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| Fake "antiquization" : a shaky identity hanging from a thread |
The issue of the
name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ("A country called
Macedonia, Metodija A. Koloski and Mark Branov, Nov. 29) is not just a
dispute over historical facts or symbols but the conduct of a UN member
state, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), in
contravention of fundamental principles of international law and order;
specifically, respect for good neighbourly relations, sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
The name issue is thus a problem with
regional and international dimensions, consisting in the promotion of
irredentist and territorial ambitions by the FYROM, mainly through the
counterfeiting of history and usurpation of Greece's national and
historical heritage.
The name issue arose in 1991, when FYROM
seceded from Yugoslavia and declared its independence under the name
"Republic of Macedonia." Historically, the term "Macedonia," a Greek
word, refers to the Kingdom and culture of the ancient Macedonians, who
belong to the Hellenic Nation and are unquestionably part of Greek
historical and cultural heritage. The roots of the name issue go back to
the mid1940s, when, in the aftermath of the Second World War, General
Tito separated from Serbia the region that had been known until that
time as Vardar Banovina (today's FYROM), giving it the status of a
federal unit in Yugoslavia, while cultivating the idea of a separate and
discrete "Macedonian nation."
FYROM declared its independence in
1991, basing its existence as an independent state on the artificial and
spurious notion of the "Macedonian nation." Greece reacted strongly to
the theft of its historical and cultural heritage and the treacherous
territorial and irredentist intentions of the FYROM, and the issue came
before the UN Security Council, which, in two resolutions recommended
that a settlement be found quickly, for the sake of peaceful relations
and good neighbourliness in the region.
In 1993, following a
recommendation from the Security Council, FYROM was accepted, by
decision of the General Assembly, into the UN under this provisional
name, until such time as an agreed solution is reached. In 1995, Greece
and the FYROM concluded an Interim Accord, based on which the two sides
began negotiations under the auspices of the UN. These negotiations have
continued to this day.
In sharp contrast to Greece's constructive
efforts, FYROM Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski persists with irredentist
and nationalistic strategy of which the main elements include the
continued use of "antiquization" tactics, the usurpation and distortion
of history, the erection of grandiose statues, the renaming of airports,
prominent landmarks and streets, the issuance of school books and maps
depicting a so-called "Greater Macedonia" that includes large portions
of northern Greece, to name but a few.
At the Bucharest NATO
Summit in April 2008, the members of the Alliance decided in a
collective and unanimous decision that an accession invitation will be
extended to FYROM only if the name issue has been resolved in a mutually
acceptable manner. Similarly, the EU decided at the June 2008 European
Council, in a collective and unanimous decision, that the resolution of
the name issue in a mutually acceptable manner is a fundamental
necessity if further steps are to be taken on the FYROM's EU accession
course.
The basic objective prerequisite for the continuation and
completion of the European and Euroatlantic courses of every candidate
country is the adoption of and respect, in practice, for the fundamental
principles of the organization they want to join, and particularly the
principle of good neighbourly relations, which is the basis for a
partnership or alliance between states.
- Dimitris Azemopoulos is Consul General of Greece in Toronto.
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