[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 17 (Monday, January 29, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO HIS EXCELLENCY LAZAR ELENOVSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 29, 2007

  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I would like to call to your attention 
to a man I am proud to recognize, His Excellency Lazar Elenovski, 
Minister of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia, on the occasion of 
his visit to the United States.
  It is only fitting that he be honored in this, the permanent record 
of the greatest freely elected body on earth, for he has a long history 
of dedication and commitment to international relations.
  Minister Elenovski was born in 1971 in Skopje, Macedonia, and went on 
to graduate from the Faculty of Economy at Ss. Cyril and Methodius 
University. A member of the New Social Democratic Party of Macedonia, a 
part of the coalition government, he was appointed Minister of Defense 
in August 2006.
  Minister Elenovski has long been a great advocate for Atlanticism in 
Macedonia. He worked to promote and implement the Euro-Atlantic idea 
and values in Macedonian society in the early 1990s. This effort 
culminated in his founding of Young Europeans for Security (YES) in 
1995.
  He was also one of the founders of the Social Democratic Youth of 
Macedenia (SDYM), and served as its Secretary General from 1996-1999, 
and then as its president until 2001. He was a member of the Presidency 
of the Social Demecratic Union of Macedenia from 1997 until 2003. He is 
a signer of the Protocol for Cooperation between the SDYM and PASOK 
Youth in Athens in 2001.
  Between 2001 and 2005, Minister Elenovski served as Secretary General 
of the Euro-Atlantic Club of Macedonia, and in late 2005, was elected 
President of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia, a member of the 
Atlantic Treaty Association. During this time he was also Deputy LEO of 
Public Transport in Skopje.
  He has implemented many initiatives for the support of NATO and EU 
integration projects in his nation, for the civilization values of 
Atlanticism, and notably for the democratic development of Macedenia. 
In May of 2004, he initiated and served as a signatory of the 
Declaration for Euro-Atlantic Partnership and Cooperation between the 
Atlantic Associations of Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia. He is also a 
founder of the Central and South Eastern European Security Forum-Balkan 
Mosaic.
  Minister Elenovski is known as an advocate for regional cooperation 
and integration. Along with civil and local authorities, he has worked 
on many regional and international projects which strengthened regional 
cooperation, and improved the security and stability of the nation and 
region.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Minister 
Elenovski's friends, and me in recognizing the outstanding achievements 
of a true leader, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia, 
Lazar Elenovski.

                          ____________________