Serb money laundering serious in Macedonia - Norway Ambassador says

by Sasha Uzunov

Serbian money laundering and its impact upon Macedonia is of serious concern, Norway’s Ambassador to Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia has alleged.

Ambassador Mr Arne Sannes Bjørnstad has also further alleged that Serb money laundering has permitted groups to finance opposition to the controversial name deal between Greece and Macedonia, which would remove a Greek veto over Macedonia joining both the EU and NATO.

He was asked by Team Uzunov blog the following question:

"The US State Department regards Serbian money laundering as a very serious problem both globally and locally in Eastern Europe and the Balkans including Macedonia. Some Macedonians refuse to accept this problem and dismiss it as "propaganda." What can Norway do in terms of educating Macedonians about this danger to their economy and social well being, and which would wipe away any financial gains offered by EU membership? (In other words even if Macedonia were to join the EU, extensive Serb corruption and money laundering would negate EU economic assistance)>'

The Ambassador’s response: 

"Insufficient financial transparency is a challenge in most Balkan countries. This facilitates money laundering as well as other financial crimes. It also makes it easier for external powers to gain influence by non-transparent funding of political groups or activities, covert funding of opposition to the agreement between Macedonia and Greece on the name issue in order to prevent Macedonia joining NATO and the EU being an example.”  

Ms Solza Grceva, one of the Macedonian leaders opposed to the deal, has dismissed such claims of foreign funding of name deal opponents as being the work of the country’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in his bid to tarnish all those who are against a scheduled referendum on the name deal. Ms Grceva is a former Macedonian Member of Parliament who belonged to Mr Zaev’s Social Democrats Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and is now a leading academic.

She wrote on social media - ridiculing the claim of “Russian interference” in Macedonia and pointed out that the Macedonian people were opposed to losing their name and identity:

"Грција протерала двајца руски дипломати и забранила влез на уште двајца, кои наводно се мешале во договорот со Македонија.

На тоа Заев дал изјава во Брисел дека нашите протести за името, пази он знаел, дека се организирани од Русија.

“Zoran Zaev, the Macedonian prime minister, speaking at the Nato summit in Brussels, indicated he knew Russia was behind some of the protests outside his own parliament, but he said his country was not going to seek conflict"- The Guardian

Човеков не знае дека каменот му доаѓа од блиску. Од народов кој не може да смисли промена на име и идентитет! Не, он знае. Само лупа тоа што овие сакаат да го чујат.

Be that as it may, what remains certain is Serbian money laundering as well as the Kosovar Albanian narco mafia pose a serious problem to Macedonia’s economic stability, regardless if it joins the EU or not.

A TEAM UZUNOV blog investigation has revealed the extensive involvement of the United States via USAID in shaping Macedonia’s domestic and foreign policies. see link here

BAFFLING - what has remained puzzling is the staunchest supporters of the name deal with Greece, EU and NATO membership for Macedonia have steadfastly refused to protest against Serb money laundering in Macedonia, which is alleged to be the conduit of “foreign funding” namely Russian money - to finance protests in Macedonia against NATO membership.

Not one protest has been held outside the Serb Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia. It throws into doubt the whole claim of “foreign meddling.” Instead no explanation is given as to why there are no protests - only evasion and nasty insults.

Serbia has indicated that it will not be joining NATO. It remains inexplicable why Macedonian activists who support NATO membership for Macedonia are reluctant to protest against Serbian money laundering...

Recently, Mr Aleksej Demjanski, a US based Macedonian “anti corruption” campaigner dismissed attempts by TEAM UZUNOV blog to scrutinise Serb money laundering in Macedonia as “propaganda.”

Ms Ivana Jordanovska who has pushed long and hard for Macedonia to join both NATO and the EU, called for EU sanctions to be placed against Macedonia’s President George Ivanov but refused to call for sanctions to be placed against Serbia’s President Alexander Vucic, who has been alleged by that country’s ex Foreign Minister Vuk “the Wolfman” Jeremic” as being heavily involved in money laundering in Macedonia with former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Another anti corruption campaigner in Macedonia, Pavle Bogoevski, a Serb and the face of the Colour Revolution, also revealed that he too doesn’t protest against the shenanigans of Vucic.

see link here