24.06.09 - 23:25 GREEK SABOTAGE - EY SOLIDARITY

The Greek Post Office sabotaged the election campaign of the party of the Macedonian minority in Greece EFA-Rainbow (Vinozito) for the European elections, the party says in a statement.

In order to fill the “void” resulting from the Greek media blackout of EFA-Rainbow’s election campaign, in the weeks leading up to the European elections of 7 June 2009, the party mailed out promotional material to voters in Northern Greece.
The material was sent via the state-owned “Hellenic Post” and included a letter, a DVD and ballot papers,

The party was informed by the Florina/Lerin office of “Hellenic Post” that there was a package waiting to be picked up in the name of EFA-Rainbow (Vinozito).
And, that the package was a sack of letters that had not been delivered. The letters included bundles of letters sent to whole villages that had been returned to the Post Office.

EFA-Rainbow condemns this interference by “Hellenic Post” in the election campaign.

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8.06.09 - 13:40 OBAMA vs USA

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4.06.09 - 14:05 EU election: VOTE FOR VINOZITO

It is chance for democracy in Greece:

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3.06.09 14:50 GREEK NAZISM IN ACTION - EU and NATO SOLIDARITY AND PEACEFULLY WATCH

THIS IS one more example for "goodneighborhood" on greek way with EU and NATO solidarity

Greek neo-nazis interrupt promotion of Greek-Macedonian dictionary

Athens, June 3 (MIA) - About 20 activists of Greek fascist organization "Chrysi Avyi" (Golden Dawn) interrupted late Tuesday the promotion of Greek-Macedonian dictionary in Athens, organized by party of Macedonians in Greece "Rainbow".

During the promotion, a group of masked individuals entered the International Press Center in order to cause an incident. They damaged the equipment of the cameramen, destroyed the promotional materials and verbally attacked the promoters, including renowned U.S. Slavist and linguist Victor Friedman.

After receiving information that the police is about to arrive at the facility, "Chrysi Avyi" members ran away and the promotion resumed.

"Chrysi Avyi" was recently registered as a political party and has close ties with the parliamentary nationalist party LAOS of Georgios Karatzaferis.

One of "Rainbow" leaders, Pavle Vaskopoulos told Macedonian TV station "Kanal 5" the incident was a signal that "Greek authorities start to fear the Macedonianism in Greece", adding this is a disgrace for Greece, which cannot be hidden from the European public.

Last night's incident occurs five days before the European Parliament elections in Greece. According to the Greek neo-nazis, the 15,000-word dictionary prepared by Vasko Karadza should not have been issued, because the Macedonian language had not existed. On the other hand, promoters stress it is a testimony on the existence of the Macedonians and a response to the Athens' stance on the alleged non-existence of the Macedonian language.

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1.05.09 - 22:40 ACTIONS AGAINST "non-existing" MACEDONIAN MINORITY

What does Greece do against admited "non-existing" macedonian minority

Top secret

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY
NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE
Athens, 16 February 1982
Number of protocol 6502/7-3042….
(…..) INTRODUCTIONS
a. The Skopians' activities for the autonomy of Macedonia may be efficiently confronted mainly by wiping out the use of the idiom, in the regions near the borders. This opinion is based on the realizations that also other regions that in older times were the center of "Macedonism", like Kastoria, are not hit by the Skopian propaganda, because there the use of the idiom has been almost wiped out.

b. This element by itself would be enough to exclude any thoughts of repatriation of the P/R (political refugees) who now reside in Yugoslavia and who have been brought up with the "Macedonian idea", the "Macedonian language and culture", independently of their participation or not to the organizations SNOF, NOF and activities taken for detaching Greek territories, during the period 1946-1949.

