Greek defence minister: no ratification for Macedonia deal

The head of the Greek government’s junior coalition partner said Tuesday he will not allow a deal the country recently made with neighboring Macedonia over the latter’s name to be ratified until it has voter approval, either through general elections or a referendum.

The statements by Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, who is the head of the right-wing Independent Greeks party, indicate he is prepared to bring down the coalition government over the deal that renames Greece’s northern neighbor North Macedonia.

“The deal for me is bad. I do not accept this deal, and I will try to block it,” Kammenos said.

Greece has long objected to use of the term “Macedonia,” saying it implies claims on the Greek province of the same name. The deal reached last month has met with strong objections in both countries, with opponents saying it concedes too much to the other side. Several demonstrations in Greece over the issue have turned violent.

Greece’s parliament is to vote on the deal only after Macedonia has completed all steps required on its part, which includes constitutional changes. Macedonia’s parliament recently ratified the deal, but the country’s conservative president has refused to sign off on it.

Macedonian nationalists cry treason over historic name deal with Greece

Macedonia’s main opposition party has filed treason charges against its prime minister, Zoran Zaev, for agreeing a historic deal with Greece to change his country’s name.

The deal signed last month would see the ex-Yugoslav republic adopt the name North Macedonia, in exchange for Greece lifting its objections to Macedonia launching talks to join the European Union and Nato.

The issue has poisoned relations between the Balkan neighbours since Macedonia gained independence in 1991, because Athens said that its use of the same name as a province in northern Greece implied territorial designs on that area and a claim to the legacy of Alexander the Great, the storied ruler of ancient Macedon.

Western powers have warmly welcomed the deal but it is fiercely opposed by nationalists in Greece and Macedonia, and still faces potentially difficult hurdles in both countries before it can come into force.

Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev (right) with Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Vienna

The nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party said it had filed charges including treason and abuse of office against Mr Zaev, his foreign minister Nikola Dimitrov and parliamentary speaker Talat Xhaferi “and all those deputies who voted for this capitulatory, unconstitutional and unlawful agreement with Greece”.

Deputies from VMRO-DPMNE – which was ousted last year after a decade in power – abstained from a parliamentary vote on Thursday in which the deal was approved for a second time.

Presidential refusal
President Gjorge Ivanov, an ally of the nationalists, refused to sign the deal after it was first ratified last month.

After the second vote he cannot legally block the agreement but he is likely to maintain his refusal to sign it, stoking political tension ahead of a referendum on the name change that is expected to be held in late September or early October.

The referendum will be hotly contested, and the deal also obliges Mr Zaev to pass changes to the Macedonian constitution, a move that requires a bigger majority than he currently enjoys in parliament.

The deal has split the governing coalition in Greece, where prime minister Alexis Tsipras must also secure backing for the agreement from a deeply divided parliament.

During a debate in the chamber last month, a deputy from the far-right Golden Dawn urged the military to stage a coup and arrest Greece’s leaders to prevent the deal going through; he has since been expelled from the party and charged with treason.

By contrast, the EU, US and most of the countries’ neighbours have hailed the agreement, and Macedonia hopes to receive a formal invitation to start membership talks with Nato at its summit next week.

US vice-president Mike Pence congratulated Mr Zaev and Mr Tsipras by telephone on Thursday evening, and praised their leadership and courage in reaching a deal that he said would strengthen peace and stability in the Balkans.

Macedonian president adamantly against name deal with Greece

SKOPJE, MACEDONIA — Macedonia's president is insisting that he will not sign off on a deal with Greece to change his country's name, even after parliament ratified the agreement for a second time.

Gjorge Ivanov says the deal for Macedonia to be renamed "North Macedonia" is unconstitutional. The conservative main opposition party to which he belongs also opposes the agreement, saying it concedes too much to Greece,

A press release from Ivanov's office Friday said his position "will not be changed by any pressure, blackmail and threats."

Under Macedonia's constitution, Ivanov can only reject legislation approved by parliament once. But he must approve it if lawmakers back it again — as happened on Thursday with the name deal.

However, Ivanov might indefinitely delay signing off on the deal, triggering a constitutional crisis.

Macedonia ratifies name deal with Greece for 2nd time

The Macedonian parliament ratified for the second time an agreement signed with Greece to change the former's name after its president temporarily blocked the deal last week.

Sixty-nine out of 120 lawmakers voted in favor of the agreement.

Macedonia’s president announced last week that he would not sign a landmark deal with Greece to change his country’s name after the Macedonian parliament ratified an agreement on June 20.

Speaking in parliament in Skopje, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov on Thursday said: "The agreement does not harm Macedonia's identity and language, but rather strengthens it as never before."

"According to the law, after this vote President Gjorge Ivanov is obliged to sign the agreement. The statement Ivanov made on the agreement is not true," Dimitrow said.

On June 17, Greece and its northern neighbor signed a historic accord on renaming Macedonia, ending a long-standing dispute between the two countries.

The deal proposes changing Macedonia's name to the Republic of North Macedonia and will enable Greece to lift its veto on Macedonia's EU and NATO accession.

Greece, both a NATO and EU member, has long opposed Macedonia’s official name, as it has a region by the same name in the north of its country.

Due to Athens’ veto, the dispute has been one of the main obstacles to Macedonia’s ambitions to join NATO and the EU.

Negotiations between Macedonia and Greece had recently stepped up, as the new government in Skopje sought progress in its bid to join NATO and the EU.

Despite the dispute between Athens and Skopje, many countries, including Turkey, recognize the country as Macedonia. 

