; Socialist Party of Macedonia or
SP [Ljubisav IVANOV, president]; Together for Macedonia coalition
(including the SDSM and LDP) [Vlado BUCKOVSI]; United Party for
Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; Movement for
Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic Integration [Dosta DIMOVSKA]

International organization participation:
ACCT, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nikola DIMITROV
chancery: Suite 302, 1101 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: Southfield, Michigan
FAX: [1] (202) 337-3093
telephone: [1] (202) 337-3063

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence Edward BUTLER
embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, 7120
Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
telephone: [389] 2 311-6180
FAX: [389] 2 311-7103

Flag description:
a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of
the red field

Economy Macedonia

Economy - overview:
At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least
developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the
total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of
Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the center and eliminated
advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area. An absence
of infrastructure, UN sanctions on Yugoslavia, one of its largest
markets, and a Greek economic embargo over a dispute about the
country's constitutional name and flag hindered economic growth
until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year through 2000. However,
the leadership's commitment to economic reform, free trade, and
regional integration was undermined by the ethnic Albanian
insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because of decreased
trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on
security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely recovered in
2002 to 0.9%, then rose to 2.8% in 2003. Unemployment at one-third
of the workforce remains the most critical economic problem. The
gray eco