No Secret "Name" Talks, Greek MEP Says

Greek MEP Maria Eleni Koppa | Photo by: European Parliament - Audiovisual Unit

Koppa, a member of Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s ruling PASOK party, was responding to media rumors of her involvement in such talks.

“I have never played a role in secret negotiations,” she said. “And there have never been any such talks. Greece believes that the United Nations remains the only forum for settlement of the problem.”

Bilateral meetings last year between Papandreou and his Macedonian counterpart, Nikola Gruevski, were only aimed at boosting the UN-led process, which Koppa described as “difficult and slow to evolve.”

Skopje and Athens have been at odds over the name Macedonia for almost two decades. The Greeks believe that the country’s name implies territorial claims over their northern province, also called Macedonia, and have demanded a name change.

In the 1990s, both countries signed a UN-brokered accord that binds them to seeking a compromise solution through UN talks. However, those talks are effectively stalled.

The last meeting of UN-appointed mediator Matthew Nimetz with negotiators Adamantios Vassilakis (Greece) and Zoran Jolevski (Macedonia) was held in New York earlier this year. It was described as only a formality, with no progress toward a breakthrough.

Since then, Macedonia has been distracted by protracted political gridlock that resulted in early elections on June 5.

Greece exacerbated the tensions between the countries in 2008, when it used its influence in NATO to prevent Macedonia from being invited to join the alliance. Macedonia is suing Greece over that action in the International Court of Justice, where a verdict is expected by the end of this year.

Greece cited the unresolved name dispute again in 2009 as justification for preventing European Union ministers from extending the start date for Macedonia’s accession talks, despite a recommendation by the European Commission for an extension.

And bad feelings were stirred again just last month when Skopje erected its long-awaited giant statue of the ancient warrior king Alexander the Great, whom Greeks claim as part of their own historical heritage.

In its reaction, the Greek government accused Macedonia of provocation and stealing Greek history. Athens warned that the move could further deteriorate Skopje’s efforts to join NATO and the EU.

For some years now, there has been media speculation that the dispute could be resolved by creating a composite name like Upper or Northern Macedonia, that would clearly distinguish the country from the Greek province.

Some local analysts have suggested that this is a good time to intensify the talks, as Gruevski’s government came out of the elections with a fresh mandate, and is in a position to seek a potentially unpopular name deal with Greece.

However, the Greek economic crisis has put tremendous pressure on Papandreou’s government, which may not want to risk more unpopularity amid tensions over sharp spending cuts.

And there has been no announcement for a fresh set of UN talks.