Grieks-Macedonische discussie over naam laait op (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - An increasingly heated dispute with Greece over its names is threatening to undermine the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's attempts to join NATO and may affect the country's EU aspirations.
On Thursday (6 March) Greece said that while it would support Croatia and Albania's bid to join the military alliance, it would not back Skopje's candidacy so long as the name quarrel remains unsolved.
"As far as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is concerned, I stressed to our allies that unfortunately, the policy that was followed by the government of our neighbour country in its relations with Greece - particularly as concerns its intransigent stance and its actions of an irredentist and nationalistic logic, which is interwoven with the name issue - does not allow us to take the same positive stance as in the case of Croatia and Albania," Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyanni stated at a NATO meeting in Brussels.
The stand-off also threatens Macedonia's hopes to join the EU with Skopje hoping to formally open negotiations later this year.
"Greece wants to have its neighbours as allies in NATO and partners in the EU. But such a perspective cannot be built on such serious pending issues," said Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis last month.
Brussels officials have also expressed concern.
"I sincerely hope that both Greece and FYROM would settle this issue," EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn saidon Wednesday (5 March), while adding: "I am afraid that [not solving the name issue] will have negative ramifications on the EU and NATO accession processes of FYROM".
17 year-long dispute
The two countries have been deadlocked in a fight over Macedonia's name since the country declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Greece refuses to recognise its neighbour's constitutional name - Republic of Macedonia - although it has been recognised by some 100 other countries worldwide, including Russia, the US, China, Canada, the UK, Bulgaria and Turkey.
A northern region in Greece is also called Macedonia and Athens fears allowing Skopje to use the name will open the way to territorial claims.
The international community has used Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as a "provisional" term designating the country since 1993 - with both Athens and Skopje disagreeing on the long-term use of this term.
UN monitored negotiations on the issue are ongoing, but the most recent meeting last weekend in New York saw no progress.
Greece is favourable to options including a geographic denominator - it has expressed support for the name Upper Macedonia - but rejects names such as Independent Republic or Democratic Republic of Macedonia.
The dispute has also brought about street protests.
Some 10,000 people demonstrated on Wednesday in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki shouting "Macedonia is Greek" while some 5,000 protested in Skopje last week against giving up the country's constitutional name, carrying posters saying: "We give up NATO, but will not give up the name of Macedonia".
After Greece made it clear it may veto an invitation by NATO to Macedonia at a summit in Bucharest on 2-4 April, there have been increasing calls for the countries to solve the dispute.
UN negotiator Matthew Nimitz called on both the EU and the US to help solve the issue.
"The US and European countries (...) should continue talks with the two countries in order to find a solution in a constructive way. It is not just a question that affects the two countries and their interests, but the entire region," he said in New York last weekend, according to B92.net.