15.08.08 - 00:30 French Presidential Cabinet against Greek policy

The response from French Presidential Cabinet, to letter from Macedonia -- they don't seem to have an issue with Republique de Macedoine.



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12.08.08 - 17:05 Letter for Nimetz:to include MOC recognition in name talks agenda

Gruevski urges Nimetz to include MOC recognition in name talks agenda

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has sent a letter to mediator Matthew Nimetz, urging him to include the recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) by the Greek side within countries' name dispute talks.

Dnevnik daily in its Tuesday edition, citing diplomatic sources, says Gruevski suggested to the mediator the Macedonian church recognition issue to be a part of the package of solutions to the dispute.

- I ask you, if it is possible, to include this issue into Your attempts on resolving the dispute of our constitutional name, which recently has been enlarged with several other open issues. And if Your attempts end in success, taking into consideration that in addition to the name You are striving to resolve several other open issues between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece, this issue to be incorporated into the agenda of our priorities, Gruevski writes to Nimetz.

In the letter, he also presents a lengthy elaboration and background of MOC's church dispute with some of the orthodox churches, mainly the Serbian and Greek ones, while highlighting their closeness and solidarity.

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10.08.08 - 22:45 Invest in .... памет (2)

Интересот за темава може да го покoлеба човек да го заврши плaнираното, но можеби токму заради тоа и треба да се доврши како доказ дека и токму таквиот интерес ( и (не)делување ) е причина за состојбата во која сме како земја.
Елем, како мало потстување. Сите досегашни владеачки гарнитури се потепаа од фалење колку големи инвестиции ( разбира се, странски) ќе донесат.
Колку се донeсени, знаеме...
И во последново предизборие, како изборна мамка (особено од власта) се користеше истата финта – странски инвестиции, нови вработувања итн.
Дури, Груевски и компанија во тек на кампањата, отидоа во Франција во важна мисија за донесување странска ивестиција ,а, она за да потпишат некое писмо за намера за инвестирање со фирмата (мислам)“Монтале“- фалејќи се дека со оваа инвестија ( иако се ова е уште само како намера, ама изгледа доволно за изборно фалење- ветување ) ќе се обезбедат 500 нови вработувања ....во неколку години натаму.....
Што би рекол народецов,“не липсај магаре до зелена трева..“.

Е,ако тоа е се’ што политичарите можат да понудат на народот, што може народот да си понуди самиот на себе, па да мрдне малку напред !??


“Кај нас, поради разни партиски и владини субјективизми, никако да се почне и да им се даде вистинска шанса на непартиските и невладини граѓани за да дојдат до правилно валоризирање и вреднување на своите иновации, проекти и идеи. Скоро беше, кога неколку интелектуалци со високо образование и со ретки иновации, пазарно актуелни, дојдоа во Здружението и ни се обратија за разбирање и помош, како своите милионски вредни иновации од меѓународно значење да почнат да ги реализираат во стопанската дејност си што истовремено би вработиле околу 600 нови луѓе за почеток“.

Дали ви е ова јасно: готови проекти за нови 600 вработувања – пазите: не 500 за намерувана инвестиција (што вероватно нема да се оствари) и тоа за неколку години – туку 600 вработувања - сега, тука, веднаш.
И , ништо.


Затоа што “во Македонија, пред се', не постои ефикасен пазарен механизам за валозирање на иновациите и за заработување од нив (патенти, дизајн и слично). Непријатна е констатацијата дека завршените високи школи на иноваторите, нивното работно искуство, и умеење што го стекнале „не вреди ништо“ и оти бидејќи никој нема кој да ги вреднува нивните дела, тие може да заминат од земјава.“

Дали вреди да се објаснува понатаму со ваков интерес каков се покажува за ова!?
Отсекогаш трудот и творештвото - како индивуални активности- не се сметале како патриотски категории- урлањето, удирањето во гради.,јазичарењето, самофалењето(не само на политичарите) без дела (по)лесно поминува како “патриотизам“.
И да не должам, да не си губам времето, за некој кој е заинтересиран за ова да укажам дека цитате се дел од писмо објавено во “Дневник“, па може да се прочита цело.

9.08.08 - 14:00 Invest in ........кампањи (1)

На почетокот, кампањата беше владин хит и заради веќе пословичната “транспaрентност“ на владата не дознавме колку од нашите пари отишле (каде?) за кампањата.
Се велеше дека само со 1% од инвестициите што ќе дојдат веднаш по камапањата ќе ги покријат трошоците за кампањата.
И ?
И, ...... ништо !
Изгледа светот не не’ разбира. Ќе да е тоа дело на опозицијата која непозитивно гледала ( а, можда и фрлила некоја магија ?) на камапањата!?

