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Tue, Jun 19, 2001 - Page 3 News List

Macedonia: End comes as no surprise

SHAKY RELATIONS Ruling and opposition legislators said ties with war-torn Macedonia had been troubled from the start, but they praised the pre-emptive move to terminate links with the troubled Balkan country

CNA , TAIPEI

June 1999

Former President Lee Teng-hui promised to offer US$300 million to the then war-torn Kosovo, but Taiwan's failure to keep its promise made the international community - including Macedonia - question Taiwan's credibility.

August 1999

Former Premier Vincent Siew visited Macedonia, promising that the largely Taiwan-funded Skopje export processing zone would create 20,000 job opportunities.

May 2000

Macedonia's new president Boris Trajkovski refused to accept Cheng's credentials.

November 2000

In a Macedonian government reshuffle the Democratic Alternative Party (DA) was replaced by the Liberal Party (LP) of Macedonia, which was opposed to the country's ties with Taiwan.

December 2000

Taiwan's former Vice Foreign Minister David Lee visited Macedonia to secure diplomatic ties.

February 2001

The ethnic Albanian Guerrillas insurgency erupted along in Macedonia's border with Kosovo, triggering conflict between the Albanian guerrillas and government forces.

May 13, 2001

Macedonia grand coalition government was formed, with seven parties integrated into the government; including the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM), which was severely against ties with Taipei.

May 24, 2001

Zoran Jolevski, the director of Macedonia's presidential office, departed for Beijing for discussions on re-establishing ties between Skopje and Beijing.

May 25, 2001

Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva described the establishment of diplomatic relations with Taiwan as "a blunder" saying China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, was a friend that constantly supported Macedonia.

June 12, 2001

A Macedonian Cabinet meeting decided to try to normalize relations with China.

June 17, 2001

Macedonia foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva departed for Beijing for a two-day visit during which she said she would "normalize relations with that great country."

June 18, 2001

Taiwan severed ties with Macedonia, terminating all economic assistance to the crisis-torn country. China and Macedonia signed a joint communique in Beijing to normalize relations between the two countries.

TT

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