Graduation of Macedonian police officers meets OSCE commitment within peace framework
(OSCE)Personal Representative of the CiO, Ambassador Max van der Stoel, addressing police graduation ceremony in Macedonian, 29 July 2002. (OSCE)
LISBON, 29 July 2002 - Over 600 police cadets have now finished basic training under an OSCE-supported programme aimed at increasing the number of police from ethnic minorities within the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This is fully in line with last year's framework agreement that brought peace to the country.
The Police Academy in Idrizovo, near Skopje, has just hosted the last graduation ceremony of this year for the programme. A class of 277 cadets completed the basic training course at the school, thus bringing the total number of graduates to 630. This includes more than 500 recruits from minority communities, and an additional 100 new ethnic Macedonian recruits.
It has thereby met the commitment set forth in Annex C of the Ohrid Agreement of August last year, which established a framework for peace in the country.
On the occasion of meeting this benchmark, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office congratulated the 277 cadets: "Successful completion of basic training is the first step in a long professional training process for the future police officers", said the CiO, Portuguese Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz.
"The Chairmanship also congratulates the Ministry of Interior and the OSCE Mission to Skopje on their successful implementation of the training programme for a new generation of multi-ethnic police cadets. It highlights the commitment of the signatory parties of the Ohrid Agreement towards its successful implementation, and underlines the excellent co-operation between the government authorities and the OSCE in working together with conviction to achieve a common goal.
"The Ministry and the Mission have established a solid, constructive and positive working relationship, which has also contributed to the successful completion of police re-deployment in former crisis areas."
The CiO sent his best wishes to all the graduates with their ongoing training in the field: "We look forward to their becoming full-time police officers who will serve their country with honour and distinction."
The Police Academy in Idrizovo, near Skopje, has just hosted the last graduation ceremony of this year for the programme. A class of 277 cadets completed the basic training course at the school, thus bringing the total number of graduates to 630. This includes more than 500 recruits from minority communities, and an additional 100 new ethnic Macedonian recruits.
It has thereby met the commitment set forth in Annex C of the Ohrid Agreement of August last year, which established a framework for peace in the country.
On the occasion of meeting this benchmark, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office congratulated the 277 cadets: "Successful completion of basic training is the first step in a long professional training process for the future police officers", said the CiO, Portuguese Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz.
"The Chairmanship also congratulates the Ministry of Interior and the OSCE Mission to Skopje on their successful implementation of the training programme for a new generation of multi-ethnic police cadets. It highlights the commitment of the signatory parties of the Ohrid Agreement towards its successful implementation, and underlines the excellent co-operation between the government authorities and the OSCE in working together with conviction to achieve a common goal.
"The Ministry and the Mission have established a solid, constructive and positive working relationship, which has also contributed to the successful completion of police re-deployment in former crisis areas."
The CiO sent his best wishes to all the graduates with their ongoing training in the field: "We look forward to their becoming full-time police officers who will serve their country with honour and distinction."