Greece to FYROM: No abuse of CoE chair for interests on Name issue. Solve it +enter in the EU !

Statements by both Foreign Ministries of Greece and the "Former Yugoslav Republlic of Macedonia" to "EuroFora" and other Journalists, during CoE's Committee of Ministers' session, clearly indicated that the lack of sufficient political will to find a solution to the "Name" issue which had been provoked by some obscure networks in the Past, still obstructs the huge potential for cooperation and EU integration, between two unquestionably European Countries, in fact linked together with stronger ties than generally thought...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Greece offcially urged "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM) not to abuse of CoE's rotating chair for nationalistic aims on the "Name" dispute, but FYROM's Foreign Minister, Antonio Miloshoski, downplayed the issue, claiming that there was nothing wrong with placards titled "Macedonian 2010 Presidency"  just outside of CoE's Committee of Ministers' door, and same Headings on all the incoming 6-monhs long rotating chairmanship  documents (May - November 2010), that CoE's agents were obliged to accompaGny by a mention that they don't represent CoE's official stance but FYROM's delegation's views ..

 

This raised Question marks on FYROM's immediate  EU prospects, that Greece would agree to locate at around 2014 in case a solution was found on the "Name" issue, and risks to delay the Balkan State's EU integration even further, while, paradoxically, the  .. 95% Asiatic Turkey is pushing ahead on its EU aims, threatening to pass in front of FYROM and/or other such unquestionably European countries, (as it was reminded also by a Photo Exhibition picturing Christian Churches at FYROM's villages, which ressembled to EU Member Greece's own villages, (with the surprising exception of a few Muslim worshipers praying even inside ancient Christian Churches, as "shared shrines", according to the inter-religious Title of the event).

Skopje, despite its recent appearance as a State, revendicates a so-called "Macedonian" identity as its own, that Greece traditionally considers to be a key part of its Millenary Ancient History, in addition to the Greek Macedonian Region, headquartered in Salonika, which is larger than the FYROM, while Bulgaria has also its own version and share on at least part of the "Macedonian" story..

Recently, the Greek Governments reportedly accepted a "composite" name for FYROM, (i.e. apparently something like "Slavo-Macedonia", or even "North Macedonia", etc), but Skopje seems unwilling to compromise on that.

Both sides have had, at one period or another, Governments which apparently attempted to excessively stress the "Name" issue, mainly for Internal consumption issues of different nature, (f.ex. to get more votes and keep staying in power, to hide corruption scandals, etc). But several People are well aware of the fact that the greatest pressure and/or manipulation of this "Name" dispute comes from abroad.

    - Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesman,  Gregory Delavekouras, stressed to "EuroFora" that "a Solution on the (FYROM) Name issue will free the Dynamics for  cooperation and integration into the EU : We (Greece) want for this Country to become an EU Member. That's why we have started also the efforts we are doing for the "2014 Agenda" (for EU Enlargment to Western Balkan Countries). "But this implies a change of attitude (from FYROM's Authorities) in order to proceed to Negotiations with a real will to find a mutually acceptable solution", he stressed.

    Delavekouras reminded "EuroFora" that, according to CoE's official Decision, unanimously adopted for FYROM's entry into the CoE back on 1995, "for any purpose inside the CoE, this State will be provisionally referred to as ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ pending settlement of the difference which has arisen over the name of this State”.

    But nobody should abuse of a Multilateral Organisation as the CoE in order to exploit it for its own nationalistic narrow interests, criticized Delavekouras earlier.

    Greek alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", at the CoE in Strasbourg, soberly declared from the outset that,  since "today the rotating CoE Chairmanship was entursted to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, we (Greece) expressed the hope that it will be able to stand up to the level required by the circumstances".

    Questioned by another Journalist if "the fact that FYROM apparently abuses of  the term "Macedonian presidency" inside CoE might affect the UNO Negotiations for a solution on the issue of its Name", Droutsas replied by inviting Skopje to behave in a way "compatible" with its "hopes.. to become an EU Member" :

    -  "CoE's rotating chairmanship changes each 6 Months by Alphabetic order", observed, at first, Droutsas in his reply. (A fact which practically means that if Sjopje  hadn't now the official title of "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", but was named otherwise, then, Turkey, which comes immediately afterwards at the Letter "T", would have already taken its place from today !).

