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Macedonia PM ‘Nationalist, Provocative’ – Greece
The politics of Macedonia’s conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski are sparking nationalism and provoking Greece, undermining efforts to resolve the two countries’ name dispute, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said on Monday.
Speaking at the think-tank Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, Bakoyannis criticized Skopje’s recent move to rename its main highway to ‘Alexander of Macedon’, after the ancient conqueror whose origin and heritage is claimed by both countries.
This move indicates that Gruevski “does not believe in the [United Nations sponsored] negotiations underway” on this issue, Bakoyiannis stressed and accused Gruevski of resorting to “short-sighted populism” in order to consolidate his political position.
“There must be a mutually acceptable solution that reflects the geographic reality without winners and losers,” she said. Bakoyiannis expressed concerns about Skopje’s attempts to “monopolise” use of the name “Macedonia’.
In April, Athens blocked Skopje’s NATO invitation arguing that Macedonia must change its name. Athens says that Skopje’s use of that name implies territorial claims over its own northern province also called Macedonia.
Since then, the UN sponsored talks on this issue have intensified but without a breakthrough.A new round of talks is set for February but few expect more than diplomatic pleasantries, as both sides battle it out at the International Court of Justice in Hague.
In November Macedonia sued Greece in the ICJ arguing that Athens broke its pledge in the UN sponsored Interim Accord not to block the country from entering international organizations under its provisional UN mane, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM.
Bakoyiannis stated that her country will endorse every effort for ensuring that the citizens of Skopje, as Athens usually refers to Macedonia, have better communication with the EU, something Macedonian media interpreted as a signal Athens will not obstruct the current visa liberalisation process.
(Reporting by Sinisa-Jakov Marusic)
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Posted by editor
on Jan 28th, 2009 and filed under Region.
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Every nation has the right to use a name of peoples choice. Macedonia did make that choice in 1991 when it declaired independance from Yugoslavja. No other country has the right to object to a countries name that it represents its peoples national identity.While Macedonia was part of Yugoslavja, Greece was signing trade deals with the Socialist Republic of Macedonia,why the objection now? It is obvious, Greece does not want to recognize the Macedonian minority within its borders.Northern Greece (occupied Macedonia) was divided illigaly in 1913 by the Big Powers of the day.Greece has distorted the history of the area by claiming Macedonia is Greece.Do they mean whole geografical Macedonia,or just part that is under their occupation? Why they agreed for 51% of Macedonia if it is Greek in 1913, and why they did not ask for the whole geografical Macedonia?
@ Peter;
Yes we hear you Peter. But what you fail to say here is that Macedonia already exists in the northern state of Greece. How can this name be given to two different entities next to each other.
You comment about peoples rights to call themselves whatever they want is correct as long as what they want does not take away somebody else’s rights, identity and consciousness. This is what is being attempted by FYROM at the moment.
As to northern Greece being occupied, this is further from the truth. It is liberated. Where do you start and where do you stop when you start pointing the finger at other countries yet you fail to look into your own back yard.
So-called Greek ‘Democracy’
Is anyone serious saying that Greece is a DEMOCRACY? Maybe if the Greek definition of democracy is: Democracy is a country (GREECE) whose politics is based on LYING to their own citizens about being “pure blooded” something connected with a civilisation from over 4000 years ago and NOT mixed with no one else, that they, and ONLY they have the right of EVERYTHING from the history, that everyone BUT them is worthless and useless, and they are “the superior race”, that in their country are living ONLY Greeks and NO ONE else, that only the Greeks have human rights, and everyone else IS A NON EXISTING ISSUE, that they have the right to chose names of the other countries and name of its citizens, that the membership in NATO and EU is giving them a right to spread HATE, DENIAL and breaking of EVERY SINGLE HUMAN RIGHT to the non Greek (“the non existing”) citizens and as a members of that institutions, honouring and respecting that rights is NOT required, the verification of the international laws on human rights in the Greek parliament is NOT necessary and the use and respect of ANY international law is not obligatory, than yes, we can call Greece a “democracy”!