European Parliament says name dispute should not block Macedonia’s EU bid

20:38 Wed 23 Apr 2008 - Clive Leviev-Sawyer

In a report adopted on April 23, the European Parliament reiterated that Macedonia’s bilateral name dispute with Greece should not obstruct the country’s EU accession bid.

The report, by Dutch MEP Erik Meijer, was adopted by 601 votes in favour, 52 against and 30 abstentions, according to the European Parliament’s website.

The report welcomes the Macedonian government's achievements “in the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement”, which deals with the political aspects of inter-ethnic relations in the country, while noting the “continuing discrimination against the Roma community.”

The report also welcomed the Macedonian government pledge to rebuild a mosque that was damaged in an otherwise “professional and effective” police operation in Brodec on November 7 2007.

The statement said that MEPs also commended the Macedonian government’s economic performance, and the adoption of several crucial laws on prosecutors.

While welcoming the entry into force of the visa facilitation and readmission agreement between the country and the EU, MEPs underline the difficulties citizens still face when trying to enter the EU.

“At the same time, (European Parliament) members regret the signing of a bilateral immunity agreement between the US and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, granting exemption from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, which ‘contradicts EU standards and policies’,” the statement said.

On the name dispute with Greece, the report welcomed the increased bilateral co-operation, as well as people-to-people contacts between Macedonia and Greece.

The report “notes with satisfaction” that, since the adoption of the European Parliament's resolution of July 12 2007, bilateral talks had been held in the region, under the auspices of the United Nations and assisted by special envoy Matthew Nimitz, to find a mutually acceptable solution to the difference that has arisen over the name of Macedonia.

“MEPs note the increased dynamics in the negotiations and call on both sides to seize the opportunity to immediately resume negotiations in light of the important progress made recently and to reach a compromise solution, so that the issue does not continue to represent an obstacle to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's membership of international organisations, as provided for in the Interim Accord of 1995, which is still in force,” the statement said.

On April 23, Bulgaria’s Focus news agency, quoting Macedonian agency Makfax, said that Greece’s largest opposition party PASOK said that there was no geographical qualifier in the name “New Macedonia.

PASOK’s statement came after claims by Greece’s ruling New Democracy party that “New Macedonia” would meet Greek demands regarding the name of its neighbouring country.

Last week, Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis said that the name “New Macedonia” contained geographical qualifier, adding that Ancient Macedonia was the entire area, while New Macedonia was part of it.

PASOK called on Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis to “end the gamesmanship” about the geographical qualifier.

Athens said it would accept a compound name containing the word Macedonia as a basis for negotiations on the name dispute.

On April 21, Nato secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called on Macedonia to resolve the dispute with Greece so that Macedonia could join Nato along with Albania and Croatia. At the Nato summit in early April, membership invitations were issued to Albania and Croatia, but Greece and others blocked Macedonia’s bid because of the name dispute.

The Albanian and Croatian accession agreements are due to be signed on July 9 2008. According to a report by the Associated Press, De Hoop Scheffer said during a visit to the Macedonian capital on Skopje that on July 9, he would like to have “a third nation, yours, at the Nato table”.

“It would be your opportunity which you have now until July 9 to see if the solution for the name issue can be found,” De Hoop Scheffer said.

Comments

Comments by Peter - 22:50 23 Apr 2008
	Republic of Macedonia should have been allowed to join NATO on April 2,2008. Will EU going to put same obstacles to Macedonia, or better is Greece be allowed to do the same as in Bucharest? EU must tell Greece to butt out and follow the 2005 interime agreement that Greece will not obstuct Macedonia from joining international organizations. Republic of Macedonia has met all requirements to join any organizatios in the world. As to Macedonias Human Rights issue, just compair that of Greeces violations againts the Macedonian ,Turkish, Albanian, Vlahs and Roma minorities. Macedonias Human Rights record shines in comperison that of Greece member of EU and NATO.EU must get more serious and correct, or sunction Greece on breaking international agreements such as with Republic of Macedonia.I am speaking of Article 11 and 6 of the 2005 agreement.Even today ,Greece is blocading Macedonia by not allowing Macedonian products and MAT not to fly in Greek space.The UN must tell Greece that they are breaking all codes of Internationa Laws, and that their behaver will not be tolerated in UN. The UN has no right to impose on Macedonia to change its constitutional name because that is our identity. Never in UN existance has imposed this type of requirement of an independent country to change its National Identity. It is nobodys business what I call my self. The President of the UN was right to welcome in the UN the Macedonian President with the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia.
Comments by Milan - 10:02 24 Apr 2008
	It is incredible to realise the sad truth of converting the EU policy, and that of the other 26 EU-members, into Greek policy towards its small and peaceful neighbour Macedonia, using the principle of solidarity of a "democratic" (ups) club in unjust by forcing and blackmailing it to change its name. Shame on the EU institutions and the member states, too. Just imagine someone else doing that to you and come back with an answer.
Comments by Petre Nakov - 15:06 24 Apr 2008
	I have seen thousand of pages on this topic and all of them are similar. A lot of hatred and emotions. Our history books are different. A human hand is writing them, so you have to read a lot of books in order to find the truth, and usually it is somewhere in the middle. I believe what the simple people told me about their lives. And they told me about many horrible things the Greeks have done to my Macedonians. To take a child from home and send it to the world where the parents can't find it is cruel. To expel women and children from the house, kill their fathers and never let them see their home again is cruel. I myself remember when I was little (we went to the seaside in Greece) my parents asked me not to mention the name of my country - Macedonia - in front of that Greek uncle there, because it is forbidden. It was also forbidden to sing songs in Macedonian, so I had to be very careful. All of a sudden, Greece has the name of Macedonia all over the place :-) Thank you, that is very kind! What they have done before is not the worst thing - the worst is that they keep poisoning generations and generations that we, the Macedonians, are a great problem for them. Someone tell me - how shell I teach my children? I tell them that God loves us and people should be kind and love each other. When we travel to Greece, Greek people come and play and like my children until they find out where we come from. Our children should not be bothered with silly issues. They should think how to save this planet and make it better place for living. I thank to everybody who supported Greece in its veto - like Mr.Sarkozi from France - this was a really a "democratic" and "heroic" act, God bless you! I also THANK Mr. Bush for supporting us and wish everybody a peaceful and prosperous future!
Comments by Steve Ilievski - 16:42 24 Apr 2008
	Denying a person's identity is the most flagrant violation of human rights. The country's name is Macedonia and the people are Macedonians. Stop forcing us to be what we are not. No one has a right to force me individually or collectively to be something other than what I am. Only Macedonia and Macedonians must define themselves as to who they are, no one else, not Greeks, not NATO not Brussels. Shame on you all for this travesty of forcing Macedonia to change its name because Greeks don't want us to be who we are MACEDONIANS. Macedonia should immediately bring back its original flag it was forced to change and bring back its constitution for caring for its minorities in neighboring countries and tell everyone in the world, WE ARE MACEDONIANS AND OUR COUNTRY IS MACEDONIA. End of story. No more compromises into extinction. Instead force the Greeks, Bulgarians and Albanians to start respecting the human rights of MACEDONIANS instead of inflaming them to deny our existence because Europe (Brussels) is siding with those who deny we exist. In the mean time Macedonia should tell NATO and Europe to go to hell and side with Russia and other countries who have recognized us as MACEDONIANS and the country under her constitutional name.