Key developments since May 2005: In July 2006, FYR Macedonia destroyed all 4,000 mines previously retained for research and training purposes. For the first time it expressed its view on issues related to Articles 1 and 2, agreeing with the positions of the ICBL and many States Parties. In May 2006, FYR Macedonia declared that clearance of the remaining minefields would start in June 2006. The Protection and Rescue Directorate became operational in June 2005 for clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance; in December it presented a plan to clear all mines by September 2006 and all unexploded ordnance by 2009. There was one casualty, from unexploded ordnance, during 2005.
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYR Macedonia) acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 9 September 1998 and became a State Party on 1 March 1999. It has reported that prohibited activities are covered by existing criminal law.[1] Penal sanctions for violations of the Law on Production and Trade of Arms and Military Equipment can include a monetary fine of 30,000MKD to 300,000MKD (some US$6,300), and a suspension of related activities for a period of six months to three years.[2]
The institutions in charge of mine-related issues include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense and Directorate for Protection and Rescue Directorate, all of which have very limited human resources. In addition, due to very few incidents involving mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) and a low level of public awareness, the landmine and UXO problem is not regarded as a priority.[3]
FYR Macedonia submitted its sixth Article 7 transparency report on 26 April 2006, for calendar year 2005.[4] The report consists of the cover page indicating no change in any information from the previous report. FYR Macedonia submitted its previous annual update, due by 30 April 2005, on 18 November 2005.[5]
FYR Macedonia attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005, where it made a statement on mine action. In Zagreb, representatives of FYR Macedonia along with representatives of other countries of southeastern Europe, held a meeting on the regional mine-free initiative announced in November 2004.[6] No other meetings have taken place since 2004.
FYR Macedonia participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2005 and May 2006. It made a presentation on its mine action activities during the May 2006 meeting.
In April 2006, FYR Macedonia for the first time expressed its views on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and 3. It told Landmine Monitor that, in its opinion, Article 1 “prohibits the transit of foreign APMs on, across, or through territory under the jurisdiction or control of a state party; and prohibits foreign stockpiling of APMs on territory under the jurisdiction or control of a State Party. With regard to what is permissible during joint operations with non-State Parties whereby the non-State Party plans or implements activities related to the use of mines, the Republic of Macedonia, as a State-Party, reserves the right to reject any rules of engagement permitting use of APMs and refuse orders to use them.” With regard to Article 2, FYR Macedonia stated that “AVMs with AHD or sensitive fuses are effectively APMs banned under the Ottawa Convention.... The Republic of Macedonia does not possess any AVMs with sensitive fuses or directional fragmentation APMs.” As for Article 3, the FYR Macedonia has not explicitly expressed its position, but noted “the relevant procedure has recently been put in motion by the Ministry of Defense to destroy, in the very near future, ALL of the 4000 APMs retained for research and training.” [7]
FYR Macedonia is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and joined Amended Protocol II on 31 May 2005. It did not attend the Seventh Annual Conference of States Parties to the protocol in November 2005, and did not submit a national annual report as required by Article 13. Officials from the Ministry of Defense could not specify when the report would be submitted.[8] According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FYR Macedonia should join Protocols IV (Blinding Lasers) and V (Explosive Remnants of War) by the end of 2006, at the latest.[9]
FYR Macedonia has stated that it never produced or exported antipersonnel mines. Some of the former Yugoslavia’s mine production facilities were located in the FYR Macedonia, but the government states that production had ceased.[10] All of FYR Macedonia’s Article 7 reports state “nothing to report” regarding the status of conversion or decommissioning of former production facilities.
Destruction of FYR Macedonia’s stockpile of 38,921 antipersonnel mines was completed on 20 February 2003, in the presence of invited observers, just ahead of the treaty-mandated deadline of 1 March 2003.
