Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, referring to FYROM’s Euroatlantic perspective during yesterday’s working dinner on the Open Door Policy, at the Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, reminded everyone that the name issue is not a bilateral matter between Greek and FYROM, but a pending international problem, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
In this context, Greece fully respects the process being directed by the UN Secretary General, through Mr. Nimetz, for the resolution of the name issue, which is essentially a matter of good neighbourly relations, of respect for international law, and of regional security.
FYROM’s actual problem, Mr. Venizelos noted, is domestic and institutional. A problem of democracy and respect for rule of law. A problem of ethnic cohesion, respect for and full implementation of the Ohrid Agreement on the coexistence of the Slavic and Albanian communities.
The deeper problem, Mr. Venizelos added, is the existence of an official state ideology and an ideological use of history in the search for artificial national identity, through so-called antiquisation. In no modern western state – democratic and with rule of law – is there an official state ideology, he stated. This fuels irredentism and is creating very major problems between FYROM and Bulgaria as well.
Mr. Venizelos stressed that Greece has stated its readiness for a compromise solution that provides for a compound name with a geographical qualifier for all uses (erga omnes), and it has a completely friendly and creative stance towards its neighbours. Even following the deep economic crisis, he stated, Greece is the top foreign direct investor in FYROM – the two economies are interlinked in practical terms – and Greece is a popular destination for FYROM tourists. Unfortunately, however, the FYROM government’s stance is intransigent.
Consequently, Mr. Venizelos stated, concluding his intervention, the problem is international and not bilateral, and it has to do with the principles of the Alliance and the criteria for enlargement, which include regional stability and the strengthening of the values of the Alliance, which function as institutional conditionality (democracy, rule of law, etc.).
December 4, 2013