 Kljusev was elected to the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences (MANU) in 1988 and remained at the organization until his death in 2008.Nikola Kljusev served as the first Prime Minister of Macedonia for 19 months in 1991 and 1992 after the split of the Federation.Kljusev is credited with ushering Macedonia through a largely peaceful transition to full inpendendence.