In March 2006, the Ministry of Defense, following the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, decided to destroy its remaining stockpile of 4,000 mines retained for research and training.[11] The destruction took place on 10 July 2006, when 2,000 PMR-2A mines, 1,400 PMA-1 mines and 600 PMA-2 mines were destroyed at the Krivolak training camp.[12] The event was attended by military officials, diplomatic representatives and the media, as well as the Landmine Monitor researcher. The Chief of Staff of the Army, Major General Miroslav Stojanovski, said that “the destruction is an important political decision for the Republic of Macedonia, motivated in order to be in compliance with the Ottawa Treaty.”[13] Initially, in 1999, FYR Macedonia decided to retain 50 mines for research and training purposes. The quantity was increased in 2002 to 4,000 mines.[14] The number of retained mines did not change from 2002-2005.[15]
There have been no reported incidents of new use of landmines, either antipersonnel or antivehicle, in 2005 or in the first half of 2006.[16] As of February 2006, six individuals were sentenced to 10-14 years imprisonment for their role in a 2003 incident involving a NATO vehicle that ran over an antivehicle mine on the Sopot-Susevo road.[17]
Two main areas of the FYR Macedonia are affected by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The northwestern borders with Kosovo and Albania, in the regions of Tetovo, Kumanovo and Skopje, were contaminated with mines and UXO as a result of the conflict between government forces and ethnic-Albanian insurgents in 2001.[18] In the south, the 250-kilometer-long border with Greece from Gevgelija to Ohrid is affected with UXO from World Wars I and II.[19]
It is believed that UXO poses a far greater problem than do mines. There are far fewer mines remaining than UXO.[20] In addition, the mined areas in the northwest are marked and fenced and their exact position and geographical coordinates are well-known. FYR Macedonia’s Action Plan, drawn up in 2005, gives precise details of the location of mine and UXO contaminated areas.[21]
In the northwest, five areas are reported to be mine/UXO-affected. First, the Alashevci-Pinewood area is reported by the local population to contain a minefield with an unknown number and type of mines. The Protection and Rescue Directorate claims that national teams have surveyed 3,816 square meters in the past, but clearance operations were halted because of severe winter conditions. Second, the Tanushevci countryside, where the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) previously conducted a technical survey, has yet to be cleared. Third, the Grachani area was also partially cleared around houses and yards to allow the safe return of internally displaced persons, but part of the Grachani cemetery road is still considered to contain antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. Fourth, Slupchane village is reported to contain UXO where a hospital is to be built.[22] Fifth, the village of Matejche contains a contaminated area.[23]
In the south of the country, UXO is reported to be present in the district of Bitola, with an estimated contaminated area of 8.2 square kilometers;[24] in the districts of Ohrid and Debar where, according to the directorate, there is no precise data since a survey has yet to be conducted; in the districts of Gevgelija and Dojran, where about 6,000 to 7,000 UXO were discovered in the past and more may remain undiscovered; and in the districts of Prilep and Mariovo.[25] The directorate’s plan does not provide any more information on the Prilep and Mariovo districts; however, a media report points to the villages of Zmejca and Bratin Dol as possibly UXO-affected areas, adding that 16,000 UXO have been destroyed in this region in the last 40 years.[26]
According to the directorate, mines and UXO in FYR Macedonia have rendered unusable significant areas of land, negatively impacted economic development, disrupted road communication, hampered tourism and affected cross-border communication.[27]
Since 2005, mine action in FYR Macedonia has been the responsibility of the Protection and Rescue Directorate, which combines the Ministry of Defense Department for Civilian Protection Unit for Humanitarian Demining, and the Ministry of Interior Fire Fighting Units. Established by a law passed in June 2004, the directorate started work in June 2005 as an independent institution of government.[28] Previously, mine action activities had been coordinated by the Unit for Humanitarian Demining, part of the Department for Civilian Protection in the Ministry of Defense.[29] In 2003, the Humanitarian Demining Unit and the Minister of Defense drafted a Manual for Humanitarian Demining, based on International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). It deals with issues such as surveys, clearance, the destruction of mines, marking and fencing of minefields, and medical treatment of victims.[30]
Mine and UXO clearance is only one of 13 areas under the directorate’s responsibility; other issues dealt with include evacuation, protection from biological and chemical threats, fires and earthquakes. The directorate includes departments for planning and development, operations and training, and an inspection unit. The headquarters is in Skopje, and there are seven regional offices and 27 local offices.[31]
As of March 2006, 11 of the directorate’s 229 employees were explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialists with international training. These specialists, stationed in each of the directorate’s regional offices, are in charge of clearance operations, coordination and database management.[32] In the directorate’s department of planning, the Chief National Counselor for Mines and UXO is responsible for all mine action, including coordination of the EOD specialists in regional offices. [33] When needed, the directorate also contracts 22 demining experts who have international certificates; lack of funding does not allow for these deminers to be permanently employed and insured.
