Greek Reply to 'Macedonian Chairmanship 2010'

Delavekouras' statements came after Skopje announced that it plans to use the name “Macedonian Chairmanship 2010” for its forthcoming presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which starts next month.

In a reaction that was conveyed through Greek ANA/MPA news agency, Dalavekouras stated that the move represents a “provocation”.

He noted that Skopje's decision goes against the UN charter, which obliges the country to use its provisional reference, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM in international settings.

Skopje responded today to Delavekouras' statements, with Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki saying that Greek pressures do not end at Macedonia’s name.

By rebuffing the proposed “Macedonian Chairmanship 2010”, Greece goes “one step further into a forbidden zone, denying the individual and collective right of self determination and linguistic identity,” he stressed.

He said that the Macedonia sees the proposed name as pragmatic in order to meet half way the Greek concern over Macedonia’s constitutional name.

Macedonian President Georgi Ivanov also commented on the situation, saying: “The Council of Europe has its own principles and functions as an international organisation. We will do everything in our power to help the reforms in the Council and if one member state decides to boycott, that’s their own right.”

Upon announcing the country's intentions to use the name "Macedonian Chairmanship 2010" during the six month long chairmanship, Macedonian Prime Minister Antonio Milososki said reactions from Greece were expected.

He urged Athens to overcome its prejudice and be pragmatic so that both countries could prove that the region of Southeastern Europe could increasingly contribute to the Council of Europe’s priorities.

“We can do this together with other member countries, including Greece,” Milososki said.
 
Visiting Secretary General of the CoE Thorbjorn Jagland, who is in Skopje to prepare the country for its forthcoming duties, said that it is not his role to judge what name should be used.
 
“I have to stick to the decisions reached by the organisation I am heading,” said Jagland.

Athens and Skopje have been arguing for almost two decades over which state has the right to use the name Macedonia. Athens insists that Skopje has to change its official name, Republic of Macedonia, if it wants Greece to unblock its bids to join NATO and the EU. Greece says the current name implies territorial claims against its own northern province, also called Macedonia.