А, неодамна, претставници на обединетата македонска дијаспора, среде Скопје се изјаснија :

Иселениците би инвестирале само во средена Македонија

Нивни изјави се :

“Македонија итно да ги подобри административните процедури и да ги забрза судските процедури ако сака да ги привлече инвестициите од македонската дијаспора во САД“.......

“Голем дел иселеници во Австралија чекаат да се подобри бизнис-климата за да отворат компании во Македонија, но за тоа е потребна намалена корупција“....

Е, сега, нашиве од странство ако не и веруваат на кампањата и не сакаат да вложат некој долар, а не’ знаат добро што сорта сме, како да се очекува ( а, за тоа дебело сме платиле) од други кои не не’ знаат добро, да ни веруваат на некоја (нека биде и убава реклама) и туку така да ги вложат своите пари кај нас!?
Ма, ајде !..

И за на крај, нешто како показател на ефектот од оваа кампања, според студијата на реномираната консултантска компанија “Делојт“, Македонија е на последното место по интересот на инвеститорите во Европа

За инвестирање во Македонија, Молдавија и Црна Гора интерес пројавиле 10 отсто од инвеститорите во источна Европа, додека за овие земји интерес воопшто немаат инвеститорите од западна Европа.

Е, па сега види .....
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8.08.08 - 17:10 .......Macedonian National Identity - 1918-1941

The British Foreign Office
and Macedonian National Identity - 1918-1941

by Andrew Rossos

The study of the Macedonian identity has given rise to far greater controversies and debates than that of most, if not all, other nationilisms in eastern Europe. This has been only in part due to the hazy past of the Slavic speaking population of Macedonia and to the lack of a continuous and separate state tradition, a trait they had in common with other "small" and "young," or so-called "non-historic," peoples in the area. Controversy has been due above all to the fact that, although it began in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, Macedonian nationalism did not enjoy international acceptance or legitimacy until the Second World War, much later than was the case with other similar national movements in eastern Europe.[1] Recent research has shown that Macedonian nationalism developed, generally speaking, similarly to that of neighboring Balkan peoples, and, in most respects, of other "small" and "young" peoples of eastern, as well as some of western, Europe.

But Macedonian nationalism was belated, grew slowly and, at times, manifested confusing tendencies and orientations that were, for the most part, consequences of its protracted illegitimate status.[2]

For a half century Macedonian nationalism existed illegally. It was recognized neither by the theocratic Ottoman state nor by the two established Orthodox churches in the empire: the Patriarchist (Greek) and, after its establishment in 1870, the Exarchist (Bulgarian). Moreover neighboring Balkan nationalists-Bulgarian, Greek, Serbian-who had already achieved independence with the aid of one or more of the Great Powers, chose to deny the existence of a separate Macedonian identity; indeed they claimed Macedonia and the Macedonians as their own. They fought for Macedonia with propaganda and force, against each other and the nascent Macedonian nationalists. A prolonged struggle culminated in 1913 with the forceful partition of Macedonia after the Second Balkan or Inter-Allied War between Bulgaria, on one side, and allied Greece and Serbia, on the other.[3] Each of these three states consolidated their control over their respective parts of Macedonia, and throughout the inter-war years inaugurated and implemented policies intended to destroy any manifestations of Macedonian nationalism, patriotism or particularism- Consequently, until World War II, unlike the other nationalisms in the Balkans or in eastern Europe more generally, Macedonian nationalism developed with-out the aid of legal political, church, educational or cultural institutions. Macedonian movements not only lacked any legal infrastructure, they also were without the international sympathy, cultural aid and, most importantly, benefits of open and direct diplomatic and military support accorded other Balkan nationalisms.[4] Indeed, for an entire century Macedonian nationalism, illegal at home and illegitimate internationally, waged a precarious struggle for survival against overwhelming odds: in appearance against the Turks and the Ottoman Empire before 1913 but in actual fact, both before and after that date, against the three expansionist Balkan states and their respective patrons among the Great Powers.[5]

The denial of a Macedonian identity by the neighboring Balkan states, and their irreconcilably contradictory claims, motives, justifications and rationalizations, are mirrored by the largely polemical and tendentious Bulgarian, Greek and Serbian literature on the Macedonian question.[6]

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7.08.08 - 16:50 Comment by AUSTRALIAN MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

Letter by the President of the European Commission – Jose Manuel Barroso

2 August 2008

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr Nikola Gruevski, recently sent a letter to the European Commission’s president, Mr José Manuel Barroso regarding the human rights problems confronting the Macedonian minority in Greece. In the letter the Prime Minister states:

The Government of the Republic of Macedonia appeals, within your competences, to personally engage for Greece’s strict obeying of the obligations stemming from international instruments regarding human rights, with special emphasis on free expression of ethnic identity and all rights stemming from that. Our expectation is Greece, as a member of the EU and NATO, to start dialogue which will lead to meeting the recommendations of the European Commission.

