Brussels, 12/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - The absence of a definitive and satisfactory solution to the dispute over the use of the name “Macedonia” may block the accession of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) to NATO and seriously complicate the process of the country's accession to the European Union, the foreign affairs minister of Greece, Dora Bakoyannis, told EUROPE in an interview. Since the proclamation of independence of the “Republic of Macedonia” in 1991, Greece has vigorously contested the use of the name “Macedonia”. According to Athens, this name cannot be used by one country alone, because it actually refers to a vast historical geographical area, of which “more than 50% belongs to Greece and 35% to Fyrom”, with the rest divided between Albania and Bulgaria. In 1993, the United Nations decided to use the name “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (Fyrom) on a temporary basis, pending a definitive name. Greece tolerates the name “Fyrom”, also on a temporary basis, but insists on a future definitive solution preventing its neighbour country from exercising a monopoly over the name “Macedonia”.
“The name question is a very big political problem in Greece, but it is also an international problem because it is related to the stability of the region”, said Ms Bakoyannis, who added that this was the “last Cold War problem in the region”. In the view of the minister, Fyrom should join neither NATO nor the EU unless the question is first resolved to the satisfaction of Athens, which has a veto in both organisations. Fyrom obtained the status of candidate country to the EU in December 2005, but is still waiting for a date for accession negotiations to begin. “No Greek government will go to Parliament and ratify our neighbour's NATO or EU accession if the problem is not resolved”, she stressed.
Time is of the essence, as least as regards NATO. In April 2008 in Bucharest, the NATO summit is to make Skopje an accession invitation. In the view of Ms Bakoyannis, the problem must be resolved by then, or the process for Fyrom to join the Atlantic Alliance will remain in suspense. The Fyrom authorities must finally “move”, they must “go the extra mile needed” to reach a compromise which will ensure that “nobody ends up monopolising the name Macedonia”. “Unfortunately, Skopje is extremely intransigent”, said Ms Bakoyannis, who also spoke out against a number of “great provocations”, such as baptising Skopje airport “Alexander the Great”.
What solution is Athens putting forward? “We have proposed a composite name for all international use, differentiating between Greece's wider Macedonian region and Skopje. 'Macedonia' can be part of the composite name, but it cannot be 'Republic of Macedonia'. There have been many proposals but it would not help to unveil them at this point in time”, the foreign affairs minister explained. Talks are underway between Athens and Skopje; two further meetings are planned for January 2008, under the aegis of the UN.
Ms Bakoyannis also reiterated her country's call for a “more ambitious and braver” policy of the EU towards the countries of the western Balkans: Serbia (including Kosovo), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Fyrom, Montenegro and Albania. “The whole region needs a European perspective, but a real and tangible perspective”, she said. The EU, therefore, should give these countries “additional incentives”: immediately to sign the stabilisation and association agreements which have not yet been signed (Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina), grant all countries the official status of candidate countries and offer them a “timetable” for the continuing accession process. There is, however, no question of any preferential treatment for the Balkans. Like any other candidate countries, “the Balkan countries will have to comply with the accession criteria. We will never eliminate the criteria. The EU cannot accept a country which is not ready to join. However, we should speed up the process and our decision-making and send a much stronger message to the countries, showing that it is our sincere will to have them as full member states in the European Union”, stressed Ms Bakoyannis.
The minister also reiterated Greece's support for the accession of Turkey. “Greece wants to see a European democratic Turkey. We believe that the message to Turkey should be sincere and clear: if the country fully complies with the accession criteria, it should be allowed to become a full member of the European Union”. Turkey today is “still very far away” from fulfilling these criteria, particularly because it still does not recognise one of the member states of the EU, Cyprus. On an economic and political level as well, Turkey must still carry out “many reforms”, but Greece urges the country to keep going down this road, Ms Bakoyannis explained.
On the subject of Cyprus, the minister hopes that negotiations towards a solution to the problem of the division of the island may resume, under the aegis of the UN, after the Cypriot elections to be held on February 2008. Any final definitive solution must be “compatible with the Community acquis, because Cyprus is a member state of the EU”, she stressed. (H.B.)