Mon, Jun 18, 2001 - Page 1 News List

Macedonian FM heads to China to formalize relations

AP , SKOPJE, MACEDONIA

A day ahead of a planned trip to China, Macedonia's foreign minister announced on Saturday that the country was about to sever its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and restore relations with Beijing.

Ilinka Mitreva, Macedonian foreign minister, said she was to travel to China yesterday to "normalize relations with that great country."

"Relations with Taiwan will be severed simultaneously with the official normalization of relations with China," Mitreva said in an interview with the private A1 TV station

On Saturday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) told reporters that Taiwan was making a last-ditch attempt to maintain diplomatic ties with Macedonia.

"Our embassy in Macedonia is well aware of the situation. They are trying their best to lobby political leaders in Macedonia to continue maintaining ties and not to do anything to damage Taiwan-Macedonia relations," she said.

"We'll work hard to the very last minute," Chang added.

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