When the Ministry of Defense took over coordination of mine action from UNMAO in July 2003, UNMAO donated its Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database (version 1.2).[34] This has collected operational demining data, but is not used to record mine incidents and casualties.[35] After a support visit in April 2003 by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), it was decided that an upgrade to a more recent version was not appropriate, in view of the small size of the mine problem.[36]
The directorate reports that data is collected from the regional centers. The information gathered is not publicly accessible; it is used primarily to set priorities for clearance, which is done on the basis of the frequency of reported contamination in a certain area.[37]
According to the Chief National Counselor, the directorate has sufficient equipment and personnel, but lacks funds to conduct demining activities, particularly technical survey and mine clearance.[38]
In 2005, the directorate prepared the Action Plan for the Protection from Mines and unexploded ordnance on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, which was presented at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in November-December 2005 in Zagreb. The goal of the action plan is to enhance national clearance capacities to clear all UXO and mines in contaminated areas in order to ensure the safety of the population and to enable economic development.[39]
The action plan does not clearly identify the timeline that it covers; however, it describes the financial resources needed for its implementation for the period 2006 to 2010. The plan is to be conducted in three phases: the first phase, which has been completed, included the development of national capacities for planning and coordination, recruitment and procurement of equipment. In the second phase, which is to last two years, the goal is to conduct surveys in order to establish future clearance priorities. In the third phase, the “accent is put on the operational development of the capacities for demining of the regions and areas contaminated and identified as national priority according to the Government.” The development of national and international partnerships as well as “activities for education of the population and giving first aid to the casualties of UXO and mines” are goals included in this phase.[40]
FYR Macedonia previously claimed that the first priority is to clear mined areas resulting from the 2001 conflict by the end of 2006 and then clear UXO, which was expected to take until 2009 to complete.[41] The action plan mentions Tanushevci and Slupchane villages in the Kumanovo-Skopje-Tetovo region as high priority for demining; the only reason given for this prioritization is that a hospital is to be built on the affected area in Slupchane.[42] The directorate informed Landmine Monitor in March 2006, that the areas of highest priority for clearance of UXO in the south are the Gevgelija and Dojran regions (on the border with Greece) as this is where most UXO are reported.[43]
The plan is costed at 105 million Denars or €1,685,000 (about US$2,098,000): €560,000 ($697,144) for 2006; €470,000 ($585,203) for 2007; €280,000 ($348,572) for 2008; €220,000 ($273,878) for 2009; and €155,000 ($192,960) for 2010.[44] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the plan had a budget until 2010 because “clearance operations made in 2009 might be paid in 2010.”[45]
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, FYR Macedonia must destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible and no later than 1 March 2009. In May 2006, at the Standing Committee meetings, FYR Macedonia reiterated that the plan was to be mine-free by the next annual meeting of States Parties (September 2006).[46]
Estimates of when the country will complete mine clearance have differed over the years. In 2004, the Unit for Humanitarian Demining stated that if the necessary funding was found, “all suspected areas, minefields, UXO contaminated areas would be checked and cleared, making FYR Macedonia a mine-free country” by 2007. The unit also noted that “according to ITF estimates, FYR Macedonia could achieve [the] status of mine-free country by the end of 2005.”[47] The joint proposal for a mine-free region in southeastern Europe, presented by Slovenia at the First Review Conference, noted that FYR Macedonia was planning to declare itself mine-free in 2004.[48]
However, in March 2006, the directorate reported that implementation of the action plan had been delayed mainly due to lack of funding.[49] The government did not allocate funds for demining operations in 2005 and if financial resources were not made available soon, “it is very likely that mines and UXO will stay where they are even after 2010.”[50] However, in May 2006 at the Standing Committee meetings, the directorate stated that funds had been made available by the United States and that it would use its own funds to start operations in June 2006. These were expected to last 120 days, at the end of which FYR Macedonia would consider itself to be mine-free.[51]
