Dr. Pero Dimsoski, long time Board member of the Macedonian American Friendship Association
and President of MAFA-California was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture in the new
Macedonian Government. The forthcoming appointment of Mr. Ivo Ivanovski, a long time active
member of the Macedonian American Friendship Association from Columbus, as Minister of the new
Ministry Information Science was also recently announced.
The engagements of Dr. Pero Dimsoski and Ivo Ivanovski in the Macedonian government follow those
of Mr. Vele Samak and Gligor Tashkovich in the growing list of appointments of members and Associates of the
Macedonian American Friendship Association to the new Macedonian Government.
September
14, 2006:
MAFA Board Members from the West Coat meet in San Francisco
The MAFA Board Members Kristina Serafim, Pero Dimsoski, Luben Todorovski, Igor
Stojanovski, Blagoja Stefanovski and Vasil Babamov met in San Francisco during the visit of
Dr. Vasil Babamov to San Francisco Sept 10-13. They discussed the directions for future
activity of the association as two of the most active MAFA officers from the west Coast
were moving to Macedonia to take positions in the new Macedonian Government. They stressed
economic collaboration of the US and Macedonia as a primary goal of the activity of the
Association in the near future.
September
10, 2006:
MAFA President meets Premier Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Finance Minister Trajko Slaveski
The President of the Macedonian American Friendship Association visited Macedonia
September 3-9.
The President of the Macedonian American Friendship Association visited Macedonia
September 3-9. During this brief private visit Dr. Babamov met with the Premier Nikola Gruevski,
the Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Milososki and the Finance Minister Trajko Slaveski.
September
1, 2006:
Representatives of the Macedonian American Friendship Association meet the US Ambassador to Macedonia
her Excellency Gillian Milovanovich
The Representatives of the Macedonian American Friendship Association from Ohio met the US Ambassador
to Macedonia her Excellency Gillian Milovanovich September 1 in Ohio and discussed the state of the
Macedonian-American relationships.
photos
The representatives expressed their satisfaction with the state of the US-Macedonian relationship
and the image of the US in Macedonia after the US recognition of Macedonia under its name and in
particular during Ambassador Milovanovich tenure.
They also expressed their appreciation for her hard work in understanding
the complexities of the Macedonian interethnic relations and her evenhandedness in dealing with them.
Noting that after the US recognition of Macedonia the Macedonian economy and the US-Macedonia
economic collaboration remained as primary MAFA concerns MAFA representatives urged Ambassador
Milovanovich to expand the economic collaboration office at the US Embassy in Macedonia and to
provide more logistical assistance to US companies as well as
Macedonian Americans interested in investing in Macedonia
MAFA representatives met with Ambassador Milovanovich after her apointment in September 2005 in
Washington DC, Ohio in February 2006. They also met with her predecessor, Ambasador Butler several times,
including once in Ohio in 2003. Ambassador Butler, under whose tenure the US reconized Macedonia
nunder its name, will always be warmly remembered by MAFA for his sincere efforts toward achiving
this great accomplishment.
MAFA representatives met with Ambassador Milovanovich after her apointment in September 2005 in
Washington DC, Ohio in February 2006. They also met with her predecessor, Ambasador Butler several times,
including once in Ohio in 2003. Ambassador Butler, under whose tenure the US reconized Macedonia
nunder its name, will always be warmly remembered by MAFA for his sincere efforts toward achiving
this great accomplishment.
August 26, 2006:
The Macedonian Parliament elects the new Government
After two days debate the Macedonian Parliament elected the the Government proposed by the mandator.
Mr. Gruevski wowed to focus on economic development and fight against corruption.
He is expected to attract more experts from abroad to strengthen the prosecutor office and clean up the health expenses fund.
MAFA Secretary Minister in
Macedonian Government, other ministers with close ties to MAFA, more MAFA
members appointments expected August 14, 2006:
The leader of VMRO-DPMNE Mr. Nikola Gruevski today unveiled the composition of the new Macedonian government
The government has two Macedonian Americans, Mr. Vele Samak from Seattle and Mr. Gligor Tashkovich from New York,
both ministers without a portfolio in charge of foreign investments.
