Macedonian Students State Department

It's nice to know which American State Department official (Paul Pleuffer) has Macedonia's balls in his hands.

Macedonian Students at State Department

They also met with Paul Pfeuffer, the department's desk officer for
Macedonia, who said Macedonia has had a greater impact in the southeast
European region than might be expected of a nation of only 2 million
people.

"You're hitting above your weight," Pfeuffer said, an expression used for
boxing competitors who compete successfully in a weight class above those
for which they qualify.

Zoren, who plans to study business and economics in college, said
unemployment is Macedonia's biggest problem, while Ana pointed out that the
country "has a lot of talented young people, but many can't go to the
university because their parents can't afford to send them."

Pfeuffer responded that bolstering the Macedonian economy by setting up the
conditions to attract foreign investment could help fight poverty and
reduce unemployment. He also said U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia Gillian A.
Milovanovic recently visited the United States and encouraged
Macedonian-American groups to establish scholarships for talented students.

The United States will "stand by Macedonia and help it achieve its goals of
EU and NATO membership and a prosperous future," Pfeuffer said. "We want to
be Macedonia's best partner."