The issue of national identity is taken seriously by Balkan people – including the least serious among them.
Bildt in Surprise Visit to Macedonia
Skopje | 27 November 2009 | Sinisa-Jakov Marusic
Swedish Foreign Minister and President of the EU Minister’s Council Carl Bildt made a surprise visit to Skopje late Thursday just before Friday's meeting between the Macedonian and Greek Prime Ministers, where the two are expected to discuss steps towards resolving their 18-year long name row.
Bildt, whose country currently heads the rotating EU presidency, had a three-and-a-half-hour long meeting with the Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski behind closed doors. No statements were given to the media afterwards. Bildt left the country on early Friday.
The Government only confirmed that the name issue was discussed.
According to local media, Bildt arrived in Skopje with recommendations for Macedonia’s government regarding Friday’s meeting between Gruevski and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou. Bildt also wanted to get a first hand impression on Skopje’s stances regarding the name.
Earlier this month Bildt urged both countries to find a quick settlement before the EU Council meets on 7 December, where member states are expected to act on a European Commission recommendation to give Macedonia a start date for accession negotiaitons to the bloc. Greece threatens to prevent this from happening if there is no breakthrough on the name.
Last year, Athens blocked Skopje’s NATO accession over the row. Athens insists that Skopje’s constitutional name, the Republic of Macedonia, implies territorial claims towards its own northern province - also called Macedonia.
Friday's Gruevski-Papandreou meeting is seen as a key opportunity to bring the two sides closer towards a solution.
In the absence of clearly declared positions on the name, media cite three principles according to which the government seeks to resolve the dispute.
The government has said it will accept no solution that could jeopardize the identity and dignity of the Macedonian citizens, that they will make no changes to the constitution related to the name of the country and that whatever compromise name is agreed it will have to go to a referendum.
Bildt's visit comes after the European Parliament adopted a resolution on EU enlargement strategy, in which it urged the Council to go ahead with the Commission's recommendations and give Macedonia a start date for accession negotiations.