The Protection and Rescue Directorate is the only body with responsibility for mine/UXO clearance in FYR Macedonia. In 2003 and 2004, external organizations were involved in clearance activities, including MineTech International contracted by CARE, Handicap International, teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina contracted by the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF), and NATO.[52] The ITF program in Macedonia was concluded in 2004, although it can be resumed in case of renewed donor interest.[53]
From June to August 2005, the directorate conducted a general survey of the Gevgelija region and contaminated areas were mapped. The directorate planned to conduct a general survey in the Dojran region in mid-2006.[54] The Unit for Humanitarian Demining has provided the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) with mine maps indicating a small number of remote, high-risk areas in the areas of Tetovo, Kumanovo and Skopje.[55]
Minefields in the north of the country are fenced with tape and marked with signs. Regular visits were conducted by the EOD team throughout 2005 to repair damaged tape and signs.[56]
No clearance of mines in the north of the country was undertaken in 2005. However, 678 artillery shells, 319 hand-grenades, seven aircraft missiles and 45 mortars were found and destroyed by EOD specialists based on reports from the civilian population. One antipersonnel mine was reported by the local population in the northern area, and cleared.[57] In August 2005, 54 UXO discovered during the building of a new factory, were destroyed in the center of Strumica town. The directorate issued the land users with a certificate attesting the safety of the area.[58]
The Unit for Humanitarian Demining reported in 2004 that the Ministry of Defense was considering a project involving the NATO Partnership for Peace program to clear the southern regions.[59] As of March 2006, no practical steps had been undertaken by the Ministry of Defense.[60] FYR Macedonia’s action plan states that, by the end of 2004, 200,000 UXO and mines had been found and destroyed.[61]
No demining or EOD accidents were reported in 2005.[62]
In 2005, one new UXO casualty was reported, a man injured while hiking near Bigla mountain in the eastern part of FYR Macedonia.[63] No casualties were reported in 2004; however, no organization investigates and records landmine or UXO incidents. Prior to its closure in July 2003, UNMAO used IMSMA to record mine incidents and casualties.[64]
The total number of mine survivors in FYR Macedonia is not known. Incomplete reports indicate that at least 24 people were killed and 44 injured by mines or UXO between 1999 and the end of 2005 in mine-affected areas in the northwest.[65] FYR Macedonia also reported 156 casualties (14 people killed and 142 injured), caused by UXO in the south of the country from 1965 to 2002.[66] According to the action plan, from 1945 to 2003, mines and UXO killed 40 and injured 1,043 in FYR Macedonia, with 853 suffering greater than 50 percent disability;[67] details of casualty demography were not available.[68]
Healthcare in Macedonia is available from both private and public providers. The public health services are financed by a compulsory social health insurance system of the Health Insurance Fund which provides the Basic Benefit Package covering a wide range of services.[69] Public health services have suffered from a decade of regional instability and difficulties in socioeconomic transition. The only specialist accident and emergency unit is at the Clinical Centre in Skopje. Social care for people with disabilities is reportedly poorly developed. The Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Skopje is the principal center for rehabilitation in the country. The Slavej Orthopedic and Prosthetic Centre, located within the Clinical Centre, works in close cooperation with the institute and with the Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery.[70] It is the only facility in the country providing orthopedic devices, and trainers from Slavej participate in regional programs for training prosthetic technicians. The center also provides treatment for patients from Albania, Serbia and Kosovo. The number of mine survivors served is not known, since the Slavej center does not record the cause of disability.[71]
In 2005, ITF continued to provide funding for one student from FYR Macedonia to study prosthetics and orthotics at the College for Health Studies at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia; the student was due to graduate in 2005-2006.[72]
FYR Macedonia has three laws and their amendments intended to benefit people with disabilities.[73] The Ministry for Labor and Social Policy is responsible for integrating people with disabilities into economic life and providing benefits; however, reportedly there was discrimination against people with disabilities.[74] People with disability are entitled to pensions equal to 20-30 percent of the average wage in FYR Macedonia.[75]
An inter-party parliamentary lobby group for the rights of people with special needs worked with NGOs to develop and promote comprehensive legislation promoting the rights of people with disabilities, and focused on changes to laws on urban planning and construction.[76]
[1] FYR Macedonia Responses to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Questionnaires, 22 January 2004, p. 2, and 3 January 2003, p. 3. See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 545; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 329.