Macedonia getting closer to solving name row with Greece

Macedonia has never been closer to solving its 25-year name row with Greece, but even if it fails Skopje will continue to integrate with Europe, its premier says.

“I believe that we have never had better circumstances to find a complete solution that will last for centuries and will remain forever,” Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told AFP in an interview.

The long-running name dispute between Macedonia and EU-member Greece dates back to 1991 when Skopje declared independence following the collapse of communist Yugoslavia.

Athens objects to Macedonia’s name because it has its own northern province called Macedonia, and fears it may imply territorial ambitions.

“If the dispute is not solved, the world will not end,” Zaev said.

“We will bring Europe here to Skopje (the capital). And we will push an European agenda one way or another.”

Because of the dispute, Macedonia was forced to join the United Nations under the name the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Greek veto threats have also hampered Skopje’s bid to become a member of the European Union and the NATO military alliance.

UN mediated talks to settle the row have resumed since Zaev’s Social Democrats won elections last year, ousting the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party of Nikola Gruevski after more than ten years in power.

The negotiations have made progress after Macedonia agreed in February to change the name of the capital’s Alexander the Great airport to Skopje International Airport, in a goodwill gesture to Greece.
Macedonia had also been accused of appropriating symbols and figures that are historically considered part of Greek culture, such as Alexander the Great.

The motorway linking Macedonia with Greece was also renamed the Friendship Highway.
Zaev said he was “satisfied” that “a huge part of the issues” between Macedonia and Greece had been solved and that he was optimistic about a final deal.

He has previously said an agreement could be reached by the summer. However, the 43-year-old declined to go into details about the ongoing talks, saying “it could destroy the entire process.”
Earlier this week the European Commission recommended opening EU accession talks with Skopje, an EU candidate since 2005, in a development Zaev described as “encouraging.”

“This is a message of open doors. That is very important for Macedonia,” he said, adding that more than 75 percent of Macedonians are in favor of the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.
However, “that does not mean that we should not improve cooperation with other countries, including the Russian Federation,” Zaev said.

Russia has openly objected to the aspirations of fellow Slavic countries in the Balkans to join NATO, most recently when Montenegro became a member in mid-2017.

“I want to improve cooperation with Russia,” Zaev said.

“(But) the Russian Federation should know that for us there is no alternative to NATO and the European Union. We will remain focused on that path. That is our absolute right, our expectation and how we view the future of this country and the people that live here.”

Time for Macedonia to End the ‘Name’ Negotiations with Greece

By Oxford Professor James Pettifer - A personal view of the "name dispute" between Macedonia and Greece: Macedonia must end the name negotiations.
As a sovereign nation, Macedonia must end the name negotiations because there is never a right time to resolve an issue in which one country/ethnic group does not recognize the other's right to exist.”
— Professor James Pettifer

OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM, April 22, 2018   In a speech on April 15th, 2018, as reported in the Athens newspaper ‘Kathimerini’, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Greece and Turkey to improve their relations and also stated that their current difficulties which have led to a military fatality last week are not a matter for NATO. At first sight this is a reasonable point of view, from a distinguished international figure and is a view that should be respected. But it is also bound to raise the issue in people’s minds, ’What is NATO actually for’ when two NATO members in the eastern Mediterranean region may be edging towards a wider conflict, in the view of many observers. It is against this background that the hapless Macedonian and Greek Foreign Ministers are continuing their weary rigmarole of staged meetings, where all that is on the table are a series of name possibilities, most of which have been around for ten years of more, and all of which offend major opinion constituencies in both countries.

If tensions were lower in the region, perhaps all this would not matter very much. Diplomats are the talkers of the international world and they need to find something to discuss. But the name issue is not that at the moment. The link to possible NATO membership is presented as a panacea to the Macedonian publics, where everyone with detailed knowledge of the situation on the ground sees that this is not the case. The country has been close to NATO for many years. Personally I remember interviewing the late President Kiro Gligorov back in 1994 when the Kosovo crisis was developing and I asked him what his policy would be if it worsened and refugee flows began in a future crisis. He replied that in the end Macedonia would have little option but to cooperate with NATO, and it did so, to the great credit of the people, with huge camps being opened at places like Cegrane to accommodate those fleeing war.

In the post-conflict period, the country has also had a good relationship with NATO, particularly by contributing infantry to international coalitions. So NATO has little to complain about in terms of the Macedonian contribution to the war against terrorism and international security. Policies of this kind can surely carry on under any future Macedonian government if that is what the people wish. The intense pressure being applied to the elite in Macedonia to change the name to secure full EU and NATO membership is not only morally bankrupt but also destabilising in terms of regional relationships.

The back ground to the NATO and EU pressure is also unpleasant in other ways. The two countries are being treated like adolescents, by the ‘grown ups’ that belong to the EU and NATO when in fact a good deal has been done quietly, bilaterally, to improve relations. People from the Republic of Macedonia travel on vacation to Greece and do business without difficulty, people from Greece are visiting centres like Ohrid and have a pleasant time and are made welcome. There are, however, significant human rights issues relating to the use of the Macedonian language, and cultural politics in northern Greece, and these must be dealt with. Remember that the European Court of Human Rights, European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, and the United Nations itself, have repeatedly demanded that Greece (and Bulgaria) immediately recognize their large Macedonian minorities - as Macedonians - and end the persecution of them. Basic recognition of an ethnic group's basic human rights is an obvious way to improve relations, not worsen them as Greece and Bulgaria claim.