In response the President of the European Commission, Mr Barroso replied with the following:

…it is important to clarify that the European Union has no general competence to deal with issues such as identities of minorities, their rights, acquisition of citizenship and restitution of properties, arising in its Member States. This is the primary responsibility of the Member States in the light of their constitutional traditions and international obligations.

This is an unfortunate and insensitive response by the President of the European Commission on an issue as fundamental as the protection of human rights within a Member State of the European Union (EU). It seems strange that the representative of the EU would use such indifferent language in addressing the concerns over human rights abuses of ethnic Macedonians in Greece. This is especially the case given that the EU likes to wrap itself around different humanist ideals and announce triumphantly their commitment to human rights. Indeed, the EU is increasingly establishing fundamental rights as part of EU law as a means of legitimizing the EU itself. Clearly there appears to be a gap between EU rhetoric and reality; at the same time that the EU affirms the importance of human rights, it actually does nothing to secure any of them.

What President Barroso could have asserted was that the EU has an unwavering respect for the protection of human rights and has a particular interest to ensure that its Member States, namely Greece, is aware of their obligations. For example, the founding treaties of the EU make references to the “fact” that the EU is “founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law” and that it “shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”. In fact, accession to the Convention is something that has been made a condition for EU membership.

President Barroso could have mentioned that the Charter of Fundamental Rights that was “solemnly proclaimed” by the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission deems it “necessary to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights”.

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5.08.08 - 20:35 11 questions

A lot of statements after the letter from the primer minister od Republic of Macedonia to his greek colleague Kostas Karaamanlis , as :

“….repeats the previously known unacceptable statements regarding non-existent minorities etc...”

”…..speaks about an alleged minority, attacking Greece because it allegedly violates the rights of existent or non-existent minorities…He follows concerted destabilizing orders...”

“We are dealing with statements which are unacceptable in form and content, as well as with an unfortunate attempt of raising non-existent and unfounded issues” ……..,

came from top Greek officials and politicians in less than a week’s time, only because highly-ranked Macedonian officials “dared” to officially raise the taboo issues of the ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece. And, unfortunately, anyone addressing this issue, along with the repatriation of the Macedonian political refugees who were forcibly expelled from their birth places during the Greek civil war (1946-49), is “provocative”, “disgraceful”, “slanderer” or “follows orders from unknown patrons”.

Since, then, ethnic Macedonians inside and outside Greece are “non-existent”, we kindly ask all Greek politicians and mainstream media (which bristle with hatred towards Macedonians) to answer the following:

• For whom did the Greek state print in 1925 the Primer of the Macedonian Language “ABECEDAR”? Even before the printing of this book, in a official but secret census the Macedonian language was clearly mentioned. The “non-existent” Macedonian minority spoke a “non-existent” language?
• Who are these that were mentioned in all official national censuses of the Greek state up until 1951 as “macedophones”, “slavophone Macedonians”, of “Slavic”, “non-Greek” or “unstable” national consciousness, of “declared Slavic beliefs”? What happened to them, after 1951?
• Is it possible that they “no longer exist” as former Minister Pangalos stated some years ago?
• If they don’t exist, exactly how did they “disappear”?
• If they still exist, why then Greece keeps calling them “non-existent” every time someone brings up this subject?
• Why was the population of whole villages back in the 60s forced to collective oaths, in order to stop using the “cursed Slavic idiom”?
• Under what excuse did the Greek state allow in 1982 the repatriation only of the political refugees who were “Greek by genus”? This indirectly but clearly means that the thousands of political refugees who had lost their citizenship and cannot return to their birth places are defined as “non-Greek by genus”. The relatives of these people who remained within the Greek borders do not constitute an ethnic minority then?
• Why Greece, with its official and unofficial structures, has created a whole mechanism to impede even a short-term visit to Greece from these political refugees who have clearly stated a non-Greek national conscience? Because of whom was the notorious “unwanted list” in Greek border crossings created , why is it still valid and enhanced today, including not only political refugees but also financial immigrants of Macedonian origin?
• If what Greece claims to be true, that Macedonians are Greeks only, is indeed true, then why does the country prohibit for 18 years now the registration of the cultural association “Home of Macedonian Culture”, pretentiously ignoring relevant rulings in favour of the registration from the European Court for Human Rights?
• Why Greece is reluctant to conduct an official census of all ethnic and linguistic minorities, in order to have an undisputable proof of the existence or non-existence of the Macedonian minority?
• And last but not least, maybe the most important question of all. How is it possible that Greece, a country that constantly fancies itself to be the “cradle of civilization and democracy” is de facto denying at the same time elementary, fundamental human rights to its citizens, like the right to self determination and all that derives from it in educational and cultural fields? Why Greece is not ratifying any of the relevant international conventions it readily signed in the first place??
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27.07.08 - 19:40 SEEMO Protest Greece

