015 I know you are all interested in our views on the agreement that was reached last night. Let me say it very simply – Macedonia won. I want to commend the leaders who participated last night and put the citizens’ interest first and moved to resolve the political crisis. …
Read More» STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON IRAN State Floor 7:02 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Today, after two years of negotiations, the United States, together with our international partners, has achieved something that decades of animosity has not — a comprehensive, long-term deal with Iran that will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. This deal demonstrates …
Read More» Ambassador Jess L. Baily July 2, 2015 Dobrovecer, mirëmbrëma, good evening. Mr. President and Mrs. Ivanova, Speaker of Parliament and Mrs. Veljanovska, Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Gruevska, honored guests, welcome to the Embassy and our Independence Day celebration. Thank you for coming to help us celebrate my country’s 239th birthday. It’s a special honor …
Read More» Remarks by Ambassador Jess Baily June 8, 2015 Ohrid Good Morning. Mr. Minister, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Slavkovski, distinguished participants: I’m delighted to see all of you here, coming together to address climate change, one of the most critical challenges facing our planet. You gather in this beautiful town at an auspicious time, as later this …
Read More» Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Journalists in Conflict Situations, May 27, 2015 Thank you, Foreign Minister Linkevičius, for chairing this session and for Lithuania’s consistent effort to integrate the issue of press freedom – and threats to …
Read More» On Developments in Macedonia As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Permanent Council, Vienna We have followed with concern the developments in Macedonia in recent months, including both the political crisis that has emerged from the disclosure of wiretap recordings of alleged government wrongdoing and separately the incidents of violence between police and …
Read More» On this day of mourning and on behalf of the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the European Union, we expressed today our condolences to Prime Minister Gruevski and the people of Macedonia for the tragic deaths of the brave police officers who were killed yesterday in and around Kumanovo, and we …
Read More» We all deeply regret the loss of lives in the operation in Kumanovo, which fortunately appears to be over. Our thoughts go to the families of the police officers who were killed in the operation, and to the citizens who were caught up in the violence. Legitimate political representatives here and in the region have …
Read More» We deeply regret the loss of life related to the actions in and around Kumanovo, and offer our sympathies to the families of the people killed and to those injured. We are following the situation and are in close contact with the authorities and political leaders. We urge citizens to remain calm and allow the …
Read More» Remarks of Ambassador Jess Baily Good evening, and thank you all for coming to this beautiful and historic gallery tonight to help us mark World Press Freedom Day, which falls officially on May 3. It’s good to be with representatives of Macedonia’s media. As a press officer for much of my career, I feel I’m …
Read More» This commentary by Secretary of State John Kerry originally appeared in The Hill on April 28. There are no republication restrictions. State Department lays out its strategy By Secretary of State John Kerry On my first day as Secretary of State, I showed my new colleagues my first diplomatic passport. It was issued when I …
Read More» AS DELIVERED Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a UN Security Council Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: the Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Peace, April 23, 2015 Thank you, your Royal Highness Crown Prince, for joining the Council to chair …
Read More» Remarks by Ambassador Jess L. Baily, March 20, 2015 Hotel Arka, Skopje Good morning, Добро утро, and miremengjes. Minister Jashari, Deputy Minister Brishkoska-Boshkovski, Judge Shopova, representative from the prosecution office, distinguished judges, thank you for inviting me to join you at today’s sentencing training event. I particularly appreciate being here, as this is my first …
Read More» The Honorable Jess L. Baily, the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia February 12, 2015 (13:00) Vila Vodno, Skopje (As drafted) President Ivanov, it is a pleasure to meet you and to offer you my letter of credence. Thank you for hosting this ceremony. I am honored to represent President Obama and the …
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