Zoran Jolevski

From 1988 to 1992, Jolevski served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia as the responsible officer for preparing all necessary documents for observer status of Macedonia in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. In addition, he served as the Desk Officer for the United Kingdom and Germany. From 1992 to 1994, Jolevski was the Secretary to the Delegation of Macedonia to the International Conference on Succession of the Former Yugoslavia, where he played an important role in the negotiations. While working at the Ministry, Jolevski became a Member of the Presidency of Macedonia-Japanese Friendship Association.

In October 1994, Jolevski became the First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the Macedonia to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations office at Geneva, Switzerland. While there he was the Vice-chairman of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Expert Meeting on Existing Regional and Multilateral Investment Treaties and their Development Dimensions. He was there until 1998, and after that he returned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After returning from Switzerland, Jolevski was the Secretary for WTO accession and other international trade and financial affairs. When the Kosovo War broke out, he served as the Deputy National Coordinator on Humanitarian Issues for the Kosovo refugee crises, where he worked with then-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Trajkovski, with whom he established a friendly and professional relationship. While in the Ministry, Jolevski continued his International involvement as a Member of Bureau of the Commission of UNCTAD on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues.

Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, Finnish President Tarja Halonen, and then-Secretary General of the President, Zoran Jolevski

After the Kosovo refugee crisis ended, Jolevski served as the adviser to Boris Trajkovski, who was a candidate for the Macedonian Presidential elections in 1999. Jolevski prepared the Presidential Program, including writing speeches and serving in other capacities. Following the election, which Trajkovski won, Jolevski served as the Secretary General, which replaced the former position of Chief of Staff. Jolevski was in this position from 1999 to 2004, and also served as the Deputy negotiator and Chief Consultant to the Minister of Economy for accession to the WTO. In 2000, Jolevski was the Chief negotiator in the successful negotiations on the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Macedonia and the People's Republic of China. Jolevski was also a member of the Committee "E-Macedonia for All" under the auspices of Macedonia.

When Macedonia faced insurgency in 2001, and while Zoran Jolevski was Secretary General of the President, Macedonia faced a number of political challenges. During this period, for example, there were several attempts to assassinate the President and his closest team, which was led by Jolevski. The Macedonian Government worked with the government of the United States and the EU on the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which brought peace in the Balkans; Zoran Jolevski was member of the negotiation team and he was the representative of President Trajkovski to the session of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia for the constitutional changes required by the Ohrid Framework Agreement.

After peace was established, Jolevski became high involved in the International society especially at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, while remaining Secretary General of the President. Jolevski was Member of Team of Specialists on Internet Enterprise Development, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva, after that he became the Chairman of the Workshop: IPR and Trade Facilitation: "Identifying Opportunities and Roadblocks", "Second International Forum on Trade Facilitation : 14–15 May 2003 in Geneva, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Since 2005, Jolevski has served as the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Trade of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva.

From 2000 to 2001, Jolevski was member of the Management Board of "Skopje Fair", Skopje, Macedonia. During this time he was also member of the Management Board of "Alumina", Skopje, Macedonia.

Zoran Jolevski was supposed to be on board of the airplane that carried President Boris Trajkovski, which crashed near Mostar on February 26, 2004 and killed the President. Jolevski was asked by Boris Trajkovski the night prior to the flight to stay in Skopje and work on accession of Macedonia into the NATO and the EU.

After the death of President Trajkovski, Jolevski was nominated to be the Macedonian Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of Macedonia to the WTO and the United Nations office at Geneva, Switzerland, but Jolevski rejected the nomination and is the only person in Macedonian history to reject an Ambassador position. Jolevski became a Professor at the European University-Republic of Macedonia teaching International Economic Relations and Foreign Trade. In addition to teaching, he began a consulting career working as Chief of Party for a project by Booz Allen Hamilton that was funded by USAID called 'WTO Compliance Activity. He worked there until 2006. From 2006 to 2007, he was Chief of Party of another project by Booz Allen Hamilton funded by USAID called 'Macedonian Business Environment Activity.'

While working for Booz Allen Hamilton, Jolevski maintained his political involvement in the Macedonian government as an Economic and Foreign Policy Adviser to Nikola Gruevski, leader of the political party VMRO-DPMNE, who is the current Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia. In this role, Jolevski was responsible for advising Prime Minister Gruevski on economic and foreign policy issues, including preparation of the Election Program of the Party in the areas of foreign and economic policy. Zoran Jolevski was also a Special Adviser to Antonio Milososki, the current Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Macedonia. Jolevski was the consultant to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia for the preparation of the Answers to the Questionnaire for the preparation of the European Commission's Opinion on the application of the Macedonian for membership to the European Union and Consultant to the Government of Macedonia and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for preparation of the Report for UN Millennium Development Goals for goal No 8 Partnership for Development.