H.E. Kostas Karamanlis

Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic

Athens

Greece

Fax: +30 210 9098253

E-mail: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

H.E. Prokopis Pavlopoulos

Minister for the Interior and Public Order

Athens

Greece

Fax: +30 210 6929764

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Vienna, 22 July 2008

Your Excellencies,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), wishes to express its concern after the Greek authorities denied a group of journalists from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Republic of Macedonia) entry into the country.

According to information before SEEMO, on 19 July, journalists from TV A1, TV A2, Forum and Makedonsko sonce were on their way to report on a cultural event in northern Greece, and were bearing standard passports with regular Greek visas. However, at the border the journalists were denied entry with the explanation that they did not have the permission of the Greek government to report on the event. One journalist from Forum was denied entry although he had a journalist’s visa. An offer to enter Greece as non-journalists, without their cameras and other technical equipment, was declined by the journalists. They were also told they could enter the country as journalists after the cultural event was over.

SEEMO condemns this move by the Greek authorities. Greece is a member of the European Union, and expected to uphold the right to press freedom, one of the pillars of democracy. Decisions like this prevent the ability of journalists to work freely and hinder the free flow of information. We urge Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to ensure that cases like this do not happen in the future.

Yours Sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

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SEEMO is a regional network of editors, media executives and leading
journalists in South East Europe.

****
SEEMO - IPI, Spiegelgasse 2/29, 1010 Vienna, Austria, Tel (SEEMO+HELP LINE):
+43 1 513 39 40, Tel (SEEMO): +43 1 512 90 11 11, Fax: +43 1 512 90 15,
E-mail: [log in to unmask], Web: http://www.seemo.org
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27.07.08 - 13:00 POLITICAL TRADING

Athens urges Sofia, Belgrade to change their positions on Macedonia’s constitutional name

According to A1 TV, authorities in Athens have been urging Bulgaria and Serbia for a few weeks to change their positions on Macedonia’s constitutional name.
“Encouraged by Sofia’s most recent positions presented publicly on Macedonia’s history, which according to some politicians there has Bulgarian roots, Athens proposes unreserved support for Bulgaria in Brussels where European funds have already been suspended for Bulgaria,” comments the television.
In exchange for the change in the stance, Athens suggests to Serbia support for its Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as lobbying for Kosovo, which is one of the reasons for Greece not to recognize Kosovo’s independence up to now. For now Athens has a positive answer neither from Sofia, nor from Belgrade. Unlike Serbia, which still awaits the decision of the new government in Skopje about Kosovo recognition, the Bulgarian government has replied that it has no dilemmas as to Macedonia’s constitutional name.
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22.07.08 - 20:15 1947 UN Commision: Macedonian Minority in Greece

1947 UN Commision Established the Existence
of the Macedonian Minority in Greece

The modern Greek folly has always been its persistent but reckless denial of the existence of a Macedonian nationality. The hysteric intolerance against ethnic Macedonians has distorted the Greek collective consciousness so much that Greeks are no longer capable of differentiating between their wish that Macedonians were truly nonexistent and the actual Macedonian reality, which so defiantly confronts them.

As their Macedonian phobia continues to feed their schizophrenic psyches, rather than dealing with the Macedonian reality like rational people, they instead cry out for sympathy and comfort while hoping to be freed from their Macedonian nightmare, just like a small child who has awakened from a bad dream and cries out to his parents for comfort.

Such was the case in 1947 when the Greek government protested to the United Nations' Security Council regarding border violations by its northern neighbors. Greece demanded that Yugoslavia cease and desist overt military and logistical aid to the guerrillas fighting in the Greek Civil War, many of whom were ethnic Macedonians.

On December 19 1946, a Commission of Investigating was established by the United Nations pursuant to the resolution of the Security Council to examine alleged Greek frontier incidents. To the surprise and dismay of the Greek government, the Commission of Inquiry broadened its scope of investigation to include the treatment of minorities, tendentious misstatements of facts in press and radio, activities of foreign military and police missions in the four countries concerned and arraignments of free port or free zone facilities in Salonika.