c. As for the above it is imperative to:
1. The creation of a state institution that will depend from the Prefectures of the regions near the borders, lined with the suitable and specially trained to the "Plot against Macedonia" subject, personnel. This institution will engage itself only with this subject, with the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will collaborate closely, but in secret, with the Security Authorities and all the public services (Tax office, Schools, Army, Church, etc.).
2. In the public services and especially in the educational institutions the employees who will be in service have to be ignorant of the local idiom.
3. The establishment of special enlightenment seminaries, for all the public service employees and the clergy who are in service in the sensitive region of Macedonia.
4. The establishment of motivations for the obligatory residence of the public servants and other employees, in the quarters of their service (example: payment of the rent, extra pay, etc.).
5. Establishment of Cultural Association, like "ARISTOTELIS" in Florina and economic help to them, for the realization of events and the publishing of books, newspapers, magazines, etc. and afterwards these will be sent to the Diaspora abroad who has origins from the regions of the senders. This will boost their national sentiment and they will be protected from the anti-Hellenic propaganda that is been practiced by S/M (Slavmacedonians) organizations.
6. Insertion of various obstacles (non-recognition of diplomas, postponement of military service, etc.) for the Greek students who wish to study in Skopje.
7. Marking in each village of persons who, due to their kin bounds and their personality, influence a large circle of co-villagers and with any means (even with money payments) get close to them and use them properly so they will behave as the fighters of the use of the idiom in their circle. To this direction a very positive and effective role can be that of the Youngers of the political parties, by the judgment and coordination of the Government, when a between parties agreement will be reached.
8. Recruitment in the Armed Forces, in Police Bodies, in the public services and Organisms of employees with origins from Florina region, by exception, and their obligatory location in other areas of the Country.
9. The encouragement, by the leadership of the Army, of meetings and marriages of Army officers, who are on duty there and have origins abroad, with women that speak the idiom. (…)

THE CHIEF DIMITRIS KAPELARIS ANT/GOS
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20.04.09 - 20:10 GREEK DRIVING

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23.12.08 - 17:20 A minute silence for EU standards in Greece

May their memory live!

28.11.08 - 16:55 Greek proof

Macedonian names on the Athens Parliament house!!! EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS!!!



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27.11.08 - 16:25 Uncle Sam: J need ....

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23.11.08 - 17:00 Rainbow - for greek blindness

Rainbow - Party of Macedonians in Greece to hold its second Congress on Sunday

Rainbow - a political party of Macedonians living in Greece - will hold its second Congress on Sunday, which as announced is to review the activities for improving the status of Macedonian minority in the Greek society.

The Congress will assemble delegates from all local party organizations in northern Greece and of the European Free Alliance (EFA), as Rainbow has been its member or several years.

The event is expected to send a message to Greece's leadership, calling it to respect the rights of the Macedonian minority in compliance with all international conventions.

Organizers of the event say there have been no announcements yet by Greek ultranationalists for obstructing the party's congress as it was the case four years ago in Thessaloniki.

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21.11.08 - 20:00 EU - "welcome"

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17.11.08 - 22:00 Macedonia: International Court of Justice....

Macedonia files legal proceedings against Greece at International Court of Justice

The Republic of Macedonia has filed legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Greece. Macedonia has filed an Application with the Registrar of the Court to bring Greece into compliance with its legal obligations under the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995, which binds the two countries., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday in a press release.

Article 11 of the 1995 Accord obliges Greece not to object to Macedonia's application to join NATO. At the NATO Summit held in Bucharest in April 2008, however, Greece objected to extending NATO membership invitation to Macedonia, thus flagrantly violating its obligations under the Interim Accord.

Antonio Milososki, Foreign Minister and Macedonia's representative before ICJ, says that protection of Macedonian rights under the Interim Agreement is the only reason for filing the Application.

- We have given a lot of thought before initiating this case, but we see no other way for justice to be done and our rights to be protected. We hope this action might encourage Greece to bring its actions into compliance with its international legal obligations, and that it might also encourage our two countries to reach a final settlement on outstanding issues in the spirit of good-neighbourliness and cooperation envisaged by the Interim Accord, Milososki said.

He expressed belief that ICJ would help in settling this legal dispute, considering its just and prompt actions.

- We are not asking the Court to deal with other political issues, so that the dispute over the name is not the subject of our Application. We also want to stress that we remain strongly committed to all aspects of the Interim Accord, in particular to the process of negotiations with Greece, mediated by the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Milososki said.

The Application requests the International Court of Justice to adjudge and declare that (Greece), through its State organs and agents, has violated its obligations under Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Interim Accord; to order that (Greece) immediately take all necessary steps to comply with its obligations under Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Interim Accord, and to cease and desist from objecting in any way, whether directly or indirectly, to (Macedonia's) NATO membership and/or any other 'international, multilateral and regional organizations and institutions' of which (Greece) is a member, in circumstances where (Macedonia) is to be referred to in such organizations or institutions by the designation provided for in paragraph 2 of United Nations Security Council Resolution 817 (1993).

