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U.S. to spend millions on Macedonia PR push

By Andrea Koppel
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration is preparing to commit millions of dollars to a public relations campaign to persuade the Macedonian people -- and ultimately the Macedonian parliament -- to support a peace deal signed this week, a State Department official said Friday.

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State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said the United States earmarked $40 million dollars this fiscal year and $45 million for fiscal year 2002 for projects in Macedonia, including the PR effort.

Reeker said the money could eventually go toward building inter-ethnic harmony and other civic-related projects.

These projects would likely be carried out by the International Republican Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization partially funded by the U.S. government through grants from USAID -- the U.S. Agency for International Development.

IRI has worked in recent months to determine what strategy would most effectively win support for the recently brokered peace deal in the Macedonian parliament.

The campaign is expected to be launched soon because the Macedonian parliament is scheduled to vote on the peace deal in the next 45 days. U.S. officials believe such the push could be necessary because at least 80 votes from the 120-seat parliament are needed for ratification.

On Wednesday, Macedonia's Slav and ethnic Albanian politicians signed a Western-brokered deal that would end the conflict and give ethnic Albanians more rights.

If approved by parliament, the accord would increase the use of the Albanian language and increase ethnic Albanian representation in the predominantly Macedonian Slav government.

NATO troops began arriving Friday to coordinate and control the disarming of ethnic Albanian rebels as part of recently signed truce.

NATO's "Operation Essential Harvest" is expected to include about 3,500 troops from 11 European nations and the United States.






RELATED STORIES:
• NATO begins Macedonia mission
August 17, 2001
• Troops prepare for Macedonia task
August 16, 2001
• Macedonia rebels sign arms pact
August 14, 2001
• Clashes threaten Macedonia deal
August 12, 2001
• Protests after Macedonia deaths
August 11, 2001

RELATED SITES:
• Macedonian Government
• NATO
• U.S. Department of State
• The White House

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