Slovenian PM bombs fyrom

[Truth Bearer]

Flexibility Urged In Macedonia Dispute

06 February 2008 Skopje _ It would be a pity if Macedonia misses its chance to join NATO because of the name dispute with Greece, Slovenia's Prime Minister said Tuesday.

After meeting his Greek counterpart, Kostas Karamanlis in Ljubljana, Janez Jansa, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, which currently holds the European Union Presidency, called for “a quick compromise” to the 17 year long dispute.

He urged both Athens and Skopje to agree to a name for the Republic of Macedonia, which would "best" prevent a Greek veto of Macedonia's bid to join NATO.

Meanwhile Macedonia’s President Branko Crvenkovski wrote to all 26 NATO members Tuesday, urging them “not to let Greek threats of a veto come true."

Crvenkovski stressed that Greece's refusal to accept the name “Republic of Macedonia” is a matter of bilateral relations.

In a separate letter addressed to the Greek President Karolos Papoulias, Crvenkovski said that his country is willing to continue talks under the auspices of the United Nations.

Macedonia is hoping to secure an invitation to join NATO at the alliance's summit in Bucharest in April. But Greece says the country cannot join NATO with its current name.

Athens says Skopje's use of the name “Macedonia” implies territorial claims over Greece's own northern province of Macedonia.

In 1995, a UN-brokered agreement laid out a framework for a deal. Among its conditions were that Athens would not block Skopje’s integration into international organisations under its provisional name, "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."

Since its independence in 1991, two-thirds of UN member states, including the US, Russia and China, have recognized Macedonia’s constitutional name.

NATO officials say that a resolution to the name dispute is not a precondition to Macedonia's entry to the alliance but there is concern at Greece's threat to use its veto.

Local media reported Tuesday citing unnamed Skopje diplomats that the UN's envoy to the dispute, Matthew Nemitz is proposing a third name for the country. Read more at http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7709.

Copyright BalkanInsight.com 2008

[Truth Bearer]

Macedonia seeks support for NATO entry bid ahead of April summit
06/02/2008

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Macedonia wants to join NATO at the Alliance's April summit in Bucharest, largely due to concerns about neighbouring Kosovo's impending independence. "As a country neighbouring Serbia and Kosovo, Macedonia will surely be among the first to feel the consequences -- both positive and negative -- of Kosovo's status settlement," President Branko Crvenkovski wrote in a letter to NATO members on Tuesday (February 5th).

On Monday, France expressed support for Macedonia's EU and NATO bids. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met with his Macedonian counterpart, Antonio Milososki, in Paris. Kouchner said France is ready to work with Macedonia in its efforts to become part of the Euro-Atlantic structures.

In related news, EU Enlargement General Director Michael Lee visited Skopje on Tuesday. He said the EU has a clear vision of the future, which includes the Western Balkans. (Vecer, Utrinski Vesnik - 06/02/08; AFP, Makfax, Naftemporiki - 05/02/08)