I started to travel and study in Macedonia and the region over thirty years ago, after making my first visit to Skopje in 1968 as an Oxford student to help with post-earthquake reconstruction work. I remember the fallen churches and minarets across the streets lying as piles of rubble as if it was yesterday.

Over those many years the governments in Macedonia have a good deal to be proud of, and many recent achievements have been forgotten by the ever-scheming international elite diplomats of the West and their spin doctors. For instance, the government of Gruevski and VMRO-DPMNE navigated the international banking crisis far better than Greece did, with a prudent policy that certainly negatively affected living standards but also brought stability. A strong central government was necessary to do this. That fact has been completely elided from current discussions. There are other injustices. The Berlin pressure to take thousands of economic migrants is particularly unjust given that German policy caused the migration crisis in the first place.

How should the ending of the talks be achieved? Macedonian governments hear more than enough from non-Macedonians about what should be done, particularly from international figures whose real loyalties may lie elsewhere. I am reluctant to comment but it seems to me the best way is, as a sovereign and free nation, that the Republic of Macedonia end the name negotiations because there is never a right time to resolve an issue in which one country/ethnic group does not recognize the other's right to exist. This is a point made by Macedonian Human Rights Movement International's Our Name Is Macedonia campaign.

Macedonia and Greece, instead, can continue the steady ongoing process of improving relations, on a case by case basis. Also, in my opinion, given the unfortunate background of foreign interference in Macedonia, a central factor in the current crisis, the government should not be slow to declare people persona non grata and remove their diplomatic or other visas if they can be shown to have been acting contrary to the interests of the country. If there are people within the upper reaches of the current government who would also fall into that category, well, that is an issue for the Macedonian people, not foreigners, to decide how to act.

--- Professor James Pettifer is the author of eleven books on the post-Ottoman Balkans and teaches at Oxford University, UK

Constitutional name more important than EU, NATO accession: polls

Preserving the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia turns to be more important for citizens than country’s accession in the EU and NATO, state the results of a poll conducted by the Macedonian European Affairs Directorate, the online edition of Greek Naftemporikireports.

66.5% of the respondents have backed the constitutional name of Republic of Macedonia, while 26.2% think that the accession in the European-Atlantic structures is more important.
There is serious difference in the answers mainly depending on the ethnic origin of the people inquired. 

For instance, 82.1% of the Slavomacedonians think the name is more important that the EU and NATO, while 77.8% of the Albanians point at the integration in the two organizations, Naftemporiki informs.

The poll was conducted as a phone survey on July 3-4 among 1,100 people.

Greek citizens travel to Macedonia, Bulgaria for gasoline, cigarettes....

Hundreds of Greeks travel daily across the border to neighboring Bulgaria and Macedonia to obtain gasoline, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and many other products at lower prices, reads Greek daily "Agelioforos".

The successive increase of excise tax and VAT in Greece has opened the price range on these products, leading consumers and professionals from many border areas (Kilkis, Serres, Drama, Evros, etc.) to focus on markets in Bulgaria and Macedonia, not only to obtain gasoline and supermarket items, and even to buy cigarettes and drinks.

The price difference of unleaded gas between Greece and Bulgaria reaches 40 cents per liter or up to 20 euros for the whole tank.

Cigarettes in Macedonia are 50% cheaper, with a box costing 16 euros compared to 38 in Greece.

Alcoholic beverages differences are smaller and do not exceed 5-6 euros per bottle, but it is enough to drive professionals on the other side of the border to buy whiskey, vodka, etc.

Losses to the Greek state are huge, as only three stations in Svilengrad, 5 km from the Greek-Bulgarian border, last weekend formed queues of cars from Greece putting 150,000 liters of unleaded gas, with losses for the Greek state funds in excess of 150,000 euros, reads the newspaper.

Belgium Aims To Help Resolve Macedonia-Greece Deadlock

The Belgian EU presidency is willing to help facilitate an agreement between Macedonia and Greece on the name dispute in order to make the start of accession talks between Skopje and Brussels possible.


“Belgium will endeavor to seek an agreement to start accession negotiations,” Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today. Leterme made the remarks while presenting the priorities of his government for its six month presidency of the EU.


This readiness to help Macedonia on its European path was also expressed on Tuesday when Leterme met in Brussels with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski.


Leterme said that his government would attempt in coming weeks and months to negotiate in coordination with Matthew Nimetz, the UN mediator for the name dispute. “I sincerely hope that with the initiative of the Belgian presidency we can promote a solution,” Macedonian media quoted Leterme as saying after his meeting with Gruevski. “People deserve this and Europe deserves this,” he added.


Athens and Skopje are locked in a long lasting spat over the use of the name Macedonia. Athens insists that Skopje’s official name, Republic of Macedonia, implies territorial claims over its own northern province, which is also called Macedonia.


Athens blocked Skopje’s invitation to join NATO in 2008 and has stalled its efforts to join the EU over the unresolved row.


Gruevski, speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, said that many things depend on the steps that will be undertaken by the Greek government, Macedonian media report.


“We don’t want to insist that we are either optimists or pessimists, but we want to find a solution through a process that is led by Mr. Nimetz and we want to continue to search for the solution which would normalize relations with Greece and which would be acceptable for both sides,” Gruevski said.

Athens receives signs from Skopje

Greece hopes that the process for solving the name issue could go forward in view of the signs it receives from the Macedonia government. This is what Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Drucas stated, cited by Macedonian Dnevnik daily. In Drucas’s words the pressure of the international community is currently directed to Skopje.


“Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sends some shy signs that he understands he should change his position if he wants European future for his state. We are here at the negotiation table in UN”, Drucas said.

Macedonia, Greece reiterate commitment to name talks

Macedonia and Greece remain dedicated to continuing their name talks under the mediation of UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou said on Thursday (June 17th), after meeting in Brussels on the sidelines of an EU summit. They reiterated they are ready to find a mutually acceptable solution to the dispute that would not harm the interests of either country. They also discussed problems related to the global economic crisis and the European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts of countries in the region. Earlier in the day, Gruevski met with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele.

Greek optimism for name dispute

I expect a solution to the name dispute between Athens and Skopje soon, Elsa Papadimitriou, a Greek MP from the opposition New Democracy, says in an interview with Deutsche Welle, Macedonian Vecer daily writes.


“I hope and believe the two countries will make progress concerning the geographical attribute to the name Macedonia. This does not endanger anyone and the two states can win much, especially the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” says Papadimitriou.


The article in Vecer daily is titled “Greek optimism for the name issue – solution to the dispute soon?”

Old habits never die

After proving to the Greeks, a hundred times over, that Macedonians do exist and have existed since Neolithic times, or as my friend Tone from Slovenia would say "the Macedonians lived in Macedonia uninterrupted for at least 40,000 if not 70,000 or even 100,000 years!", we still have Greeks "insisting" that Macedonians do not exist and that the only people that can call themselves Macedonians are Greeks who live in Macedonia!


How does one interpret this and what does one make of it? Allow me to say that, the way I see it, Greece and most Greeks have not changed a bit since their Philhellene patrons sent them on their way and gave them their "fake" Modern Greek identity. Greece is like a sailing ship without a rudder and no amount of "wishing" or in this case "providing proof" can change its course or attitude towards the Macedonians. What is truly "changing", especially lately, is not the Greeks but the general population´s understanding of Greece and its treatment of the Macedonians.


Macedonians like me, born and raised in Greece, understand perfectly well where they stand with regards to Greece. What Greece has done to us is so bizarre and unbelievable that even fellow Macedonians from the Republic of Macedonia have difficulty accepting it. Many think we made things up! One of the most hurtful things to hear from them is "it couldn´t have been that bad, could it? Nobody does that to people!"


It took me more than four years to get through to them, to make them understand that our plight in Greece is "real" and that indeed we were treated miserably. Think of it this way; we did not change our personal names voluntarily. We did not rename our place names voluntarily. We did not stop speaking our Macedonian language because we wanted to. We did not drink castor oil voluntarily when we were caught speaking Macedonian. We did not leave our lands and abandon our homes because we felt like it. All these things were forced upon us by Greece, the same Greece which today you call "democratic" and the "cradle of democracy". Yes, people do "bad" things to other people and yes they were done to us Macedonians in Greece!


I suspect that my Macedonian compatriots believed me only because Greece began to show its belligerence towards the Republic of Macedonia. Then ironically, these same people began to tell me their problems with Greece and that Greece had no right to do "bad things" to them, especially since they had done nothing wrong to Greece! All I can say to them now is "welcome to my world"!


It has always been my intention to "inform" the "uninformed" Macedonians and let them know who they are dealing with, with regards to Greece. It has also been my aim to lead the Macedonians away from their "defensive" role of having to "justify themselves and their existence", especially to the Greeks.


The Greeks, through their bizarre and unsubstantiated accusations, have become good at putting Macedonians on the defensive. All the Greeks have to do is say: "Macedonians do not exist", "you are not Macedonians, Macedonians are Greeks", "Tito created the Macedonian identity", "you are Slavs who came to Macedonia during the 6th century AD", "you are communists", "you are autonomists", "you are Skopjans", "you are filthy Gypsies", "you are Bulgarians", "you are Fyromians", etc. and you can be sure that, instead of walking away, Macedonians will take the defensive and respond to the accusations!


After being "shocked" by such ridiculous claims, Macedonians immediately take the defensive and, in spite of the ridiculousness of the claims, try to prove the opposite. Using factual and historical information they again and again prove to the Greeks that "yes Macedonians do exist" and here is the evidence in history books, gravestones, old newspapers, etc., which proves it. Unfortunately there is never enough "proof" or evidence to satisfy the Greek desire.


It has been my experience that Greeks "couldn´t care less" if God himself stood before them and testified that "Yes Macedonians do exist and here they are!" because the Greeks are not after "finding proof". They just want Macedonians to "go off on tangents" and idly spin their wheels. That way they can control what Macedonians do!


I have personally watched Greeks demand proof of the Macedonians for over forty years and from what I have learned from history, they have been doing this for over two centuries. It has always been a "Greek ploy" to put Macedonians on the defensive because Greeks know that this way they can control the Macedonians! But I believe it is more complicated than that. I believe it is also an assimilation method, a technique of turning Macedonians into Greeks. No matter how much "proof" Macedonians produce, it is never enough! So there is a tendency for people to simply "give up", accepting that the Greeks may be right and that Macedonians indeed may not exist!


You see, besides making the "existence of Macedonians" very elusive and impossible to prove, Greeks have made it easier for people to believe that they are "Greeks" because no Greek will ever question or ask a Macedonian for "proof" or ridicule them if they say they are "Greek"!


Seeking acceptance from the Greeks (I don´t know why people would want it but they do) is not "the be all and end all" of our problems as some people may think. But it does have its benefits. Seeking proof of their existence forces Macedonians to think and learn more about themselves, which has been of great benefit to me.


