*EPF101 03/26/01
White House Report, Monday, March 26, 2001
(Bush on Macedonia) (200)

BUSH ON EFFORTS TO QUELL CONFLICT IN MACEDONIA

President Bush says he hopes U.S. and NATO efforts will prove effective in helping the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia quell the conflict with Albanian rebels near the Kosovo border.

Asked March 25 about the situation in Macedonia, Bush said, "I hope, of course, that the government is stable, and we're able to seal off the border to prevent people and arms from going to the rebels."

Bush spoke with reporters as he returned to the White House after a morning jog.

In a statement released by the White House late March 23, Bush condemned the extremist violence in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and expressed support for that government's efforts to uphold democracy and the rule of law.

Bush said the insurgents in Macedonia are falsely claiming to be advancing the cause of the Albanian minority and said the rebels' violent methods "are hurting the long-term interests of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, Kosovo and throughout the region."

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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