Foreign press on the Macedonian issue

[Astoria]

They are still trying to agree on FYROM
24 March 2008 - Issue : 774
Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Dora Bakoyanni met with her counterpart from Skopje Antonio Milososki in the framework of the mediation efforts made by the European Union. US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried was present at the meeting. The spokesperson of the Greek foreign ministry stated that the ministers met to make one more attempt to find a mutually-acceptable name ahead of the forthcoming NATO summit in Bucharest. The both ministers expressed their gratitude to the American side, which hosted the meeting.
They stated it was a useful exchange of views, which will facilitate the negotiations process under the aegis of the UN. The next meeting mediated by the US diplomat Matthew Nimitz is due to be held in New York on March 25. According to the source, both sides discussed the term “Nova Macedonia” as a possible basis for future discussion about the name of the Greece’s northern neighbour.

[Astoria]

Greece and FYROMacedonia underline will to solve name row
By David Brunnstrom
Fri Mar 21, 11:39 AM ET

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Greek and FYROMacedonian foreign ministers underlined their commitment on Friday to resolve a dispute over FYROMacedonia's name that has threatened to hold up the latter's entry into NATO and the European Union.


Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni said they would study new ideas to resolve the row put forward at talks in Brussels hosted by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried.

Greece has threatened to veto FYROMacedonia's NATO entry unless it changes its name, which is the same as Greece's northernmost province.

"The two ministers underlined the commitment of the two governments to reach a solution," a statement from the Greek Foreign Ministry said. It said the two sides looked forward to meeting U.N. envoy Matthew Nimetz in New York on Tuesday.

Milososki said FYROMacedonia would remain "constructively involved." "Our aim is, because we have fulfilled all relevant criteria, that FYROMacedonia should be part of NATO," he told reporters.

FYROMacedonia hopes for a resolution to the row in time for an April 2-4 NATO summit in Bucharest to invite it to join the 26-member military alliance alongside Croatia and Albania, whose invitations were agreed in principle in March.

NATO and the European Union are eager to see a solution to the row for the sake of stability in the Balkans.

Milososki said the new ideas had been put forward by Fried but neither side gave details.

Bakoyanni told a briefing she did not know if it would be possible to reach an agreement in New York, but Greece "has the will to be constructive and to work towards a solution."

GREECE "NEITHER OPTIMISTIC NOR PESSIMISTIC"

"We are looking for a mutually acceptable solution. We believe that we can find it if the goodwill is there," she said.

"We want a name that will make the difference between the whole geographical FYROMacedonia and what the former republic of Macedonia today covers. I think this is fair and clear and it is important for regional stability."

Skopje uses the name FYROMacedonia in bilateral ties with the United States, Russia, China and Canada but at the United Nations it is called "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." NATO and the EU also use the acronym FYROM.

Bakoyanni said she was "neither optimistic nor pessimistic" about an agreement by the summit. Asked if there was increased will, she said: "I think it is an important issue for both our people and I think that the will is there."

NATO diplomats say they expect the issue to go down to the wire in Bucharest, and possibly be resolved only after the opening dinner on April 2.

The FYROMacedonians have said they would be willing to use a hybrid name with Greece but not internationally, internally or in bilateral dealings with other states, a NATO diplomat said.

The Greeks have said they do not mind if FYROMacedonia uses the name of its choice internally but it must use a hybrid name internationally, the source said.

One NATO diplomat said a fall-back option being considered was to give FYROMacedonia a conditional NATO invitation, making clear that ratification of its accession would be subject to prior resolution of the name issue.

FYROMacedonia has been hoping for a green light later this year to open EU membership negotiations.

(Additional reporting by Paul Taylor)

[Astoria]

Greece aims at solution of name dispute, not punishment for Skopje: official Athens

24 March 2008 | 21:05 | FOCUS News Agency

Athens. Greece aims at a solution, not a punishment for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia /FYROM/, said the Spokesperson of the Greek Foreign Ministry Giorgos Koumoutsakos, the Greek Neftemporiki newspaper informs online.
“Greece has been striving for a solution. Now it depends on the other party whether a decision will be reached or not,” the spokesperson added.
Commenting on the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries Dora Bakoyannis and Antonio Milososki on March 21st, Koumoutsakos noted they had an open and frank talk.
“If there is no decision, the government’s position that an invitation is ruled out remains valid,” the spokesperson said.