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21.07.08 - 22:45 Recognition of Macedonian Minority

University professor criticizes Athens

on Macedonian issue

Greece should recognize the existence of Macedonian minority, compensate the confiscated property to the expelled citizens and accept double formula for the name in the talks with Macedonia.

This was suggested by the professor of international relations at the Panteion University in Athens, Alexis Heraclides.

According to the Greek university professor, it is a fact that the property of Macedonian population in the period 1949-1950 was confiscated, even without court orders.

Greece allowed a big mistake to be made with the seized property of "SlavoMacedonians" and if this issue is brought before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, it will have to pay damages, professor Heraclides assesses.

According to him, Greece should "stop shoving its head in sand" and claim that "SlavoMacedonians" don't exist, because their number is around 30-40 thousand.

Some of them, according to Heraclides, have Macedonian "ethnic" self-determination, while others have integrated fully into the Greek ethnos, because of which "there is no danger for the Greece's territorial integrity".

The professor suggests Greek authorities to have new, realistic position in the negotiations with Macedonia on the name differences.

According to him, the issue should be solved by Greece's acceptance of compound name (such as New Macedonia, Upper Macedonia or North Macedonia), which would be used by Skopje for bilateral communication with Athens only, but not for international use.
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20.07.08 - 23:35 Macedonian Celebration

Ovcarani, a typical Macedonian Celebration

The celebrations of the religious and national holiday St Ilija (Ilinden) is under way in Lerin, Ovcarani without incidents and in accordance to scheduled program.

Around 6,000 Macedonians are in Ovcarani, in what according to Vinozito is a 'traditional Macedonian celebration', with dancing and folk songs. There is also a scheduled appearance of Macedonian Folk/Dance group "Tanec".

The largest Greek Media outlets have thrown a black ink on the celebration saying "extremists from Skopje, purposely provoke Greece" even though the celebrations take place every year, says Vinozito.

According to the Macedonian Party in Greece, the largest and most popular Greek Daily "Ta Nea" in its reports said that Macedonian president Branko Crvenkovski will make a 'provocative speech' in Ovcarani (Meliti).

Vinozito believes the goal of the Greek Media, under direction from the Greek Government is to make everything possible in scaring off the Macedonian population as to reduce their number in the celebrations. That way the representatives of the Government could confirm their statements there were no Macedonians in Greece.

Vinozito's members are asking how can a "European" country, such as Greece, allow the parade and provocations of right wing organization like "Hrisi Avgi" who constantly moved around and intimidated Macedonians by yelling threatening vulgar statements thus trying to change people's mind not to attend the celebration.

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Mina- see video

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20.07.08 - 20:45 WHAT’S THE MATTER, DOESN’T MATTER

US State Department: It's a matter between Macedonia and Greece

U.S. State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said late Thursday the issue of the refugees and Macedonian minority in Greece is a matter between Macedonia and Greece, reports Voice of America-Program in Macedonian language. Thus, McCormack provided a response to the initiative of Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski on resolution of the requests by refugees-ethnic Macedonians from the Greek Civil War in 1940s, and recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece, contained in the letter sent to Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis. "This is a matter between Macedonia and Greece. I understand the correspondence was between those two parties, so I'd refer you to either party for comment about it", said McCormack at the daily briefing. According to him, this is a completely different topic from the name issue. "From our point of view, we would like to see Macedonia and Greece work out the name issue, which is a completely different topic. I know a lot of people are devoting a lot of time and energy to that topic. We certainly would like to see those negotiations come to a successful completion soon", added McCormack. McCormack denied that USA would intervene regarding the issue of refugees and recognition of the Macedonian minority, reiterating this is a matter between the two countries, not involving the United States.
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read this:Greek lobby blocking US Ambassador to Macedonia
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19.07.08 - 19:45 BLOCKADE FOR JOURNALISTS

Macedonian Journalists blocked from visiting Greece

Greek border authorities blocked the entrance of Macedonain Journalists from A1, Vreme, Forum, Makedonsko Sonce and Dnevnik.

The TV crews wished to film the gathering and the begining of the Macedonian celebrations in Lerin and Ovcarani, which are scheduled to start today, traditionally two weeks before Ilinden, with Ilinden being a day for picnic.

Greece had put more than a hundred policemen at the border, as well as near Ovcarani. Greek border authorities told the Macedonian journalists, the reason for their blocking is they didn't have a 'proper accreditation' to visit. The journalists were told they could visit Greece, i.e. their accreditation would work after the celebrations in Lerin and Ovcarani are done.

