MACEDONIA: Macedonia's Prime Minister, Mr Branko Crvenkovski flew back to Skopje yesterday morning from Dublin immediately after receiving confirmation that President Boris Trajkovski had been killed in an air crash in Bosnia.
Mr Crvenkovski had come to Dublin to submit Macedonia's application to join the EU, but the event was abruptly cancelled when it emerged that Mr Trajkovski's aircraft had gone missing.
He said the country had "suffered a great loss" with the crash of an official plane in which Mr Trajkovski was presumed dead.
The Prime Minister was leading a multi-ethnic delegation, including Macedonia's senior politician of Albanian origin, Deputy Prime Minister Mr Musa Xhaferi. Others in the group included Deputy Prime Minister Ms Radmila Sekerinska, Foreign Minister Ms Ilinka Mitreva as well as a representative of the main opposition party, Mr Zivko Popov. The group also included 22 Macedonian journalists.
All members of the delegation, who were shaken by the news, have returned home, and the application for EU membership will now be submitted on a future occasion during the term of Ireland's European presidency.
A cocktail reception to be hosted by Mr Crvenkovski in Dublin's Conrad Hotel last night was cancelled.
"There is no greater and more significant project for Macedonia today than to become a member of the European Union," Mr Trajkovski had declared in advance of the visit. "There is nationwide political agreement on this issue."
Expressing his condolences, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said: "I last met President Trajkovski in New York in September. He was a strong supporter of Macedonia's ambition to be a member of the European Union, and today should have been one of celebration for him. He contributed hugely to reconciliation in Macedonia, and as a young man had visited Belfast on a reconciliation project. This is a very sad day for Macedonia."
Reuters adds: European leaders yesterday hailed Mr Trajkovski as a courageous leader whose moderating voice helped avert another Bosnia in his ethnically-divided country.
It was a tribute to his success in calming tensions at home that his death should not provoke upheaval, analysts said.
Elected to a largely ceremonial post in 1999, he played a key role in ending a conflict with ethnic Albanians that shook the former Yugoslav republic two years later. He angered hardliners in his own party by backing a NATO peace deal.
NATO lauded his "great leadership" during the 2001 crisis, and the US called him a "great friend".
EU foreign policy chief Mr Javier Solana will visit Skopje tomorrow to urge Macedonia to stay on the path to reconciliation and European integration.
European Commission President Romano Prodi said Mr Trajkovski's end was all the more bitter for happening on the day his country was to make its application to join the EU.
Other ex-Yugoslav leaders praised his broader influence. "I considered him a guarantee of stability in that part of our region," said Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.
Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic said it was a great loss to the building of new co-operation in the region.