Macedonian minister: Seeking ‘win-win solution’ to name dispute

Macedonia hopes to solve its name dispute with Greece without winners or losers, Vasko Naumovski, the country’s deputy prime minister for European integration, told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

1980-born Vasko Naumovski, who until recently was assistant professor of international law and policy at the New York University of Skopje, took the high government position last July.

He was speaking to EurActiv’s Georgi Gotev.

To read a shortened version of this interview, please click here.

Last week, the European Commission recommended opening accession negotiations with Macedonia. However, the dispute with Greece over your country’s name could again prevent this from happening. What is the state of play in talks under UN patronage to resolve this problem?

We expect that with good will from both sides, in the forthcoming period, we will be able to move forward and to make progress on this issue. We are looking at a solution without winners or losers, but rather, with winners on both sides. We are hoping that in the forthcoming weeks we will be able to make further progress, although progress has been made compared to some years ago. We remain in negotiations for finding a solution, not for continuing negotiating forever.

Are you more optimistic now that Greece has a new government, given that the socialists from PASOK are seen as more keen to find a compromise?

We are confident that governments on both sides and other involved parties will make all the efforts to move the process forward. However, negotiating through the media has not proven to be the most efficient way of negotiating.

We can understand your concern for confidentiality, but the stumbling block appears to be that Greece does not accept your proposal that there should be one name for internal use in Macedonia, and another one for its international relations. Can you confirm that this is the state of play now?

There have been different aspects of the issue, and the problem has many different sides. It wouldn’t be useful if during the negotiations, we engage in commenting on the details.

Your government recently removed from bookshelves a ‘Macedonian Encyclopaedia’, after its historical interpretations had irked not only Greece, but other countries such as Bulgaria. Even the United Kingdom and the USA have protested about the interpretations of events in 2001, according to which the ethnic Albanian movement in Macedonia, the National Liberation Army, was trained by US and British special forces. How much damage has the encyclopaedia row caused?

The encyclopedia was a project of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which is not a governmental institution. The government has not participated in the preparation of this document. Of course the government felt sorry that some of our citizens felt insulted by some of the contents of the encyclopaedia. It has been decided by the Macedonian Academy itself to correct some of the issues there. We feel that all issues related to history should be left to be debated in historical circles.

You say that you feel sorry that some of your nationals felt offended, but other countries also felt offended. What would you tell them?

I would only advise that all issues related to history should be debated by the historians and the scientists from all interested parties. Through our mutual debate, using the all sides’ arguments, I think all issues can be resolved.

Are you going to take the initiative to organise such debates?

I represent the government, not the scientific institutions. I am confident that the region’s institutions can find a way, together.

As you said, the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts will probably correct definitions concerning the 2001 events, but what about the interpretations of Greek and Bulgarian history?

I would address the question to the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts.

Concerning your country’s EU accession prospects, do you expect the December EU Council to give the green light to start the negotiations?

I wouldn’t assume what the decision of the Council would be. It’s up to the Council and the member states to take the final decision. According to the European Commission, the country is ready to begin negotiations. This recommendation was given thanks to the results the Macedonian government has achieved, and benchmarks that were fully met. There has been substantial progress noted in this year’s country report, and it is an encouragement for us to continue with all the reforms, reforms which would provide benefits not only to the citizens of other countries, but for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia.

A few days ago, your country solved its border dispute with Kosovo. But Serbia has reacted angrily, as Belgrade does not accept Pristina’s negotiating over what they still see as a Serbian border. How are your relations with Serbia?

We are dedicated to maintaining good relations with all neighbouring countries. Kosovo is a neighbouring country and we are happy that with a mutual agreement we closed the issue related to the border. The problem has been there for some time and it’s good that the border is finally demarcated and that agreements have been ratified in both parliaments. We are also looking forward to improving our relations with all neighbouring countries.

So far, NATO membership has always preceded EU accession. Will this be the case also for Macedonia?

According to the relevant documents, adopted in the last years, Macedonia has also fulfilled the criteria for NATO membership and is ready to become a member state of NATO. Wea are hoping that in the near future Macedonia will become a member of NATO, and subsequently, a member of the European Union.