Mr. Samak is the Secretary of the Macedonian American Friendship Association.
He is a marketing manager at Microsoft and a former Vice President of Solomon Smith Barney,
the investment banking division of Citibank.
He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from Wharton.
Mr. Tashkovich is is Executive Vice President of AMBO - the Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil
Pipeline
and holds a Cornell BS and MBA. He has had close ties to MAFA and attended MAFA meetings with
Macedonian officials
Dr. Trajko Slaveski and Gordana Jankulovska will be the key Ministers of Finance and
Internal Affairs. They both attended the MAFA Annual Meeting in 2004.
One of the government Vice Presidents, Mr. Zoran Stavrevski, a former State Secretary in the Macedonian Ministry of Finance
is returning to Macedonia after five years at the World Bank in Washington DC, where he held a
number of increasingly important positions.
He will coordinate the economic activities of the administration.
The government expects to attract an increasing number of Macedonians abroad to return to
Macedonia and take part in the rebuilding of the economy. Several more MAFA members are
expected to be appointed to high level positions
VMRO-DPMNE, led by Mr. Nikola Gruevski, wins Macedonia’s Parliamentary elections.
The VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition "For better Macedonia" won 44 out of
120 seats in the Parliamentary elections held July 5, 2006 as compared
to 32 deputies won by the coalition "Together for Macedonia" led by
the SDSM. The elections were judged to have been without extensive irregularities by most international observers.
Mr. Nikola Gruevski and a high-ranking VMRO-DMPNE delegation were guests at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Macedonian American Friendship Association in Long Beach, California in September 2004 and visited the home of the Macedonian American Friendship Association in Columbus, Ohio in February 2006
photos
November 7, 2004:
The Macedonian American Friendship Association reactions on the US
recognition of Macedonia
The Macedonian American Friendship Association issued a Press Release
on the US recognition of Macedonia by its constitutional name.
November 5, 2004:
Please call President Bush to congratulate and thank him
The Macedonian American Friendship Association urges all Macedonian
Americans and friends of Macedonia to call President Bush at
202-456-1111 (option 1) or fax him at 202-456-2461 to congratulate him
on his election to second term in office and express their joy and
appreciation for the US recognition of Macedonia by its constitutional
name. More detailed
instructions
August 18, 2004, Columbus, Ohio:
Press Release on the petition for referendum on the Territorial
reorganization issues and support for Struga
The Macedonian American Friendship Association issued a Press Release encouraging
all Macedonians who are in favor of the referendum on the
Decentralization and Territorial Reorganization bill to sign the
referendum petition. On behalf of many of its members that are from
Struga the Association sent a
letter of support to the
honorable Romeo Dereban, the Mayor of Struga in his
struggle to preserve the integrity and the ethnic diversity of the city
August 12, 2004, Skopje, Macedonia: President
Crvenkovski signs the Decentralization and Territorial Reorganization
bill - MAFA calls on all the Macedonians who do not support this bill
to sign the referendum petition
the Macedonian Parliament passed the
controversial Decentralization and Territorial Reorganization bill
using the emergency procedure with by 61 out of 120 votes. Seven of the
the ruling coalition deputies broke ranks and sided with the opposition
by not voting for the bill.
President Crvenkovski signed the bill immediately despite the polls
shoving that the majority of the population does not support it.
August 11, 2004, Skopje, Macedonia: The The Boris Trajkovski
International Foundation web page launched
August 2, 2004, Columbus, Ohio: The Macedonian American Friendship
Association congratulates the 101
anniversary of the Macedonians Ilinden uprising against the Ottoman
empire
August 2, 2004, Washington, DC: Senator Kerry's campaign
denies false Greek-American claims on Senator's position on Macedonia
Senator Kerry's campaign informed the the Macedonian American
Friendship Association that the statement entitled
STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN KERRY ON ISSUES OF CONCERN TO THE GREEK
AMERICAN COMMUNITY in the July 19
press release of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI)
is false and it only represents wishful thinking on the part of the
AHI. Senator Kerry never made or endorsed such a statement. Senator
Kerry's campaign also asked the AHI to issue a press release clarifying
that the Kerry-Edwards
Campaign was in no way involved with their July 19, 2004 draft
statement and that, contrary to press reports AHI Executive Director
Nick Larigakis and Senator John Kerry have not met during the course of
the campaign.
