Is Macedonia Really Closer to Europe?

CRAWLING UNDER THE "SILK CURTAIN"

Although politicians claim that Macedonia is getting closer to Europe, standing in queues for foreign visas people feel on their skin that the circle is tightening.

AIM Skopje, February 2, 2000

When she recently received a high-level European delegation from Brussels, Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Ms. Nadezda Mihailova, hinted at the possibility of her country introducing a visa regime with Macedonia if it intends to integrate with the European Union. For Macedonians this news was like a strong slap in the face. The rage was more than evident: after all diplomatic and personal failures with visas, there, it was Bulgaria's turn to close its doors.

Aware of the sensitiveness of this issue, the official Bulgarian circles subsequently made a number of reassuring comments claiming that, if this

proves necessary, Macedonia will be the last country against which such a discriminatory measure will be introduced. The case with Bulgarian visas

was the last straw. Only a month earlier a similar message came from Ljubljana, Prague and Bratislava.

Namely, as of January 1, citizens of Macedonia will have to obtain a visa if they want to enter Slovenia, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Common people were particularly hurt by the slap from Ljubljana: "In the name of our past life together Slovenia did not have to punish us in this way especially as it swears by our friendly relations" say Macedonians. Business people complain that the already high foreign trade deficit with this country will be even higher. Their colleagues from Ljubljana are of the same opinion,

which the local papers duly reported. However, the Slovenes had no other

choice but to obey the will of the European Union which treats this country as its entrance hall, and which Slovenia has to endure if it wants to become a full member. Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and very soon probably Croatia too will have to follow suit. Reciprocity from Macedonia would hardly make any difference. In other words, the company is thinning out.

As things stand now, as far as the European continent is concerned, citizens of Macedonia can travel without visa to only few countries: FR Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia.

The number of destinations to which they can go outside the "old continent" is not very impressive either. On the American continent Macedonians can

travel without a visa only to Cuba. In Africa, Macedonia has a non-visa regime with Egypt and several Central African countries. Curiously enough, visas are not necessary for Japan and Taiwan. However, it is quite another thing how much the Macedonian travellers feel like and are interested in

travelling so far. Judging by some other overseas destinations, it seems

that they are.

But, for these countries they need visas which are issued according to a very rigorous regime. This applies to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand - in other words - to precisely those countries in which there are large Macedonian communities. As a kind of joke, the papers have quoted the example of Zimbabwe which requires a pile of all kinds of personal documents when issuing an entry visa. This is not explained by some special aversion of this distant country to Macedonians, but simply but the very

old and highly bureaucratised visa issuing procedure.

Actually, European countries are the most tragic part of this story. Standing in queues waiting to get a visa Macedonian citizens are very often truly humiliated. This is especially the case with countries with the so

called "Schengen visa regime". As a rule, in order to obtain one of these, as you will see, valuable visas, one must have the patience of a saint and all necessary documents. This ordeal starts in front of a diplomatic representative office of any West European country in Skoplje or in the capital of one of the neighbouring countries, usually at dawn and without a certain outcome.

Practically all Embassies require identical documents for issuing a "Schengen visa": health insurance certificate, letter of guarantee of an

institution or relative from the country of destination corroborated by a fax-message of the sender of the invitation, certificate on permanent employment, certificate on regular income. In some cases consular staff demands the original medical-care card and even identity card. This still doesn't mean that a visa will be granted.

Namely, most frequently a consular official has the discretionary power to refuse a visa without any explanation. A somewhat simpler way is to engage a tourist agency which will, for a compensation, complete the procedure more quickly. The procedure differs slightly from one EU member to another. Some of them which have diplomatic offices in Skoplje insist on issuing visas there, while other which do not have their consulate in the capital of Macedonia, use the services of consular offices of other EU member countries.

For example, passengers for Spain and Portugal apply for Schengen entry visa in the French Embassy, travellers to Benelux countries do it in the German Embassy, etc. The case of Ireland is especially drastic. In order to travel to Ireland over London, it is first necessary to obtain a British

visa which, after years of interruption, can be done in Belgrade as of December 1, in the British Bureau in the Brazilian Embassy. The Irish visa can be obtained from the Embassy of that country in Austria, which means

that one has to travel to Vienna in order to apply for Irish visa, which

further means that Austrian visa is required and that can be obtained in

Skoplje...!? And, finally, official at the Irish border has the right to refuse to let you enter the country without an explanation.

It is interesting that visa regime did not figure prominently in the pre-electoral campaign, although the majority of citizens consider this one of the top priority foreign policy issues. No matter how they changed roles, neither the authorities nor the opposition did much as if they were aware that there was little they could do. The only thing left is a nice promise that all problems will disappear on the day the country gets integrated into the European-Atlantic structures. Politicians are more inclined to point to the amazing data that, in the last nine years of its independent existence, Macedonia has established diplomatic relations with 161 countries. Consequently, the Government controlled media meticulously recorded the information on the establishment of diplomatic relations with, e.g. Burundi.

At the moments of despair, the young diplomacy considered introducing reciprocal measures against countries members of the European Union, United States or Australia, but very soon rejected that idea believing that it would be more effective if the country, wanting to promote itself internationally, opened its borders to all those on whose will its international rating most depends. Journalists sneered at the decision to unilaterally abolish visa regime (which existed at that time) with Greece, as the only regional EU member, in naive hope that adequate reaction would follow from the other side. Instead, the media advised the gullible chief of diplomacy to take a walk one early morning to the Greek consulate and

see for himself his fellow-citizens patiently waiting, in frosty weather or in scorching heat, for a permit to enter the "homeland of democracy".

In order to make things slightly easier, government officials have come up with the idea of asking their Western allies to agree to let Macedonians

with official passports travel without visas. Mere mortals will never know who and for what purposes has been issued this valuable piece of paper. With most Western countries this idea "worked". In other words, the place in queues for visas is reserved for "small fry" only.

Nevertheless, Macedonians still think that, through no fault of their own, they have been placed in a company where they do not belong. They differ

from other East European countries by the fact they have never lived behind the so called "iron curtain" (only older citizens remember times when they couldn't go at least as far as Trieste or Thessalonike). Macedonians believe that they are different from their one-time fellow-citizens from

former Yugoslavia as they have never taken part in any war, either as aggressors or victims, were never under sanctions nor have been refugees. But everybody either refuses or is unable to see what the other side of the coin looks like.

Western diplomats in Skoplje (true, rarely) explain that their country is not afraid of the Macedonian nationals for the reasons which are presented to the Macedonian public: fear of surplus labour. The true reason lies in the threat posed by organised crime which originates from these parts.

Macedonia does not have much of a reputation with foreign police forces. There is quite a large number of its citizens on INTERPOL's wanted list,

many of whom are engaged in all sorts of crime. Beside that, Macedonia is considered a country of transit for illegal entrants from other East European countries, Middle and Far East and even Africa. Illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries are something else. At least once a month the newspapers carry a story about discovered illegal groups at one of the four Macedonian borders.

Little by little, the "silk curtain" is closing. Compliments coming from

Brussels that Macedonia is "the leading country in the West Balkans" are of no use; a leader wearing the "dunce's cap" - comment the Macedonians with bitterness.

AIM Skopje

ZELKO BAJIC