ICJ is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations.Established in 1945 by the UN Charter, the Court began work in 1946 as the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice.

The Court's workload is characterised by a wide range of judicial activity. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by member states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies and the UN General Assembly.

(MIA)

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15.11.08 - 22:55 Greece: The forbidden verity

Why Critics of Greece’s Macedonia Policy Keep Silent

The Greek establishment still punishes people who deviate from the official line on Macedonia, as one former PASOK official discovered to his cost.

Takis Michas

By Takis Michas in Athens

The legal prosecution and state-inspired harassment of people professing different views on “national issues” that took place during the early 1990s has left deep marks on Greek society.

Thus, today, even those few persons that have more critical views on the Macedonian issue, for example, prefer to keep them to themselves, fearing that such views will not improve their career prospects. As recent events show, their fears are not unjustified.

Grigoris Valianatos had been employed since 1985 with the leading left-wing opposition party PASOK as a political communications advisor. His job was to “package” the political message of the party and help disseminate it. He did not have any say in the contents of the message.

But when Valianatos was asked about his views on the “Skopje” issue and the Macedonian minority in Greece during a TV interview last Thursday, he replied that the country had every right to be called “Macedonia” and that a Macedonian minority existed in Greece.

Although he made clear that those were his personal views and by no means the views of the party, this clarification did not help him. The next morning, PASOK issued a laconic statement informing the public that Valianatos’s contract had been terminated because he had expressed “personal opinions” that contradicted the party line.

“I was really shocked when I read the statement,” Valianatos told me when I met him in Athens. “Everybody knew my views all these years and I never had the slightest problem. Indeed when I gave a speech at a PASOK meeting a few year ago and referred to the existence of a Turkish and a Macedonian minority the participants all applauded, including the party leader, George Papandreou.”

The government in Skopje argues that there is indeed a Macedonian minority in Greece, which has been deprived of its basic human rights of cultural and national expression and education in its mother tongue.

Athens, on the other hand, says that the only true Macedonians are the Greek Macedonians. As Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis wrote in his letter to FYROM Prime Minister Gruevski "there has never existed a Macedonian minority" in Greece.

Ever since the break-up of former Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia's name and history has been the object of a dispute between Athens and Skopje.

After Greece strongly objected to Macedonia’s entry in to the United Nations under that name, the country was admitted in 1993 under the provisional term “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” FYROM, pending a solution to the dispute.

The Skopje government insisted it had no territorial claims on Greek territory, while Athens for its part pledged not to block Skopje’s accession to international organizations, as long as it remained under the provisional name.

The so-called “name” row gained in momentum this April after Athens blocked Skopje’s application to join NATO, insisting Macedonia had to change its name first.
Valianatos, meanwhile, is also the author of various books, which until recently appeared on the personal website of Papandreou. After the incident, they disappeared from the PASOK leader’s website.

Valianatos insists his former role in PASOK had been purely technocratic. “My role was not political. I would offer all sorts of ideas concerning how to make PASOK’s message more effective but I had absolutely no influence in shaping the message,” he said.

“That is why I find the decision to terminate my contract incomprehensible. It is like dismissing your dentist because he happens to be a Maoist!”

Papandreou recently attended in Brussels a meeting of the Socialist International, the organization of which he is the current president. What is ironic is that most European socialists would agree with Valianatos on the issue of a Macedonian minority.

Alas, Greece is not like the rest of Europe, and what is considered self-evident in a European context is still too often considered a dangerous heresy in the Balkans.
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Takis Michas is a Greek journalist and author of the book “Unholy Alliance: Greece and Milosevic’s Serbia” (Texas A & M University Press 2002). Balkan Insight is BIRN`s online publication.
================================= also read
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4.11.08 - 20:45 Ha,new greek "concessive" and "principled" offer:Change the name, and you will get all (!!???)

Greece will provide support "in every possible way" to Macedonia if it changes name - Greek Deputy FM

Macedonia's new name should be based on a geographic determinant, said Tuesday in Belgrade Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Petros Dukas.

He stated that Athens would support Macedonia "in every possible way as soon as the name row is resolved".

