Greece Reiterates “Red Line” For Macedonia November 11, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Macedonia.Tags: EU, European Union, Greece, Macedonia, Macedonians, Macedonians in Greece, Makedonia, Makedonya, Yunanistan
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Macedonia’s EU and NATO accession will be possible only after the country reaches a solution with Greece on the name issue, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday in Berlin.
The meeting was held at the initiative of the Greek side to better present Athens’ positions, Greece’s state news agency ANA-MPA reports.
Stressing that “Greece is playing a leading role in the Balkans again and desires to contribute decisively to (the region’s) EU accession course,” Papandreou, who also acts as Greek Foreign Minister, reiterated that for Macedonia there are preconditions.
“The Greek prime minister made it absolutely clear that a precondition for FYROM’s [Macedonia’s UN provisional reference] accession course is the solving of the neighbouring country’s name, in accordance with “national red lines” that have been set on the part of Greece”, ANA-MPA said.
Athens previously said it would insist on a composite name for Skopje with a geographical qualifier for all uses without exception.
Last year Athens blocked Skopje’s NATO accession due to the 18 years long row. Athens argues that Skopje’s constitutional name Republic of Macedonia implies territorial claims towards Greece’s own northern province which is also called Macedonia.
Papandreou who was seen as less hawkish about the name issue than his predecessor Kostas Caramanlis, won last month elections in Greece. His victory, along with the European Commission recommendation for Macedonia to start EU accession talks that also came in October,were seen as a chance for a fresh start in the hope of finding solution to the row.
Senior EU and US diplomats have encouraged both sides towards compromise before December’s EU council in which Skopje hopes to get a date for its accession talks. Athens, who has a right to veto, said it would block this if there is no breakthrough in the talks.
The UN mediator in the row, Matthew Nimetz has summoned a fresh round of the solution seeking talks for 16 November. Local media say that some variations of a compound name Northern Macedonia are still on the table at the UN talks.
Papandreou also yp;f Clinton about his initiative for an informal acquaintance meeting with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, which took place in Brussels recently.
Greece prepares new trap for Macedonia? November 10, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Macedonia.Tags: Greece, Macedonia, Macedonians, Makedonia, Makedonya, Yunanistan
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One month is not enough to solve the 18-year-old name dispute between Macedonia and Greece even in theory, Macedonian Vecer newspaper writes. According to anonymous diplomatic sources the positions of the two countries have not started getting closer yet, which allows Greece to block Macedonia’s integration again in December.
Diplomats prognosticate that the risk of blockade is really high – of around 90%, and thus the attempts of brining countries’ positions closer are increasing. The same sources say that Brussels does not really expect for the name dispute to be solved by December 7 either and EU’s intensive pressure aims at pushing the process forward.
Despite that UN mediator Matthew Nimetz is planning new round of negotiations in mid-November it is believed that it is hardly likely for any solution to be found.
Athens, which holds firm to its position for one name with geographic term, which Macedonia does not accept, is the major problem in the issue again.
Macedonia and Greece facing hard decision November 10, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Macedonia.Tags: EU, Greece, Macedonia, Macedonians in Greece, Makedonca, Makedonia, Makedonija, Makedonya, Turkce, Turkey, Turkish, Turkish Cypriot, Turkish minority, Turkish population, Turkiye, US, Yunanistan
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New modified proposal for name dispute’s solution, providing a geographic term, will be presented to Macedonian and Greek negotiators – Zoran Jolevski and Adamantios Vassilakis, at the upcoming round of negotiations, which will be held in New York, Macedonian A1 television reports.
“There is only one thing for sure now – the two key players in the name dispute should be brought to the daylight at the upcoming round of negotiations – Macedonian and Greek Prime Ministers Nikola Gruevski and George Papandreou. There is no doubt that the pledge is very high, as well as that the risk of failure is bigger for Skopje authorities. Macedonia wants direct negotiations or negotiations like those with Croatia and Slovenia. These negotiations would confirm the policy of Nikola Gruevski’s cabinet that the name dispute should be solved at the International Court of Justice. On the other hand, regarding the message sent by the government and the statement of Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki, Skopje is getting ready for a new veto”, the television comments.
