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.
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
Serbian News Network - SNN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.antic.org/
