Why name issue is so important to Greece
With reference to the article by Uffe Ellemann-Jensen ('Nato's beacon of hope goes out in Bucharest', April 11), on behalf of my government, I would like to state and clarify the following on Nato's decision in the Bucharest Summit, not to extend an invitation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom), to join the alliance.
The name issue is a serious political issue. Macedonia is a geographical area located in the heart of the Balkans, a very sensitive region, burdened with its history. The name 'Macedonia' is not associated with a single country. It has always been used to refer to a larger geographical region of which about 51 per cent belongs to Greece, 38 per cent to Fyrom and 9 per cent to Bulgaria. Greece says that a single state's monopolising of the name 'Macedonia' does not contribute to regional stability. The non resolution of the outstanding name issue undermines good neighbourly relations and hampers co-operation in this fragile region.
Of course, Nato member states share a common strategic objective in the region of the western Balkans; the eventual integration of all countries concerned in the European and Euro Atlantic family. Greece, being a Nato member for more than half a century, has been actively promoting the fulfilment of this objective, as it recognises its value for the maintenance of peace and stability and the enhancement of co-operation among neighbouring countries, especially in this region torn for centuries by inter-ethnic and civil wars, hatred and instability.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to have all three Nato aspirants receive an invitation to join the alliance in Bucharest.
Greece had earlier communicated to both its allies and its neighbours in Skopje, that Fyrom's failure to reciprocate our honest invitation for compromise on the name issue and cease nationalistic rhetoric and irredentist propaganda against our northern province of Macedonia, would result in vetoing their accession process in Bucharest.
In Bucharest, Greece was not alone in the decision not to allow Fyrom to join Nato. We emphasised that alliances and partnerships can only be fostered among countries if there is mutual trust and goodwill and Nato leaders shared and understood our concerns and our positions became those of the alliance.