[2] “Law on Production and Trade of Arms and Military Equipment,” Official Gazette, No. 54, 15 July 2002.
[3] Interview with James Collins, Senior Operation Officer, EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), Skopje, 22 March 2006.
[4] Reports were submitted on 18 November 2005 (for 15 April 2004-2 June 2005), 30 April 2004 (for 15 April 2003-15 April 2004), 24 February 2003 (for the period from 6 November 2002), 25 June 2002 (for 30 April 2001-30 April 2002) and 25 May 1999 (for 4 December 1997-31 March 1999). The reports do not cover calendar years, as called for in the treaty, and leave the period April 1999-April 2001 unreported. There is also a gap around the period from May 2002 to March 2003, since the third transparency report, submitted on 24 February 2003, is unclear on its reporting period.
[5] The report is dated 2 June 2005, and covers the period from 15 April 2004-2 June 2005.
[6] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 411, for more details.
[7] Email from Nenad Kolev, Head of the Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 April 2006.
[8] Interview with officials from the Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 21 March 2006.
[9] Interview with Nenad Kolev, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Skopje, 15 March 2006.
[10] There had only been manufacturing capacity for antivehicle mines at the government-owned Suvenir factory in Samokov, which was closed in the mid-1980s. Fax from Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 20 April 2004.
[11] Interview with officials from the Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 21 March 2006.
[12] UN Development Programme (UNDP), “PCSS Activity Report: Weapon Destruction Events, 01-10 July 2006,” 10 July 2006.
[13] Email from Dane Taleski, Landmine Monitor researcher, 11 July 2006.
[14] Article 7 Report, Form D, 30 April 2004. See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 412, for more details.
[15] Article 7 Report, Form D, 18 November 2005; the Article 7 report for 2005 submitted on 26 April 2006 states “unchanged” in this respect.
[16] However, on 25 March 2006, the police discovered a hidden arms cache including two antivehicle mines. “Macedonian police find arms cache near Tetovo village of Vesala,” BBC, 26 March 2006.
[17] “Ten years for Saban Limani, terrorist from Sopot,” Makfax News Agency (Kumanovo), 2 February 2006. See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 412.
[18] In the 2001 conflict, the use of mines was limited and localized but there was widespread UXO contamination affecting about 80 villages. UNMIK, “MACC Update 10/08/2001,” 10 August 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 413; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 331-333.
[19] Presentation by FYR Macedonia, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 14 June 2005.
[20] Statement by FYR Macedonia, Sixth Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 30 November 2005; interview with Allan Lapon, Public Awareness Officer, Small Arms Control in Macedonia (SACIM), UNDP, Skopje, 20 February 2006; Ivo Perkovski, “Preparing for the First Review Conference: Communicating elements of plans to implement Article 5,” 8 June 2004, p. 1.
[21] Interview with James Collins, EUMM, Skopje, 22 March 2006; interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Chief National Counselor for Mines and UXO, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 20 March 2006.
[22] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan: Protection from mines and unexploded ordnance on the territory of the Republic of FYR Macedonia,” Skopje, 2005, pp. 4-5.
[23] The action plan does not indicate whether Matejche is suspected to be contaminated with mines or UXO. Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 6.
[24] The action plan reports that the Protection and Rescue Directorate conducted a technical survey of most of the areas in Bitola region; it is assumed that the following areas are “extremely contaminated with UXO” ―Armatus countryside (about 2 square kilometers), Bojceva Tumba-Kravica (600,000 square meters), Dusegubec (1.6 square kilometers), Niska Proseka (1.5 square kilometers) and Zmejca minefield (2.5 square kilometers). Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 3.
[25] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, pp. 3, 4.
