Guardian 04/02/2008

Letter submitted to the Guardian in response to article "Which Macedonia?"

Hellenic Electronic Center (HEC)

A Non-Profit Organization Registered in the US

with 37,000 Hellenes as members and

36 Hellenic associations in the US and abroad

The April 1 op-ed by Donald Steinberg fails to take into account the hostile propaganda that has been directed toward Greece by the government in Skopje up to the present time. Last year, Skopje named its airport after Alexander the Great, an unacceptable provocation. In his critique, Mr. Steinberg does not challenge the Hellenism of ancient Macedonia and seems to believe there is no contradiction in Skopje having an identical name with that of the Northern Greek province. Extremist elements in Skopje believe that the entire history of Macedonia is theirs, including Alexander and all symbols that are part of the Macedonian heritage such as the Sun of Vergina which was originally placed on their flag, and the tower of Thessaloniki which appeared on their currency. A lecturer from Skopje recently appeared before the Smithsonian Institute in which she put forward the falsified history of Macedonia which has triggered alarm in Athens. Mr. Steinberg and other critics of Greece have completely failed to repudiate the historical distortions emanating from this Slavic people who have no connection to Macedonia whatsoever. Greece has shown more than good will toward its neighbor. Athens established diplomatic relations with Skopje, and has been assisting this former Yugoslav Republic economically. The Greek veto to be exercised is motivated by the right to self defense of its territory, history, and culture. Greece fought and suffered for the liberation of Macedonia during the Balkan Wars, and fought to defend Macedonia during the period of the Greek Civil War, when the Communists backed by Tito were defeated. Every sovereign country has the right to address a threat that has the potential to worsen with the passing of time. The alleged "crisis" which critics of Greece continue to refer to has been instigated by those Slavs in Skopje who have made no secret of their territorial aspirations. As a member of the NATO alliance, Greece has the right to expect and to demand unwavering support from NATO.

Theodore G. Karakostas TKarakosta@aol.com

Member of HEC Executive Council

www.greece.org

Informations/articles about Macedonia

This week, the most powerful military alliance the world has ever known will meet at a time of growing global threats to international peace and security. But at the Nato summit in Bucharest, issues of Kosovo's independence, tensions in the Middle East, growing divisions with

Russia

, prospects of resolution of the

Cyprus

conflict, and membership prospects for

Ukraine

and

Georgia

, may have to take a backseat as ministers and generals debate the most weighty issue of all: what the Macedonians can call themselves.

At the summit, the Alliance was expected to extend membership invitations to

Croatia

Albania

and

Macedonia

, but

Greece

is blocking Skopje's bid due to the name issue. Athens' extreme diplomatic inhospitality towards its newest neighbour is rooted in the national indignation that another country should give itself the name of one of its own provinces, especially the one associated with Alexander the Great and Phillip of Macedonia, and fears that Skopje's use of the name implies a claim to the Greek northern province.

Greece

has already forced on the Macedonians the appalling moniker, "

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

", or FYROM, in all international forums. As if Athens would ever accept to be called the "Former Ottoman Province of Greece".

To break the impasse before the summit, various compromises have been suggested, nearly all of which are as deeply insulting to Macedonians as FYROM. In the last few weeks, we've seen "New Macedonia" or "Upper Macedonia". The Macedonians have reportedly now agreed to add the geographic tagline: "Republic of Macedonia (Skopje)" to meet a previous Greek demand, but even that is not apparently enough for the Greeks today. Talks have moved from the UN to Washington in hopes of a solution before a train wreck this week.

The notion that two geographic locations cannot share the same name would strike many as bizarre. Few would mistake Paris,

France

, for its counterpart in Texas, or Toledo,

Spain

, for its counterpart in Ohio. The residents of the Belgian province of Luxembourg have never been threatened by the country of the same name, nor by the Luxembourg Palace in the aforementioned Paris -

France

, that is. There are so many Springfields in the

that it has become an inside joke on The Simpsons.

Unfortunately, Greek intransigence on the Macedonian name issue is not just an amusing or annoying nationalist throwback. It has real and damaging consequences, not least for Balkan - including Greek - security and stability.

Macedonia

's membership in Nato would stabilise the region and

Greece

's relations with its neighbours in the same way that

Turkey

's membership has. It would facilitate an open dialogue on all issues. A stable, secure and prosperous

Macedonia

, whatever its people choose to call themselves, will only be good for

Greece

Contrast those strategic interests with the apparent threat that

Greece

seems to fear. Does Athens really think that the country of

Macedonia

, with some two million relatively poor people, wants to take over a region in

Greece

which is far richer and five times more populous? Do they believe that Skopje is pushing the territorial claims of Alexander and seeking an empire stretching not just to Thessaloniki, but all the way to

Afghanistan

and

Egypt

There are real and practical solutions here. Nearly seven years ago, the International Crisis Group suggested a compromise under which the UN, Nato, the European Union and other international organisations would use the Macedonian-language "Republika Makedonija". This would come in the context of a bilateral treaty between Skopje and Athens in which Macedonia would commit to fair treatment of the Greek cultural heritage in the Macedonian educational curriculum, agree that Greece could use its own name for the state of Macedonia, and commit to strict protection against any Macedonian exploitation of its constitutional name to disadvantage Greece commercially or legally. Alternatively, a solution that includes a geographic qualifier is still a workable option. Both should be considered.

Athens has long-standing and legitimate concerns on key issues being considered in the context of Nato, as well as the European Union, including the futures of

Cyprus

and Kosovo. These are serious issues involving serious debates. By sticking to a hardline - and, some would say, frivolous - position on the Macedonian name issue, it is risking its credibility on these questions. More importantly, it is risking adding another element of instability in a region that has already seen far too much tragedy in the recent past.

Greece

should know better: its friends and allies from around the world - including from Athens,

Georgia

- should tell them this in no uncertain terms.