Today AHI issued a new
press release which contains the same statement but without the
offending title and makes it clear that it represents the AHI's, not
Senator Kerry's position on the issue.
August 2, 2004, Columbus, Ohio: The Macedonian American Friendship
Association congratulates to all Macedonians the 101
anniversary of the Macedonians Ilinden uprising against the Ottoman
empire July 26, 2004, Skopje, Macedonia: Macedonians
demonstrate against the proposed new law on territorial reorganization
A large peaceful demonstration has been scheduled for
July 26 in front
of the Macedonian parliament against the proposed Law on Territorial
Reorganization. The proposed law redraws the boundaries of a number of
Macedonian municipalities to give the ethnic Albanian a controlling
majority in the resulting municipalities and incorporate
several ethnic Albanian villages into the city of Skopje. The
Macedonian media, NGOs, and
intellectuals have been unified in opposition to the proposed law on
the grounds that promotes further polarization f the ethnic groups in
Macedonia. The details of the proposed law were agreed upon in secret
negotiation between the ruling coalition SDSM and the Albanian DUI. July 19, 2004,
Sacramento, California: California State Assembly supports Macedonian
rights The California Assembly passed
Assembly joint resolution 52 declaring that it "supports the rights
of Macedonians living throughout the Balkans to, among other things,
speak their language, to practice their customs, and to be granted all
the civil and human rights required by international law." The
resolution was sponsored by Rep. Chuck Correa od Orange County on
behalf of the members of the Brothers Miladinovi Society of Southern
California, a chapter of the Macedonian Patriotoc Organization, in
particular: Jordan Atzeff, George Georgieff i Alexandra Vanoff Zajack.
President Trajkovski Killed in a plane crash
April
2, 2004, Columbus, Ohio:
Contributions to the Macedonian American Friendship Association Tax
Deductible
March 31, 2004, Madison, Wisconsin:
The
Anti-Macedonian resolution
in the
Wisconsin Senate and
the similar one in the Wisconsin State
Assembly. introduced by a Greek-American extremist
group, failed to pass and were
officially pronounced dead after the Macedonian Americans informed
the media, the resolution sponsors, and the other legislators of the
falseness of the resolution claims and their real nature and purpose.
This looked like a rerun of the unsuccessful effort of the same Greek
American to pass
a similar resolution in the Texas Assembly
last Spring >> more on the
Wisconsin resolutions
current
news on Macedonia (PERIODICALLY Updated)
RECENT,
RELEVANT EVENTS IN MACEDONIA
Dr.
Igor Janev: CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION OF A STATE TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE
UNITED NATIONS MACEDONIA:
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION NEW LOWS: THE MEDICAL CENTER'S SELECTIVE LAYOFFS-Aug. 27 The
Macedonia Graduate Center for Public Policy and Management
begin classes-Sept.1
STATEMENT The Macedonian
American
Friendship
Association is a nonprofit organization
of American citizens of Macedonian descent that ensures that the viewpoints and
opinions of the Macedonian Americans are incorporated into the
formulation of the United States foreign policy toward Macedonia, the
only remaining multiethnic democracy in the Balkans. The Association
holds regular meetings with Department of State high officials that
participate in the formulation of the United States foreign policy
toward Macedonia, as well as with Senators and Congressman who can
influence the United States of the United States foreign policy toward
Macedonia. The Association maintains regular contacts with the media
and promotes the viewpoints and opinions of the Macedonian Americans in
the United States. The Association invites and encourages all
Macedonian Americans to become more active in public life, media, and
the political process and to contribute their fair share to formation
of public opinion and government policy in the United States. The Association invites participation and solicits
support from other Macedonian American organizations and individuals in
the US and elsewhere. It also encourages and will supports in any way
it can the formation and operation of other organizations with similar
goals, regardless of the differences it may have with such
organizations on other issues.
