'Makfax' and other FYROM press on the Macedonian issue

[euro]

Not on the same stage as FYROM

Burgas /18/08/ 13:13

Greece refused to share the stage with FYROM during the closing of the folklore festival in Burgas, Bulgaria and made a scandalous exit, Bgnes news agency reported.

Greek participants said they are departing because they can not stay on the same stage with the ensemble from FYROM.

This not the first time Greek representatives to protest, due to the name dispute, at events in which representatives from FYROM participate.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=122026&NrIssue=741&NrSection=20

[euro]

This week Nimetz visiting Skopje and possibly Athens

The mediator in FYROM - Greece talks on the country's name issue, Matthew Nimetz, is set to visit Skopje this week, upon an invitation of the FYROM Government.

So far, the date of mediator's visit is not known yet, and not specified by his cabinet in New York. It is also not known whether Nimetz will visit Athens after Skopje.

Nimetz is set to talk again with FYROM authorities whether a quick progress on the name issue is possible before September.

Last week, the mediator expressed a personal opinion that both and Greece agree that the essence of the talks is finding solution of the name differences.

"My mandate is on the name talks. There are also other issues and the solving of the main name problem could be in the direction of solving these disputes. However, my main priority is the name issue", said Nimetz, avoiding to comment directly initiatives coming from Skopje that the issues of FYROM Church, FYROM minority in Greece and name change of "Macedonia" airport in Thessaloniki should be included in the talks.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/2876/1/

[akritas]

Originally Posted by euro

This week Nimetz visiting Skopje and possibly Athens

The mediator in FYROM - Greece talks on the country's name issue, Matthew Nimetz, is set to visit Skopje this week, upon an invitation of the FYROM Government.

So far, the date of mediator's visit is not known yet, and not specified by his cabinet in New York. It is also not known whether Nimetz will visit Athens after Skopje.

Nimetz is set to talk again with FYROM authorities whether a quick progress on the name issue is possible before September.

Last week, the mediator expressed a personal opinion that both and Greece agree that the essence of the talks is finding solution of the name differences.

"My mandate is on the name talks. There are also other issues and the solving of the main name problem could be in the direction of solving these disputes. However, my main priority is the name issue", said Nimetz, avoiding to comment directly initiatives coming from Skopje that the issues of FYROM Church, FYROM minority in Greece and name change of "Macedonia" airport in Thessaloniki should be included in the talks.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/2876/1/

In the next letter that will send in the several people put also the issues of

• FYROM Space Fleet
• FYROM merchant fleet
• FYROM fish fleet
• FYROM stones minority
• Acropolis cultural right
• Eiffel Tower Cultural rights
• etc
• etc
• etc

[euro]

Ban Ki Moon replies to Gruevski's letter

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in a letter sent to PM Nikola Gruevski, says that he welcomes his intention to inform him on the Republic of FYROMs positions with respect to various issues.

He also appreciates the endeavour for developing neighbourly relations in the Balkan region and that he is aware of the existence of many other issues for talks between Skopje and Athens.

- The UN Secretariat will resume working with You and with the members of Your Government on issues that are of mutual interest. Particularly, my personal envoy Mr. Matthew Nimetz will resume his efforts towards finding a solution to the name issue row. I am aware of the existence of other issues, which you consider should become the subject for Skopje-Athens talks. I hope that by resolving the name issue, a way will be paved for better ties that will contribute to tackling these other issues and possibly to finally settling them, Ban Ki-moon wrote to Gruevski.

The UN chief's letter is a response to the one sent by Gruevski, in which the FYROM PM informed him on the situation of the Macedonian minority in Greece. The response was delivered today and conveyed by the Government's press service.

Ban Ki-moon wishes Gruevski success in fulfilling the fresh obligations and says he is looking forward to working with the FYROM Government on issues that are of mutual interest for the country and UN.

- My belief is that Your Government will resume implementing the economic and institutional reforms and will contribute to fruitful cooperation in Southeastern Europe, the UN Secretary General adds.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/2897/1/

[euro]

Positions coordinated before Nimetz's visit

Skopje /19/08/ 15:23

Macedonian state leaders on Tuesday "built a coordinated position" on the last ideas presented by the mediator Matthew Nimetz and his upcoming visit to Skopje.

This is stated in the short communication after the consultations meeting on Tuesday between President Branko Crvenkovski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and special envoy on the name issue, Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov.

"At the meeting, in which the latest information regarding the current phase of the process of overcoming the differences around the name between Macedonia and Greece, state leaders built a coordinated position regarding the ideas that were presented by mediator Nimetz at the last meeting held on 13 August in New York", Crvenkovski's cabinet announced.

The meeting of the state leaders before Nimetz's Thursday-Friday visit lasted unusually short.

During the consultations last week in New York, Nimetz reached a compromise with negotiating ambassadors that in the further course of the negotiations, a return to talks only on the name will be made.

Macedonian and Greek authorities were sent a renewed package of mutual trust between the two neighboring countries. It demands a positive answer, primarily by Macedonian authorities, whether they are ready for a name change and entry to NATO.

From the Greece's side, it is no officially confirmed yet whether Nimetz will visit Athens after Skopje this week.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=122202&NrIssue=742&NrSection=10

[euro]

Skopje /21/08/ 17:51

The mediator in the Macedonia's dispute with Greece over the country name, after talking with Macedonian leaders, said the chance to make a progress towards solving the issue must not be missed.

"I would say that exactly this period is important in the talks and we must not miss the chance to try to make some progress, mediator Matthew Nimetz said after meeting with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

The mediator said that, in the meetings with President Branko Crvenkovski and the Prime Minister, he was faced with unified approach from Macedonian leaders regarding the name issue.