Macedonia´s enemies had an entire century to distort Macedonia´s history and to prove to the world that Macedonians don´t exist, implying that the only heirs of the Macedonian heritage are the Greeks, Serbians, Bulgarians and Albanians. But to do this they had to use lies and deception and now that Macedonians appeared literally "out of nowhere" Macedonia´s enemies are stunned and don´t know what to say so they continue with their policy of denial insisting that, in spite of the "Macedonian presence" before them, Macedonians still don´t exist!


But, as long as Macedonians "keep taking the bait" over and over and assuming a "defensive" role, they will never break the "Greek shackles"! The Greeks "have the Macedonians where they want them" and no amount of proof will convince the Greeks to release them because frankly that is not their aim!


That is why it has been my mission to take this "war of words" away from the Greeks and deploy it in a new strategy;


(1) Continue to expose Greek (and Bulgarian) lies and propaganda about the Macedonians, and


(2) Open a new front and expose the Greek lies about themselves.


If Macedonians want to "play" on a "level playing field" with the Greeks then they must learn to go beyond always taking the defensive and once in a while take the offensive and "challenge" the Greeks regarding the validity of their identity!






By now all my readers should know that the Greeks are a "fake" identity, artificially created by the Western Philhellenes and, in spite of their lies and falsehood, they still have the "upper hand" on the Macedonians! Why is that?


Macedonians have no defense against this because as long as they continue to take the defensive, Greeks will lead them and take them where they want them to go! Case in point; "name negotiations"! We all know Greece couldn´t care less about "the name" it only cares to "destroy the Macedonian identity" but here we are "negotiating" about "the name" because Greece led us to this!


Greeks will continue to lie and deny the Macedonian right to exist as long as the Macedonians let them, as they have done in the past. The best defense for Macedonians is to take control of the situation away from the Greeks and themselves lead this "war of words". Macedonians must learn to demand from the Greeks what the Greeks demand of them. Macedonians must challenge the "Greek right to existence" as the Greeks have done to the Macedonians!


There was "never" a need to reply to Greek demands for "proof" of our God given right to exist!


Since Macedonians are challenged on this subject, they now have the right to challenge the Greeks right back and demand of them "proof" of their existence.


Let us demand of them, what they have demanded of us for years, to "prove" that they are Greeks! Let´s attack their "Greek identity" as they have attacked ours.


It is only fair that we deliver to the Greeks what they have been delivering to us for over a century!


I also have a warning for all Macedonians to "beware" of "Greeks" and "Bulgarians" bearing gifts. Our enemies have consolidated their forces and have invaded our space. They come dressed in Macedonian clothing, call themselves "Macedonians", speak the words we want to hear and are all around us but we cannot see them for who they are! Their motives are to divide and weaken us, to take our power away from us. So please be vigilant, trust no one and always be suspicious of everyone. This is not a joke. If we are to survive we need to look beyond what is before us; we need to be able to spot a Trojan horse and to foresee and understand the consequences associated with "offers" being made to us! Words are cheep; we need to look beyond the "sweet patriotic" words whispered in our ears!


If Greece and Bulgaria will go as far as "publicly" denying our existence then you can´t even imagine how far they will go "privately" to do us harm in every possible way!


Greece and Bulgaria are prepared to offer Macedonia entry into the European Union, if the Macedonians voluntarily change their own country´s God given name. So what is wrong with "changing" your country´s name "just a little bit", they ask? You will still be Macedonians. Right?


Why should Macedonians do that? How is changing their own name going to benefit the Macedonians? What will be the consequences and what will the Macedonians face in the future if they do that? And most importantly, how will this benefit Greece, since Greece, our worst enemy, is the only country asking for this?


If it were up to me I would not do anything Greece asks of me because I don´t trust Greece, as my experience has shown, "nothing good for the Macedonians has ever come out Greece"! In fact, I am willing to go a step further and say that Greece has been the "worst" tormentor of the Macedonian people in Macedonia´s history!


If we rush into things because we are being challenged and put on the defensive by Greece, we will make "regrettable" mistakes.


The fact that Macedonian authorities today are in the process of "negotiating" with Greece over our name IS one such "regrettable" mistake.


It is imperative that we think very carefully before we act and be suspicious of any and all offers put before us, especially by our enemies, so that in the future we can avoid being trapped! And if we want to eliminate any risk of "making even a bigger mistake" we need to "stop" the "negotiations" with Greece NOW and immediately withdraw from these talks.


If Greece has made it its mission to destroy the Macedonian identity, what makes you think Greece will stop "if we give in a little" on our God given name?


If there is pressure from the International Community to "settle" the so-called "name dispute" as soon as possible and if Macedonian authorities do "give in" to this pressure, what makes you think this same International Community will not come back in the future again and again pressuring Macedonia to make more concessions?


The "world" usually follows "precedents" and once a "precedent" is set, Macedonia, even by another name, will have no choice but to "give in" to International pressure again and again because "Macedonia by another name" will be known as the country that "gives in" to demands. And what will "Macedonia by another name" gain by giving up its God given biblical name? Will it gain entry into the dysfunctional European Union, a union which may or may not exist in the next five years? It may or may not but are the sacrifices worth it?


Living in the Diaspora, I cannot even imagine the humiliation that Macedonians will have to endure from the Greeks, Bulgarians and their supporters if Macedonia changes its name. And what will our ancestors, who spilled blood to defend our Macedonia, say if they could speak? Will they approve of this change?