    - But, "it's unfortunately notorious that Skopje commits several abuses, inside International Organisations, with their positions. Greece made all necessary demarches, and, in close cooperation with CoE's Secretariat, it has received all assurances that all Documents (and) all CoE's actions will bear the Official Name of this Country, which is "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". "Any other, differend stance or action from our neighbouring Country is not compatible with the hopes of that country to become an EU Member", Droutsas warned.

    Asked if "this means that there is a Threat", Droutsas replied that "Greece has a very Clear position : We want to find, in a Constructive way, a Solution on the Name issue, of the FYROM. We have made that clear to everyone, and we shall continue our efforts to solve that issue under UNO's auspices".

    - But "we also hope, and call upon the Political Leadership of Skopje, to comme, themselves too,  in a Constructive manner, at the Table of Negotiations : It's up to them to focus on this issue for a Solution, and it depends from them to open the road for their Country towards the EU and the Future", the Greek Minister warned.
------------------------------------
    - In 2 official Statements succesively made earlier to CoE's Committee of Ministers, Droutsas  observed, at first, that Greece "recently proposed an ambitious roadmap for welcoming the Western Balkans into the EU family with a clear target Date : the year 2014 (‘Agenda 2014’), provided, of course, that all relevant criteria and prerequisites are met.”

    But, when FYROM proceeded into abusing of the title "Macedonian (CoE's) Presidency, he reacted by stressing that  "Greece regrets that the authorities of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have proceeded to officially use the term “Macedonian” to designate their country’s rotating Chairmanship of CoE's  Committee of Ministers".

    - The Greek alternate Foreign Minister reminded that, according to "Resolution (95)23 of (CoE's) Committee of Ministers, .. the Highest political body of this Organization, (which "unequivocally states that “for all purposes within the CoE, this State will be provisionally referred to as ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ pending settlement.. " See supra), and ... Security Council Resolutions 817 and 845 (1993), the FYROM  is internationally bound to use its provisional name for all purposes within this Organization, until the name issue is resolved in the negotiations which are being conducted under the auspices of UNO's Secretary-General".

    - Therefore, "the use of the adjective “Macedonian” by the authorities of the FYROM to designate their country’s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, is another attempt to Monopolize the term, as well as an obvious effort at circumventing the above obligation. It violates the letter and the spirit of the abovementioned Resolution (95)23, which has been scrupulously observed by the CoE and has been the longstanding and well established practice of all international and regional Organizations", Droutsas denounced.

    - "Actions such as this can also have serious Consequences inasmuch as they undermine the efforts of the UNO to reach a mutually acceptable and durable Solution over the Name issue", while "the Greek government and Prime Minister Papandreou, since taking office, has inaugurated a bold and constructive approach towards the FYROM, and ..remains actively committed to finding a mutually acceptable win-win Solution to the name issue".

    Thus, he "drew to the attention of (CoE's) Member-States this Serious Challenge to the proper functioning and good order of the Council, and the need for the FYROM to honour its obligations vis-à-vis this Organization, especially in exercising properly the functions of its incoming Chairmanship", as he stressed in conclusion.
------------------------------------
Miloshoski : "Derivative"..  
--------------------------------------------

    According to Skopje's official sources, Foreign Minister Miloshoski, on the contrary, anounced that FYROM "will use  the title “Macedonian Chairmanship” ... as a Compomise" (sic), "which does not contradict Resolution 23(95) under which the Republic of Macedonia was admitted to the CoE", a    s he claimed. "CoE is not the forum where discussions on Bilateral disputes should be opened", and, therefore, we should all "focus on the ...interest of the entire Organization", he reportedly added.
-----------------------------------
    Speaking earlier in a Press Conference at the CoE in Strasbourg, Miloshoski joked that the Name issue was "probably one of the most Popular questions", as he replied to a Journalist who asked him how he can pretend that by being obliged to use only FYROM's Legal name it would be contrary to his Country's "Dignity", while, at the same time, by using the Title "Macedonian Presidency", he obliges CoE's staff to accompagny each such Document with a Letter mentioning that the way it is presented doesn't reflect CoE's official stance, but only the views of the State who issued it, submitting CoE's secretariat into another kind of treatment contrary to its Human Dignity.

    - "I think that we followed CoE's Practice", Miloshoski went on to claim : F. ex., "Kingdom of Spain was chairing as Spanish Presidency. Republic of Slovenia was Slovenian Presidency, and it was the same for Switzerland.  So, therefore, we have followed already established practice, (by) using the Adjective that derives from the Name of the country under which we were admitted 15 Years ago" (1995) in the CoE, he claimed.