Besides domestic consulting services, Jolevski was a consultant to the Serbian government for their accession to WTO in 2006. Later, he became the consultant to the Ethiopian government for the WTO accession. In August 2006, Jolevski was consultant to the President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic on the same issue - the accession of Montenegro in WTO. In 2005, he was hired as a consultant to the Prime Minister of Lebanon for the WTO accession; however, because of the assassination of Rafic Hariri, Jolevski never worked for the government of Lebanon.

With his involvement in the Macedonian Government, and his international success, Jolevski became involved in several institutes and associations. In 2006, Jolevski formed the Institute for Economic Strategies and International Affairs – "Ohrid". After the death of Trajkovski, Jolevski served as the President of the International Foundation Boris Trajkovski until 2005.

Macedonian accession to NATO became a top issue of the Macedonian Government, which is why Jolevski was elected to be a member of the Presidency of Macedonian Euro-Atlantic Club in 2006; he is in this position today. He became involved in several other institutions, such as becoming a member of the Board of the Center for Strategic Research at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts and becoming member of Lions Centar, Skopje, Macedonia.

His managements skills brought him into the business sector of Macedonia. In 2006, Jolevski was elected President of the Management Board of Tobacco Company "Prilep" in Prilep, Macedonia, which was on the edge of bankruptcy. Jolevski with his team managed to bring it back and to put an end to the corruption that was going on in the Tobacco Company "Prilep".In 2005, he became a Member of the Management Board of Seavus Group and he still remains Member of the Management Board and President of the Management Board of Tobacco Company "Prilep". In 2006, Jolevski was member of the Management Board of Airports Macedonia. His membership at Management the Board of Airports Macedonia, was controversial because of the accusations that Jolevski is the Godfather of the Greek name of "Alexander the Great Airport" in Skopje, and that triggered problems with Greece. Jolevski denied that he named the airport. Jolevski remained a member of Management Board of Airports Macedonia until 2009 when a Turkish private company bought the airports.

Zoran Jolevski was appointed Macedonian Ambassador to the United States in March 2007 after Ljupčo Jordanovski was recalled by the Macedonian Government. He presented his accreditation to President George W. Bush on July 25, 2007 with his family. Jolevski was focused on strengthening the Macedonia – United States relations and accession of Macedonia in NATO. In 2008, Jolevski signed an agreement on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. His other focuses were bringing American companies to invest in Macedonia and working with the Diaspora. The United States remains a s supporter of Macedonia's accession in NATO and EU. His offices are based at the Moses House in Washington, D.C.. During his tenure, Jolevski guest-lectured at many universities including the University of Georgia, University of Vermont, American University, Ohio State University, Utah Valley University, George Washington University, University of Ohio, Norwich University, among others. In June 2014, following the 2014 Macedonian parliamentary election, Ambassador Jolevski was appointed Minister of Defense in the new government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, ending his 7.5 year term as Macedonia's Ambassador to the United States.[3]

Ambassador Zoran Jolevski with Greek Negotiator Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis and UN Mediator Ambassador Matthew Nimetz at a Press Conference after the round of negotiations

After the President of Macedonia Branko Crvenkovski decided to withdraw from the negotiations by recalling Nikola Dimitrov, the Prime Minister of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski asked Ambassador Jolevski to take over the negotiations of the Macedonia naming dispute with Greece that had been in progress for 17 years. Jolevski became the Chief negotiator in November 2008.

During the name talks in Geneva on June 22, 2009, Ambassador Jolevski stated the position of the Macedonia side of the negotiations which is that:

"We are ready for a compromise name that would not undermine our national identity and dignity"[4]

On January 21, 2011, Jolevski presented his credentials to President Felipe Calderón, becoming the first Macedonian Ambassador to Mexico, acting from his office in Washington, D.C.[5]

On May 18, 2011, the Republic of Macedonia was accepted as Permanent Observer in the Organization of American States, making Jolevski the first Permanent Observer of Macedonia at the Organization of American States.[6]

On June 7, 2014, the Macedonian press announced that Ambassador Jolevski joined the government of Nikola Gruevski as the new Minister of Defense. The new government was confirmed in front of the parliament on June 19.[7] Jolevski was the wealthiest Minister in the newest government.[8]

Among his top priorities remain Macedonia's integration into NATO, as well as military modernization. Jolevski has also focused on increasing the country's cybersecurity capabilities, reforming the Military Academy, and creating joint partnerships with armed forces of NATO member countries. Given his previous position as Ambassador to the United States, he is perceived as a close friend of the United States of America.

During his term, Minister Jolevski initiated the participation of Macedonian Armed Forces in the Resolute Support Mission that followed the successful completion of the ISAF mission.