Countries like Greece and Bulgaria, which refuse to recognize the Macedonian identity, could not possibly have anything good to offer the Macedonians.


Greece and Bulgaria will continue to lie and deceive the world about the Macedonians because it is in their best interest to do so. So it us up to us Macedonians to not only expose their lies and deceit but to also expose their "motives" towards us, our lands and our country. And as a friend recently reminded me, "Greeks and Bulgarians" or rather "Grkomani and Bulgaromani" have become friends not because they want to partition the Republic of Macedonia in some future time. They have become friends because "they have already agreed to partition the Republic of Macedonia"! It will only be a matter of time if we let them!

There is hope for name dispute solution, says Macedonian PM

UN Special Representative for the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece, Matthew Nimetz, intensified actions and contacts with the two countries, which raises hopes that the issue might be solved, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said, as cited by Macedonian Vecer daily.
Gruevski’s statement comes as a respond to the thesis of Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere, who believes that the name row will be solved in several weeks.
“We keep regular contact with Greek Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou so as to improve the situation and the relations between the two countries and to create favorable grounds for UN mediator Matthew Nimetz to make a proposal that is acceptable for both parties,” Gruevski remarked.

Macedonia ready for solution to name dispute

THE FORMER Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is ready to resolve the name dispute with Greece that has kept the Balkan country out of Nato as long as the solution does not undermine FYROM national identity, President Gjorge Ivanov said on June 21.


The dispute dates from FYROM’s 1991 independence from Yugoslavia. Greece says use of the name Macedonia implies territorial claims on its own region with the same name, and has blocked FYROM’s efforts to join Nato since 2008 while threatening to do the same at the European Union.


“We need a compromise in which there will be no winners and losers and which will be equally acceptable for all citizens. We are ready to reach such a solution,” Ivanov told reporters after holding talks with Czech counterpart Vaclav Klaus, who was in Skopje on a two-day visit.


“Macedonia [FYROM] is ready to reach a solution that would be mutually acceptable,” Ivanov said.

Name issue to be solved within few week

Forthcoming Belgium EU Presidency has information that the name issue would be solved within next few weeks. This is what Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere stated, cited by Macedonian Vecer daily.


“I held meetings with top officials in the field of the foreign policy. They are all clear that discretion in talks is in high importance in order representatives of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to take a decision. We have to be discreet and it is something that would be solved in next few weeks. I would not make statements that could impede the process, but I believe a decision would be found”, Mr. Vanackere said.

Gruevski expects proposal in May for surpassing name dispute, acceptable for both parties

PM Nikola Gruevski expects UN mediator Matthew Nimetz in May to give concrete proposal or set of ideas for surpassing the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia.


- We are ready for active participation in all preparations because as far as I know the mediator is listened with two negotiators and exchanges opinions and ideas. I hope that in May he will give proposal which will be acceptable for both parties and mainly for the Republic of Macedonia, the party which is mostly pressured and is in most unfavorable situation with this problem, PM Gruevski said in Krusevo at cornerstone laying ceremony of power transformer station for electrification of “St. Preobrazenie” monastery in Krusevo.


Asked to comment the latest public opinion poll conducted by “Societas Civilis” Institute for Democracy at Ministry of Defence’s request, which showed that over 80% of citizens oppose change of name for NATO membership, Gruevski said that he had no special comment and that the situation is not new because it was repeated several times so far.


- As government we remain fully committed in finding resolution to name dispute, which will unblock EU and NATO membership talks, but in a way, which will be acceptable for all citizens in the Republic of Macedonia and mainly for the Macedonians who are mostly concerned, Gruevski said.


- It means that it is about fundamental issue for the citizens and it is hard to sell something that endangers national and state interests. Because of this as government and as political party we are strongly focusing on finding solution that will not endanger national and state interests and citizens to be able to accept it on a referendum, Gruevski said.


He said that regardless if someone considers the solution acceptable or not, and whether it is good or bad, the citizens will have the final word at the referendum. That’s why in the negotiations and talks we are trying to obtain better proposal which will be acceptable and we are not looking for a solution at any price aimed at causing unnecessary expenses with the possible referendum, Gruevski said.

PM Gruevski Dislikes 'Republic of Northern Macedonia'

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has declared himself against renaming his state “Republic of Northern Macedonia.


Gruevski has expressed his position with respect to the latest solution put forth by Greece to the dispute between Greece and Macedonia about the name of the latter.


“If there is a proposal in favor of “Republic of Northern Macedonia,” if this name is presented to the UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, I am going to hold a referendum on it. If you are asking about my personal opinion, I am going to vote against it,” said Macedonian PM Gruevski in an interview for the Macedonian TV channel Sitel as cited by BTA.


The notorious name dispute between FYROM and Greece has pushed the latter to block Macedonia’s accession to NATO and the EU. Greece is uneasy about its northern neighbor using the name “Republic of Macedonia” because much of Northern Greece is an administrative region called Macedonia after the historic and geographic region where it is located.

Greeks and Bulgarians -Yesterday's bitter enemies today's best friends

Just recently someone handed me a Bulgarian newspaper and pointed to the headline; "Bulgarian-Greek Cultural event" with the Bulgarian flag on the left and the Greek flag on the right. Wow! I never thought that in my lifetime I would see the words "Bulgarian", "Greek" and "together" in a friendly way in the same sentence. The world is indeed changing and from what I gather, for the better. I hope!