Macedonia hopes for EU help over name dispute with Greece November 9, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Macedonia.Tags: Yunanistan, Macedonians in Greece, Macedonia, Macedonians, EU, Makedonya, Makedonca, European Union
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Macedonia and Greece are unlikely to solve a long-running name dispute before an EU summit next month, but a senior official said Skopje is hoping for a way forward along the lines Croatia recently forged with Slovenia.
The European Commission last month said Macedonia was ready to start negotiations on membership but did not set a date. EU member Greece, whose northernmost province is also called Macedonia, opposes the start of accession talks until the two neighbours solve the name issue.
Ahead of the EU summit in Brussels next month, FYR Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Vasko Naumovski, told Reuters that he saw hope in Croatia’s recent success in setting aside a border dispute with Slovenia.
“We are hoping that the agreement that was reached between Slovenia and Croatia can be applied in our case too,” he said in an interview.
“Namely, both the countries did not find a solution to their dispute, but they agreed to move the whole issue to arbitration and Slovenia lifted the blockage for the continuation of negotiations with the EU.”
Some politicians and diplomats see renewed hope after a rare direct meeting last week of the Greek and Macedonian prime ministers in Brussels.
“It was our initiative to establish communication,” said Naumovski. “It was presenting new energy in the whole atmosphere.”
Skopje is wary about predicting success in finding a compromise — which could entail adding the word ‘northern’ to its name — ahead of the summit, after a series of failed past attempts.
“Hopes are not at the highest possible level,” the minister said. Some EU nations are wary of an approach that puts off a resolution to the name dispute that dates back to Macedonia’s independence in 1991. The rift, with impassioned debates arguing over thousands of years of history, has also blocked the country’s membership into NATO.
All nations of the emerging Balkans would like to join the EU. Slovenia is already one of 27 members and Croatia could become a member by 2012, diplomats say. The former Yugoslav nation of Macedonia has been a EU candidate country since 2005.
If the EU agrees to start membership talks early next year, the country hopes to become a member in 2015, Naumovski said, and he predicted a new wave of foreign investment and economic activity beforehand.
“It has been proven that candidate countries reach the fastest economic growth during the period of negotiations,” he said. “That’s when mostly the investors come.”
Macedonian president: Turkish businessmen always welcome November 7, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Macedonia, Turkey.Tags: Balkans, Macedonians, Makedonca, Makedonia, Makedonija, Makedonya, Turkce, Turkey, Turkish Cypriot, Turkish minority, Turkish population, Turkiye
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Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has said Turkish businessmen are always welcome and will always be supported in his country.
He spoke during a cordial meeting where he received a group of Turkish businessmen from the Aegean city of Manisa, who were in Macedonia on a business trip organized by the Manisa Organized Industrial Zone (MOSB) to search for investment opportunities.
He said a business forum to bring the businessmen of both nations together in the coming days in İstanbul would not only boost relations but also help the Turkish business world learn about the facilities Macedonia is providing to foreign investors.
Ivanov stated that all conditions to strengthen and deepen commercial relations between Macedonia and Turkey have been met but still the actual level of relations is far below potential. Economic relations are lagging behind the developments in political relations, he said, adding that “I believe that both sides have to deal with this problem in the upcoming period.”
Turkish businessmen later paid a visit to Macedonian Minister Without Portfolio Hadi Neziri, who defined Macedonia as Turkey’s open door to Europe. Neziri said Macedonia wanted to make use of Turkey’s experiences, and investment conditions were very convenient for businessmen who wanted to invest in Macedonia. “You should not see Macedonia as only a market with 2 million people. Macedonia is the heart of the Balkans, and there is an opportunity to address the entire Balkans from here,” Neziri also said.