[Truth Bearer]

Macedonia Name Talks Enter Finale

24 March 2008 Skopje _ Diplomats from Athens and Skopje are to meet Tuesday in New York on what appears to be the last round of UN-sponsored talks in the Macedonia “name” dispute ahead of the key NATO summit.

A quick solution to the dispute would enable Macedonia to avoid a Greek veto of its bid to receive an invitation to join NATO at the alliance's forthcoming summit in Bucharest, which is set to commence on April 2.

After having final consultations with leaders in Skopje, Macedonia’s negotiator in the talks, Nikola Dimitrov, did not specify the instructions given to him on Sunday and simply said that he is travelling to New York with “precise directions.”

“We are still not at a point where a single name is on the table for consideration,” Greek Foreign Minnister Dora Bakoyannis told media the same day, after similar consultations ended in Athens.

Athens objects to Skopje’s use of its constitutional name “Republic of Macedonia” despite the fact that this name has been recognised by more than 120 countries. Greece argues that it could lead Skopje to make territorial claims over its own northern province which is also called Macedonia.

Media in both countries speculate with the names “Republic of Macedonia (Skopje)” and “New Republic of Macedonia” as the most probable solution to the dispute, which the United States is now actively mediating in.

On Friday after a meeting in Brussels hosted by the U.S. Under-Secretary of State Daniel Fried, the Foreign Ministers from both countries declared their readiness to stay committed to finding a solution to the dispute.

A similar meeting between Greek and Macedonian Foreign Ministers is scheduled for Friday in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.

Media in Skopje and Athens have speculated that U.S. President George Bush might bring the leaders of the two countries together for a personal last-ditch attempt to resolve the issue.

They say this could even happen at the NATO summit but only if considerable progress is made in the ongoing talks by then.

The talks between Athens and Skopje on the long-running row, started after Macedonia agreed to enter the UN under the provisional name, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM.

Both sides agreed to stay in talks pending a permanent solution. Greece is obliged not to block its neighbour’s bid to join international institutions such as NATO and the European Union as long as it uses its provisional name.

Copyright BalkanInsight.com 2008

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/8866/

[Astoria]

Greece, Fr. Yugo. Rep. Of Macedonia To Hold Talks
Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 10:29 am
Press Release: United Nations



Greece, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to hold UN-backed talks
24 March 2008 - The United Nations envoy tasked with helping Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia resolve their dispute over the official name of the latter country, will hold talks tomorrow with both sides at the world body's headquarters in New York.

A substantial gap remains between the two parties' positions despite their willingness to continue the process of UN-led negotiations, Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on the issue, said after a round of talks earlier this month.

Since those talks, Mr. Nimetz has met with President Branko Crvenkoski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Skopje's primary negotiator on the issue, Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov in Skopje.

The Envoy has also travelled to Thessaloniki for a meeting with Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, a representative of Greece.

The Interim Accord of 13 September 1995, which was brokered by the UN, details the difference between the two countries regarding the official name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It also obliges the two sides to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to try to reach agreement.

[Astoria]

Greece, FYROMacedonia to continue talks on name issue at UN


www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-25 05:56:33

UNITED NATIONS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The UN envoy tasked with helping Greece and FYROMacedonia resolve their dispute over the official name of the latter country, will hold talks Tuesday with both sides at the world body's headquarters in New York, said a UN spokesperson on Monday.

Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on the issue, will hold continued talks on the "name issue" with the parties Tuesday afternoon at the UN Headquarters, said Michele Montas.

A substantial gap remains between the two parties' positions despite their willingness to continue the process of UN-led negotiations, Nimetz said after a round of talks earlier this month.

FYROMacedonia and its southern neighbor Greece is being engaged in a name dispute which broke out shortly after FYROMacedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Greece has said the country's name, the FYROMacedonia, implies a territorial claim over the northern Greek province of Macedonia and could destabilize the region.

[Tsontos]

From the International Herald Tribune:

FYR Macedonia to end contentious talks with Greece over name if NATO bid vetoed

The Associated Press
Published: March 25, 2008

WASHINGTON: The FYR Macedonian foreign minister threatened to end negotiations with Greece over the former Yugoslav republic's name if FYR Macedonia's southern neighbor vetoes its bid to join NATO.

Antonio Milososki also said Monday that chances are small that a deal on the name can be reached before next week's NATO summit.

Greece has insisted that FYR Macedonia change its name, which it says implies territorial claims on the neighboring province of northern Greece that also is called Macedonia. Greece's greatest hero, Alexander the Great, was Macedonian.