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18.07.08 - 22:05 International Monitoring of Macedonia - Greece border

MHRMI Calls for International Monitoring of Macedonia - Greece border

Toronto, Canada, July 18, 2008 - On Sunday, July 20, 2008, several hundred, possibly thousands, of Macedonian political refugees will attempt to enter Greece at the Medjitlia/Niki border crossing in order to attend their 4thWorld Reunion.

Following Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's call for Greece to finally recognize its large Macedonian minority, Greek government officials have reacted in outrage, claiming that the Macedonian minority is "non-existent", that Macedonia's membership in the EU is now in jeopardy, and that Greek Neo-Nazi's may attack Macedonians at the border crossing on July 20 and at their reunion later that day in Meliti/Ovcharani.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the evacuation by the International Red Cross of 28,000 Macedonian children (Detsa Begaltsi), aged 2-14, during the Greek Civil War. They were subsequently stripped of their Greek citizenship and have been consistently denied entry into Greece simply because they assert their Macedonian ethnic identity. They were excluded from the 1982 law that allowed the free return of political refugees who were "Greek by genus".

"Greece's persecution of Macedonians continues to intensify, many of whom are Canadian, American and Australian citizens. The governments of these countries, among others, must protect the rights of their citizens and demand from Greece that this discrimination be ceased immediately or face repercussions," said MHRMI President Bill Nicholov.

MHRMI calls on international government officials, media, human rights organizations and other interested parties to attend the border crossing between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece at Medjitlia/Niki on July 20, 2008 to monitor Greece's compliance with its obligations under international human rights law.
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18.07.08 - 20:15 FALLACIOUS ANSWER

Greek PM Karamanlis replies to Gruevski's letter

There is no "Macedonian minority" in Greece. There never has been. In this respect, any allegations regarding the existence of such a minority are totally unfounded, politically motivated and disrespectful of the historic realities of the region, reads the reply of Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to the letter sent by Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski, in which he urges the recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece, reports news agency ANA-MPA. As for the properties issue raised by Gruevski, Karamanlis claims any individual could make use of any legal recourse before the courts, including the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Greek PM says that for the last fifteen years, pursuant to the relevant decisions of the UN Security Council, Greece and Macedonia have committed themselves to negotiations in the framework of the United Nations regarding the name issue, "which needs to be resolved in the interest of the maintenance of peaceful and good neighbourly relations in the region", as stipulated by the Security Council in Resolution 817. "In the past few weeks the Special Envoy of the United Nations Mr. Matthew Nimetz presented some ideas that could move the negotiations forward", says Karamanlis, expressing his regret that "it is precisely at this critical moment in the negotiating effort that you have chosen to send your letter". He states, "I take this opportunity to underline Greece's firm commitment to the promotion of friendly and good relations with all its neighbouring countries, especially with the countries of the Western Balkans, and the creation of the necessary conditions that will allow them to join, in the near future, the Euro-Atlantic and European families". According to Karamanlis, since 1993, Greece has demonstrated good will, under the auspices of the U.N., to find a mutually acceptable solution on the name issue, which would take into consideration the legitimate interests and sensitivities of both our countries. This is within the mandate of the relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions, but also the wish of all countries participating in the Euro-Atlantic and European institutions as was also unequivocally stated in the Bucharest NATO Summit and in the EU European Council in Brussels respectively. The Greek PM claims that Gruevski's letter is far from promoting the negotiations and the good neighbourly relations, since "it raises a number of non-existent and unsubstantiated issues", which go against the efforts made by Greece, and also aim at interfering in the domestic affairs of a neighbouring state. "Times have changed. I am convinced that the future of the Balkan countries lies within the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions and not in nationalist formulas of a bygone era which must be left behind once and for all. Greece remains firmly committed to working towards that goal. History judges leaders by how they rise to the challenge and assume their responsibilities. Much will depend on your positive attitude and constructive spirit", reads the reply by Karamanlis to the letter of Macedonian PM Gruevski.


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17.07.08 - 13:10 MACEDONIAN RAINBOW

Voskopoulos: Greece Must Outgrow Democratic Deficit

A reform to the so-called Greek nationalism is necessary, says Pavlos Voskopoulos, leader of the RAINBOW Party in his interview to Dimitar Culev in Florina (Greece)

Q.: How do you interpret the latest statement of Greek Foreign Ministry’s spokesman in which he called the question concerning the existence of Macedonian minority in Greece “non-existing and ungrounded”?

