Macedonia leader: PM deepening ‘name row’

14:07 Tue 30 Sep 2008 - BalkanInsight.com

Macedonia’s president Branko Crvenkovski has accused premier Nikola Gruevski of obstructing the ongoing “name row” talks with Greece as they enter a crucial phase.

This came after the two met on September 29 so Crvenkovski could brief Gruevski on his discussions on the dispute with the United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz as well as with other international officials during his stay in New York at the UN General Assembly last week.

“Instead of aligning our stances on one of the most important issues for the country, the meeting ended with confirmation of our differences,” the president said at a press conference afterwards.

Crvenkovski said that he has not yet heard the prime minister’s position on Nimetz’s latest ideas. “Gruevski’s intention is to avoid any responsibility,” the president argued.

In addition he noted that Gruevski’s cabinet has requested the cancellation of the previously scheduled talks with Nimetz that should happen in early October.

This could “leave Nimetz (and his proposal) subjected only to the influence and modifications from Greece” that could result in an unfavourable proposal for Macedonia from his part, Crvenkovski argued.

In a press statement following the meeting, Gruevski briefly said that the discussion was constructive and that in order to remain so, he would restrain from further commenting on the accusations.

“I don’t need constructiveness,” the president said at the press conference. He argued that the premier must “actively cooperate and participate” in this as a “solution to the dispute is not possible without his direct involvement.”

If there is no progress in the following weeks, the talks will enter a moratorium that would last at least a year, Crvenkovski reiterated. He argues that the elections set in both Greece and Macedonia as well as in the United States would bring the negotiations to a halt.

Macedonia needs to strike a deal on the name issue with Greece as its Nato and European Union integration depends on it.

In April, Athens blocked Skopje’s bid to join Nato arguing the country must change its name first. Athens says that Skopje’s name implies territorial claims on its own northern province which is also called Macedonia.

Athens has openly threatened to block Skopje’s EU accession as well.

Source: BalkanInsight.com

Comments

Comments by Peter - 04:27 01 Oct 2008
	President Crvenkovski is more interested in taking over the Socio-Demokratic Party after his mandade expires in the next 5 months.Crvenkovski would sell Macedonia to Greece,rather than defend our identity.On the other hand,Prime Minister Gruevski is fightin to retain our idetity,language etc.Greeces demands are redicolous.How can an independent State like Macedonia must change its ethnicity? The reason is that Greece does not want to recognize the Macedonian minority in Greece,even though there are more than one million Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia.The UN Human Rights representative McDougall will come up with the report in March,2009.This report will I am sure it will expose Greeces mythical claimes of purity.The truth is,there are less Greeks than non Greeks.In 1925 a high Greek representative at the League of Nations in response to Serbian and Bulgarian representatives Vasilis Dendramis said"The Macedonian language is neigther Bulgarian,nor Serbian but an independent language"He listed various linguists and linguistic maps as evidence to support his vlaim of the independence of the Macedonian language.The high ranking Greek official representing the Greek State not only recognized the existance of the Macedonian identity, but openly defended and supported it.As I have mentioned,the reason Greece is not recognizing the Republic of Macedonia is the not recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece.The present Parliament of PM Gruevski is right in the pursuit of preserving the Macedonian identity.
Comments by Peter - 08:04 06 Nov 2008
	I aint got no history, i aint got no identity to call my own, i cant even understand history but it dont matter because i'm the one who steals your own. NOthing but the VARDASKAN the way I'm are, Nothing but the Vardaskan the way I'm are, Love me the Vardaskan the way I'm are,it's Probably the Vardaskan the way I'm are......I'm VARDASKAN everything is what it is!
Comments by polski - 04:54 10 Nov 2008
	According to the 2003 Amnesty International report for the former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia, opposition journalists and Human Rights activists face extrajudicial executions and intimidation. Furthermore, the Internationa Helsinki Federation for Human Rights has reported Police harassment of ethnic minorities, including Albanians and Roma. But its not only that. On January 11, 2004, the local authorities arrested Bishop Jovan of Ohrid and Exarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Skopje, a case which created obvious concern in the European Union regarding the protection of religious freedoms in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In addition to the above, FYROM's political stability is still in doubt as long as 25% of its population are ethnic Albanians. Despite the 2001 Framework Agreement of Ohrid which brough an end to the fighting between Slavophones and Albanians, the problem still exists as a factor of fluidity in the broader region. The solution to the issue passes through the European perspective of FYROM as well as its participation in the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).