"Greek Macedonia is larger by territory and population from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and we cannot overlook this. We believe that a geographic name is a good basis for a solution", said Dukas.

He added that "as a result of the friendly settlement of the dispute", Greece is ready to support Macedonia "financially and in every way possible".
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2.11.08 - 22:50 Greek different opinion

Greek radical democrats want Macedonia recognized by Athens

We are hoping with our actions in Greece, the Macedonians will form a positive opinion regarding our citizens. We have never had an issue with Macedonia's constitutional name and our initiative is aimed at Greece recognizing your country under the constitutional name.

This was the opening statement from the Greek Radical Democrats, an organization out of Athens who is currently visiting Bitola, southern Macedonia. The organization is said to be undertaking "Anti-Nationalist", "Anti-Militaristic" initiative all over Greece.

At todays' meeting with representatives of the Aegean Macedonians, the Greek radical democrats confirmed they are opening a widespead campaign in Greece to ban and remove the racist laws implemented in the past 20 years which forbids Macedonians born in nothern Greece from entrance in the country and return on their land.

"This is unacceptable, racist behaviour of official Athens. This is, in fact a major crime that is being waged on the Macedonians until present day, even though the very same people gave their lives so Greece can be a free country today," says Nikos Janopoulos, representative of Greek radical democrats organization.

This meeting was seen in positive light from the Aegean Macedonian communities.

"Our meeting with our friends from Athens will bring about positive developments so Greek Parliament can remove the laws brought against us, so we can sooner return to our properties." says Gorgji Donevski, the head of the Aegean Macedonians Association.

MINA finds that Greek resentment by ordinary Athenians against official Athens is growing, particularly in the past two month. Many believe their Government has crossed the line with its policies regarding Macedonia.

31.10.08 - 22:50 That is begining : NaciElada - NATO deafmute

MoFA: Greece's arguments were heard at the military parade

Skopje, October 31 (MIA) - The Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has every legitimate right to choose how it will express its protest related to the outburst of anti-Macedonian hysteria at the military parade in Thessaloniki, Ministry officials said Friday in their reaction in connection to Thursday's statement given by Head of Greece's Liaison Office to Skopje, Alexandra Papadopoulou.

- The Greek arguments stated by the head of Greece's Liaison Office in Skopje, Papadopoulou we unfortunately had the chance to hear them at the military march held a few days ago, from the mouths of Greek army members. We're prepared and adamant to inform all relevant international organisations and institutions about the case and to submit a footage from the military parade, MoFA stated.

The footage, which is being technically processed, with English language subtitle will be sent to representatives of NATO, EU, OSCE, CoE, UN... in the course of next week.

Commenting the condemnation regarding the outburst of nationalism and chauvinism directed against Macedonia at a military parade in Thessaloniki on Oct. 28 expressed by deputy foreign minister Zoran Petrov, the Head of Greece's Liaison Office Papadopoulou told ANA-MPA agency she realised from Petrov's statements that "the Government does not want or does not dare to listen to the Greek positions and arguments."

Macedonian Experts: Greece is EU/NATO's mentally challenged child

“Nationalistic and at times fascists chants from the Greek military at the parade in Salonika is not surprising.

What is surprising is the passive non-responsive ways of the EU and NATO who refuse to issue any comment, four days after the scandal” say experts who described Greece as a mentally challenged child under the wings of EU and NATO able to say or do anything without being reprimanded.

“We expect, if there is such a thing as a system of values that unite this nations, that system to be equal for everyone, instead of hiding behind some fake solidarity, because Macedonia is at the door of the Alliance”, says Biljana Vankovska, University Professor.

The chants at the military parade in Salonika were demonstration of force and pressure on Macedonia, say the experts.

“This is a verbal pressure on Macedonia, with very dangerous tendencies, I’d say military threats aimed at Macedonia and the supporters of Macedonia.” Says Blagoja Markovski, expert on security questions.

NATO has no comment on the incident, the statement came from Brussels without an explanation. No comment from the EU. OESC will first wait for the video, and may come up with a statement.