A.: Kumutzakos’s statement depicts the continual policy of the Greek state against the Macedonian minority since 1912 up-to-date. I would say “ungrounded” and “non-existing” is the claim that Greece is a democratic state.

Greece has a legislative, that is to say a Law from 1981 concerning the repatriation of the “political refugees” of the 1946-1948 Civil War which decisively says who belongs to the “Greeks by origin” category. Why do the state and the Ministry of the Interior mention “Greeks by origin”? Does it mean that the other citizens are not “Greeks by origin”? Does not the state indirectly recognize the existing minority from this Law by mentioning the “non-existing” minority? If Greece clearly declares the expelled Macedonians during the Civil War in Greece as “non-Greeks by origin”, does this mean that their relatives in Greece do not exist? Why does Greece take away the citizenship of members of the “non-existing” minority and forbids the economic emigrants-Macedonians living overseas to enter the villages in which they were born? Today it takes away the Greek citizenship on the base of the Law paragraph 1 g because our co-citizens declare their Macedonian identity in Australia or in Canada, for example. By mentioning the “non-existing” minority, the Greek state sends a message to the Macedonians, and even to their relatives living in northern Greece. The aim of the modern “sophisticated terrorism” is to intimidate the Macedonians from declaring their Macedonian spirit not only in Australia and Canada but also of their relatives in Greece. Why does not the “self-loving” Greek policy implement a census of the population asking about their identity and language in relation to the “non-existing” minority? Is perhaps the continual denial an expression of fear from the “existing” Macedonians?

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16.07.08 - 12:55 GREEK -MACEDONIAN JUBILEE

A Decade After ECHR Judgment, Greece Continues To Refuse Registration Of The Home Of Macedonian Culture

Florina/Lerin - July 15, 2008
July 10, 2008 marked the 10th anniversary of the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Sidiropoulos and Others vs. Greece (ECtHR, 57/1997/841/8107) in which the court ruled that Greece’s refusal to register the Home of Macedonian Culture constituted a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). The European Free Alliance – Rainbow deplores the fact that a decade after a Strasbourg judgement and almost 20 years after the original application, Greek courts continue to refuse to register this cultural association. Background information
In 1990, a group of Greek citizens decided to form a non-profit making organisation called the “Home of Macedonian Culture” in the town of Florina/Lerin. The group proceeded to register the association with the Florina Court of First Instance. The court rejected application asserting that the objective of the association was to promote the idea that “there is a Macedonian minority in Greece, which is contrary to the national interest and subsequently contrary to the law”. A subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal in Thessaloniki/Solun also failed. In 1994 the highest court in Greece upheld the decision of the lower court. The applicants then appealed the matter to European Court of Human Rights. In 1998, the court found that Greece violated the ECHR. Following the Strasbourg ruling the applicant tried once again to register the association but again failed. In 2003, the local court in Florina/Lerin again refused to register the association on the same grounds as previously stated i.e. that there is no Macedonian minority, etc. The matter was then appealed the regional court which upheld the decision; again ignoring the Strasbourg judgement. The matter is currently before the Supreme Court of Greece and if past decisions are any indication of what the court is likely to decide, justice will almost certainly have to be sought once again in Strasbourg. The European Free Alliance – Rainbow is appalled the Greek state continues to deny members of its ethnic Macedonians minority the right to freedom of association. We continue to urge the Council of Europe and the European Union to ensure that Greece complies with its obligations under the ECHR and fully executes all judgments from the ECHR.

The Press Office of EFA - Rainbow
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14.07.08 - 20:00 GREECE IN CORNER

PM Nikola Gruevski sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Karamanlis



In this letter he focuses on the issue involving ethnic Macedonians born in Greece.
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Dear Mr. Karamanlis,

I write to You with respect to two exceptionally important topics. If resolved, I am convinced they will amend many historical injustices; injustices that can be felt even today, and will improve the lives of many individuals. Surely, it will positively influence towards bringing the ties between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece closer.

Namely, in late 1940s, during the civil war in Greece, several hundreds of thousands of citizens and entire families in the whirlwind of war abandoned their homes, properties and the country in which they were born, as refugees.

A huge portion of these people, most of the ethnic Macedonians born in Greece, came to live in then SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), more precisely in the part of present Republic of Macedonia, and stayed here forever, probably due to the fact that they spoke the same language and felt they belonged with the Macedonian people. Some of them had displaced in other European states, and in USA, Australia and Russia, but those who had moved are also mostly ethnic Macedonians, they speak the same language as our own, they feel they belong to the same Macedonian nation, whereas most of them own double citizenship - Macedonian and from the country they reside in.