Nimetz is convinced that both Skopje and Athens possess the will to overcome the problem.

According to the electronic media, on Thursday's meetings, the names "Northern" and "Upper" Macedonia were discussed, and that the Macedonian identity was not questioned.

The mediator is set to talk with Greek representatives in Thessaloniki on Friday, in order to assess whether a quick progress in the name talks is possible.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=122502&NrIssue=745&NrSection=10

[euro]

Skopje /21/08/ 15:44

The Prime Minister of Macedonia accused Greece it does not want a solution on the name dispute to be found, at least not before the elections for the European Parliament mid-2009.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski on Thursday, before meeting with UN mediator Matthew Nimetz, said that Greece "would do anything... this process to fail, now in September", for which, according to him, Athens will try to blame Macedonia.

Macedonian Government desires and works on having the dispute solved, but not "at any cost", the Prime Minister said.

According to U.S. diplomatic sources, if the dispute between the two countries is not solved in the next two months, it is very probable it will remain active for a very long period of time, because with the change of the administration in Washington there will be very little interest for solving it, and the two countries don't have the capacity to solve the 17-year old dispute themselves.

Nimetz on Thursday already met Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, and he is set to meet Gruevski later Thursday.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=122498&NrIssue=745&NrSection=10

[euro]

The World Macedonian Congress (WMC) submitted a request to the Constitutional Court for revoking of the Law on Ratification of the Interim Agreement between Macedonia and Greece, concluded in New York in 1995.

According to WMC, the move is aimed at "urgent and unconditional halting of the negotiations on the name of the country as it represents a blatant violation of the Constitution and the international law."

"Since the Interim Agreement is still not ratified in Greece, nor the Greek parliament has intention to do this, the principle of reciprocity requires for establishing the same situation in Macedonia," WMC says.

The Congress emphasizes the fact that Greece put a veto on the membership of Macedonia in NATO, thus violating the Agreement.

WMC warns "the president and prime minister that the games with name won't be tolerated by the Macedonians across the world and that any adjective or suffix to the name of the country would be qualified as treason, moreover, it would trigger destabilization in Macedonia and the region."

It's not clear when will Macedonia realize they are playing cards with the devil.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/2948/1/

[euro]

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski expects for his today's meeting with Matthew Nimetz, the UN mediator in Skopje-Athens name dispute, to address ideas presented at last week's round of negotiations in New York.

- We shall review ideas the UN mediator presented at the meeting in New York. We shall present our opinion on these ideas, as well as our proposals for resolving the dispute. This Government is willing to solve the problem, Gruevski told reporters Thursday, after his visit to two private clinics.

All indications say that Greece is not willing to close the matter, at least not by mid 2009, i.e. by the European Parliament elections, Gruevski said.

He pointed out that Greece would do everything for the (negotiating process) to not be completed successfully by this September, for which naturally the Republic of Macedonia should be blamed.

- Macedonian Government has been demonstrating a sincere approach to the problem. We know exactly what we wish to accomplish, what are our positions we have thus far presented everywhere. Any Greece's strategies and games would be counterproductive for the country itself. The Government has been seriously engaged in preparing Macedonia for the European Union and NATO membership, the Prime Minister said.

The Government has a strategy for further substantial development of Macedonia if Greece intends to block it for a longer period, Gruevski said.

- Naturally, the country's accession to the EU, NATO will significantly contribute to the pace of this development. But even if it does not happen, the country will keep moving forward, Gruevski said.

Nimetz is holding separate meetings this afternoon with President Branko Crvenkovski and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Macedonia's state leadership coordinated its position Tuesday on ideas presented by the UN mediator at the last negotiating round of August 13 in New York.

Tomorrow, Nimetz heads for Athens to meet Greek negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/2957/1/

[euro]

Nimetz meets with Patriarch Bartholomew

ImageUN Negotiator Matthew Nemitz unannounced continued his stay in Greece and met with Patriarch Bartholomew. The meeting was held at one of Atos' monasteries, in Chalkidiki.

Nimetz was accompanied by the Greek negotiator, Mr. Adamantios Vassilakis.

Despite the numerous reports by Greek Media that the only discussion would be regarding the 'name', what is happening in the field shows just the opposite.

- We spoke about the relations between the Orthodox Churches in the Balkans, and I briefed him on the negotiations between Skopje and Athens. We also spoke about peace and human rights, said Nimetz in a statement to Greek Media.

Handful of FYROM political analysts since the begining of the 'name dispute' pin pointed the Greek Orthodox Church as a source of the problem in the name negotiations, explaining the church has confiscated over 200 what used to be "FYROM Churches" in northern Greece.

- It all comes down to money, always has, always will. Those properties are worth money. The Greek populace, via a powerful propaganda campaign, had been and is still being misled they are 'defending history', while the Greek Government and Church fear the land, churches and properties could be returned to the rightful owners. This has nothing to do with history, said the analyst, professor at Ss Cyril and Methodius University.

Others don't view the Greek Orthodox Church as a problem, rather are focusing on Athens, though admit, the Church has a major influence and even control in some cases, over the Greek Government.

Image Prime Minister Gruevski today announced that FYROM had not accepted Nimetz's idea of having one name that would be used with all countries, including international use.

- One of Nimetz's idea was for us to use one name for inside, outside use. It's not acceptable for us, and we stopped there. There were other ideas that were interesting, we looked at and analyzed, however there was no agreement on one name for all, it's not logical. We told Mr. Nimetz to speak to the other side. Macedonia for the world, and a slight modification to the name in bilateral relations with Greece, this is a good compromise, said Gruevski while on his visit to archeological site Stobi.

The presidential cabinet was briefed on the stance of the FYROM Government, there were no comments coming out of there.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/3003/1/