IMPORTANT
INFO
| Links | ACTIVITIES | reviews | INVEST IN MACEDONIA | ALBANIAN EXTREMISM GREEK Anti-Macedonian propaganda | BULGARIAN Discrimination | MACEDONIAN NATIONHOOD |
Macedonian church Home
| -| What we stand for
|-|
Who We are |-| letters |-| Write your Senator
July 6, 2006:
The VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition "For better Macedonia" won the Parliamentary elections
November
4, 2004:
Macedonia recognized by the United States by its constitutional name
The United States of America recognized Macedonia
by the name Republic of Macedonia. The Secretary Of State Colin Powell
made the
decision on November 3, immediately after the elections. The
Department of
State spokesman Richard Boucher stated: "We have now decided to
refer to Macedonia officially as the Republic of Macedonia. By
recognizing
Macedonia's chosen constitutional name, we wish to underscore the U.S.
commitment to a permanent, multiethnic, democratic Macedonian state
within its
existing borders....Macedonia's success is in our interest and in the
interest
of all its neighbors. Macedonia is an important and steadfast partner
of the
United States in the global war on terrorism, contributing troops to
coalition
efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan". and
answered reporters questions at the Department
of State news briefing
on
November
4 and November
5 .(Macedonia-related excerpts >here)
October 25, 2004: The Macedonian American
Friendship Association sends
a letter of support to President Bush The Macedonian American
Friendship Association sent a letter
of support to President Bush in which it expressed the
satisfaction of the Macedonian Americans with President Bush Foreign
policy toward Macedonia the best wishes of the Association for the
forthcoming Presidential elections, as
well as their expectations for his second term.
September
8, 2004: Thirteen Years of
Independent and Sovereign Macedonia
Macedonia became independent and sovereign country, separating from
Yugoslavia on September 8th , 1991. Macedonia was the only state to
break apart from Yugoslavia peacefully. The decision of Macedonian
Independence was made by the Macedonian people who gave their votes on
the referendum. During the following years most of the
countries around the world recognized Macedonia as an independent
country, but the high point of our young country was on April 8th 1993
when Macedonia was accepted as the 181st member of the United Nations.
The future goal for Macedonia is to become a member
of NATO and the EU.
September 5, Long Beach, California: The Board of
The Macedonian American Friendship Association held a meeting on
September 4, where new members of the Board were elected. Zoya Naskova
was elected Vice President, Ljupcho Fidanovski was elected Treasurer,
and Emil Ruskov was elected Trustee.
September 4, Long Beach, California:
Annual Meeting of the Macedonian American Friendship Association
The Annual Meeting of the Macedonian American Friendship Association
was held at the Long Beach Renaissance Hotel on September 4,
2004. The members of the Association were joined by a number of
distinguished guests including the Macedonian Ambassador to the US, His
Excellency Nikola Dimitrov, the Macedonian consul to the US, Savo
Sibinovski and the member the Macedonian Parliament and leader of
VMRO-DPMNE, one of the two largest political parties in Macedonia,
Nikola Gruevski. Ambassador Dimitrov praised the work of the
Association in his address to the members and singled it out as an
example to follow. Mr. Gruevski recalled the numerous encounters and
contacts he had with the Association representatives in his frequent
visits to the US during his service as finance minister. The Democratic
presidential candidates, Senator John Kerry, sent a letter
of greetings and best wishes to the members praising the
contribution of Macedonia Americans to strengthening the US through
their focus on faith, family, hard work and investment in the
communities.
>> more details or
photos)
The only way to stop the Reorganization from taking effect is the World
Macedonian Congress petition for referendum on the issue. There are
indications that the Government government is obstructing the signing
of the petition using all available legal and illegal means. The
Government keeps ignoring the request of the Macedonian American
Friendship Association to allow the Macedonian citizens in the US to
sign the petition in the US, thereby depriving them of their
constitutional rights.