Unfortunately, many decades later, after abandoning their birthplaces and residences, even after the war was over, they were not allowed i.e. forbidden to return to their hometowns, in their own houses and properties. Neither they, nor their successors were allowed to come back. As far as I am informed, during the early 1980s, several laws were adopted in Greece, under which they were deprived of their properties. You would concur that these laws are not in accordance with the standards of EU, NATO and with international human right standards. Today these citizens, now nationals of the Republic of Macedonia, even though born in Greece, are discriminated on three accounts. Firstly, they are not able to claim back their properties; secondly, they face serious obstacles for traveling in Greece and thirdly, they cannot, as any other citizen born and raised in Greece, obtain the right of having double citizenship under Greek legislation - one Macedonian and one Greek - in times when Greece permits the right of double citizenship. Taking into consideration that in the past decades, the countries' democracy was developing, whereas your country become a member of EU and NATO - institutions where special attention is paid to human rights and standards for guaranteeing private ownership - I expect that You as Prime Minister will take measures to right these injustices caused to myriad of people whose destiny was painful.

In the Republic of Macedonia these people are organised in several civil associations. During several joint meetings, they urged me to address You as Prime Minister of the neighbouring country, they feel they are discriminated by.

The second topic for which I would like to ask You, and my belief is that You will be fully engaged in order to assist, is recognizing the Macedonian minority in the Republic of Greece and ensuring basic rights in compliance with international standards on education in the mother tongue (in Macedonian), nourishing cultural traditions and customs through various forms of organisations, regulating the use of the Macedonian language in local institutions in Greek municipalities with significant percentage of ethnic Macedonians, including other possibilities that any other democratic country ensures to their citizens, who are of ethnic origin that is different from the dominant one.

Mister Prime Minister,

My belief is that You will review theses issues with good will and I hope You will put forward a solution to these bitter issues in a sensible period of time. I, as well as the institutions in the Republic of Macedonia, are at Your disposal regarding any kind of communication on these issues, additional information, whilst a meeting of countries' expert groups may be organised, which I believe will be able to determine all the facts and details in a period of several months, thus contributing to overcoming these problems, which will surely impact the neighbourly relations.

We all know that in order to resolve these problems, first and foremost, a political will is needed which I believe you possess, since you are a member of EU and NATO. In fact, today, when human standards, guarantees for private ownership and minority rights are concerned, it is not a question of whether we are or aren't willing to solve them. Instead, we are obliged to strictly abide by international standards.

Mr. Prime Minister, both You and I are not able to change history and the past. But with good will, we can right many injustices from the past and certainly we can influence in establishing a much better future for our citizens, unless we deal the real issues unbiasedly.
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13.07.08 - 12:30 "NO PASSARAN” for truth

By SARAH LYALL c.1996 N.Y. Times News Service

LONDON - Anastasia Karakasidou's first book, a 300-page study of ethnicity and identity in the northern Greek province of Macedonia, seemed poised for publication after surviving months of grueling academic review at Cambridge University Press and winning high praise from academic specialists for its insights and fairness. But in December, Ms. Karakasidou received surprising news: The press had decided not to publish the book after all, it said, because it feared for the safety of its staff members in Greece. Back home in Stony Brook, N.Y., the Greek-born Ms. Karakasidou, an assistant professor of anthropology at Queens College, still sounds stunned. She had appreciated that her subject was a potentially provocative one -Greeks bristle at suggestions that residents of that province consider themselves anything but true Greeks - but she never expected this. ``They had my manuscript for more than a year and a half,'' she said in an interview this week. ``I had no idea that this was happening, and I had no way of defending myself.''

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Fields of Wheat, Hills of Blood, is a study of three villages in the Greek province of Macedonia that asserts, among other things, that many of the residents speak Slavic dialects and consider themselves Slavo-Macedonian, not Greek. The findings challenge the official position of the Greek government, which remains at odds with the neighboring Republic of Macedonia, a part of former Yugoslavia, and denies the existence of a Slavic ethnic minority within its own borders. In the past, the Macedonian question has spurred nationalist-led violence in Greece. Ms. Karakasidou herself was threatened by right-wing groups two years ago after she published articles with conclusions similar to those in her book. But, she says, she continued to live in Greece without incident. Ms. Karakasidou submitted her manuscript to Cambridge more than 18 months ago, sending it on a well-worn path of academic reviews and revisions. Finally, its reviewers deemed it ready to go, and Ms. Karakasidou, though she had no contract in hand, had every reason to assume that Cambridge would publish it.

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The truth always come to light

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