U.N. envoy Matthew Nimetz has invited Greek and FYR Macedonian negotiators to New York for talks on Tuesday. The dispute has simmered for 15 years but is reaching a crisis ahead of the NATO summit at which FYR Macedonia will be considered for membership in the alliance along with Albania and Croatia.

The three countries will require the unanimous support of the alliance's 26 members to join. Greece has repeatedly threatened a veto should the talks fail to agree on a name for FYR Macedonia.

"There is still a small hope to get a deal done before the summit," Milososki told The Associated Press by telephone from Skopje.

But should a failure lead to a Greek veto, FYR Macedonia will not continue with talks.

"It would be senseless," Milososki said.

Greece refers to its neighbor to the north as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM, the name used by the United Nations and other international organizations. More than 120 countries, including the United States, Russia and Canada, have recognized it as Macedonia.

FYR Macedonian media reported last week that Nimetz proposed three new alternative names for FYR Macedonia in the Vienna talks: Republic of Upper Macedonia, New Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Macedonia (Skopje). But Milososki has called for new ideas.

"We are not prepared to accept any change that will undermine the Macedonian national and linguistic identity," he said. "The name of Macedonia is not just a name, but we consider it to be a cornerstone of our national identity."

He says that one issue is whether Greece insists that any solution be used internationally, not just in relations between the two countries.

Milososki said that FYR Macedonia has not ruled out a broader change that would include the name used in international organizations.

"We will be prepared to consider something that we can consider dignified, reasonable and not undermining our basic rights and identity," he said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/...nia-Greece.php

[Astoria]

Greece, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to hold UN-backed talks

24 March 2008 – The United Nations envoy tasked with helping Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia resolve their dispute over the official name of the latter country, will hold talks tomorrow with both sides at the world body’s headquarters in New York.
A substantial gap remains between the two parties’ positions despite their willingness to continue the process of UN-led negotiations, Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on the issue, said after a round of talks earlier this month.

Since those talks, Mr. Nimetz has met with President Branko Crvenkoski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Skopje’s primary negotiator on the issue, Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov in Skopje.

The Envoy has also travelled to Thessaloniki for a meeting with Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, a representative of Greece.

The Interim Accord of 13 September 1995, which was brokered by the UN, details the difference between the two countries regarding the official name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It also obliges the two sides to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to try to reach agreement.

[Astoria]

FYROMacedonia name issue talks intensify as deadline looms
13:15 Tue 25 Mar 2008 - Alex Bivol

FYROMacedonia and Greece will step up talks to settle their protracted dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name as Nato's summit in Bucharest looms ever closer.

Matthew Nimetz, the United Nations special envoy on the "name issue", will meet with Greek ambassador to the UN Adamantios Vassilakis and FYROMacedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov at the UN headquarters in New York on March 25.

Nimetz is expected to brief the media on the progress of negotiations after the meeting, Michèle Montas, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told reporters a day earlier in comments published on the UN website.

The encounter comes hot on the heels of last week's face-to-face meeting between Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and her FYROMacedonian counterpart Antonio Milososki in Brussels, attended by United States deputy secretary of state Daniel Fried.

The two ministers are expected to hold their next round of talks later this week, during the informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brdo, held on March 28/29.

FYROMacedonia, which Greece and UN call the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (FYROM), hopes to be invited to join Nato at the Bucharest summit on April 2/4. Greece has threatened to veto Skopje's application unless the name issue is settled.

[Astoria]

Greece, FYROMacedonia Continue Talks over Name Issue



A large province in northern Greece
is called Macedonia, and this is the
main cause over the dispute over the
constitutional name of the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

25 March 2008, Tuesday
Diplomats from Athens and Skopje are to meet Tuesday in New York for the last round of UN-sponsored talks over the FYROMacedonia name dispute ahead of the key NATO summit in Bucharest next week

The dispute over FYROMacedonia's name has simmered for 15 years but is reaching a crisis ahead of the summit, at which FYROMacedonia hopes to be invited for membership along with Albania and Croatia.

A quick solution to the dispute would let FYROMacedonia avoid a Greek veto of its bid to invitation at the meeting on April 2.

On Friday after a meeting in Brussels hosted by the US Under-Secretary of State Daniel Fried, the Foreign Ministers of both countries declared they continue to stay committed to finding a quick solution to the dispute.

According to Greek authorities, the name "Republic of Macedonia" implies a territorial claim over the northern Greek province of Macedonia and could destabilize the region.