The The Boris Trajkovski
International Foundation
launched the
English version of the foundation
web page
Our own Tribute to President
Trajkovski
was compiled in his memory with and posted on our web page shortly
after his tragic death.
The
Macedonian American Friendship Association is shocked and deeply
saddened by the
sudden death of President Trajkovski and is extending its deepest
condolences to
Mrs. Trajkovski and the Presidents family, The Macedonian Government ,
and
Macedonians and friends of Macedonia everywhere. A Tribute to President Trajkovski web
page
was compiled in his memory with
reports and photos from his trips to the United States and the numerous
meetings
of MAFA representatives with him from our archives. The Association
extends its condolences to his
family, the people of Macedonia, and friends of Macedonia everywhere
immediately after hearing about the tragedy.
After a detailed review of the Macedonian American Friendship
Association
operation and finances the US Internal Revenue Service recognized the
Association as a 501 (c)(3) organization since its formation
in May 2001, which means that all
past and future contributions to the Association are tax deductible in
the United States. 
February,
28, 2004, Columbus, OH:
Dr. Vasil Babamov participated at a round table discussion on:" Ethnic
and Heritage Organizations in the Midwest" at the
Midwest Slavic Conference at the
Ohio
State University He presented information about the formation
and growth of the Macedonian American
Friendship Association, that was formed as a regional organization in
2001 but has grown into a national organization with headquarters in
Columbus, OH and offices in California and
Arizona.
February,
27, 2004, Columbus, OH:
The participants and the attendees of a panel on
"Minority-Majority Relations in Central Europe and the Balkans"
at the Midwest Slavic Conference
at the
The Ohio State University i Columbus observed one minute silence
in mourning of the death of President Trajkovski at the
beginning of the panel. Dr. Vasil Babamov chaired the panel and Dr.
Dimitar Mircev, member of the Macedonian American Friendship
Association, presented a discussion entitled:
" Dr. Mircev also participated in a round table discussion on
"Issues in the Development of Civil Society in Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Union"
and Dr. Babamov will participate in a round table discussion on
Ethnic and Heritage Organizations in the Midwest
February, 5-6, 2004,
Detroit, MI:
Representatives of the Macedonian American Friendship Association
attended meetings with the leader of Macedonia's largest opposition
party VMRO-DPMNE Mr. Nikola
Gruevski, members of the executive Committee Sasko Kedev and Trajko
Slavevski, and Slobodan Casule. Macedonian political insiders at the
meetings described Mr. Gruevski as the a fresh face on the Macedonian
political scene and a hope for the future and
praised his nonpartisan approach to government and his record of
revamping the Macedonian financial system as a
former minister of Finance >> more on the meetings
August 31, 2003, Columbus, Ohio:
The Macedonian American Friendship Association held a luncheon with the
American Ambassador to Macedonia, Mr. Lawrence Butler, in Columbus to
discuss the current political situation in Macedonia and the Embassy
activities directed toward resolving the current problems. The luncheon
was also attended by the Department of State Macedonian Desk Officer
Paul Pfeufer and representatives of related ethnic organizations from
Ohio Go
to - Photos Report
September 2,
2003, Columbus, Ohio: The President of MAFA, Dr. Vasil Babamov,
also held a meeting with the Macedonian Ambassador
to the United States Mr. Nikola Dimitrov in the Macedonian American
friendship Association Offices in Columbus, Ohio. Go to
Photos
57 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215
or send us e-mail at: info@macedonianamerican.org
Write your US
Representative |-|
Registration form
|-| Links|
February,
25, 2004, Columbus, OH: Dr. Dimitar
Mircev, member of the Macedonian American Friendship Association,
presented a lecture entitled "Macedonia Today, The Uneven Paths of
Transition and Independence" at the Ohio State University in Columbus,
Ohio. Dr. Mircev, who served as Macedonian Ambassador to Slovenia, is a
professor of Politics and Political Sociology at the University Cyril
and Methodius in Skopje and a visiting scholar at the Pittsburgh
University Graduate School of Management.