Greek press on the Macedonian issue (news in English)

[Tsontos]

From the ANA-MPA (Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency):

FM on FYROM issue

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Tuesday briefed the Ιnner Cabinet on the course of negotiations over the thorny FYROM "name issue".

Responding to a question after the meeting on whether the name "New Macedonia" is up for consideration, Bakoyannis said negotiations are underway and that Greece has a clear-cut position.

"Negotiating efforts will most likely intensify in the remaining 15 days before the NATO Summit in Bucharest," she added, pointing out that Athens' positions are known inside the country, but more importantly, outside the country as well.

http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/sh...65&service=102

[Tsontos]

Deliberations on FYROM Name Issue

18 Mar 2008 10:31:00 (Last updated: 18 Mar 2008 22:40:05)



Following his Monday meeting with negotiators Vasilakis and Dimitrov in Vienna, Special UN envoy Matthew Nimetz stated that talks between Athens and Skopje may resume in New York next week. As per a UN announcement, Nimetz has asked from both parties to present their positions, adding that if there is any chance of progress to take place they will meet anew next week. Nimetz appeared optimistic, stressing however that a lot remains to be settled.

"The talks are underway, Greece has entered these talks bearing a crystal clear position. This drive will probably be intensified in the fortnight left until the Bucharest meeting. The Greek positions are known within the nation and beyond," argued Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, following the Inner Cabinet meeting.

In reply to a question on the name issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos stated that the position of Athens, presented by the prime minister at the Summit Meeting in Brussels is crystal clear. He added that Greece would not comment on any publications as it respects the ongoing process.

Asked whether Athens is willing to come to terms with one of the three names proposed by Matthew Nimetz, Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos claimed that staying true to the negotiation rules would lead to the best possible result.






"Greek Positions Well Known"

Foreign Affairs Minister Mrs. Bakoyiannis expressed that Greece’s position on Skopje is clear. "Negotiations continue, Greece has a clear stance which will keep in the negotiations. Most probably efforts will be intensified within the 15 days which remain until Bucharest. Greek positions are known outside the country but they are mostly known inside the country", Foreign Affairs Minister said.

At the same time Skopje president Mr. Branko Crvenkovski speaking from Slovenia expressed the hope that a solution will be found until NATO Summit Meeting in Bucharest in April.

"Two weeks remain until NATO Summit Meeting which is a short period and I honestly believe that the name issue will have been solved until then", he said during a press conference

Mr. Crvenkovski stressed that FYROM works on the direction of a reasonable compromise, adding that a name that will not hurt the national identity of the citizens of this country will be accepted.

He also stressed that Skopje will be ready to receive a dictation from Athens on the name issue and accused Greece of using the fact that it is member of NATO in order to impose a solution.

Meantime, Mathew Nimetz sent an invitation to the negotiators of the two countries after the meeting they had yesterday in Vienna to go back to the stances they adopted in New York.

The Greek negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis repeated to Mathew Nimetz Athens’ position which is the finding of a compound name being geographically oriented. UN negotiator noted that he is optimistic and stressed that there are many issues which have to be resolved.

As announced by private news reports, Mathew Nimetz submitted an oral suggestion for 3 alternative names: Democracy of Upper Macedonia, New Democracy of Macedonia or Democracy of New Macedonia and Democracy of Macedonia.

Sources of Foreign Affairs Ministry stress that it is a positive sign the fact that negotiations will continue and stressed that Skpje has a long way to go.






FYROM Rejects Nimetz Proposals

FYROM Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Milososki in a journalists’ briefing said that the government rejects the 3 alternative names that UN special envoy Mathew Nimetz suggested yesterday in Vienna. As Mr. Milososki announced yesterday to journalists" none of the suggestions UN special envoy Mathew Nimetz presented in Vienna for the resolution of the name issue constitutes a rational basis for the finding of a solution as each of these proposals has been rejected by one or the other side during the last 15 years". Mr. Milososki also said that FYROM Prime Minister Mr. Gruevski will have regular talks with Skopje president Mr. Branko Crvenkovski when he returns from Slovenia. According to Skopje TV stations, the name which could be agreed would be for all national uses except of Skopje’s internal affairs in which a constitutional name must be preserved. As per Mr. Nimetz suggestions, TV stations commended that they do not respond to Skopje's pursuits and that they mostly approach Athens’ positions.

http://news.ert.gr/en/c/3/31612.asp

[Tsontos]

From ekathimerini:

Name talks to pick up, FM says

19/3

Foreign Minister Dora Bako-yannis said yesterday that talks to resolve the Macedonia name dispute would “intensify” ahead of NATO’s April 2-4 summit. “We will likely see an intensification of efforts over the next 15 days,” Bakoyannis said after briefing the Inner Cabinet.

Sources said diplomats from Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will continue United Nations-mediated talks next Monday in New York.

According to media reports in Skopje, the composite names being promoted by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz favor Greece. Foreign Ministry sources in Athens did not comment on this but said pressure had been shifted onto FYROM.

Official comments from Skopje yesterday were varied. FYROM’s President Branko Crvenkovski appeared to show good will. “I honestly hope this problem will be overcome (before the summit),” he said. But Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski was less upbeat. He said FYROM was “under pressure” by Greece and it faced “constant blackmail,” adding that it has “a red line it will not cross.”

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w.../03/2008_94583

[zefs]

Posted: March 20, 2008 at 10:29 AM EST (15:29 PM GMT)


Washington (ANA-MPA/T. Ellis) -- US president George Bush was concerned over the FYROM name issue, but believes that it can and must te solved, White House press secretary Dana Perino said during a regular press briefing, in reply to questions.

"Sure," Perino said, when asked whether Bush was concerned over the unresolved name issue between Greece and FYROM, adding that the US president "is hoping that they will come to an agreement before we get to the NATO summit (in Bucharest at the beginning of April), because he thinks that this is an issue that is solvable, and something that they should get done before we head out there (Bucharest) at the end of the month".

Asked whether Bush intended to take any last-minute initiative, Perino said that "the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, has been talking with them", adding that she was sure that the upcoming NATO summit would also be discussed at Rice's imminent meeting with the US president to brief him on her Russia trip.

[Tsontos]

An editorial comment from Kathimerini:

Greece sinks to bottom of league

22/3

The talks held yesterday in Brussels between Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and her Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) counterpart Antonio Milososki, attended by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, have highlighted the difficulties currently faced by the three countries.

Greece, after failing to persuade its small neighbor to change its name in the previous round of UN-mediated talks, now accepts the direct involvement of Washington, which, however, had recognized the country by the name «Republic of Macedonia» back in 2005, thus depriving its ally Greece of important diplomatic support.

Now that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's entry to NATO hangs in the balance, with the possibility of a veto from Greece, the United States has again stepped in and offered its services, mostly in aid of FYROM, and Greece is being dragged into the process as if it were at the bottom of the «league table» of Balkan countries.

Also this news article from Kathimerini today:

FYROM name dialogue ‘useful’

22/3

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and her counterpart from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Antonio Milososki yesterday issued a joint statement from Brussels expressing their «commitment» to a solution to the Macedonia name dispute.

After the talks, which were attended by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, Bakoyannis remarked that «various thoughts and ideas were discussed.»

She said that she and Milososki would relay these ideas to their respective governments and that the two countries' representatives would resume United Nations-mediated negotiations in New York next Tuesday. Bakoyannis did not reveal any details about yesterday's talks but reiterated Greece's insistence on a new name for FYROM that clearly distinguishes the country from the northern Greek region of the same name. «This is fair and important for stability in the region,» she said. Bakoyannis stressed that the US intervention did not undermine the role of UN mediator Matthew Nimetz but rather supported it.

After the talks, a spokesperson for the US mission to NATO in Brussels said the exchange had taken place in «a good atmosphere.»

Milososki, on his part, said that FYROM wants to stay «constructively involved» in resolving the name dispute. But he stressed that Skopje's ultimate aim is to join NATO, a move that Athens has threatened to veto unless the name dispute is resolved. Sources said that Milososki expressed Skopje's desire to see more alternative names on the table, as he believes the current suggestions can be improved on.

A ministry spokesman in Athens, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, described yesterday's talks as «a useful discussion and a sincere exchange of views.»

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w.../03/2008_94673

[Tsontos]

From ANA-MPA

'Name issue' talks resume Tues.

03/22/2008

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis met in New York City on Friday with her counterpart from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Antonio Milososki, part of ongoing negotiations between Athens and Skopje to finally resolve the nagging "name issue" separating the two Balkan neighbours.

"It (meeting) was a useful and sincere exchange of views; several thoughts and ideas were tabled, we will study these and relevant directions will be given to our negotiators, who will meet (with diplomats representing the FYROM side) in New York City next Tuesday," Bakoyannis said.

The Greek FM again reiterated that the Greek side attended Friday's meeting -- which was hosted by a top US diplomat -- with a sincere volition to find a mutually acceptable solution, "with clear-cut positions, strong arguments and a determined stance."

In response to press questions, Bakoyannis said no agreement or memorandum was signed during Friday's meeting.

Asked about Athens' positions over a possible solution, Bakoyannis noted that "our position is quite clear ... we desire a name that will describe a difference between the wider geographical region of Macedonia and the area covered today by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). I believe that this is fair and unambiguous, as well as significant for the region's stability."

Finally, she said that the ongoing negotiating process, under UN mediator Matthew Nimetz, is neither being replaced. "Meetings taking place with the initiative of the United States are supportive vis-a-vis this process."

http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/sh...795&service=10

[Tsontos]

From ERT:

Crucial Meeting - Aiming at a Solution

21 Mar 2008



The meeting between Greek FM Dora Bakoyannis and her FYROM counterpart Antonio Milososki in Brussels confirmed the two sides’ commitment to find a solution to the name dispute. "It was a useful and honest exchange of views. Several ideas and opinions were put on the table. We will study them, and relevant guidelines will be given to our negotiators who will meet on 25 March in New York," said Dora Bakoyannis, while elaborating on the nature of the two-hour meeting she had with the FYROM Foreign Minister. Bakoyannis also stressed, "Greece entered this meeting, which was hosted in the USA, offering its honest will towards a mutually acceptable solution, with crystal clear positions, solid arguments and a decisive stance." She further added that no agreement or memorandum was signed during the meeting.






Drilled whether she believes that a deal could be struck in the coming week, she said: "I do not know whether an agreement will be brokered in New York or not. What I know is that Greece has the will to really work for a constructive agreement."

Asked what are Greece’s "red lines", Bakoyannis argued, "Our [Greece’s] stance is crystal clear: we are after a name that would signal the difference between the geographical area of Macedonia and the area now belonging to FYROM. I believe that this is fair, crystal clear and important for stability in the region."

With regard to whether she detected "more will" for the solution of the FYROM name dispute, the Greek FM stated, "Both countries have realized that this is a major issue of outstanding significance to our people, and I believe that there is will."

Asked whether the UN-sponsored drive to have the problem settled is going to be replaced, she stressed: "I want yet again to make it clear that the drive under Nimetz will not be replaced. The meetings carried out upon the USA’s initiative are meetings that mean to support the achievement of agreement."

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos commented: "The two Ministers of Foreign Affairs met prior to the forthcoming NATO Summit in Bucharest to promote the efforts in progress, aiming to lead the UN-sponsored drive to a mutually acceptable solution. The USA hosted today’s meeting with a view to helping the negotiations under Matthew Nimetz. It was a useful meeting and an honest exchange of views. The two ministers underlined the two governments’ commitment to settle the problem. Both sides are looking forward to the next meeting with Matthew Nimetz scheduled for 25 March in New York."

The White House said that President George W. Bush is concerned over the name dispute, however, he believes that it can and must be settled.

http://news.ert.gr/en/c/3/31643.asp

[Tsontos]

From ANA-MPA:

PM briefed by FM on FYROM name issue developments

03/22/2008

Prime minister Costas Karamanlis conferred on Saturday with foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis on the latest developments in the FYROM name issue, following the latter's recent contacts and her meeting in Brussels with FYROM foreign minister Antonio Milososki on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bakoyannis said she briefed the premier on the content of the contacts she had, adding that the negotiations for a name solution were continuing, and that there was nothing new on the issue.

"As you know, there will be a meeting of the negotiators in New York, where a discussion will take place in the framework of the United Nations and on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions," Bakoyannis said.

Asked if she was optimistic that a solution could prospectively be reached before the critical NATO Summit in Bucharest (on April 1), Bakoyannis replied: "I can't know that. I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic. But if no agreed solution arises that has the stamp of the UN Security Council, then Greece's position is well known".

Bakoyannis met with her FYROM counterpart Antonio Milososki in Brussels on Friday, in the framework of the ongoing UN-brokered effort for finding a mutually acceptable solution to the FYROM name issue as per the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, according to a foreign ministry announcement.

The meeting which was hosted by the US, with assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried in attendance, was held with the aim of advancing the ongoing efforts under the mediation of the UN secretary general's personal envoy on the name issue, Matthew Nimetz, with the ultimate goal of the UN process leading to a mutually acceptable outcome, according to foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos.

http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/sh...4913&service=6


From ERT:

Dora Bakoyannis at Maximos Mansion

Briefing on the Name Row

22 Mar 2008 10:54:00 (Last updated: 22 Mar 2008 20:57:05)


The latest developments in the FYROM name dispute topped the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis at Maximos Mansion, the former’s residence, on Saturday morning. After her talks with her FYROM counterpart Antonio Milososki in Brussels before US Undersecretary of State Daniel Freid, Bakoyannis stressed that the two sides committed themselves to settling the problem, noting that the neighbouring country appeared willing to have the dispute solved. She also claimed that the meeting meant to support the negotiations held under UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, who will be meeting with the negotiators of the two sides in New York on coming Tuesday.

In parallel, FYROM president Mr. Branko Crvenkovski talking to a conference in Ohrid said that he is in favour of a rational compromise which will defend the national identity and will also give the chance for NATO entrance and will help to overcome any further procedures for UN entrance. In the conference of the "New Socialist Party" which participates in the governmental coalition, President Tito Petkovski said that he is in favour of a compromise in the name issue after the acceptance of the change of the constitutional name for external use with the condition that it will be equal for NATO and UN entrance. The Prime Minister Mr. Nikola Gruevski argued this position.

Bakoyannis' Statements

Exiting the Prime Minister’s residence, Dora Bakoyannis said they touched on the content of the talks on the FYROM name row and briefed the Prime Minister on the outcome of her meetings in Brussels.

Replying to relevant questions, the Greek Foreign Minister argued she is neither optimistic nor pessimistic on the course of the negotiations.

She reiterated, though, that unless a solution sealed by the Security Council is found, FYROM will not be invited to gain a NATO membership. Bakoyannis also added that a new meeting between the two sides’ negotiators has been scheduled in New York for coming Tuesday.

Earlier on Saturday morning, Bakoyannis had made it clear that there has been no proposal on a name on the table.

http://news.ert.gr/en/c/3/31652.asp

[Tsontos]

Crucial Week
23 Mar 2008 19:02:00 (Last updated: 23 Mar 2008 20:16:33)


Nimetz, Vasilakis and Dimitrov

Sources: ΝΕΤ, ΝΕΤ 105.8

The dawning of the new week will witness developments and intense deliberations with a view to achieving a mutually acceptable solution to a long-standing dispute over FYROM’s name ahead of the NATO Summit. Athens is entering the new round of talks under Matthew Nimetz in New York on Tuesday, while Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis is expected to hold a new meeting with her FYROM counterpart on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Slovenia. In the meantime, FYROM President Branko Crvenkovski’s statement, whereby he favoured a "rational compromise," has caused sensation.


The neighbouring country seems to have started differentiating its positions. "I was given precise guidelines," commented FYROM negotiator Nikola Dimitrov, after his meeting with the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. Earlier President Branko Crvenkovski had referred for the first time ever to the need for a "rational compromise" on the name issue.

Tito Petkovski, President of the Social Democratic Union that takes part in the government coalition, argued that the country should compromise and consider changing its constitutional name, since this is the price for NATO and EU memberships. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, however, disagreed.

In the meantime, Greece has shifted its attention to the meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Entering the New York talks with crystal clear arguments and firm positions, Athens believes that FYROM should do its share.

Dora Bakoyannis yet again reiterated Greece’s stance, whereby no breakthrough to the dispute amounts to no invitation to NATO accession.

The New York talks will take place four days after the meeting held between the two sides’ Foreign Ministers in Brussels, where the two governments committed to solving the row.

http://news.ert.gr/en/c/3/31681.asp

[qwerty]

Fear and unknown strength

By Nikos Konstandaras

Looking at how Greece has been caught up in interminable and fruitless negotiations on a name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), one can only wonder how our country got trapped into a situation which has cost it great diplomatic and political capital without any gains so far. We don’t know where the situation will lead, but it is interesting to look at the issue as a compilation of the problems which – 178 years after its establishment – plague the modern Greek state.

Foreign policy is affected excessively by domestic squabbles, personal ambitions and petty political games. This often leads opposition parties to place unrealistic demands on foreign policy, because it is the easiest way for them to look patriotic while the government can be painted “traitorous” or incompetent. The government then pursues the unattainable while doing its best not to agree to any solution that could be used against it. Then, as a nation with a long but often selective and simplistic historical memory, we are in continuous danger of being trapped between the myths of the past and fears of the future, thereby losing the chance to clearly understand the present.

This brings us to another deadly sin of our foreign policy (which applies in domestic issues as well): the amateurish way in which our officials improvise in times of crisis. The Ocalan affair, in which senior Greek politicians and secret agents tried to smuggle the Kurdish rebel leader to a secret exile as US and Turkish agents closed in, is a case study of what happens when everyone tries to do everything, without relying on the proper agencies and institutions. It was a disaster.

In complicated diplomatic issues, such as the consequences of a country outside Greece using the name “Macedonia,” Athens did not do enough to make other countries understand its position.

In the throes of self-righteous anger and self-congratulation for its unyielding position, Greece appeared to be so sure everyone else would agree with it that it sent out a message that – to many – made it look as if it wanted to swallow its northern neighbor. So, closed in our little world, we ignore the thoughts of other countries and current developments; instead of exploiting the international dynamics that would bring us closer to our targets, we keep fighting an uphill battle on every front. In this light, it is very interesting to look at the current triangular relationship of Greeks, Albanians and Slav-Macedonians: Greek public opinion has been programmed to fear “Albanian irredentism” and then, suddenly, the Albanians of FYROM appear as another point of pressure on the government in Skopje with their demand for a compromise with Athens over the name issue so that the country can join NATO without problem. This, on the surface, strengthens Greece’s hand. But would Athens really want to ally itself with the Albanians against the Slav-Macedonians to the extent that this shakes the stability of our neighboring country, with all that this would entail?

This happens when we do not have clear objectives, when we do not estimate carefully the interests and dynamics of others – nor what is attainable. We do not know how to succeed, but what’s even worse is that we don’t know when we have achieved the greatest possible gain. In this way, we run the risk of losing what we had in our hands. We allow problems to drag on endlessly, in the hope that we will achieve something better later, rather than take responsibility for agreeing to a solution that may not be 100 percent satisfactory but is the best that we could get.

As long as problems go unsolved we feel that no one understands us and no one supports us. So we often succumb to complaining instead of going after what we want with confidence in our position and faith in our own abilities. Very often, in our fear that others will take advantage of us, we tend to forget the strength we have as a country and as a nation. When we open up, when we share the good things that we enjoy, when we help others, we gain a lot more. This was evident after the terrible earthquake in Turkey in 1999 and in the horrific explosions which rocked Albania just over a week ago. The Greeks were the first to arrive in Albania with medical assistance, winning the gratitude of our neighbors and at the same time giving us a small taste of optimism and pride even as we wallowed in garbage during the plague of strikes.

At such moments, when we act without complexes, when we put aside our insecurity, we feel the strength of Greece, the “soft power” of principles, of reconciliation, of democracy. As long as we understand that, we have this strength.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w.../03/2008_94710