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Preventive diplomacy in Macedonia
Failure to resolve the name issue hurts Macedonia. It prevents Macedonia
from achieving its rightful place in NATO and the EU. There is no easy solution. It
will require compromise, which neither side feels is historically accurate or
politically desirable. The government must be flexible in its negotiations with
Greece. A stalemate is in no one’s interest.
Macedonia will realize its Euro-Atlantic aspirations when Macedonians
demand progress and accountability of their politicians. The government should
renew Macedonia’s commitment to the letter and spirit of OFA, which is the path
to NATO and EU Membership.
As a model of preventive diplomacy, OFA demonstrated the benefits of early
engagement by the international community. The U.S. and the European Union
worked seamlessly to facilitate the agreement. Macedonia’s major export could be
its experience with OFA.
The country is a laboratory for stabilizing fragile states through devolution
and constitutional arrangements protecting and promoting minority rights. But
to realize OFA’s potential, Macedonia’s leaders need courage and vision. They also
need support from the international community. The U.S. may be increasingly
disengaged from the Balkans, but it still has a stake Macedonia’s success.
David L. Phillips is Director of the Program on Peace-Building and Rights at
Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. He is also a fellow
at the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard University.
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