The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has conveyed sympathy on behalf of Ireland and the EU, to Macedonia on the death of their president in a plane crash in southern Bosnia this morning.
Mr Ahern was due to hold talks with Macedonia's prime minister, Mr Branko Crvenkovski, this morning when news of the crash reached Dublin.
The 47-year-old president was on a flight to the Bosnian city of Mostar for an economic conference when the accident happened at around 9 a.m.( Irish time).
In a statement, Mr Ahern said: "I have conveyed my deep sympathy to Prime Minister Crvenkovski on behalf the European Union and the Government and people of Ireland.
This is a very sad day for Macedonia. I have assured the Prime Minister we will of course reschedule today's ceremony for a later date during Ireland's EU Presidency."
A planned presentation in Dublin by the Macedonian delegation was cancelled and arrangements were made for an immediate flight back to Macedonia.
Mr Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief, called it "a verytragic day for Macedonia, for all the people of that country but also for manypeople in Europe.""President Trajkovski was a great man, a man of passion, a man who moved hiscountry forward, not only the reforms but also to get it as close as possible toEurope," Mr Solana said in a statement.
"I was his friend. I was with him in very difficult moments. It is going tobe very difficult for the people of Macedonia to fill that gap," he said.
Mr Trajkovski is survived by his wife and their son and daughter. Before assumingthe presidency, he served as a deputy foreign minister in the centre-rightgovernment of former prime minister Mr Ljubco Georgievski.