[26] “Pelagonija hides hundred unexploded grenades,” Utrinski Vesni (daily newspaper), 8 December 2005.
[27] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 2.
[28] Republic of Macedonia, “Law for Protection and Rescue,” Official Gazette, No. 36/04, 10 June 2004.
[29] See Landmine Monitor 2005, p. 414.
[30] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Chief National Counselor for Mines and UXO, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 4 May 2006.
[31] The seven regional offices are in Gevgelija, Bitola, Struga, Kavadarci, Skopje, Tetovo, Gostivar and Kichevo. Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 20 March 2006.
[32] Ibid; Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 7.
[33] The directorate refers to the EOD specialists as “pyrotechnics.” Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005.
[34] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 415; email from Thomas Bollinger, Regional GICHD/IMSMA Representative for Europe, Caucasian and Central Asian Countries, GICHD, 15 May 2006.
[35] Interview with representatives of the Unit for Humanitarian Demining, Department for Civilian Protection, Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 7 June 2004.
[36] Email from Thomas Bollinger, GICHD, 15 May 2006.
[37] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje 20 March 2006.
[38] Ibid.
[39] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 6.
[40] Ibid, pp. 7, 8.
[41] Statement by FYR Macedonia, Sixth Meeting of the States Parties, Zagreb, 30 November 2005.
[42] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 7.
[43] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 20 March 2006.
[44] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 8. Conversion from Denars to Euros is made by the action plan. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = US$1.2449, used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[45] Interview with Nenad Kolev, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Skopje, 28 April 2006.
[46] Presentation by FYR Macedonia, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006.
[47] Ivo Perkovski, “Elements of plans to implement Article 5,” 8 June 2004, p. 4.
[48] Statement on “Mine-Free Regions Initiative: The example of Mine-Free South Eastern Europe by 2009,” First Review Conference, Nairobi, 1 December 2004.
[49] No international donors reported contributing to mine action in FYR Macedonia in 2005.
[50] Interviews with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 20 March 2006 and 4 May 2006.
[51] The US Government will provide $50,000. Interview with Kiro Atanasov, Director, Protection and Rescue Directorate, and Dusko Uzunovski, Minister Counselor, Geneva, 11 May 2006; email from H. Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, US Department of State, 15 June 2006.
[52] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 548-549.
[53] ITF, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 21.
[54] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 20 March 2006.
[55] Information provided by James Collins, EUMM, Skopje, 25 April 2005.
[56] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 4 May 2006.
[57] Presentation by FYR Macedonia, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006; interview with Kiro Atanasov, Protection and Rescue Directorate, and Dusko Uzunovski, Minister Counselor, Geneva, 10 May 2006.
[58] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 20 March 2006.
[59] Ivo Perkovski, “Elements of plans to implement Article 5,” 8 June 2004, p. 5.
[60] Interview with officials from the Ministry of Defense, Skopje, 21 March 2006.
[61] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 6.
[62] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 4 May 2006.
[63] Interview with Borce Stojkov, Sales Marketing and Quality Assurance Manager, Slavej A.D. Orthopedic and Prosthetic Centre, Skopje, 20 March 2006. The man received a prosthetic leg from the Slavej center.
[64] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 416.
[65] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 550-551.
[66] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 416.
[67] Protection and Rescue Directorate, “Action Plan,” Skopje, 2005, p. 2.
[68] Interview with Ljupcho Zajkovski, Protection and Rescue Directorate, Skopje, 4 May 2006.
[69] UK Department for International Development, “FYR of Macedonia Health Profile,” June 2003, p. 3, www.dfidhealthrc.org, accessed 17 May 2006.
[70] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 416.
[71] Interview with Borce Stojkov, Slavej A.D. Orthopedic and Prosthetic Center, Skopje, 20 March 2006.
[72] ITF, “Annual Report 2005,” Ljubljana, 2006, pp. 1, 50.
[73] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 417.
[74] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Macedonia,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[75] “Law for changing and amending the Law for Social Protection,” Official Gazette, No 16/2000, Articles 2 and 3, 1 March 2000; “Law for changing and amending the Law for Social Protection,” Official Gazette, No 17/2003, Article 2, 17 March 2003.
[76] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Macedonia,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.