- Title: MACEDONIA: UNITED STATES RECOGNISES FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
- Date: 5th November 2004
- Summary: (EU) SKOPJE, MACEDONIA (NOVEMBER 4, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING EXTERIOR; MACEDONIAN FLAG 0.09 2. SLV CITY STREETS 0.27 3. SLV/MV/SCU PENSIONERS VESEL SEIDIOVSKI AND TRAJAN BLAZEVSKI SITTING AT PARK BENCH, TALKING 0.50 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) VESEL SEIDIOVSKI, PENSIONER SAYING: "That's good. It's good to have your (own) country." 0.55 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) TRAJAN BLAZEVSKI, PENSIONER SAYING: "When Russia was strong we were with Russia. Now USA is strong and we are with them." 1.07 6. SLV PEOPLE IN THE STREETS OF SKOPJE 1.26 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) SNEZANA SAPORDANOVA SAYING: "That is how it should be. We waited enough and that should have happened earlier." 1.37 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) MARJAN GOCEV SAYING: "It's super. That's how it should be. (asked to comment on the Greek reaction) That's their problem." 1.51 9. SLV PEOPLE IN PARK; PEOPLE WALKING DOGS ON LEADS 2.32 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 20th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SKOPJE, MACEDONIA
- Country: Macedonia
- Reuters ID: LVA9NZNB1JH7D2TGLTT958BQ9H4O
- Story Text: The United States has recognised the former Yugoslav
republic of Macedonia as Macedonia, the name strongly
rejected by neighbour Greece.
The United States recognised the former Yugoslav
republic of Macedonia as "Macedonia", the name strongly
rejected by neighbour Greece for the past 13 years,
President Branko Crvenkovski said on Thursday (November 4).
It was the first major policy move announced by
Washington following the re-election of President George W.
Bush.
There was jubilation streets of the capital, Skopje.
"It's good to have your (own) country." said pensioner
Vesel Seidiovski. His friend and fellow pensioner Trajan
Blazevski remarked, "When Russia was strong we were with
Russia. Now USA is strong and we are with them."
The news sparked outrage in Greece where the news came
as a surprise. The European Union also did not appear to
have been informed in advance.
Crvenkovski confirmed the move on national television.
But in Athens, Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis
called in U.S. Ambassador Thomas Miller to formally protest
what he called 'this unilateral U.S. decision'. Molyviatis
said It would have many negative effects but did not
elaborate.
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also
appeared to have been taken by surprise.
Athens has opposed the name ever since the republic of
two million won independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Until
now it had the support of all NATO allies, except Turkey,
for refusing recognition. They refer to it in all documents
by the acronym FYROM, the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia.
Greece blockaded Macedonia for 18 months in the 1990s,
cutting off vital access to the sea until Skopje agreed to
change the Macedonian flag and alter the constitution.
Greek investment in Macedonia has flourished since. But
usurping the name that Greece has cherished down through
the millennia remains one of the most emotive issues for
the homeland of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonians.
Macedonians are a Slav people whose language is similar
to that of their Bulgarian and Serbian neighbours but also
claim to be descendants of Alexander.
Macedonia, bordered to the north by Kosovo, teetered on
the brink of open civil war in 2001 during seven months of
conflict between state security forces and an Albanian
guerrilla army.
The U.S. nod to its nationhood could deflate support
for a nationalist-inspired referendum on Sunday to overturn
a law giving Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority more
rights. The law is part of the peace accord which ended the
fighting.
Nationalists say it threatens the integrity of the
country and would lead to ethnic division. But the EU and
the U.S. want the legislation to stand to further
multi-ethnic peace.
Ali Ahmeti, a former guerrilla who leads the main
Albanian party in Macedonia's coalition government, said
the U.S. move was a clear message for Macedonians to think
of the future.
Macedonia is a member of the U.S.-led military alliance
in Iraq with 32 troops in the coalition. Greeks, by
contrast, opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
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