The NATO Summit: Aftermath

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis briefed President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias today on the outcome of last week’s NATO Summit in Bucharest in which Greece, backed by other countries, did not consent to extend an invitation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to start accession negotiations for eventually joining the Alliance, pending the name issue. Greece’s conditional position was reflected in the Summit Declaration issued by NATO. “I believe that conditions will be soon be ripe to resume negotiations under the auspices of UN in order to find a mutually acceptable solution” the premier said in a friendly message to FYROM’s people and political leaders.

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NATO Summit: A Friendly Message to Neighbours

GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    Greece invited the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) last night to return to the negotiating table and settle once and for all the long standing dispute on the name issue between the two countries, after NATO postponed extending an invitation to FYROM to begin accession talks to join the Alliance until the issue of the name is resolved. “We agreed that an invitation to FYROM will be extended as soon as a mutually accepted solution to the name issue has been reached. We encourage the negotiations to be resumed without delay and expect them to be concluded as soon as possible,” the Bucharest Summit Declaration says.  

The Name Issue of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on NATO’s Agenda

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  “Nobody likes vetoes,” but “the intransigence and nationalism on behalf of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which is interwoven with the name issue, does not allow us to take the same positive stance as in the case of Croatia and Albania,”  Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis stated, addressing the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, yesterday. The meeting agenda focused mainly on the enlargement of the Alliance and in particular, on the candidateship of Croatia, Albania and FYROM, paving the way for the NATO Bucharest Summit, on April 2-3. Placing emphasis on the importance of unanimity, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer made clear that “NATO’s door is open” but “there’s an ally, Greece and a non-ally; FYROM….NATO works by consensus.” Bakoyannis was prompt to announce that “there is still time for an applicable solution,” therefore, Greece will “continue to work to this end in a constructive spirit,” and within the framework of the UN Special Mediator Matthew Nimetz’s efforts. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Statements of FM Dora Bakoyannis following the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Minister; Greece and NATO;  Athens News Agency: Greece Refuses FYROM’s NATO Accession Bid; NATO: Main topics discussed at the informal meeting

Name Issue of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  Referring to to the neighbouring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and the possibility of failure to resolve the thorny “name issue“, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis warned on Friday that “no solution means no invitation”. This would mean that should the issue not be resolved, FYROM is not to receive an invitation for membership in NATO and the EU, where Greece is a veto-wielding member. 
“Without a mutually acceptable solution, there can be no relations like allies; there can be no invitation to the neighbouring country for participation in the same alliance,” Karamanlis stated in Parliament.
UN mediator Matthew Nimetz is expected to invite both parties for a new round of talks, soon.

Name Issue of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The Greek government said on Thursday that it had formulated its assessment of UN envoy Matthew Nimetz’s new proposals aimed at solving the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) name issue and was ready to move on to the next step of negotiations. “Following a comprehensive study…the government has finalised its objections, observations and proposed changes to the proposal,” stated foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos.