'Makfax' and other FYROM press on the Macedonian issue

[Tsontos]

Division in FYROM

From 'macedoniaonline.eu':

FYR Macedonian Government meets over name


Saturday, 22 March 2008


FYR Macedonian Foreign Minister said that US came up with new ideas for overcoming of the name differences at today's FYR Macedonia-Greece talks in Brussels.

Neither the FYRMacedonian nor the Greek side revealed any details on the ideas put forward by Daniel Fried, the US Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at today's meeting with the two Foreign Ministers.

After the talks, Milososki said that FYR Macedonia wants to remain constructively involved in process of resolving of the name dispute with Greece.

"Our aim is, because we have fulfilled all relevant criteria, that FYR Macedonia should be part of NATO," FYR Macedonian Foreign Minister said.

Earlier today, Nikola Gruevski met with local leaders at the President's office. After the meeting, they had this to say.

Tito Petkovski who has strong connection to Greece due to his daughters being married there, said: "In this strategic year for us, as many people think, a very important year for us, there is no place for political points. If the price we need to pay with our southern neighbour is changing the name, we should just do it, of course with our identity intact." Tito Petkovski's concluded.

*Number of NSDP politicians not agreeing with their boss Tito Petkovski, have transferred to Gruevski's VMRO.

Nikola Gruevski: "I have very different stand from that of Mr Petkovski, however, there are days ahead of us where we would try to patch these differences and we will get to a solution, a good solution for FYR Macedonia."

Branko Crvenkovski: "If a formulation can be found that is different from our constitutional name and doesn't hurt our identity, we ought to think about that". Whatever happened to the guy that made the speech at the UN?

Meanwhile Greek papers are fearful that FYR Macedonia has the upper hand because of US involvment.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/367/45/

From 'macedoniaonline.eu a few days ago:

SDSM's attempt at its own government, Taci goes back to Gruevski

Thursday, 20 March 2008

The future of FYR Macedonia is at stake, for SDSM, it is another opportunity to pounce. For the past two months there has been an attempt, attempts for numerous individuals and few parties, to make use of the regional instability for their own personal gains.

SDSM is aware that they have no chance of establishing any kind of footprint with the FYR Macedonian electorate. Because of this, the party is trying to utilize the dispute with Athens, to get in the Government, without elections.

For their plans, they have already created their own Government, on paper, with Tito Petkovski in charge of the FYR Macedonian Parliament. Petkovski, a former SDSM member, daughters married to Greek olygarchs, has already started campaign that it is 'ok' for Macedonia to change the name. Similar campaign was initiated by Vladimir Buckovski, former SDSM Prime Minister who insisted Nimetz had acceptable proposals and his party should be in government for the 'historic chance'.

Below, you will see the Government, SDSM had created, hoping to oust Gruevski, who at the moment is the only individual working for FYR Macedonia.



SDSM tried to get buy-in from Taci and the DPA on the 'New' Government offering him the above list.

Taci, realizing Greuvski's high approval rate with the FYR Macedonian population decided to go back to Gruevski. It is safe to say that In the next elections Gruevski would once again win and because of DPA's walk out, would form a Government without them. That would put DPA in a constant opposition, as SDSM would form a Government with DUI if they win, which is very unlikely.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/334/1/

[Astoria]

Can anyone here please confirm this?
after reading the article, I'm not sure how the title got there.
I don't see a blackmail in the article, just a ball-park sized opinion by the writer.
none-the-less...does anyone here have more to add to this?


Bush blackmails Greece

Sunday, 23 March 2008"Bush blackmails for double name [for settling the dispute between Greece and Macedonia]. He's thrown out the UN and [special UN mediator Matthew] Nimetz" says the Greek daily. This is good news for Macedonia. Bad news for Macedonia is Crvenkovski, Petkovski, who have repeatedly given out public statement in the past few days that Macedonia should change its name even though the US Embassy had asked them to not give out public statements.

[Istor]

No such solution would pass from Greek Parliament, be sure about that.
The day that Karamanlis says yes to that "solution" the cabinet will step down.

[Draco]

I wouldn't trust macedoniaonline; they often distort what is said in Greek media. It's a heavily biased resource useful only when you're seeking a good laugh by watching them exasperating over the treasonous behavior of Skopjian politicians.

Regarding ratification by the Greek parliament, in practice, it is redundant. Once all NATO members have signed FYROM's accession, the accession becomes effective once most of the members have ratified it. This is in the NATO treaty.

[Draco]

See what makfax has to say about the Eleftheros Typos article

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=106136&NrIssue=616&NrSection=20

and then try reading the real thing.

[Mygdonia]

macedoniaonline.eu is a diaspora nationalist website.

[Tsontos]

From makfax:

Greece aims at solution, not at punishing Macedonia



Athens /24/03/ 16:49

Greece seeks to reach a solution and not to punish Macedonia, said the Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos.

Greek daily Naftemporiki cited Koumoutsakos as saying that the Greek was committed to reaching a solution from the very beginning. "As to whether it will be reached or not, it is put to the other party," he said.

Commenting the March 21st meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Dora Bakoyannis and Antonio Milososki, the spokesman said that the talks were open and sincere.

"Unless a settlement is reached, what was said by the Greek government remains valid - there can be no invitation," Koumoutsakos said, referring to the expected invitation for Macedonia's membership in NATO

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=106198&NrIssue=616&NrSection=20

[Tsontos]

From Makfax:

Eleftheros Typos: Athens seeks guarantees

Athens /24/03/ 13:18

Washington wants to solve the name dispute between Athens and Skopje this week, Greek daily Eleftheros Typos said on Monday in the headline "Athens demands guarantees".

The paper says the big push for a negotiated settlement of the name issue aims to disburden the agenda of NATO summit in Bucharest, as the United States sees the issue a bilateral.

The haste by the US diplomacy and the clear intention to reject responsibility in case of "continuation" of the deadlock put the Greek government in a difficult position, the paper says.

"Athens will demand guarantees in eventual deal on the name. Such guarantees will be sought from the UN Security Council members, where four out of five member-states have already recognized the country as "Republic of Macedonia", Eleftheros Typos said.

Nearly 10 days before the Bucharest summit, the Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis's Cabinet feels the danger of an unsafe settlement without constitutional alterations in Skopje and with no guarantees for its implementation by the next government that will take power after parliamentary elections, Eleftheros Typos said.

This is the main reason for the Government in Athens to seek guarantees from the UN or NATO to ensure that the seal of the United States be not the only seal on the eventual agreement.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina...6&NrSection=20

[Astoria]

Talks on name enter final stage

Skopje /25/03/ 18:51

The UN-brokered talks on name difference are resuming in New York on Tuesday evening and are likely to continue on Wednesday.

The UN mediator Matthew Nimetz is scheduled to hold a joint meeting with negotiators from FYROMacedonia and Greece - Ambassadors Nikola Dimitrov and Adamantios Vassilakis, and the first statements are expected shortly after.

According to the media reports, Nimetz held separate consultation meetings with Dimitrov and Vassilakis over the past two days in New York.

The new round of talks in New York will probably focus on the US suggestions to overcome the differences, presented last week in Brussels at the meeting of foreign ministers of FYROMacedonia and Greece, Antonio Milososki and Dora Bakoyannis.

The two ministers are expected to meet again by the end of the week in Slovenia.

Greece threatens to veto FYROMacedonia's admission to NATO unless a mutually acceptable solution is reached till the NATO summit in Bucharest next month. Washington decided to facilitate the UN-led talks on the name to ensure that the dispute does not obstruct FYROMacedonia's NATO entry.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=106339&NrIssue=617&NrSection=10"

[Astoria]

Gruevski "not too optimistic" about talks with Greece
Skopje /25/03/ 17:43

FYROMacedonian Prime Minister said he was "not too optimistic" about the outcome of the talks on the name with Greece and reiterated FYROMacedonia's intention to halt the talks if Athens blocks FYROMacedonia's admittance to NATO.

"The current situation gives me no reason to be too optimistic, I have to be a realist. It is becoming more obvious that Greece intends to impose veto unless we accept their blackmail, which is totally unacceptable for us," the Prime Minister said in Skopje Tuesday afternoon.

According to him, "the future talks on the name are likely to plunge in a deep crisis and even be terminated" if Greece uses the veto right.

The eventual blockade by Greece will have very negative consequences on the relations between the two countries, PM Nikola Gruevski said.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=106336&NrIssue=617&NrSection=10"