The article went on to say:


"The event was organized by Cosmos Translations Inc and the Marketing Department of the OTN Greek Television Network, from the Greek side, and by the newspaper ´Bulgarian Flame´ and ´Balkanto´ from the Bulgarian side.


The two groups of Canadian-Bulgarians and Greek-Canadians had the opportunity to discuss ways and means to enhance their cultural presence in the Greater Toronto area.


The event was attended also by the Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto Mr. Kamen Dikov and his wife and by some other prominent business personalities. Between them we discerned Tom Michalopoulos, (president of Coffee Time and other franchises) and his wife, Loui Masouras, as well as a representative of the Canadian Bulgarian Business Alliance (CBBA).


We hope that this meeting will be followed by many more, for the purpose of enhancing and enriching the cultural presence of both communities in Toronto and beyond."


(The story appeared in the January 22, 2010 issue of the "Bulgarian Flame" Toronto based Bulgarian newspaper.


I know a lot of you are saying, "What´s the big deal?" So a bunch of Greeks got together with a bunch of Bulgarians and had a good time. So what!


Well I grew up in Greece and as far as I am concerned the Greek educational system and Greek society in general taught me not to trust Bulgarians. Bulgarians, according to some Greeks, are allegedly the worst kind of humans to exist on this planet. I even heard from older generations that the Bulgarians are terrible "one-eyed" monsters to be avoided at any cost. So, for me at least, to see this kind of acceptance and friendship between Greeks and Bulgarians is somewhat of a miracle. If this is possible then perhaps there is hope that there will be acceptance of Macedonians and they too will have friendly relations with the Greeks and Bulgarians because, after all, they are a common link between Greeks and Bulgarians. Greece and Bulgaria became "worst enemies" over Macedonia, so what´s wrong with them becoming "best friends" because of Macedonia?


Greece and Bulgaria were indifferent to each other for many years, that is, until they both began looking to annex Macedonian territories. Then in 1913 they fought one another in pitch battles over who was going to get more of Macedonia. That fight continued all through the Second Balkan War, World Wars I and II and by the 1950´s they became fanatic bitter enemies. In fact, if I remember my history correctly, when Bulgaria capitulated in 1913, after fighting Romania, Ottoman Turkey, Serbia and Greece, it handed Sofia over to Romania because it did not want the Greeks to set foot on it fearing the Greeks would slaughter the entire population to the last man, woman and child. And now you tell me they are best friends? Who would have thought?


There is no rhyme or reason for the Greeks and Bulgarians to be best friends now, just like that. Being the suspicious kind that I am, I thought there had to be more. Historically, the only time Greeks and Bulgarians came even close to being friends was when they needed each other and had mutual interests at stake.


In the early 1900´s they both wanted Macedonian territories but could not individually defeat the Ottoman Empire to get them. So at some point in time they must have realized that it was more beneficial to both to be allies instead of enemies. Greece and Bulgaria must have realized that they could successfully defeat the Ottoman Empire only if they put their combined effort together. So they became friends and the first thing they did in July 1910, was to reconcile their "Church" differences between the Bulgarian Exarchate and the Greek Patriarchate, two bitter enemies who had fought to the death.


Their friendship unfortunately only lasted as long as they had a common enemy, the Ottomans, but as soon as the Ottomans were driven out of Macedonia they again became bitter enemies and fought each other for a bigger piece of Macedonia. So excuse me for being the suspicious type but I bet you this "new" so-called "Greek" – "Bulgarian friendship" has something to do with "Macedonia".


You see Serbia too was a "partner" who benefited from Macedonia´s partition in 1913. But with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the late 1980´s, Serbia lost its share and that part of Macedonia became the independent Republic of Macedonia in 1991. So you can bet the Greeks and Bulgarians "need each other" because very soon they will be facing the Macedonian people, from whom they stole parts of Macedonian territories and who will be wanting them back. You can see at least one reason why Greeks and Bulgarians are consolidating their forces, right?


Both Greece and Bulgaria are new countries artificially spawned in the 19th century by the Great Powers, created from the remnants of the failing Ottoman Empire. Neither deserves the Macedonian territories they were given in 1912, 1913 when they illegally invaded, occupied and partitioned Macedonia by force and without the consent of the Macedonian people. I guess they know that too, that is why they need each other now more than ever not only to fight back against the Macedonians but also to cover up the atrocities they committed against them over the years. "Greece will be a witness for Bulgaria and cover up the misdeeds the Bulgarians have committed against the Macedonians if Bulgaria will be a witness for Greece and cover up its misdeeds and hopefully they both will come out unscathed", so they think!


Greeks, Bulgarians and generally most people of the Balkans are often described by outsiders as people who behave "irrationally". Unfortunately this often quoted "irrational" behaviour has never been explained other than being called a "typical Balkan behaviour". Well there are reasons for such behaviour which usually point to guilt. Macedonians, and by that I mean the "real Macedonians" not the "Greek-Macedonians" or "Bulgarian-Macedonians", do not behave "irrationally" nor do they need to because their conscience is clear.


Macedonians have not stolen other peoples´ lands; they have not committed atrocities and genocide and have not prohibited other people from speaking their language or from freely asserting their national and ethnic sentiments. The Greeks and Bulgarians, on the other hand, have stolen Macedonian lands, have committed atrocities and genocide and have prohibited other people, especially the Macedonians, from expressing their national and ethnic consciousness so they do have many reasons to be nervous about and this nervousness manifests itself in "irrational behaviour" which is obviously noticed by outsiders. When you speak of such "behaviour" please do not include the "real Macedonians" as they already have enough problems to worry about without being labeled neurotic, irrational, obsessed and all the terms used to describe the others.






So if you are like me and find it difficult to believe that "bitter old enemies" can suddenly, out of the blue, become "new best friends" then you are in good company.


So what exactly is the "real reason" for Greeks and Bulgarians coming together in this friendly manner? Is this another "historic friendship of convenience" or what?


Again, I hope I am wrong about this and that this "new Greek-Bulgarian friendship" is genuine because the world can use a lot less violence and more "love" between nations. But as I said before, being the suspicious kind, I don´t believe it to be so. In fact there is a trend nowadays, not only in the Balkans but also in all of Europe, where nations and people are becoming more "nationalistic" and violent so I find it difficult to view this new relationship as "genuine".


One might argue that this new found love between Greeks and Bulgarians is taking place in Canada and has nothing to do with Greece and Bulgaria but let me tell you "nothing" happens anywhere without the approval of "mother Greece" and "mother Bulgaria", especially this "friendship" between the two! And there is more.


I have also noticed that this "love affair" is not limited to Bulgarians and Greeks but extends to other "bitter rivals" the "Grkomani and Bulgaromani" (Macedonians who think they are Greeks or Bulgarians and work against the Macedonian cause).


Macedonians beware of "Grkomani" and "Bulgaromani" bearing gifts which they may have bought with your money. Speaking of money, there is nothing more disgusting than your "worst enemies" pretending to be your best friends, soliciting money from you and then using it against you"! Yes you heard me right!


So again Macedonians, of the "real kind", beware of to whom you donate your money because it potentially could be used against you!


Since the Republic of Macedonia became an independent country in 1991, the world has been watching and taking notice. I expect people will soon be asking "we thought Macedonians did not exist, where did all these Macedonians come from?" What will the Greeks and Bulgarians, who have been speaking for the Macedonians for the last one-hundred years, say then? Tito created them? They are disgruntled Greeks? They are Serbia-nized Bulgarians? And who is going to believe that?


So you can see the reasons why Greeks and Bulgarians need to get together and "get their stories straight" and what better way to do that than to start by being best friends. You don´t have to believe me about this, all you have to do is read your history and you will find much "precedence" for this kind of behaviour between Greeks and Bulgarians, especially when it comes to Macedonia and the non-existent Macedonians!


There is another angle to this, a more sinister angle, which involves Greece and Bulgaria again joining forces to occupy and partition the Republic of Macedonia. They did this in 1912 and 1913 and it worked well for them. Why not do it again?


Greece already claims Macedonia belongs to it and that the Macedonian territories up to ancient Paeonia have always been Greek. Bulgaria has also made similar claims since the San Stefano Treaty was signed, so why not act on those claims? Who is going to stop them?


Think of it this way. What is better for Greece and Bulgaria? (a) Risking being discovered and punished for "stealing" Macedonian lands, committing major atrocities against the Macedonian people and having to pay for all this including giving back all the Macedonian territories to the Macedonian people, or (b) Invading, occupying and annexing the Republic of Macedonia and thus solving the "Macedonian Question" once and for all, or at least until the Macedonian people muster enough strength to again rise up? So you can see (b) an "invasion" may be a better option for them. Isn´t that what the Bishop of Thessaloniki called for? Isn´t that what the Greek Special Forces were chanting during the latest Greek Independence Day parade?


Hey, I am just thinking out loud here! And if you think that this idea falls outside the "realm of possibilities", think again. This is not my idea. It comes directly out of Mitsotakis´s play book. You know ex-Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Dora Bakogianys´s father?


Well, I have a better idea, instead of attempting something stupid and risking starting a Third World War, why don´t Greece and Bulgaria admit to stealing Macedonian lands and simply give them back to the Macedonian people? While doing that why not take the punishment they deserve for all the atrocities they both committed against the Macedonian population?


Before I am done here, there is one more thing I want to say, which has some bearing on this Greek and Bulgarian irrational behaviour and it has to do with the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest. I am not talking about the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest everyone knows about, I am talking about "the secret part" of the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest that very few people know about! Yes there is a secret part but that is all I am going to say about it for now.


Does the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest expire in 2013? Some people say yes; but it is yet to be determined! I say "yes" one third of the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest expired in 1991 when the Macedonian people took matters into their own hands and liberated the Serbian occupied part of Macedonia and called it the Republic of Macedonia! Unfortunately Greece and Bulgaria are still in denial about that but sooner or later they too will come to the realization that they too must give up the Macedonian occupied territories they stole from the Macedonian people, just as Serbia did! That´s when the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest will expire in its entirety!


One last thing. Greece is about to be given an economic bailout package by the Europeans and the IMF. Yet in spite of the horrendous amount of money given, there are no conditions attached to Greece to provide human rights for its minorities or to end its phony name dispute with the Republic of Macedonia. Yet the Republic of Macedonia in all earnest is expected to change its name to enter NATO and the EU. By changing its name Macedonia will have to admit that Macedonians don´t exist and Greece and Bulgaria were right all along in saying so. And this ladies and gentlemen is the European way of doing business; done by the same Europe Macedonia wants to join. It makes no sense to me!

UN prepares new round of talks between Macedonia and Greece

The UN is working to prepare the next round of talks on the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece, said Martin Nesirky, Spokesman for the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Macedonian eReporter news agency informs.


The agency says Nesirky refused to provide further details. He answered a journalist’s question whether UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon believes there is progress or the 15-year negotiations have come to a standstill, says eReporter.