    - "So, I think it's more a political and journalistic issue and case", added Miloshoski, who has also served as Press Spokesman, and worked as Journalist in a Daily and in a Weekly Newspaper.. - "But, otherwise, it's not a very big issue. It has nothing to do, essentially, with Core needs, Agenda and Priorities of the Chairmanship we want to work on, together with all (CoE) Countries, including neighbouring Greece", he concluded, obviously downplaying the issue.
-------------------------------
    - As for its EU prospects, (See supra), FYROM "is fully prepared to open accesion negotiations for Full Membership with the EU", and "we (FYROM) are satisfied that the European Commission has given a Positive resul last year (2009)", he said earlier, in reply to another question.  

    - "We (FYROM) think that this Possibility should be utilized during the Spanish (EU Presidency (i.e. before the end of June 2010), Miloshoski ambitiously demanded.

    - "Explain(ing)  the Procedure", he observed that,  "further on, once we (FYROM) get a Date for the Opening of Accession Negotiations, the Process of "Screening" is supposed to start". It "usually lasts about one (1) Year, so that means that during the Belgian and Hungarian EU Presidencies (FYROM), if it gets Accession Negotiations, will go through this process of Screening, (i.e. July 2010 - June 2011), and, then, evntually, or possibly, during the Polish (EU) Presidency (i.e. July - December 2011) , at the 2nd Semester of this year (2011) , to open the 1st Chapter of the real Negotiations in this Accession process", he noted.
-------------------------------
Foreign Minister Miloshoski to "EuroFora" on Cultural Heritage :
--------------------------------------------

    But, the real threat to Skopje's real "identity" might come from elsewhere :

    To a Question raised by "EuroFora", the incoming CoE's Chairman in office, Foreign Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Anonio Miloshoski,  on whether he found "Cultural Heritage to be an important issue for his Chairmanship, he replied Positively, pointing also at a CoE's Conference on the "social dimension of Cultural Heritage" organized in FYROM on September 2010, in addition to an interesting Photo Exhibition already organized inside the CoE in Strasbourg, (See supra). But Miloshoski spontaneously smiled when "EuroFora" evoked the possibility to create a "Cultural Route" for "Alexander the Great"'s former Empire (See Photo No 1)...

    Significantly, a Document  distributed by the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" on this occasion under the title "Shared Shrines",  revealed interesting facts :

     - "Christians believe that (this and/or that) Sanctuary had been built as a Church..., which was transformed into a "Tekké" after the arrival of the Ottomans (Turks).... Referring to the Collective Memory of the local Population, (an Historian) observes that the areas (Military) Conquered by the Osmanlis (Turks) provoked a Devastating effect on many Towns, Villages, Churches and  Graveyards, Usurpations of Properties and of entire Villages", which "became property (domain) of the Osmanli (Turkish) chief", as, f. ex. "also in (and close to) Brod village, where Monastery was Demolished by force.. in order to transform it later into a Tekké," (or, fex. at "Stip", where "a Church was transformed in a Mosquee when the Cuty was conquered by  the Osmanli" Turks), ...(also other) Churches were Demolished and transformed int a tekké, probably " during " the Islamisation of the villages" of South East EUrope, then Occupied  by the Army of the Ottomans (Turks)".

    However, "the greatest part of" "the local "Muslim Religious Community", "declare themselves as "Turks" and speak Turkish" : They claim  that "the Mosquee belongs to them", and "must be used only by the Muslims" (i.e. Turks : See supra). According to them, "if Christians want to pray, they should do it .. out" of the building, "at the yard", the Booklet distributed by the FYROM reveals.

But, a BBC Journalist from Skopje, speaking earlier to "EuroFora", explained an unusual Photograph of FYROM's Exhibition, which pictured Muslims praying inside what appeared to be a Christian Church, by describing "a Legend" :

- "A long time ago, the Ottoman Turks had demolished a Christian Church in the Countryside, and re-built at its place only a Mosquee. But, according to the Popular Legend, each Night, that Mosquee was damaged, again and again, until its Muslim Turk occupiers sent someone to watch what happened overnight. He came back anouncing that the only way to keep the Mosquee's building intact was to restore the demolished Church. Once this done, even Muslims could, at last, pray inside in Peace, without anyone ever objecting against what became a real "Shared Shrine"..