“No question Greece behaves like a mentally challenged child who neither knows what it does nor pays attention to the surroundings. EU and NATO are Greece’s parents in this case who after each bizarre behavior by their child, feel sorry for it, are embarrassed, but have no comments in order to protect it, instead of helping it.” says Dejan Markovski, expert on Foreign Relations.
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30.10.08 - 22:30 The charges for seven Macedonians

Seven Macedonians prosecuted for the events at Lofi/Zabrdeny

Belgrade, Tuesday, 28 October 2008 by Georgios N. Papadakis

The public prosecutor of Florina/Lerin has pressed charges against seven individuals who participated in the recent events at the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in Northern Greece.

Among them were the four initially arrested on the scene of the unrest while the other three are also inhabitants of the village.

According to the public prosecutor, the accused obstructed public transport when they blocked tanks and other armoured vehicles of the Greek Army, initiated riots among the local population, and resisted violently when policemen tried to reopen the passage leading to an army exercise field in the vicinity of their homes. No date has been set yet for the trial, but its is likely that it will take place next year.

Protests in Lofi/Zabrdeny against the army exercises caught the public eye not only in Greece but also in the neighbouring Republic of Macedonia and internationally. The issue caused a public debate inside the Greek Parliament while Macedonian minority party EFA-Rainbow directly accused the Greek authorities of policies of discrimination.

The detention of four Macedonian journalists who were covering the events also led to protests by the Macedonian Government, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute-South East Europe Media Organization. In addition, IFJ and IPI-SEEMO urged the Greek authorities to explain why the journalists were obstructed from performing their duties and eventually forced to leave Greece. No answer to these complaints has been given so far by Greek officials.
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30.10.08 - 00:16 Greek military and political parade: militrism and irredentism

Greek Army chants Anti-Macedonian slogans on their paradeс

Slogans such as "Macedonia is Greek", "Greek blood flows through Macedonians' veins" and "We won't give the name Macedonia to Skopje" were chanted by Greek commandos at yesterday's parade organised in Solun on Greece's national holiday October 28, writes Ethnos daily on Wednesday.

The chanting, comments the newspaper, prompted an awkward situation in the official box where defense ministers of seven southeastern European countries were seated in addition to Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Government members.

Kathimerini newspaper says that Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis, on occasion of the holiday, has sent invitations for the parade to all his Balkan counterparts, including the Macedonian one, but "Skopje rejected the invitation."

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24.10.08 - 19:40 Greek constant: lies,lies.........

Greek Government caught lying to their public, again

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo did not shift its position regarding the use of Macedonia's name and it will still call the country by its constitutional name.

This is the note sent Thursday by the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Congo's authorities confirm that their position on Macedonia's name remains unchanged, in line with the Communiqué on establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, signed in September 1999.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki wrote a letter to the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, in which he expressed gratitude to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on using the constitutional name of Macedonia alongside 126 countries across the world.

It's not clear what is the Greek Government gaining from manipulating its population. Greek Media boasted on the "success" of Athens even though it knew they are misinforming the public. Of course, Panama, Mexico and now DR. Congo will disappear from the Greek media, until the next propaganda appears.

It has become more than obvious that 'news' coming out of Athens should not be taken seriously.

Hats off to the Macedonian Government who insisted they were not notified by DR Congo on the change of their stance and believed the African country will not change its stance. Right they were.

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Greek republic Lie & Deny

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24.10.08 - Greece is not Macedonia's godfather

Zhelev: Greece is not Macedonia's godfather

Greece has no right to impose name to Macedonia, Bulgaria's former president and current chairman of Balkan Political Club Zhelyu Zhelev said.

In an interview to Radio Deutsche Welle's Bulgarian news, Zhelev stressed that the name and the identity of a nation and a state constitute an existentioanal issue and a sovereign right to individual choice.

"When it comes to existentional and political problems of a nation and a state, another country cannot dictate how the country should call itself. I've told Greeks many times - you simply don't know what you want. On what grounds you deprive the Republic of Macedonia from its right to call itself Republic of Macedonia? The country existed within the old Yugoslav federation nearly half a century with the same name," Zhelev said.

"Furthermore, the provisional name is inadequate. All republics that acquired independence after the break-up of the Yugoslav federation are former Yugoslav republics. Why Greece won't call Croatia a Former Yugoslav Republic of Croatia, then Former Yugoslav Republic of Slovenia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Serbia...? How come ostracism is applied to Macedonia only?" Zhelev said.
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