<nettime> What is in the name?

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

So, Macedonia signed the agreement with the US not to extradite 
Americans to the international court.  More interestingly, it signed 
that agreement as a Republic of Macedonia, NOT under its 
officially recognized name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia. Its government sees that as a 'great step forward' - 
Greek government has a headache.
ivo


RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 7, No. 125, Part II, 3 July 2003

MACEDONIAN PRIME MINISTER LAUDS 'GREAT STEP FORWARD' IN NAME DISPUTE... Prime
Minister Branko Crvenkovski told MIA news agency on 2 July that he believes
signing an extradition-immunity agreement with the United States under the name
Macedonia could be a major breakthrough in the country's long-standing name
dispute with Greece.  Responding to criticism that the country's constitutional
name is Republic of Macedonia, Crvenkovski said: "We have never had problems
with the term 'republic' regarding the name dispute with Greece,... but the
problem was in regard to the term 'Macedonia.'" He cautioned, however, against
expecting a quick resolution of the name dispute, saying it will be "a battle
that will last." Under Greek pressure, the country was recognized by the UN and
other international institutions under the name Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, or FYROM (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 27 June and 2 July 2003). UB

...AS GREEK GOVERNMENT VOICES CONCERN. Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos
Biglitis has expressed concern that the term Macedonia was used in the Republic
of Macedonia's extradition-immunity agreement with the United States, Deutsche
Welle's "Monitor" reported on 2 July. According to Biglitis, Greek Foreign
Minister George Papandreou has contacted U.S.  Ambassador to Greece Thomas
Miller and has also written a letter to U.S.  Secretary of State Colin Powell
in connection with the matter. Biglitis underscored that using the term
Macedonia in a bilateral agreement cannot be a "test for the final resolution
of the name dispute," which can only be achieved under the auspices of the UN.
UB

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